Kids News - Articles with 200-400 Words

Uranus and Neptune are often called "ice giants." This is based on the theory that they were made from materials that easily freeze in space, like water and ammonia. However, this label does not come from direct observations, since no spacecraft has visited the two giants since Voyager 2 in the 1980s. Instead, it is drawn from computer models built using the planets’ sizes, masses, densities, and gravity fields. Now, a new study by scientists at the University of Zurich is challenging this idea. It suggests that the two planets may contain more rock than ice....

On October 15, 2025, American mountaineer Jim Morrison became the first person to ski down Mount Everest’s Hornbein Couloir. The deep, narrow chute begins at roughly 26,000 feet (8,000 m) on the mountain’s north face, west of the summit. Most of it is extremely steep, with slopes that reach about 60 degrees near the top. Morrison’s party was only the sixth expedition to climb that route and the first successful one since 1991....

The Karowe Mine in Botswana, Southern Africa, is famous for producing large, high-quality diamonds. Previous notable finds include the 1,758-carat Sewelô and the 2,492-carat Motswedi, the second-largest diamond ever found. However, the diamond revealed on October 15, 2025, has captured the attention of gem experts and collectors worldwide. Weighing 37.41 carats, it is half pink and half clear!...

The federal government reopened on November 13, 2025, ending a 43-day shutdown, the longest in US history. This followed President Donald Trump’s signing of a temporary funding bill late on November 12, which let federal employees return to work and allowed government services to resume....

Three taikonauts — the term for Chinese astronauts — aboard China’s Tiangong Space Station have had their trip home postponed after a piece of space debris struck their return capsule. Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie were set to return to Earth on November 5, 2025, after handing over duties to the Shenzhou-21 mission crew. But just hours before departure, engineers found signs of damage to the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, forcing officials to delay the trip....

Honey bees are vital to our food supply. They pollinate the flowers of many fruits and vegetables, supporting about 35 percent of the world's crops. In the US alone, the tiny insects help produce $15 billion worth of food each year....

Sanae Takaichi made history on October 21, 2025, when she became Japan's first female prime minister. Just weeks earlier, on October 4, she was elected as the first woman to lead the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japan's most powerful political party. Her rise is a major milestone in a country where women are still rare in politics....

Veterans Day is celebrated annually on November 11. It honors the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. This includes members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, Air Force, and Coast Guard....

Isabella Orduna was paddling out for an evening surf at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, California, on October 15, 2025, when something nipped at her foot. Startled, she rolled into the water. To her surprise, a sea otter was perched on her surfboard!...