English news for Thursday, September 3, 2026

Scientists in Japan have found that the way chickens live changes the taste of their eggs. A group led by Professor Tsuyoshi Shinmura of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, a university in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, announced the finding on August 31, 2026. Scientists from Kagoshima University, Kyoto University, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, and Azabu University also worked on the study. It was published in the science journal^*1 npj Science of Food on August 27.

Some chickens live in cages. Others are cage-free^*2 and can walk around on the floor. The scientists put cages and a cage-free area in the same room. All the chickens ate the same food. For five years, the scientists compared the chickens and their eggs. More than 100 people ate the eggs as pudding^*3 and as chawanmushi^*4, and they said which they liked. The scientists also studied the yolk^*5, the egg white, and the chickens' blood, and they looked at how the chickens' livers^*6 worked.

The chickens in cages could not move much. Because of this, more fat went into their blood and into the yolk, and their eggs tasted creamy. This was easy to taste in the pudding. But these eggs also had more of the things that make a bitter taste, so people liked them less.

The cage-free chickens moved a lot. Their egg white had more amino acids^*7, which give food a savory^*8 taste and a sweet taste. In chawanmushi, these eggs tasted rich and smooth.

The food was the same, so only the way of living changed the chickens' bodies. These changes went through the blood into the eggs and changed the taste. The scientists say that each kind of egg is good for different dishes.

Around the world, more people want farms to be kind to animals, and more countries are stopping the use of cages. But cage-free eggs cost more, so people wanted to know if they are really better. In earlier studies, cage-free chickens also ate grass and insects. Because of this, nobody could see the difference that came from the way of living alone. This new study shows that difference.

1. *1 journal: a magazine where scientists print their studies
2. *2 cage-free: not kept in a cage; free to walk around
3. *3 pudding: a soft, sweet dish made with eggs, milk, and sugar
4. *4 chawanmushi: a soft, warm Japanese dish made from eggs and soup, cooked in a cup
5. *5 yolk: the yellow part of an egg
6. *6 livers: a part inside the body that cleans the blood and helps use food
7. *7 amino acids: very small things in food that the body uses to build itself; they can also give food taste
8. *8 savory: a rich, full taste like meat or soup, not sweet

Japan has chosen Hikone Castle as its candidate^*1 for the World Heritage list^*2 this year. The Agency for Cultural Affairs, the part of the Japanese government that looks after culture and old buildings, said this on Thursday, September 3.

Hikone Castle is an old castle in Shiga Prefecture^*3, an area of Japan. On September 3, a group of experts^*4 from the Council for Cultural Affairs held a meeting. This council helps the Japanese government make decisions about culture. The experts study places that may become World Heritage sites^*5. At the meeting, they said that Hikone Castle should be Japan's candidate for this year.

The agency has put more information about the castle in documents on its website.

1. *1 candidate: a person or thing that is put forward so that it may be chosen
2. *2 World Heritage list: a list of the most important old places and natural places in the world
3. *3 Prefecture: one of the areas that Japan is divided into, a little like a state
4. *4 experts: people who know a lot about one subject
5. *5 World Heritage sites: places that are on the World Heritage list

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the weather agency^*1 of the United Nations. On September 3, it gave its newest forecast^*2 for El Niño^*3.

The WMO says El Niño will get stronger in the next few months. It will become "very strong." The chance that it will continue until February 2027 is "near 100%."

Scientists watch the sea temperature in one part of the ocean. They call this measure the Niño 3.4 index^*4. In July, the water there was 2.0 degrees Celsius^*5 warmer than normal. In the middle of August, it was between 2.2 and 2.6 degrees warmer than normal each week. From July to early August, the water under the surface^*6 in some areas was more than 8 degrees warmer than normal.

António Guterres, the head of the United Nations, said, "The planet^*7 is in unknown waters, and those waters are getting warmer."

Celeste Saulo is the head of the WMO. She said the WMO is now working with the weather services^*8 of many countries to prepare for El Niño. This is the biggest effort of this kind in the 50 years of the WMO's history.

1. *1 agency: an office or group that does one kind of work
2. *2 forecast: a report that says what will probably happen in the future
3. *3 El Niño: a time when the sea in the middle of the Pacific Ocean becomes warmer than usual, and this changes the weather in many parts of the world
4. *4 Niño 3.4 index: a number that shows how much warmer or colder the sea is than normal in one part of the Pacific Ocean
5. *5 degrees Celsius: a measure of how hot or cold something is; water freezes at 0 and boils at 100
6. *6 surface: the top of the water
7. *7 planet: a big round body in space; the Earth is a planet
8. *8 weather services: the offices in each country that watch the weather and tell people about it

Tokyo Metro, a subway^*1 company in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, will start a new test at Kita-Senju Station on September 9, 2026. The station is on the Chiyoda Line. Tokyo Metro is working with Sharp, an electronics^*2 company, and Restar, another company. The test will run for several months.

Many people use Kita-Senju Station, and some train cars^*3 are more crowded than others. Since December 2024, screens in the station hall have shown how crowded each car of the coming train is. A system called the Train Crowding Measurement System counts the people in real time^*4. Now the companies will go one step further. They will use Sharp's projection technology^*5, called Omject, to shine signs onto the floor. When a train is coming, the floor signs will point people toward the cars that have more space. The companies want to see if this spreads people out more evenly. They will also test whether the timing of the floor signs changes how people move.

Before the floor signs start, the companies will study the station as it is now. Cameras at places where the hall splits into different paths will watch how people walk. A computer will turn the pictures into numbers of people right away. The pictures themselves are not saved.

Each company has a job. Tokyo Metro plans the walking routes, gives the crowding data^*6, and provides the station. Sharp builds the system that guides the people and makes the pictures for the floor. Restar provides the measuring equipment^*7.

1. *1 subway: a train that runs under the ground in a city
2. *2 electronics: machines like TVs, phones, and computers
3. *3 cars: the parts of a train that people ride in
4. *4 real time: at the same moment that something happens
5. *5 projection technology: a way to shine pictures or words onto a surface with light
6. *6 data: information, often numbers, kept in a computer
7. *7 equipment: the tools and machines needed for a job

Japan is getting ready for a new kind of school textbook. From the 2030 school year, textbooks in Japan can have digital^*1 parts, not only paper pages. On September 2, 2026, the Ministry^*2 of Education, the part of the Japanese government in charge of schools, showed a draft^*3 plan for these textbooks. A group of experts at the ministry checks every textbook before schools can use it. The draft plan says what kind of digital content is good for a textbook and what kind is not allowed.

Some digital content is welcome. For example, a textbook can have a simulation^*4. Students can move shapes and graphs on the screen and see how they change. Videos that help students learn a skill are also fine.

Other content will not be allowed. Games and comics that are mostly for fun and do not help students understand the subject are out. So are very large sets of data^*5, and long lists of practice questions that students do again and again, or questions for entrance exams^*6. A textbook also cannot include an encyclopedia^*7 that lists every animal or every material. And it cannot have lecture^*8 videos that take the place of the class itself.

The plan also looks at the amount of video. Today's paper textbooks have QR codes^*9 that link to videos. In some cases, one code leads to more than five hours of video. The ministry says this is a problem, and videos need to be chosen more carefully. So the draft plan says there will be a limit on the total hours of video in each kind of textbook. The limit will depend on the subject. In some subjects, video is a good way to teach skills. In some, students learn by watching and doing experiments^*10. In some, video helps students speak and listen. Other subjects are different. Each of these groups will get its own limit.

One more rule is in the plan. Textbooks will not be allowed to have links to outside websites or to learning materials that are not textbooks.

The plan is still a draft. It will become part of the rules for checking the new textbooks that schools will use from 2030.

1. *1 digital: on a computer or screen, not on paper
2. *2 Ministry: a part of a government that takes care of one area, like schools
3. *3 draft: a first version of a plan, which can still change
4. *4 simulation: a computer program that shows how something works, and lets you change it and watch
5. *5 data: facts and numbers kept on a computer
6. *6 entrance exams: tests that students take to get into a school or university
7. *7 encyclopedia: a very big book or list that gives facts about every kind of thing
8. *8 lecture: a long talk by a teacher that explains a subject
9. *9 QR codes: small black-and-white squares that a phone can read to open a web page
10. *10 experiments: tests that students do in science class to see what happens

New York City is the biggest city in the United States. On September 2, 2026, the city's mayor^*1, Zohran Kwame Mamdani, and the head of the city's schools, Kamal H. Samuels, announced new rules about AI and screens in public schools.

From the 2026-2027 school year, young students will not be allowed to use generative AI^*2 at school for one year. The rule is for children from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. About 600,000 public school students will be affected. That is two out of every three students in the city's schools.

The city also set limits on screen time^*3. Children in second grade and below will get less time on their own school computers or tablets. Students in grades three to five should use screens for no more than 30 minutes a day. Students in grades six to eight should use them for no more than 45 minutes a day.

There are some exceptions^*4. Students with disabilities^*5 can still use assistive technology^*6. Students who are learning English and students in career programs, such as computer science, can also use AI. Teachers can still use AI to plan lessons and do school work. However, companion chatbots^*7 are banned for students of all ages.

High school students will get AI literacy^*8 lessons. In these lessons, they will learn to think carefully about AI. The lessons take place twice a year, and each time there are two 45-minute classes. A small number of high school students will also try AI tools in a pilot program^*9. The program will run in up to five school districts^*10, with up to 50,000 students. That is about 5% of all students in the city. The five tools are Quill for English (up to 15 minutes a week), Edia for math (up to 20 minutes a week), Brisk Teaching (10 to 20 minutes a week), Playlab (up to two assignments in each grading period^*11), and Intel AI-Ready Schools (one class a week).

During the school year, the city will start a group called the Technology in Schools Coalition. Students, teachers, parents, lawmakers^*12 and experts^*13 will be in the group. They will study how the new rules affect students and then publish a report.

1. *1 mayor: the leader of a city
2. *2 generative AI: computer programs that can write text, make pictures, or answer questions by themselves
3. *3 screen time: the time a person spends looking at a computer, tablet, or phone
4. *4 exceptions: cases where a rule does not apply
5. *5 disabilities: problems with the body or mind that make some things hard to do
6. *6 assistive technology: tools and programs that help people with disabilities learn or do things
7. *7 companion chatbots: computer programs that talk with you like a friend
8. *8 AI literacy: understanding what AI is and how to use it wisely
9. *9 pilot program: a small test of something new before many people use it
10. *10 school districts: areas of a city that share a group of schools
11. *11 grading period: a part of the school year, after which students get their grades
12. *12 lawmakers: people who make the laws
13. *13 experts: people who know a lot about one subject