English news for Monday, October 12, 2026 (Sports Day)

Bears have hurt people in many parts of Japan this year. On October 30, 2025, Japan's Ministry^*1 of Education sent a notice to boards of education^*2 in the country's prefectures^*3 and big cities. The notice explains how schools can keep children safe when bears come near. The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare helped with it.

The notice asks schools to check the latest information about bears in their area. Schools should also look at the roads that children use to walk to school. If a bear has been seen nearby, schools should change these roads. When a bear appears, schools need a plan to keep children safe. They also need a way to contact people quickly. Schools should add bears to their emergency plans, and they should tell students and teachers to be careful.

The ministry also asks schools to work with the police and with the local offices that deal with wild animals.

To help schools, the notice points to the Ministry of the Environment's new guide for dealing with bears. It also points to guides from local governments. Hokkaido, a large island in the north of Japan, has a guide for emergencies. The cities of Hanamaki and Oga have their own guides for bears. The ministry asks schools to use these guides when they make their plans.

1. *1 Ministry: a part of a country's government that looks after one area, such as schools or health
2. *2 boards of education: the groups of people who run the public schools in an area
3. *3 prefectures: the large areas that Japan is divided into, like states

Saga University, a national university in Saga Prefecture^*1 in the south of Japan, will open two new programs^*2 in April 2026. The university announced the news on August 27, 2025. Japan's Ministry of Education^*3 has approved^*4 the plan.

The first program is about cosmetic science^*5. This is the first program of its kind at a national university in Japan. Students will learn how cosmetics^*6 are made and how their quality^*7 is checked. The program will work together with Saga Prefecture, which has a plan to grow its cosmetics business. Companies and research institutes^*8 in the prefecture will also help with the teaching.

The second program is a joint course^*9 for students who want to become teachers. Saga University's education faculty^*10 will run it together with Kumamoto University, a university in the next prefecture. This is the first course of this kind in Kyushu, the southern island where both universities are.

People who have questions about the cosmetic science program can call the university's planning office at 0952-28-8814. Questions about the teacher course go to the education faculty office at 0952-28-8213.

1. *1 Prefecture: a large area of Japan with its own local government, like a state
2. *2 programs: courses of study at a university
3. *3 Ministry of Education: the part of Japan's government that looks after schools and universities
4. *4 approved: said yes to
5. *5 cosmetic science: the study of make-up, creams and other things people put on their skin and hair
6. *6 cosmetics: make-up, creams and other things people put on their skin and hair
7. *7 quality: how good something is
8. *8 research institutes: places where scientists study things and find new facts
9. *9 joint course: a course that two schools run together
10. *10 education faculty: the part of a university that trains teachers

China has new rules for short dramas^*1. A short drama is a TV series with very short episodes^*2. Each episode is less than 20 minutes long. The story has a clear theme^*3. It continues from one episode to the next, and it comes to an end.

The National Radio and Television Administration, the Chinese government office for TV and radio, published the rules on July 31, 2026. The rules say how short dramas can be made and shown.

One rule is about short dramas that are made with artificial intelligence^*4, or AI^*5. These dramas must have a label^*6. The company that makes the drama and the company that shows it must put the label in a clear place in every episode. Then people who watch the drama can see that AI made it.

There is also a rule for one group of short dramas, called "category^*7 one." Before a company starts to make one of these dramas, it must report its plan to the government. The government then shows the plan to the public. If the company later changes the main characters or the story, it must report the plan again.

The new rules will start on September 1, 2026.

1. *1 short dramas: TV series made of very short episodes, often watched on a phone
2. *2 episodes: the parts of a TV series; you watch one part at a time
3. *3 theme: the main idea of a story
4. *4 artificial intelligence: computer programs that can learn and make things like text, pictures, and videos
5. *5 AI: a short name for artificial intelligence
6. *6 label: a small sign or words that tell you something about a thing
7. *7 category: a group of things that are the same kind

A fire has damaged a famous old market in Paris, the capital of France. The fire happened during the night of Sunday, October 11, to Monday, October 12, 2026.

The market is called the Marché des Enfants Rouges. It is the oldest covered market^*1 in Paris. It began in the 17th century^*2, and today it is a protected historic monument^*3.

The French Ministry of Culture, the government office for art and history, spoke about the fire on Monday. It said that part of the market was destroyed.

Catherine Pégard, the French minister of culture, wrote a statement^*4 about the fire. She said she was very sad about it. She promised support for the people who work in the market: the sellers, the craftspeople^*5 and the restaurant owners. She also promised support for the people who live near the market.

The minister also thanked the firefighters and the rescue teams^*6. She said they were brave and did their work very well. She said their quick actions in the first minutes of the fire were very important.

1. *1 covered market: a market with a roof, where many small shops sell food and other things
2. *2 17th century: the years from 1601 to 1700
3. *3 historic monument: an old and important building that the law protects
4. *4 statement: an official message that a person or group writes for the public
5. *5 craftspeople: people who make things with their hands, like bread or furniture
6. *6 rescue teams: groups of people whose job is to save people in danger