THE AWARD-WINNING WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR KIDS £1.20 22 – 28 OCT 2010 ISSUE 230 First News supports children’s charities
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Legend of the Guardians interview
CHRISTMAS TREES
ANIMAL NEWS
Real or fake?
Otters make a comeback
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The world’s richest couple, Bill and Melinda Gates, give half their £34 billion fortune to help the poor and say to Britain...
DON’T GIVE UP GIVING THE world’s richest couple have congratulated Britons on their generosity to the world’s poor – and have said “keep on giving”. Melinda and Bill Gates held private talks with Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street this week to launch their Living Proof programme to show how global aid makes a difference. “We should do more of it,” says Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft. The couple set up a foundation in 1994 and are spending £21 billion to tackle global poverty. Melinda says: “When we find a way to save millions of lives, to give hundreds of millions of families the ability to make a healthy, productive future, we should give everything we’ve got.”
Polio cases have been reduced by 99%. Here a young boy in Afghanistan is given the vaccine.
4,000 LIVES
In the last 50 years, child deaths in the developing world have been cut by half.
SAVED EVERY
DAY
by editor Nicky Cox She adds: “British people continue to show generosity in times of need – every year on Red Nose Day and recently in response to Haiti and the Pakistan floods.” Aid worker Debrework Zewdie says that smart aid helps the people of developing countries to help themselves. “One day soon we hope it will help us end the need for aid,” she said, “but today and tomorrow this approach is making it possible to save 4,000 lives daily in communities across Africa and the developing world.”
This little boy in Myanmar had malaria but cases have been cut by half in 38 countries in the last ten years. Measles deaths in Africa have dropped by 92% because of vaccination paid for by aid.
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Bill and Melinda Gates
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FIRST NEWS HEADLINES Loss of coral reefs like this one affects marine life
FIRSTNEWS
DICTIONARY
Ten years to save life on Earth
BIODIVERSITY is the existence of a wide variety of plant and animal species in their natural environments
HUMANS are damaging nature and wildlife so badly that if we don’t change now it could be too late in ten years’ time, says Japan’s environment minister. This week the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity opened in Nagoya, Japan. Mr Ryo Matsumoto, Japan’s environment minister, commented on the UN report – the Global Biodiversity Outlook. The report showed that the loss of forests, coral reefs and rivers is already having a big effect on humans. Mr Matsumoto said: “All life on Earth exists thanks to the benefits from biodiversity
by Gabrielle Utton in the forms of fertile soil, clear water and clean air. We are now close to a tipping point – that is, we are about to reach a threshold beyond which biodiversity loss will become irreversible, and may cross that threshold in the next ten years if we do not make proactive efforts for conserving biodiversity.” There is hope, though, as conservation
work has proved to be successful. Jane Smart, head of the species programme at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, says: “When we carry out conservation it does work. So we need to do a lot more conservation work, such as protected areas – particularly in the sea. We need to save vast areas of ocean to protect fish stocks – not to stop eating fish, but to eat fish in a sustainable way.”
Super typhoon Flu and cyber hits Philippines attacks top list HEAVY rain and high winds have killed at least ten people and caused thousands more to flee their homes. Tropical cyclones that form in the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons and rated one to five for their intensity. A category five typhoon is called a super typhoon. Storm Megi is the worst the Philippines have had to deal with for four years. The country had some warning and so closed schools, banned boats going out to sea and the army was on standby ready to help people.
A GOVERNMENT council has listed the top threats of the UK. The National Security Strategy, written by the National Security Council, lists 16 possible dangers to the country. These include natural dangers such as a flu pandemic or a natural disaster, or an attack on UK cyberspace. As part of the cuts the Treasury department are making across the country, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is also getting its money reduced. The MoD’s budget will be cut by 8% and some people are worried this could be dangerous for the country. Defence Secretary Liam Fox says that the cuts won’t put people in danger.
IN BRIEF
Gerald, right, snuggles up to Genevieve
Gerald the giraff e fi nds love AFTER a four-year search a lonely giraffe has found his soul mate.
Genevieve the giraffe moved to Gerald’s enclosure at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in Bristol, from eastern Europe. Seven-year-old Gerald seems besotted with Genevieve, giving her a snuggle at every opportunity, much to the delight of the zoo’s keepers and visitors alike.
Scots kids are fittest RESEARCH has found that youngsters north of the border are the fittest in the country. A survey has found that Scottish seven-year-olds were the least overweight and the most active out of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. More than half walk to school every day and are the least lazy children in the country.
Army dogs get protection DOGS trained to sniff out bombs are getting their own armoured kennels to travel in.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox
Traditionally, dogs have sat in the back of vehicles where they are at a greater risk of being hit by exploding bombs. But, soon, they will travel more safely by sitting in a dogpod attached to a Wolfhound tactical support vehicle.
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FIRST NEWS HEADLINES
Fake is the new real EARLY Christmas shoppers are choosing a fake tree for the festive season this year. Fake Christmas trees are no longer shiny and plastic-looking and shopkeepers say that customers are choosing to go fake for environmental reasons. Reusing the same tree each year is seen by many as more ecofriendly than choosing a real tree chopped down to sit in their home. Department store John Lewis have found customers have started their Christmas shopping early as wreaths, tinsel and other decorations are already selling more quickly than last year. What kind of Christmas tree do you choose, real or fake?
Is this tree real or fake?
VOTE NOW in our poll at
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Some of the rescued miners return to Camp Hope for a service. Dario Segovia, in the yellow shirt, was one of the miners trapped below ground for 69 days. He said: “We are always going to carry on being miners.”
Otters return THIRTY years after they almost became extinct, otters are making a comeback.
Pesticides used 30 years ago hurt the creatures so much they were nearly wiped out. Since the chemicals were banned progress has been slow but their numbers are now getting back to normal. Otters have been spotted in rivers across England and in every English county except Kent, mysteriously. Paul Raven, head of conservation and ecology at the Environment Agency, says: “The recovery of otters from near-extinction shows how far we’ve come in controlling pollution and improving water quality.”
EDITOR’S COMMENT THERE have been some real “feelgood” stories in the news this week including the love tale of Gerald the giraff e opposite. Altogether now… aaah!
But there is nothing more heart-warming than the front page story. We all take part in Red Nose Day, I know you have charity mufti days at school and it will be Children In Need again next month. But doesn’t it feel good to know that all the fund-raising does actually make such a big difference? The world’s richest couple, Bill and Melinda Gates, are spending about half of their fortune to help the poor and are urging all of us, too, to keep on giving. I think the proof that the aid works is all the encouragement we need, don’t you? To know that malaria cases have been cut by half, that measles deaths have dropped by 92% and that polio has virtually disappeared is just incredible. Editor Nicky Cox MBE
Mine collapses in China AN explosion at a coal mine in China has killed 26 miners and left 11 trapped underground.
A rescuer said that the men may not be alive by the time they reach them. China’s mining industry is well known for being dangerous. In 2009 more than 2,600 miners were killed in mine accidents.
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY On 24 October 2003, Concorde, the supersonic plane, touched down after its last commercial flight. For 27 years Concorde flew between London and New York in just three and a half hours.
BAD
Chilean miners return to Camp Hope A NUMBER of the miners rescued from the mine they were trapped in for 69 days, returned to the site for a thanksgiving ceremony. The service was held at Camp Hope where the miners’ relatives waited for more than two months for news and, finally, the rescue of their loved ones. All 33 of the men who were trapped in the mine were rescued. Although several suffer from eye and dental problems as a result of their time in the dark and dirt,
they are mostly in good health. The miners have complained of journalists and TV crews intruding in their lives and the media were made to wait outside the tent while the private service took place. There were also other miners who haven’t worked and who say they haven’t been paid since the mine collapsed,
protesting at the site. Although the men could earn lots of money from book and newspaper deals, and have been offered holidays, some just want to go back to work in the mines. One of the rescued miners, Omar Reygadas, said: “It is my work. It is my way of earning pesos. I am a mole and I’m happy when I’m underground.”
WEEK FOR... Manchester United
Wayne Rooney is said to be unhappy at the club. Rumours suggest he hasn’t signed a new contract and may leave to go to another club.
GOOD
WEEK FOR... Robbie Williams
The pop star is at number one in the album charts for the ninth time with his second greatest hits album, In and Out of Consciousness.
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THE NEWS IN PICTURES 19 OCTOBER
COVENTRY, ENGLAND: A woman filmed by a CCTV camera dumping a cat in a wheelie bin was fined £250 after admitting a cruelty offence.The cat, Lola, was found later by her owners and was unhurt.
13 OCTOBER
LONDON, ENGLAND: The Pulse3K race took place in London’s Hyde Park. The race, which took place alongside the main Marathon, is aimed at 11 to 16-year-olds and challenges them to run 3km. Georgie Tuckfield, 13, was the first girl to finish with a time of 11 minutes and 12 seconds.
16 OCTOBER
AHMEDABAD, INDIA: Indian youths participate in the traditional Garba dance to celebrate the Hindu festival of Dussehra, which symbolises the victory of good over evil in Hindu mythology.
19 OCTOBER
LONDON, ENGLAND: Greenpeace protesters climbed the Treasury building in Westminster to call for a “green bank” to be set up. The stunt came as Chancellor, George Osborne, prepared to unveil the Government’s Spending Review.
13 OCTOBER
SHROPSHIRE, ENGLAND: Tilly, an 18-month-old Border/Lakeland Terrier cross has won the coveted Dog Photographer of the Year Award 2010. The picture was taken by Jennie Shelton, 16.
20 OCTOBER
SURREY, ENGLAND: Meerkats get ready for Hallowe’en in Wanyama Village at Chessington World of Adventures.
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SPECIAL REPORT
by Kathryn Rawe for Save the Children
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For more information visit www.savethechildren.org.uk/pressforchange
Lana Slezik
The slums that so many people have to live in have no clean water or sewers to take waste away
What now for India? THIS year the Commonwealth Games were held in New Delhi, the capital of India. Thousands of athletes came to the city from all over the world and took part in sporting events like weightlifting, athletics and swimming over the ten days of the competition. The government of India spent billions of pounds building a new stadium, a village for the athletes and improving the roads and public transport. But now the games are over, people in India and around the world are asking what diff erence have they made?
Children are dying India is a developing country where there are many rich people who have made lots of money from starting new businesses in the last few years. But many families still live in terrible poverty. Almost two million children under the age of five die every year in India from diseases and symptoms that are easy to prevent and easy to treat, like diarrhoea and pneumonia. There are also more hungry children than in any other country in the world. Around 50 million Indian children are malnourished meaning they do not get enough nutritious food to eat and will grow up smaller and weaker than a child who has had a healthy diet.
than in the filthy alleyways. Some slum families living near the roadside were forced to move by the police who were trying to make the city look nicer before the games. They didn’t want visitors who had come for the games to see that so many people still lived in poverty.
This child doesn’t sleep in a cot. Instead, a few pieces of cloth make up a bed.
Salman’s story Salman and his family were forced from the roadside and had to live on land that had recently been flooded. Salman’s family used to live by the roadside but was moved on and had to live on fl ooded land.
“Even if I was taken to the stadium to watch the games, I wouldn’t go” says Salman, who thinks he is either eight or nine years old. “They have been very bad for my family. My house is knee-deep in sludge and we don’t get any food or clean water here because no-one can see us.”
What needs to happen? A baby is examined at a Save the Children mobile health clinic.
Families live by the roadside Lots of children in big cities in India, like New Delhi where the games was held, live in slums. These are the poorest areas of the city where families who cannot afford to buy or rent a house live cramped together in tents or tin shacks. These areas are unplanned and temporary so they do not have running water or sewers and are often in parts of the city where nobody else wants to live, like under motorways or near rubbish dumps. There are no schools or health clinics and children do not have anywhere to play other
With such high levels of poverty, disease and hunger, organisations like Save the Children have been asking whether the Government of India has got its priorities quite right. All the money that was spent on the games has made little difference in tackling some of the big problems in India like poverty and children going hungry, which some would say is more important than holding a big sporting event. Shireen Vakil Miller, who works for Save the Children in India, said: “Hosting the games was a very proud moment for India. The government proved that it could do great things. What should happen now is that they put in the same amount of effort to helping the poorest children in India and saving children’s lives. It is really important to tackle child hunger so that the poorest children grow up healthy and strong and, maybe, even have the chance to take part in the Commonwealth Games themselves one day.”
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ANIMAL NEWS Katina and her new calf
Flyaway pigeon A BRITISH racing pigeon got lost on her first ever race and ended up 5,200 miles away in Panama City.
Ten-month-old Houdini was supposed to take part in a six hour, 224 mile race from Guernsey to Dudley but, when she failed to finish, her owner, Darren Cubberly, thought he’d lost the bird forever. However, last week, he got a call saying the pigeon was in Panama City. It’s thought Houdini made her way over after landing on a boat sailing to the area.
A whale of a time!
IT’S been a good week for whales with a baby killer whale being born at SeaWorld Orlando and a humpback breaking records! SeaWorld Orlando was celebrating this week after their killer whale, Katina, gave birth to her seventh calf. The two metre long killer whale calf weighed 165kg. That’s nearly as much as two grown men! The calf is yet to be named as it takes a while to work out whether it’s a boy or girl. Elsewhere a humpback whale has travelled the longest distance ever
recorded for a mammal. Scientists think the female whale swam 6,200 miles, which is nearly a quarter of the globe. The humpback was first spotted off the coast of Brazil. Then, two years later, it popped up off the island of Madagascar. Watch Katina and her baby at www.firstnews.co.uk/news
Humpback whales are known for swimming long distances to find food and to breed
Seeing stripes?
EIGHT Berwick swans have arrived at Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire – the earliest they’ve arrived since 2003.
Pets get app-y OWNERS of overweight pets in America can now get them back to health with a new iPhone app.
The application, called CU-PetHealth, was developed by computer science students at Cornell University and lets owners work out the amount of calories their pet is eating. It takes into account the podgy pooch or collosal cat’s lifestyle and works out if it’s being overfed and can even suggest diets to keep pets in tip top condition.
Early swans
FIND OUT how you can help bees at
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NEW research has revealed that if you want bumblebees in your garden you need to plant striped flowers. The study by scientists, from the John Innes Centre in Norwich, found that flowers with stripes on their petal veins, which direct bumblebees to the flower’s ‘central landing platform’ and entrance to gather nectar and pollen, were more
frequently visited than pink or white blooms. Bees play a key role in agriculture by pollinating crops so gardeners are being encouraged now to grow striped flowers to encourage bumblebee populations.
Local folklore states that, if the swans arrive early, we’ll be in for a cold winter. James Lees, Reserve Warden at the centre, says: “It has been widely reported in the news that forecasters have predicted it will be just as cold this winter as last and the Berwicks’ early arrival could support this, and could even mean we are in for a colder winter this year!” Berwick swans spend the summer at their breeding grounds in Russia and return to the UK every winter.
Issue 230
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SCHOOL NEWS
Superheroes Footie fun Here at Lansdowne Primary School Cardiff, South Wales, we were lucky enough to be joined by the comic writer Chris Lynch who has worked on comics such as The Dark.
Christopher Law and Luke Whitehouse, St John Bosco School, West Bromwich
Abby Brookman, 9, Jack Evans, 10, Xinyu Ye,10, Lansdowne Primary School, Cardiff
He told us about making a comic book and what makes a superhero unique. He also talked about how much work goes into making a comic. There are about eight to ten jobs that have to be done to complete one single comic! We were put into groups of four and we worked together on making our very own superhero. We were very happy with our finished results. We had to give them an exciting name that everyone would remember. We made up names such as The Beast, Lightning Flash, Fire Woman and Electroid. We also had to give our superheroes a secret identity that would help them be anonymous in the ‘real world’. We gave them superpowers and devised a sad story on how they became a superhero. We then made our very own comic strip, using a storyboard, about how our superheroes
SOME of the children from St John Bosco school were at the Banks’s Stadium as guests of the club’s community department.
became who they are. Then we had to show our comic strip to the rest of the year group. We felt that this activity has really helped enhance our team building skills. We had loads of fun and we will definitely read more comics in the future.
Last week some of us from St John Bosco school went to Walsall FC. We had a two hour training session and we played a match. We put our bibs on and had our picture taken with Swifty the Walsall mascot. We went to the side of the pitch and they introduced us over the microphone to the crowd then we ran on to the pitch and waved to the home and away teams and all the fans and then we sprinted to our stools and were ball boys for the match. The match was Walsall vs. Exeter City. It was 2 – 0 just before half-time. Then one of the Exeter players got a red card. Exeter scored in the second half but Walsall managed to win 2 – 1. It was their first win for eight games. We think we
brought them good luck. At full time we took our stools back and hung our bibs up and Christopher won a signed football for showing the best effort in training. Everyone had a great day.
Your school in First News We want to hear what your school is up to Are you doing something sponsored for charity? Starting your own school newspaper? Or putting on a show?
Send your report (including pictures) to the address on page 14 or email newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk. If we print your story we’ll send you a copy of the paper and an exclusive First News certificate to be presented to you in assembly! Don’t forget to include your name, age, and your school’s name and address. (Please note: by writing to First News you give consent to First News printing details and photographs of those involved in the report.)
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22 – 28 OCT 2010
OUR STORIES THE WEEK’S WEATHER
with Jonathan Powell
From Friday 22 October 2010 to Thursday 28 October 2010 WEEK IN GENERAL Rain to the north and west. Drier to the south and east. FRIDAY 22 OCTOBER Scotland/N Ireland – Showers, overcast. Day 11c/52f Night 6c/43f. Brisk southwesterly. England/Wales – Showers, sunny spells. Day 12c/54f Night 7c/45f. Brisk southwesterly. SATURDAY 23 OCTOBER Scotland/N Ireland –Showers, overcast. Day 12c/54f Night 7c/45f. Brisk southwesterly. England/Wales – Showers, sunny spells. Day 13c/55f Night 8c/46f. Brisk southwesterly.
Home News Scotland
Lincolnshire
Cumbria
Have your vote
Beach raising
Tremors close school
Starting on 1 November, kids in Scotland are being asked to vote on a number of topics, to mark the 21st anniversary of the UNCRC (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). Young people will be asked to vote in the A Right Blether poll and organisers hope that 10,000 people will vote. See online at www.arightblether.co.uk/ children-and-young-people-vote
Around 400,000 cubic metres of sand has been used to protect the Lincolnshire coastline from flooding. A 12.5 mile stretch of coastland has had its beach levels raised by dredger to help protect local businesses and residents from winter flooding.
A school in Egremont had to be closed after specialist equipment detected tremors in the building. West Lakes Academy has experienced something similar before, thought to be due to shifting geology caused by heavy rainfall. Drilling during building work was thought to have caused the latest alert.
SUNDAY24 OCTOBER Scotland/N Ireland – Dry, sunny spells. Day 13c/55f Night 7c/45f. Light northwesterly. England/Wales – Dry, sunny spells. Day 14c/57f Night 8c/46f. Light northwesterly.
Glasgow Commonwealth handover Glasgow has offi cially been handed the mantle for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The hand-over happened during the closing ceremony of the 2010 games in Delhi. The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Bob Winter, said: “We are already on our way to making the most of what is a once in a generation opportunity to transform Glasgow socially, economically and environmentally.”
Cheltenham Anyone for chocolate? TV star Willie Harcourt-Cooze created a special three-course meal for the Cheltenham Literature Festival which featured chocolate at every stage. The chocolatier’s special lunch included porcini and chocolate risotto and venison with a chocolate gravy. “Most people don’t think of chocolate as a savoury thing,” explained Willie, “but it’s a fantastic condiment and is a rich flavour enhancer.”
London
REST OF THE WEEK Remaining changeable; best of the weather to the south and east.
WEATHER FAST FACT
Wales Shocking child poverty
October is statistically the driest month in The Falkland Islands, with just over 2.5cm of rainfall.
New research has shown that one in three children in Wales are living below the poverty line. The survey of 14,000 children born between 2000 and 2002 in the UK, by the Institute of Education at the University of London, showed that one in three Welsh sevenyear-olds live in a family with less than 60% of the UK’s average household income.
THE WEEK IN NUMBERS 5.5
million pounds is the amount a report has revealed it will cost to renovate Colwyn Bay Pier.
725
pounds is the cost of a top-price ticket for the final of the men’s 100m at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
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year-old Xanthe Funnel is believed to be the first person in Scotland to have spotted the rare steppe grey shrike bird at the Loch of Strathbeg RSPB reserve.
400 kg of clothing used in The Bill has been bought by the Metropolitan Police to stop the uniforms ending up in the hands of criminals.
Sweet sculptures Westminster Council has given the go-ahead for a sculpture of a family of jelly babies to go on display at Marble Arch. The colourful statues by sculptor Mauro Perucchetti are part of the City of Sculpture Festival. They feature a father, mother and child and stand at 3.2 metres high.
52 year-old firefighter Chris Sirett and his friend, Mark Bruce,
have cycled 64 miles underwater in cold water to raise money for Help for Heroes.
20,000
pounds is how much a first-person account of the sinking of the Titanic has been sold for at auction.
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Getty
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
SCIENCE
Dave Hart experiments with some futuristic gum
Bringing Willy Wonka’s gum to life
My, what big teeth you have…
THE three course dinner chewing gum from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory could soon be a reality. Experts think that Durrell’s vontsira feeds on fish and small mammals
FOR the first time in 24 years, scientists have discovered a new carnivorous mammal. The cat-sized creature was discovered on the island of Madagascar and has been named Durrell’s vontsira, in honour of the famous conservationist Gerald Durrell. A researcher working for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust first saw the creature
by Ian Eddy swimming in a lake. The family of carnivores that the animal belongs to is only found on Madagascar. Its closest relative is the brown-tailed vontsira,
but this new species is better adapted to live in the wetlands of Lac Alaotra. “This species is probably the carnivore with one of the smallest ranges in the world, and likely to be one of the most threatened,” says Frank Hawkins of Conservation International.
NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA)
Soap shock HYGIENE experts say that school toilet facilities need to improve, so that kids will take fewer sick days.
Getty
Millions of cases of norovirus (the winter vomiting bug) and other infections are caused every year by poor hand hygiene. People not washing their hands after going to the toilet is a major source of infection. For Global Handwashing Day 2010, scientists at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine carried out a survey of primary and secondary school children. They found that only 64% of primary school pupils always used soap when they washed their hands. This drops to just 39% for secondary school pupils. However, 24% of those at secondary school said that their school’s toilets were so disgusting that they avoided using them if possible. 19% said that there was never any soap in their toilets. Scientists have urged schools to clean up their toilets, particularly those in secondary schools.
What are your school toilets like? Are they clean? Is there always soap? Find this story on www.firstnews.co.uk and leave your comments
The strange ‘X’ shape in space. Scientists are still unsure about exactly how it formed
Space mystery deepens IF you’ve been paying attention there at the back, you might remember our story from February about a mysterious comet-like tail in the shape of an ‘X’. Scientists have been studying the strange shape with the Hubble Space Telescope, but still don’t have a good explanation for the odd X. The best explanation so far is that one tiny asteroid, about 3-4m wide, smashed into one around 120m across. The crash would have happened at around 18,000km/h and was as powerful as a small atomic bomb. When astronomers first spotted the
shape, they thought that it was the result of a fresh collision. However, new measurements suggest that it happened as far back as February 2009. Experts expected the debris to fly off into space quickly, but it seems to be doing the opposite and moving very slowly. Scientists hope that more observations with Hubble next year will shed some more light on the mystery. If they get some answers, we’ll let you know!
Willy Wonka’s invention started off tasting like tomato soup, then roast beef and potato, and finishing with blueberry pie and ice cream. Thanks to advances in nanotechnology, which uses structures millionths of a millimetre in size, scientists say that the gum could be made. Tiny structures called colloidosomes would contain the flavours, and different strengths of chewing would release the flavours at the right time. Dave Hart from the Institute of Food Research says that although we may be a little way off having the gum, he is working on a boiled sweet version. This will use a layer of tasteless gelatine between the courses, so that the flavours don’t mingle. Dave hopes that his work will help to inspire kids around the UK to come up with their own inventions. If that sounds like you, head to www.nationalsciencecompetition.org. It’s open to 11 to 18-year-olds and has a prize fund of £50,000. Entries have to be in by the end of October, so hurry! Would you try chewing gum that tasted of soup, beef and blueberry pie? Take part in the poll at www.firstnews. co.uk!
?
Did you
know
Vesta was the fourth asteroid ever to be discovered. It was spotted on 29 March 1807 by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers, and is almost 600km long. Its surface is made of frozen lava, which is thought to have oozed out 4.5 billion years ago.
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GLOBAL STORIES
World News
SNIPPETS A Lifeline charity shop in Wollongong, Australia, has made £1,250 after auctioning a donated original copy of George Orwell’s novel 1984.
Survival story A 59-year-old Fenton man who has survived cancer four times and lost both his legs through meningitis has hit a hole-in-one on his local golf course. Larry Monken said that when he got his new prosthetic legs, his two ambitions were to dance at his son’s wedding and to play golf again. “You fight because every day you live is a plus,” he says.
Denmark
Germany
Longest tunnel
Secretive pest killed
Society failure
Engineers have completed the drilling work for the world’s longest tunnel. The Gotthard base tunnel is 57km long and will allow a highspeed rail link to take passengers and goods from north to southeastern Europe. It is hoped that it will reduce the amount of traffi c travelling through narrow roads in the Alps.
Just days after the first ever live raccoon dog was caught in the country, it was run over and killed by a car. Although they look cute, they prey on rare species and carry disease. Wildlife experts had tagged the animal to track its movements. Find out what they look like and see a video at www.firstnews.co.uk.
The leader of Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel, has said that attempts to make the country a multicultural society have “utterly failed”. However, she also said that Germany needed skilled foreign workers, due to the high numbers of older Germans retiring or leaving the country.
Parliament attacked As First News went to press, it had been reported that a number of people had been killed during an attack on the parliament building in Chechnya. Two attackers are said to have blown themselves up, killing two policemen. Chechnya has seen lots of fighting over the years, as Russia struggles to keep control of the area.
Getty
USA
Switzerland
Russia
Australia Missing mice Getty
After hearing reports of a plague of mice all over south-western Australia, a documentary team arrived to film the creatures – but they seem to have mysteriously vanished. “Every farmer you speak to tells you they had, like, a million mice on their farm, and now they haven’t got any,” said Animal Planet producer Helen Lambourne.
Haiti
Six Swedes and an American have escaped from a gang of prisoners that took the men hostage. They were visiting the national prison in Port-au-Prince as part of the United Nations mission to help the country get back on its feet after the huge earthquake. The prisoners used the men as human shields, but local police and UN forces stormed the prison and allowed the seven men to escape.
Brazil
Spain
Israel
Dress doesn’t impress
Zzzzzzz…
Spooky numbers
A university that expelled a student for wearing a short dress has been ordered to pay her £15,000 in compensation. Geisy Arruda was expelled for wearing “inadequate clothing” and disrespecting the “dignity and morality” of Bandeirante University in Sao Bernardo do Campo.
To celebrate the dying tradition of a siesta (a short nap) after lunch, people have been taking part in a sleeping contest. The competition has taken place in a Madrid shopping mall with those who nodded off straight away, snored loudest and slept for longest winning gift certificates.
People were shocked this week to see the same six lottery numbers come up that were drawn three weeks ago. The numbers were drawn live on TV, with only the seventh bonus ball being different. Experts say that the chances off the same six numbers coming up are one in four trillion.
Getty
Getty
Prison escape
SNIPPETS Residents of a new housing estate have become angry, after they found out that the builders didn’t get permission to build a road to the estate in Austria.
Save the Children
KIDS’ WORLD Name: Ariunjargal Age: 9 Lives: Mongolia ARIUNJARGAL and her family sleep in the doorway of an apartment building. During the evening they sell chewing gum. The family usually earn 10,000 Tughrik (less than £5) a day. Ariunjargal ‘s mum says: “I sell chewing gum. I earn 700-800 Tughrik [33–38p] a day. I work 6pm– 11pm. We’ve been at the building for three months. Before, I lived with my friends. We don’t have any blankets, just our coats. I’d like my children to grow up very healthy. I’d like to see them in school but I’m
afraid other children will influence them.” Ariunjargal is stunted because of a lack of nutritious food. Save the Children social workers found her on the street and encouraged her to visit their drop-in-centre. The drop-in centre in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, offers children
living and working on the streets a safe and friendly environment where they can have a hot meal, wash their clothes, take a shower and simply enjoy being children. They play games or read. They learn about children’s rights, protection issues and life skills and have the support of trained social workers.
Find out more about Save the Children at www.savethechildren.org.uk
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TRAVEL
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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Disney Cruise! YOU want to go to Disney World for your summer holiday but your parents want to take you on a cultural trip of Europe? Well, this could be just the thing to keep everyone happy! by Daisy-Ann, 12
I’D never thought about a cruise before. To be honest, I reckoned they were for old people. But then I heard that Disney had a Cruise Line so it was time to think again!
So, I found myself flying to Barcelona, in Spain, to board the Disney Magic for an 11-night tour of the Mediterranean. The first surprise was the size of the ship. Oh wow! You don’t expect to get on a boat and to find a lift inside showing 11 floors, or decks, I suppose I should call them! We found our stateroom on the eighth floor, complete with balcony, and then headed off to explore the ship. My goodness, it was like a floating town. There were 2,400 passengers on board to enjoy two pools – one with an outdoor cinema showing Disney movies and programmes, a full-size theatre, three restaurants, a gym and spa, a huge cinema showing the very latest Disney releases – many in 3D. There were shops, sports (including five-aside-football and basketball) and, best of all, brilliant clubs specially designed for kids of different ages. My teenage brother and sister were quite sniffy about the idea of a club for them I can’t stand around all day holding to begin with but, before long, we hardly saw them up the Leaning Tower of Pisa as they hung out in the Stack Teen Club ALL the time. They even cried when we had to leave the ship, but don’t tell them I told you that! To begin with it felt really odd walking down a corridor and bumping into Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck but then it began to seem With our lovely waiters like the most normal thing in the world to be on holiday with them! The fun never stopped with activities going on all day and night. The Pirates of the Caribbean deck party was a highlight for me, complete with a spectacular firework display at sea. Everybody on the ship was so friendly. You have the same person cleaning your cabin every day and the towels were always left on your bed like a sculpture. You rotate between the ship’s three restaurants every day and your waiters come with you so they know what you like to drink and, if you’re left-handed like my sister, the table is laid right for you and they know what you like to eat. My favourite restaurant was Animator’s Palate. Collecting salt from the salt When you start your meal, the restaurant is black and white pans in Malta but it colours itself in while you eat and ends up in colour! It was so much fun on the ship it was a wonder we ever got off it. But, each morning, it was so exciting to wake up in another country. It was like having a new back garden to play in every day. We went to Spain, Malta, Tunisia, Italy, Corsica and France. Italy was the highlight for me visiting Pompeii, Napoli, Pisa and Rome. It really brought my lessons on the Romans to life! You had to make sure that you were back on board the ship by the time it was due to set sail every evening. And, as we left port, the ship’s horn would blast the tune of “When You Wish Upon A Star”. It really did make you realise that One of our daily towel dreams can come true. My dream is to go again some day! sculptures Thanks, Disney. Disney Cruise Line off ers seven-night Mediterranean round-trips sailing on Disney Magic from Barcelona, from May to September 2011. Prices are from £999, including flights. 10 or 11-night cruises are also available. Book through Virgin Holidays Cruises (0871 781 9893; www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk)
! s d i k Cool with Serena Lacey
MEET Eriya, Yves, Roger, Sanyu and Sherrie, the stars of the brilliant new film Africa United. First News spoke to the kids about how they got involved, what it was like to shoot a movie and their newfound fame! Tell us about Africa United. Yves: Africa United is about a team of children who travel across Africa to try and get to the opening ceremony of the World Cup in South Africa. They are Africa United, the team with the dream!
achieve her dream. Sanyu: I play Beatrice. She’s a very humble girl and sister to Dudu and she loves him very much. Her dream is to become a doctor, but she doesn’t have enough money to go to school.
Tell us about the characters you play. Yves: I play Foreman George. Foreman George is a child soldier and he wanted to do something new. He wants to change and be a good person. Eriya: Dudu loves football, people and the World Cup! Roger: Fabrice is not quite what the Western world think about when they think about African characters. He’s middle class, quite snobby in the beginning but he grows by the end of the film, thanks to his friends. Sherrie: Well, I play a girl called Celeste. She is 15 and works as a barmaid when you first meet her. She’s had quite a hard life, but she meets the rest of the team who help her to
How did you get involved with the film? Roger: It was funny, because they saw my face on a magazine and the producer just rung me up. I was shocked! My mum thought it was a prank phone call! Yves: I was selected by my headmaster. I was called to his offi ce and then I went through the auditioning process. I thought I was in trouble, though. I was going: “Oh Yves, what have you done?” What were your favourite scenes to shoot? Sanyu: There was an explosion in the film! That was so cool. It was so big and loud. Sherrie: Yes, the explosion was amazing! Roger: Mine was when me and Eriya got to go swimming at the bar Celeste worked at. It was like being on holiday for the day! Are you football fans in real life? Roger: Yes! But Yves is a standard glory hunter. Yves: Chelsea is the best. Eriya: Oh shut up! Come on Barcelona! Sherrie: I like Arsenal. But you know, even though the film is about the team trying
Richer than Princes DANIEL Radcliff e is richer than Princes William and Harry, according to a new report.
According to data collected, Daniel Radcliffe has a fortune of around £28.5m, while the Princes have around £28m each. Daniel has bought three houses with his cash, most of which was earned by filming the Harry Potter movie series. The final two films in the series have been made, and there is lots of excitement surrounding the release. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be released in November and the second part will be out in July 2011. Daniel has already lined up a string of new roles for life after Harry Potter. He will take to the stage on Broadway in New York early next year in the production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He will also appear in a special Hallowe’en episode of The Simpsons playing Edmund in a spoof of Twilight.
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TV, Film, Music and Theatre!
SHHH! X Factor
Demi Lovato
This year’s X Factor finalists are teaming up to release a song for the charity Help for Heroes. The 16 singers will record a cover of the David Bowie song Heroes which was originally released in the seventies. The single will be in shops on 7 November.
Disney star Demi Lovato has revealed that she was bullied at school. The bullying got so bad that when Demi was 12 years old she asked her mum to take her out of school and she ended up having lessons at home. Demi hopes that by speaking out about her experiences she’ll help other children who are in the same situation.
Kimberley Walsh Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh has launched her own jewellery line. The collection, called Kimberley, is available through Argos. to get to the World Cup, the film isn’t meant to really be all about football. I don’t think you need to be a football fan to enjoy this film. The film’s about making friends and achieving your dreams.
we’re doing now is fun too! Yesterday we had our first taste of being celebrities. We had a mob following us. People were asking for autographs too. I was like: “You want my autograph?!”
Which animals did you meet while making the film? Sherrie: We stroked lions! Sanyu: And there was a giraffe walking around on set! Sherrie: Yes, everyone got used to random animals walking on the set. It was quite funny.
What is the message of Africa United? Sanyu: If you believe in something and put your heart out to that then it might come true, so follow your dreams. Sherrie: If you’ve got a dream you’ve got to try to achieve it, so never doubt yourself. Yves: A team with a dream can achieve anything.
Do you miss shooting the film? Sherrie: Oh definitely, but the press stuff
Africa United is in cinemas now. See the trailer online at www.firstnews.co.uk
FirstNews.co.uk 13
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TOP TELLY! FEELING LUCKY? Catch all-new episodes of Disney’s new sitcom this half-term. When the Duncan family have another baby, they enlist their teenage children to help look after her. Good Luck Charlie, Disney Channel, Monday 25 Oct @ 5.50pm.
International Circuit on Saturday afternoon. Formula 1: The Korean Grand Prix, BBC1, Saturday 24 Oct @ 2.00pm.
START YOUR ENGINES If you don’t fancy getting up at 6am, don’t worry – you can still see all the action from the 17th race of the season at the Korean
FARMYARD FUN Cuddle up on the sofa and enjoy this classic movie all about the world’s cutest talking pig! Babe, ITV1, Saturday 23 Oct @ 1.40pm.
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
The Piers Morgan interview…
I couldn’t stop flapping my arms! FILM star Jim Sturgess is the voice behind cute owl Soren in the amazing new 3D animated adventure The Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. We caught up with the actor to find out all of the behind-thescenes gossip. So tell us a little bit about your character in the movie… Soren’s the hero of the piece. He’s a young owl who falls out of a tree one night after having an argument with his older brother, Kludd, and gets kidnapped by a group of evil owls called The Pure Ones. They are capturing all of the young owls in the forest and taking them to an orphanage where they become sort of slaves. My character knows that what these Pure Ones are doing is wrong so he escapes the orphanage and goes on a journey to seek out a group of mythical owls called The Guardians. They’re only really talked about in legends and myths, but he believes that they’re actually real, so goes on a journey to find the Guardians of Ga’Hoole and tell them about these evil doings. He’s very brave isn’t he? Yes, he has this young, wide-eyed kind of enthusiasm and belief. He’s a dreamer and a believer so, because of that, he ends up almost becoming a Guardian himself. You’ve always said that you’ve wanted to be in an animated movie. How was it actually getting to do it? As a kid I liked animated films and it’s just so fun doing the voice and seeing it coming out of one of these amazing animated creatures. It was a bit bizarre, too, but really fun! Sitting in the cinema was so much fun, because I could just sit there, enjoy it and not worry too much. I thought Soren was a better actor than I am. It was also nice to see how well the animation team created this character.
What was your reaction when you first saw the film? I was so blown away, I mean I’d never seen a 3D film before, so that was my first 3D experience. And I really feel that the people who created the animation have really taken it to its extreme limits.
You feel like you can put your hand out and touch the owls, don’t you? Yes, and I did! At the very beginning of the film a feather comes out of the screen and I actually went to touch it because it was so close! What’s the big diff erence for you as an actor making an animated movie? I wouldn’t say it was harder for me, it was just different. You’re forced to use your imagination completely because you’re just in a sound booth and there’s nobody else around you. There are no other actors, no scenery,
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Did you do a lot of research on owls for the film? I went on to the internet and looked at loads of pictures and read some facts that didn’t help me in my preparations at all – things like owls not being able to turn their head 360 degrees or chew their foods. The film is about a big adventure. What’s the biggest adventure you’ve ever been on? I go on lots of adventures every time I make a film. I just did a film called The Way Back which was a story about soldiers who escape from a camp and have to walk on foot from Siberia to India. That was a pretty big adventure, being out in the mountains and snow storms, then walking through the Sahara desert and going into India.
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no landscape so, with this film, you have to make it all up in your head. And especially with some of those big battle sequences, you had to imagine that these birds were attacking from a certain angle and that you were swooping down from a tree…
Did you have to do any flying actions in the studio to get yourself into that mindset? I couldn’t stop flapping my arms while I was there! I had to keep saying to myself: “Stop flapping your arms! You look ridiculous.” But, you know, in order to get into it you had to do every sort of motion that you think the owl was doing at the time.
Obviously Soren believes in these legendary Guardians. What kind of things did you believe in when you were younger? Well, when I was growing up, it was Roald Dahl stories. I remember reading The Witches and being terrified of older women and looking under their hair to see if they were wearing wigs. It completely terrified me for years!
We might see you flapping away in the extras on the DVD then! I’m so terrified about that, because they did film me the whole time I was in there.
Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole is in cinemas from 22 October Watch the trailer online now at www.firstnews.co.uk
THE FIRST NEWS TEAM Editor Nicky Cox Deputy Editor Gabrielle Utton Entertainment Editor Serena Lacey Writer Ian Eddy Editorial Assistant Kirsty Macdonald Intern Ben Pulsford Design Manager Richard Robson Website Editor Nicola Williams Accounts Assistant Kelane Henderson Advertising Nina Chaudhry, Anisha Unzia, Leanne Walker Subscriptions Manager Rachel Henderson Direct Marketing Manager Emma Robson Partnership Marketing Director Lindsaye Fox Publisher, First News Explorer Susan Downey Publisher Kelly Austin Founders Piers Morgan, Nicky Cox, Sarah and Steve Thomson Email: firstname.surname@firstnews.co.uk Tel. 020 3195 2000 www.firstnews.co.uk
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All material in this newspaper is © 2010 First News and Newsbridge Limited and cannot be used without written permission. First News is published by Newsbridge Limited, Shand House, 14-20 Shand St, London SE1 2ES. Printed by BGP Limited, Chaucer Business Park, Launton Road, Bicester, OX26 4QZ. Distributed by Advantage, Associated Newspapers, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, Northcliffe House, Kensington, W8 5TT. Tel 0207 938 6000.
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
GREEN NEWS
What do you do to help fight climate change? How do you get your friends, family and school to do their bit too? Tell us and First News readers, write to newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk or the address on page 14.
with Gabrielle Utton
The sea comes Flour power to school Murston School’s sea monster
PUPILS from nine schools will have the sea brought to life in their classrooms after winning a competition run by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and SeaFrance.
The winning students took up the challenge to create a sea monster from bits of rubbish that would normally be thrown away. The MCS organises Beachwatch every year where thousands of people pick up litter and clean their local beaches. Children at Murston Junior School in Sittingbourne Litter in the sea and on beaches is created Ollie the Octopus. dangerous to wildlife Alicia Adams, Skye Kerr and Lauren Bennnet, who made the sea monster, said: “We think that litter on beaches is very bad. It can harm animals. It doesn’t look very nice and it makes us feel sad. It’s not nice finding rubbish in the sand when you are trying to make sandcastles. We all recycle at home and school and we think everyone else should.” The winning schools will be visited buy the MCS Cool Seas Roadshow. Kat Stephenson from MCS says: “It brings life-size inflatable models of sharks, minke whales and dolphins into the school to show pupils just how cool our UK seas are.”
O CHECK GREAT REASONS TE O.UK .C S W N T S IR .F W W W T U O Lukozade (Age 11) wrote on Friday, 15 October 2010 @ 16:41 The First News website is brilliant because it has everything that’s in First News, but you can fit a lot more into a website than a newspaper, like the Bored?! section where you can write your own articles! chocdragon (Age 11) wrote on Sunday, 17 October 2010 @ 09:15 I love going on the First News website because everyone is friendly and you can choose an avatar from loads of really cool ones! ChooChoo (Age 10) wrote on Thursday, 14 October 2010 @ 16:18 I really like the First News website because it is fun to go on, you can find out loads of really cool things, write your own articles, compete in competitions, say what you think in the polls and lots more! nature_nad (Age 11) wrote on Friday, 15 October 2010 @ 16:46 The First News website is a great place for anyone to be, young and old. Recommend a good book or a game, win fantastic prizes, enter a survey, vote in a poll, play a game, catch up with the latest news, learn new things and much, much more! I strongly recommend for absolutely everyone.
for? What are you waiting .uk today Go to www.fi rstnews.co
BAKE cakes, not the planet is the message Greenpeace is sending out this autumn. Greenpeace is an environmental organisation which campaigns to make the world a greener place. They want their Flour Power campaign to get people fundraising and spreading the word that the planet is getting warmer. Here at First News we think it’s a great message, whether you fundraise or not! Baking cakes, biscuits or bread is a fun activity and you can share the end results with your friends and family. To find recipes that will help you use the ingredients you already have at home check out www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.
There’s a great recipe for Fruit Bowl Buns on the site. Anyone signing up to Greenpeace’s Flour Power is sent a recipe book with more baking ideas. If your family or school are interested in finding out more go to www. greenpeace.org.uk/whatyou-can-do/flour-power.
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CRAZY BUT TRUE
Hunting for Bigfoot!
Potato peel packets
SCIENTISTS and explorers in China are looking for volunteers to join them on a new search for the country’s answer to Bigfoot! More than 400 sightings have been reported of the half-man, half-ape creature, which they call Yeren, in the remote mountains of the central province of Hubei. It is said to be more than two metres tall with grey, red or black hair all over its body.
by Shelley Moulden Expeditions in the 1970s and 80s did unearth hair, a footprint, droppings and a sleeping nest suspected of belonging to Bigfoot although there has been no definite proof that the beast
RECORD OF THE WEEK LONGEST TABLE FOOTBALL /FOOSBALL TABLE
Written and illustrated by Paul Palmer
The crisp company has already developed a bag made from wood pulp, but it was too crackly and put customers off. They hope to make these more appealing bags, which would break down naturally, and rot, by 2012.
Air traffi ctrouble The secondary school students were on a trip to Fukuoka Airport when air traffi c controllers let them read out messages to pilots approaching the runways. The controllers told the students to keep quiet about their experience. However, one of the teenagers couldn’t help boasting about what had happened during a school talk.
For info on this record and hundreds more, go to www.guinnessworldrecords.com
Email us your jokes to newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk
actually exists. As well as volunteers the Hubei Wild Man Research Association are looking for investors to help them raise the £900,000 needed to get their Yeren hunt started! Do you believe in Bigfoot? Vote online at www.firstnews.co.uk/polls
A GROUP of air traffi c controllers in Japan are in trouble after letting children give instructions to pilots.
The longest table football game measures 12.26m (40ft 2in) long and can accommodate 40 participants. The game was made by workers of the sheltered workshop at the St John of God’s Establishment in Gremsdorf, Germany, and was displayed on 8 June 2006
QUICK CHUCKLES
CRISP makers Walkers have revealed that recycled potato peelings could be used to make new environmentallyfriendly crisp packets.
HA HA Q: What’s the most musical bone? A: The he trom-bone
Q: Why don’t eggs laugh? A: Because they’re scared they’ll crack up
Q: How did the dinosaurs know we were coming? A: Because the bronto-saw-us
HA HA
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WIN
WORDSEARCH! GAMES!
NOW you don’t have to do word searches on your own any more.
This brand new game is a race for two or more players, using a very a clever ‘word wheel’, where everyone frantically scans the jumbled letters on one of many printed circular boards. The player who spots the first word claims it as theirs, placing their coloured markers over the word. Then it’s on with the next word, and the person with the most markers on the board at the end of the game is the winner. To celebrate the launch of this brand new game we have 20 copies of Wordsearch! up for grabs. To be in with a chance of winning, just answer this question.
How many consonants are there in the English alphabet? a) Five b) 26 c) 21
ENTER NOW!
WIN VIP TICKETS TO THE
VARIETY CLUB SHOWBIZ AWARDS! DO you dream of being Cheryl Cole’s make-up artist? Would you like the chance to run a celebrity red carpet at a showbiz event? Do you want to learn how to create a television programme?
Then look no further as we have the competition for you. First News has teamed up with The Co-operative to offer one lucky winner the chance to go behind the scenes at this year’s Variety Club ShowBiz Awards. This Showbiz event will take place at Grosvenor House, London on Sunday 14 November. The prize includes a day at the Awards venue in London, where you will be able to shadow some of the job roles involved in producing the show, as well as have a backstage tour and a place for you and a guardian on a VIP table during the show. You will also witness the live announcement of The Co-operative Inspirational Young Talent Award winner, with JLS, Diana Vickers, Diversity and Dr Who’ s Matt Smith all competing to scoop the honour. To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, just answer this question.
Which popular boy band has been nominated for The Co-operative Inspirational Young Talent Award? a) JLS b) The Wanted c) Take That
For stockists visit www.drumondpark.com
MARK YOUR ENTRY WORDSEARCH www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions or turn to page 14. The closing date is 4 November 2010.
Please refer to www.firstnews.co.uk for terms and conditions before entering
ENTER NOW!
MARK YOUR ENTRY VARIETY
www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions or turn to page 14. The closing date is 4 November 2010.
WHAT’S IN THE SHOPS? HALLOWEEN SNAPPIN SAM BOWL WWW.TESCO.COM £15.00
SNAPPIN Sam is rather protective of the sweets in the bowl that he guards. Attempt to steal one from his bowl and watch as his head pops out and he tries to leave his mark by biting your hand! Are you brave enough to take on Sam am this Hallowe’en?
STRETCH SCREAMER MUMMY ACTION FIGUREE ARGOS £17.99
SCARE your neighbours with this stretchy mummy. This his gruesome, wobbly action figure features a real popping eye ball and is loaded with sound effects! The he more you stretch it, the more you will hear its chilling screams! Watch out for that scary eye – it might just pop!
SCREAMING AND FLASHING ING SKULL DRINKING STRAW WWW.FIND-M E-A-GI FT.CO.UK £3.49
CHECK out this crazy straw. This Screaming and Flashing Skull drinking straw is perfect for any Hallowe’en party! As soon as you start to sip your drink the skull head starts to flash and will scare all your party guests with its terrifying scream.
FANCY DRESS COSTUMES WWW.WOOLWORTHS.CO.UK FROM £16.99
CHECK out these scary Hallowe’en costumes. The Gothic Princess and Evil Eye Skull are just two of the many chilling costumes you can pick from this Hallowe’en.
Dyslexia Awareness Week by Henry “The Fonz” Winkler
– 1 to 8 November
FIRST NEWS is running a campaign called My Way! It’s about recognising that for some people school is easy but, for others, it might be harder – but that the way you learn has nothing to do with how smart you are. Around six children in each class have learning challenges which means that their brains work in a different way. But that doesn’t mean that they won’t be fantastically successful in whatever they choose to do. One of those learning challenges is dyslexia and it affects My Way! ambassador Henry Winkler, actor and author of the Hank Zipzer books about a boy with dyslexia. Next week is Dyslexia Awareness Week so Henry wanted to say… We who learn differently are creative. We who learn differently are so smart. Hooray for all of us who learn differently! When I was growing up, school was hard. Every subject was a challenge. And I used to think: “Wow. I really hate my dyslexia”. A lot of adults told me it would be hard for me to achieve… anything. Well, my friends, that wasn’t true for me and it’s not true for you. No matter how you learn, no matter at what rate you learn, it has nothing to do with how brilliant you are. Becoming a doctor, an engineer or a scientist is a wonderful
achievement. BUT, so is becoming a plumber, a photographer, a hairdresser or a house-builder. Everyone of us has a great gift and the world needs each and every gift all of you have to offer. So, I started really disliking my dyslexia. And then I realised that maybe I would never have met my dream WITHOUT IT. Just maybe, the struggle through school made me stronger and more determined and resilient. WE WHO LEARN ARE FANTASMAGORIC! The world is yours, go out and grab it. And THANK YOU! Want to share your story? Find out how online at www.firstnews.co.uk
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ASK ESTHER
With thanks to
I’M Esther Rantzen, President of ChildLine, which helps 2,500 children every week. If there’s something worrying you, please write to me at the address below.
Young love… I REALLY fancy my older sister’s best friend and I think my sister has found out as she has made a few comments about how pretty her friend is and if I agree or not. I would like to ask her out but don’t want her to laugh at me. What do you think? Louis, 15 It sounds like you are quite embarrassed about your feelings for this girl, especially if your sister knows about this. It is all right to feel a bit shy about your feelings for someone – a lot of young people feel like this. I wonder if you have
thought of writing to this girl and telling her how you feel. If you want to talk more about your feelings, please call us on 0800 1111 or contact us online at www.childline.org. Take care – hope things work out for you.
Bullying brother
GAME ZONE with Callum (8) Game Tester
Sims in the skies MySims SkyHeroes (WII)
THE cute little MySims take to the skies in their latest adventure, as you try to become an ace pilot and save the world from Morcubus. The story mode eases you into the game with tutorials on how to fly and what the different power-ups can do. As you get better and complete missions, you can upgrade your plane with things like a bigger engine or wings that let you make tighter turns in the air. The combat is good fun and quite
MY older brother is always bullying me and no matter how many times I tell him to stop or tell my parents nothing happens. How can I get him to stop being nasty to me. Gemma, 13 I wonder if you have tried talking to him about how this makes you feel or perhaps if you tried writing him a letter about what his bullying does to you. If you would like to talk
this through or look at other ways to get a solution to this problem, call us on 0800 1111 or contact us online at www.childline.org. Take care of yourself.
Too shy I’VE just started secondary school and would really like to join the drama club but I am way too shy. I blush even if someone talks to me. Sarah 12 It sounds like you are quite embarrassed about how you feel. I am wondering if joining the drama club might make you feel less shy
– a lot of famous actors and actresses are quite shy underneath. Blushing is okay – some people find this quite attractive.
STAYING SAFE WHENYOU’RE OUT AND ABOUT NOW that school is well under way, we are all generally out and about a bit more. There’s travelling to and from school during the week, sports and homework clubs and going out with friends at the weekends. As it now gets darker earlier, it’s important that we all stay safe. If you are walking to and from school, make sure you follow basic road safety advice. This includes only crossing the road at traffi c lights and pedestrian crossings and also watching out for cyclists too. If you are staying late at school, make sure your parents always know and tell them what time the club finishes. That way they can make arrangements for you to get home safely. Similarly, whenever you are out and about with your friends at the weekend, or you’re
in a rush to go and meet them, it seems like your parents always keep asking the same annoying questions – where are you going? Who are you going with? What time will you be back? They only ask these questions because they have a responsibility to look after you. They care about you, and they only want to know that you are being responsible. Always try to keep enough credit on your phone so that you can let your parents know if you’re running late. As you get older, your parents will gradually stop asking those questions because they will feel confident that you are keeping safe when out and about.
WRITE TO ME: Ask Esther, First News, Shand House, 14-20 Shand St, London SE1 2ES. EMAIL ME: newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk and put ‘Ask Esther’ in the subject box. I’m sorry I can’t reply to every letter. If you have a problem you want to talk about please call ChildLine on 0800 1111. If you are worried by anything you read in First News, please visit www.childline.org.uk/Helpandadvice.asp
frantic, especially if there are a few planes around. You can play with one friend on the same Wii, but the online play allows you to face off against more people in big aerial battles. Callum says: “I’m a big fan of the series and couldn’t wait to try out the new game. It’s great fun and really easy to follow. I preferred the dogfighting mode, as the more battles you win the more famous you become, but the racing mode is good too. The only downside is some of the story doesn’t quite match what you need to RATED! do on screen, but if you’re a Sims fan then this is for you.”
8/10
Spoilt for choice WHEN Microsoft’s new Kinect gizmo is released next month, there’ll be 19 games for you to choose from in the first couple of weeks. Microsoft confirmed the list of games this week. As well as the Kinect Adventures party game that comes with every Kinect, Kinectimals (below right) will also be released on 10 November. The Kinect’s audio and motion sensors will allow you to call out to your pets, ask them to roll over or play dead, and scratch their ears. The new Harry Potter game will be out on 19 November (top), and there’s a whole
load of fitness games that are taking advantage of the hands-free capabilities of the Kinect. Ubisoft’s Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and THQ’s The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout will be out on 10 November, and EA SPORTS Active 2 is out the following week and includes a wireless heart rate monitor to help you keep a tab on your fitness. If you like dancing, you’ll also be spoilt for choice, as Dance Central, DanceEvolution and Dance Paradise will be battling for your pocket money. Check out the full list at www.firstnews.co.uk/bored. Also, the nice people at Microsoft should be sending a Kinect our way pretty soon, so keep your eyes on this page for our review.
See the MySims SkyHeroes trailer at www.FirstNews.co.uk/bored
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THE NEWS CREW
Camp Beaumont trip ... EARLIER this year I was lucky enough to win a Camp Beaumont competition in First News. by Eden Brunning CAMP Beaumont was a great experience. I made loads of new friends and did loads of fun activities. My favourite activities were the leap of faith, I.C.T and swimming and that’s just a few of them! There are several different camps around the country and I went to one in Norfolk called Pinewood Sands. It’s for all different age groups but even the little ones do fun things. On the last night we had a disco which was fantastic. I did an extra activity which was to go to Pleasurewood Hills– East Anglia’s famous theme park. There were
Honey Monster... MY Honey Monster adventure began on the day I was asked to attend an ad casting in London and, after a successful recall and audition, I was lucky enough to receive a phone call with the news that I got the job. by Kai Hodges
loads of great rides and my friends came with me. The bedrooms are named after trees and they have bunk beds! Camp Beaumont was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed myself – I hope I can go again next year!
On the first day of filming I was picked up in a chauffeur driven car and taken to Black Island Studios where I first met all the crew. I was amazed to see so many people on the set and how many different jobs are required to make a advert. My dressing room was next door to Honey Monster’s and I was so excited to meet him as my parents had told me so much about him. I loved working with the big furry fella; he might be enormous but he is a very loveable yellow monster. The whole two days were fun, action-packed and full of explosions. The director and producer were so much fun to work with and made my whole experience really enjoyable. This has been by far my most exciting job ever. All this was made possible six years ago when I first started my modelling career. I have done many jobs as a photographic model and online commercials. In the future I would really hope to get many more opportunities to do TV/Commercials
and film work. Honey Monster gave me some great tips on how to get further into the business.
Advertisement feature
Record reading ?
Did you
know
The heaviest aircraft pulled by an individual is a CC177 Globemaster III, weighing 188.83 tonnes and was pulled a total of 8.8m by Kevin Fast at Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, on 17 September 2009.
?
Did you
know
The fastest sport stacking individual cycle stack (making three pyramids in sequence with 12 cups) is 5.93 secs and was achieved by Steven Purugganan from the United States at the WSSA Greater Cleveland Ohio Sport Stacking Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, on 3 January 2009.
THE latest batch of Guinness World Records has hit the shelves, and this year’s edition is bursting with more spectacular, strange and supremely stupendous records than ever before. Christmas just isn’t the same without the latest batch of world-beating stats to wow the family with, and Guinness World Records 2011 is stuffedwith more than 4,000 of them. Each of the inspiring and informative records is either new or updated and, every single stunning photograph in the book, is brand new for this edition. All of your favourite categories are here again, such as sports, animals, engineering and the human body.
Brand new categories for this year include revolutionary 3D cinema and a special feature on the out-of-this-world space shuttle. So, whether you want to know where the longest ever lightning storm was or what the record journey travelled on a skateboard is, those records and tonnes more can all be found in Guinness World Records 2011. Grab a copy today and amaze your friends tomorrow!
For more info on the mind-boggling Guinness World Records 2011 and to see some unbelievable videos of records actually being broken, head to www.guinnessworldrecords.com/2011 now!
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FUN STUFF
WIN
S! K O O B Y G O L O ALIEN
THIS week we have the usual 3x3 grid and you need to fill in the numbers one to nine. Send in your answers and you could win one of three Alienology books. From the pen of alienologist Professor Gray, this S.P.A.C.E. cadet’s guide gives advice on identifying alien species, as well as eye-opening facts about our universe. As the book progresses, readers learn that the professor is actually an alien. He has been sent to Earth to learn what makes humans resistant to a deadly slime spreading throughout the galaxy, in order to save other alien species. He must also choose ambassadors for the Intergalactic Council, and the book includes logic tests to determine who will be chosen. www.ologyworld.com/aliens
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COMPLETE COMPL OMPLETE our prize crossword OMPL using the clues below. Send in your answers and you could win one of three copies of Pop Party 8 on CD. Another year, another chart- topping compilation of the greatest hits 2010 has bought to our ears. Pop Party 8 is back and exceeds all expectations. This fab album is stuffed full of all the hottest pop hits around including The Wanted’s All Time Low, Ne-Yo’s Beautiful Monster and Rock That Body from the Black Eyed Peas.
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E G N E L L A H C S FIRST NEW Q1 How much is Daniel Radcliffe said to be worth?
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WORD WHEEL SEE how many words of three or more letters you can make, using the middle letter in each one. And, can you find the word that uses all the letters?
Q2 Why are a group of air traffi c controllers in Japan in trouble?
Q3 How many times has Tom Daley won the BBC Young
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Q7 How long were the 33 Chilean miners trapped for? Q8 Scientists have discovered a new carnivore on the island of Madagascar. What have they called it?
Q9 Who won the Shanghai Masters? Q10 It will cost £5.5 million to renovate which pier?
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: FIRST NEWS CHALLENGE 1) The green heron 2) airways – the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs 3) 682kg 4) Jorge Lorenzo 5) Vietnam 6) five 7) 6,000 8) Purple 9) Russia 10) Miranda Cosgrove SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Fence post is longer, hair has been made bigger, window missing, roof has been extended, background has changed colour WHAT ON EARTH Cake, rings, flowers, cork, confetti, church WORD WHEEEL Marshland
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22 – 28 OCT 2010 SEND your finished puzzles to Puzzles 230, First News, Shand House, 14 - 20 Shand Street, London, SE1 2ES. The closing date for puzzle entries is Friday 29 October 2010.
X O B T R A M S A N I W ADVENTURE!
CAN you spot the five changes to this picture from Iron Man 2? Send in your answers and you could win one of three Iron Man 2 DVDs. The billionaire Super Hero in the iron suit is back. In this highly-anticipated sequel, Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, in a thrill-a-minute story filled with explosive action, new suits and powerful new villains.
Iron Man 2 is available to buy on Blu-ray & DVD from 25 October 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment
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WIN X-BOX 360 & TONY HAWK: SHRED GAMES! TONY Hawk: SHRED is an all new Tony Hawk experience that allows players to go big and feel the exhilaration of supersized skate and snowboarding using the game’s innovative, motion-sensing board controller right at their feet. To celebrate the release of Tony Hawk: SHRED we would like you to design a skateboard sticker for the latest Tony Hawk board peripheral. The coolest sticker design will have their image attached to the new peripheral. And that’s not all! The winner will also
ENTER NOW!
receive a X-Box 360, a copy of the game plus a board. Five runners-up will each receive a copy of Tony Hawk:SHRED plus the board. Design your sticker on an A4 page in the outline of the skateboard, as shown here. Once your design is ready send it to us at the usual address.
MARK YOUR ENTRY HAWK
www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions or turn to page 14. The closing date is 4 November 2010.
Tony Hawk: SHRED is available from 29 October 2010 on Xbox 360, PS3 3 and Wii
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THE BOOK PAGE
BOOK REVIEWS
www.redhouse.co.uk
THE DEAD OF WINTER CHRIS PRIESTLEY reviewed by Harry Griffi ths, 13
A BOY named Michael Vyner has no parents. His father was killed fighting when Michael was very young and since then Michael and his mother were supported by the money from a companion of Michael’s father in the conflict, Sir Stephen Clarendon. His mother is now dead, and Michael has been told in his mother’s will that he must live with Sir Stephen. Michael, traumatised by the death of his mother, cannot accept moving in with a man he has never met, but he knows he must. And so he travels to the residence of Sir Stephen: a haunting mansion in the middle of nowhere. He soon discovers that Hawton Mere mansion is not just the home of your normal upper class immortals… This book is a fascinating read, keeping you on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next horrific event to occur.
KISSES FOR LULA SAMANTHA MACKINTOSH reviewed by Charlotte Westwood, 13
IT’S five days until Lula’s16th birthday and she’s determined to get kissed by a boy before then – but there doesn’t seem to be any teenager in her small town of Hambledon who seems interested in her! How will Lula solve this personal problem and shed light on the many other weird occurrences in her happy and loveable but wholly unusual family? From page one, I felt I knew and liked Lula very well. Uplifting, hilarious and funny are just three adjectives that describe this novel. This book is a fantastic and entertaining read for people my age!
READING CHAMPIONS EVERYONE knows a Reading Champion – they’re people who inspire others to get reading. Each week one of our champions tells you a bit about their favourite reads and what they think makes reading so appealing. Name: Lorna Taylor Lorna works for the National Literacy Trust raising money so the charity can help more children across the UK to discover reading. Favourite reads: “When I was younger, I loved reading Goosebumps and Point Horror, but I don’t know why, I’m a total wimp and couldn’t read them before bedtime – I still kept going back to the library for more though! “I also enjoyed Enid Blyton’s Adventure series – not her most well-known books, but my favourite. And when I was 12, I read the Diary of Anne Frank, who went into hiding with her family in the Second World War at 13. It really moved me how different her life was from mine, when she was about the same age as I was so I’ve always remembered it. Reading a book is great because you can get completely involved in it and you can take it anywhere – I read on the train on my way to work every day! “I’ve always loved reading – when I was little, my friends would all have their teddy bears with them, but I’d be clinging on to a book! If you think you don’t like reading, you just haven’t found the right book yet – keep looking and trying different books, and you’ll soon find one that draws you in. “The best thing about my job is knowing that I’m helping other people find out about books and reading – I hope that they’ll enjoy it as much as I do!” Do you think you would make a good Reading Champion? Ask your school to sign up today. www.readingchampions.org.uk
INTERVIEW
Sometimes you scare CHARLIE yourself HIGSON CHARLIE Higson is a comedian turned children’s author. Since his hugely successful Young Bond series he has gone on to write a new series called The Enemy. Here First News young reporter Aaron Henderson, 14, talks to Charlie about the second book in the series, The Dead… Where do you get your ideas for the books from? When I was a kid I used to fantasise about how brilliant it would be if the adults in the world simply disappeared and us kids could have the run of the place. We could go into any buildings we liked and muck about. We could play with anything we wanted, do anything we wanted. That was the starting point for the Enemy series… and then I decided to throw in some zombies to liven it up a bit! As a teenager I was really into zombie films and my three boys seem to share my interests. So, how to tie the two ideas together? A disease. Okay. A disease that only affectspeople over the age of 14, and turns them into zombies. Voila! This is the second book in the series. Will there be more? I have just signed a contract with Puffi n to do six books in the Enemy series. Obviously if the books are really popular and successful and kids want more then I will write more but, at the moment, I’m aiming at six. Did you have to watch a lot of zombie films to prepare for writing this book? Actually, despite what I said before, the monsters in my books are not technically zombies. They’re not dead people who have come back to life. But they do behave like the classic cannibal zombies from films like Night Of The Living Dead and Dawn Of The Dead. There are also millions of computer games, comics, films even TV series about zombies out there at the moment. I wanted to make the grownups (or sickos as they’re also called in the books) my own and have tried to give them their own unique characteristics (they are almost a cross between vampire and zombies). Did you find yourself scared at any point writing it? I did actually. I grow quite attached to the characters I create in the books, but I know that a lot of them will have to be killed or the books just wouldn’t be scary. Writing these books is a bit like when you’re a dad
and you play that game where you chase your small children around pretending to be a monster. Sometimes you think: “I’m being too scary here,” and sometimes you scare yourself. It’s exactly the same writing a book. If I can’t scare myself then I’m not going to scare anyone else. The kids all made camp at different places. Did you visit any of them? I live in London and I like writing about London. The Enemy starts in my local supermarket, Waitrose, on Holloway Road. I thought it would be a lot of fun to have Waitrose attacked by zombies. The kids then have to leave and they cross London to try and get to Buckingham Palace, where they had been told it will be safer. I actually did visit Buckingham Palace on the Queen’s Birthday when she had a big party based around British children’s books. I found it fascinating seeing behind the scenes, particularly the huge park at the back of the house that the Queen calls a garden. Other locations in the books are also some of my favourite places around London – like the Imperial War Museum, the Tower of London and the Natural History Museum. Is there a cure for the disease, or will all the zombies have to be killed? The great thing about the books for me is that they are told entirely from the point of view of the kids involved in the action, so we never know more than they do. Therefore a large part of the series will be them trying to find out more about the disease. How will it affect them as they get older? Will they be able to find a cure for it? Is everybody in the world infected? This gives the series a good mystery/detective element and in each new book the kids will learn a little bit more about how the disease works. The end of the six books will deal with finding out the cause of the illness, if any of them are left alive that is!
The Dead is in bookshops now
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SPORT NEWS
Sporting search
Badminton is just one of the sports that has featured in previous Games
Happy hosts
THE search is on again for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, and it could be someone at your school!
THE host city for the next Sainsbury’s UK School Games has just been announced.
Previous winners of the award include Wayne Rooney, Andy Murray, Tom Daley, Eleanor Simmonds and Theo Walcott. So does someone at your school fit the bill? If you think that someone you know could stand a chance, nominations can be sent to the BBC from now until 15 November. A panel of sporting experts, including the BBC’s John Inverdale and Jake Humphrey, plus two people from the Youth Sport Trust, will pick the best entries to make a short list. The top three on the list will then be invited to the live awards show. To qualify, nominees must be British. If not, they must play most of their sport in the UK, be resident here and have had most of their sporting achievements here. To find out how to nominate someone, head to www.firstnews.co.uk/sport now.
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Tom Daley (above) has won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award twice, in 2007 and 2009.
SPORT NEWS IN NUMBERS million pounds is how much Liverpool FC has been sold for. The two previous owners were forced to sell because they couldn’t afford to pay back the loans they had taken out to buy the club with.
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tries were scored by Gloucester in their Amlin Challenge Cup victory over Italian side Rugby Rovigo. Eight players scored tries as the English team stormed to a 90-7 victory. Jonny May (left) took a lot of credit with a great hat-trick.
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goals were scored by Arsenal Ladies as they thrashed ZFK Masinac 9-0 in the Women’s Champions League. Arsenal went through 12-1 on aggregate and are now into the last 16.
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course records were broken at the Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon this week, in the men’s and women’s races.
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is Australia’s new position in the ICC Test cricket rankings. England are in fourth place. It is the first time that they have been above Australia since the rankings were introduced seven years ago. is the number of red cards that Arsenal players have had after eight games of the Premier League season. Although their manager Arsene Wenger has criticised other teams for being dirty, no other team has had more players sent off. However, there was better news for Arsenal Ladies (see below).
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
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The winning bid for 2011 came from Sheffi eld, a city with a great reputation for hosting sports events. The Games have been getting bigger every year since they started back in 2005 and, with 2012 approaching, there is sure to be even more interest this year. There has been no word so far on which events will be included or if any new ones will be added. The 2010 Games in the north-east of England featured athletics, hockey, judo, swimming, cycling and more.
Lorenzo Savadori takes a tumble during the 125cc practice session for the Australian MotoGP
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CRAZY BUT TRUE
GREEN
Hunting for Bigfoot!
The sea comes to school
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Murray floors Federer
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Andy Murray has served 454 aces this season, putting him in 13th position on the ATP Tour. He has some way to go to catch up with John Isner, who has racked up an astounding 962 aces so far. Andy Roddick is second, with 707.
Dundee in trouble DUNDEE FC has been given just a 50% chance of survival by the man brought in to rescue the club.
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Murray serves during the final, in a match where he made six aces, three more than Federer
ANDY Murray came out on top against Roger Federer again this week, as he beat him in the final of the Shanghai Masters. by Ian Eddy Murray won the final 6-3, 6-2 to take his second title of the year. The win also took his season’s prize money over the $3m mark. The Scottish star has now beaten Federer in two finals in a row, and has won eight of the 13 matches that they have played against each other.
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ISSUE 230
Victory for Vitali
VITALI Klitschko has retained his WBC heavyweight title, after a unanimous win on points over Shannon ‘The Cannon’ Briggs. Getty
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Manager Gordon Chisholm is one of those who lost their jobs
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“I enjoy playing him” – Andy Murray
The Scottish First Division side has got debts of around £2m, and they have been placed into administration. This means that the club cannot pay back their debts, and an accountant has to try and rescue it. The manager, assistant manager and nine players have lost their jobs, as the club struggles to get a grip on its finances. Director Bob Brannan has resigned, and says that he hopes that the fans can raise enough cash to keep the club going.
“I don’t find it easy at all,” said Murray. “It’s incredibly diffi cult every time. But I love the challenge of playing against him. I don’t fear playing him. Every time I go on, I know I need to play great tennis to win against him.” Federer made lots of unforced errors, but Murray also said that his own second serve was a crucial factor. Murray won 56% of his second serve points, compared to Federer’s 23%. “I’m very happy with where my game is at,” said Federer. “Today could have been better. But, look, Andy was the best player of the tournament, so he deserved it.”
“You have to come up with a lot of great shots against Federer if you want to beat him” – Andy Murray Serbian player Ana Ivanovic was also celebrating this week, after winning her first tournament for two years. After reaching the final of the Generali Ladies event in Austria, Ivanovic hammered Patty Schnyder 6-1, 6-2 to take home the trophy.
Klitschko (right) lands another blow
The 39-year-old Ukrainian boxer dominated Briggs, but couldn’t bring the fight to an early finish. Klitschko has now won 41 fights in his career, with just two defeats. 38 of his victories have been by a knockout.