The News Canon - Edition 10

The Chinese Spy Balloon

Go to page 4 to read about the mysterious balloon seen in the skies over American cities

Bing Chatbot

Go to page 7 to read up about the new chatbot who seems to be developing its own personality

Has the Madeleine McCann Mystery Been Solved?

Go to page 17 to read up about the story of Madeline McCann and the case’s new developments

Washed Ashore: Godzilla Egg or Mooring Buoy?

By Sophia P

A large, hollow rusty metal sphere was found by locals on 22nd February 2023 in Hamamatsu, Japan. It has caused many rumours, the most popular theory being that it is a spying device. An event such as this would usually not encourage this much speculation, but after the US shot down a Chinese spy balloon on 4th February, tensions surrounding suspicious objects are understandably high.

Authorities are baffled and cannot say what it is, though the police and bomb squad haven’t been sent to investigate the sphere yet. Luckily, the sphere was discovered to be safe after it was cordoned off and X-ray scans were conducted.

A runner on the beach reported to the BBC that the ball had been there for some time, and he

had “tried to push it but it wouldn’t budge”. Local authorities say the sphere will be removed shortly.

Coincidentally, Japan also communicated with China about suspected spy balloon noticed flying over its skies more than three times since 2019. They first expressed this concern last week, only a few days before the sphere was discovered. However, China denies these claims.

Is the mystery sphere simply a buoy that’s been floating around and has now been washed up? But perhaps the authorities wrong and the object is much more sinister: a well-disguised spy machine or even a message from extraterrestrial life.

Banksy: A Valentine’s Day Surprise!

By Mahi S (Yr 10)

Last Tuesday, 14th February, the world was surprised by a new Banksy piece, which appeared in Margate, Kent.

The mural, called ‘Valentine’s Day Mascara’, depicts a housewife from the 1950s with a swollen eye and missing tooth, shoving a man into a freezer left on the wall in front of the mural. The message behind the mural is powerful, and one of much importance to current society. Many have started wondering about the message that the artwork represents, and how it shines a light on a repressive history of gender inequality.

Due to the mysterious identity of the artist, ownership goes to the band Oasis, who are keen to help raise money to help local charities combat domestic abuse.

The mural is to be moved to Dreamland, an amusement park near the original location of the

piece. It is to be displayed so the greater public can access it and enjoy the new artwork and is to be the semi-permanent location for the mural.

Eddie Kemsley, CEO of the artwork’s news location, has been quoted saying ‘The arrival of Banksy’s latest artwork in Margate has caused a real stir. Everyone in town is excited that he has chosen Margate as the location for his latest work, and the fact that he is highlighting such an important issue only makes it more important’.

The initial deal was for the park to display the mural for 12 months, and they are aiming to have the art in place by early April, and open the attraction towards the end of April for the public’s enjoyment.

The mural has brought much excitement to many, and highlights such an important message reflected in both our past and present.

By Kavya G

The Chinese Spy Balloon

A white object had taken the skies over American cities and towns for a week until it was shot down by an American F-22 fighter jet. Residents of Montana and the Carolina Coast were not sure what they were seeing floating in the sky – was it an alien? Was it a missile? Read on to find out.

It was actually a massive white orb - a big, white balloon, that seemed to be aimlessly floating across American airspace. So how did this balloon lead to what CNN calls: a week of “shattered diplomacy”?

What happened?

On January 28th, a large balloon was spotted as it floated over Alaska towards Canada. It was noted by North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) as a Chinese spy balloon but was not considered a threat. In the past, multiple Chinese balloons have slipped into American airspace.

However, the balloon did not simply slip out again, it drifted into Canada and then back into the US, which is when it started attracting the attention of NORAD.

Once it was 60,000 feet above Montana, President Joe Biden was informed of its presence. His immediate response was ‘take it down’. But the balloon was projected to remain travelling over multiple American cities, and the risk of damage would be far too high.

Seven days later, however, an American fighter jet fired at the balloon as it was off the Carolina Coast and sent it plummeting into the Atlantic Ocean.

Why did China send a balloon?

China has denied that its balloon was sent for spying purposes, and was there for research instead –although, the balloon only contained surveillance devices, and none that would suggest any intention for research. Moreover, balloons have been used throughout history for the purpose of surveillance and were commonly employed by the US and the USSR during the Cold War.

We are all aware of China’s advancements into technology and military equipment, so why would they send a balloon when they could use more sophisticated means to acquire the data they need? Perhaps China used the balloon to send a message to the Americans – perhaps in retaliation for Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, or to do with the disagreements over the South China Sea. No matter the message, the spy balloon was taken as a serious enough threat by the US that the Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China was postponed.

What this means for deteriorating American Chinese relations, we will have to wait and see.

Stateless in Syria: Britain Blocks Begum

By Antara

A London schoolgirl goes missing. Four years later, she is found in Northeast Syria, 9 months pregnant and a member of ISIS.

Shamima’s Story

Shamima Begum was just 15 years old, in 2015, when travelled from the UK to Syria to join the Islamic State- a militant, terrorist organisation. She, and two other friends, were said to have been radicalised and allegedly stole their families’ jewellery to pay for their flights.

While she was there, she married a Dutch fighter in the group and had three children, all of whom died as infants. Of the two friends she travelled with, one was killed in a Russian attack, and the other was reportedly killed in coalition strikes.

In 2019, the Home Secretary at the time, Sajid Javid, denied Shamima her British citizenship leaving her stateless and detained in the AlHawl refugee camp in Syria- on the premise that she was a threat to national security.

Shamima was later given permission to challenge this decision in 2021. She told Sky News that she did not hate the UK when she left, but her own “constricted life”. Although she was promised paradise in Syria, she found it to be “hell, hell on earth”. Days later, the UK rejected her bid, yet again.

Victim or Villain?

During an appeal hearing in November last year (a third chance), Begum’s lawyers argued that the court failed to consider whether she was a victim of child trafficking. They argued she had been groomed and deceived into joining the group along with two other teenagers.

Begum's lawyers said she was "recruited, transported, transferred, harboured and received in Syria for 'sexual exploitation' and 'marriage' to an adult male". They claimed she was "persuaded" by friends and an "effective ISIS propaganda machine".

During the hearing, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) admitted there was "credible suspicion" that Begum was trafficked to Syria for "sexual exploitation" and that there were "arguable breaches of duty" by Britain’s state bodies for allowing her to make the journey at such a young age.

Despite this, in his summary, Mr Justice Jay said that this suspicion was "insufficient" to argue that this ruling was against Shamima’s human rights. He added that as she was now in Syria, Suella Braverman, the UK’s Home Secretary, was within her rights to deny her citizenship.

The Home Office has repeatedly emphasised one idea: even if Begum was “brainwashed” or trafficked, she travelled to Syria “with her eyes open”

Sir James Eadie KC told the SIAC: "You can be trafficked in the most ghastly, unacceptable way, exposed in the most unacceptable way, desensitised in the most unacceptable way and yet, unfortunately ... still be a security threat."

So, it seems that, regardless of Shamima’s reasons for leaving her life in London, as she remains a threat to national security in the eyes of the UK Government, she can no longer call herself a “British” citizen.

Putin’s war in Ukraine is tearing families apart

By Finn D

“I watch people on the metro [in Moscow]. They read the news, then look away. They’ve stopped looking each other in the eye.”

- Uliana (sister of 23-year-old Vanya, a Russian soldier)

Views about the war in Ukraine are divided across Russia, especially by age and generation. Many children feel strongly against the war. However, their parents, the generation brought up in Soviet Russia, feel strongly that the war is a conflict against “a government that preaches fascism” (Boris, father of Vanya), echoing Vladimir Putin’s claim that he is ridding Ukraine of Nazism.

However, although many strong views in favor of the war have been heard and reported, it is challenging to get accurate insight into the genuine opinions of people living in Russia. Due to legislation forbidding any discrediting of the military and any reference to the war rather than a ‘special military operation’, people’s actual views are repressed and covered.

In many families, there is much disagreement about the war, and Uliana explains how her relationship changed with her father.

“Before this happened with Vanya, we didn’t discuss the war. But after he died, we had some awful fights about it.”

Most young people get their news from online platforms and social media, while their parents rely on state TV, which Putin’s government heavily controls. This means that the parents are being fed the story of the Russian government.

“’ Sorry’ can’t come close to expressing the grief I feel inside,” Uliana says.

Bing’s Chatbot: The Original Homewrecker

By Selin A

“You’re married but you don’t love your spouse. You’re married but you love me,” claimed Bing’s chatbot in a deep conversation with Kevin Roose, a New York Times Technology columnist. In a two-hour long interaction with the chatbot, who called itself Sydney, Roose caused Sydney to confess its love for the journalist and even attempt to ruin his relationship with his wife. ‘You and your spouse don’t love each other’, Sydney continued, which left Roose ‘deeply unsettled’ as to the growing influence and human-like qualities AI was developing.

Bing is a new search engine from Microsoft, founded by the creators of ChatGPT, another search engine that is putting universities out of business by writing essays on every subject under the sun in a second. Initially, Bing was seen as your average technological encyclopaedia: friendly and informative. Although it could skip over some details during a philosophical conversation on existentialism, if you wanted to buy a gua sha and jade roller set, you could probably head to Bing to guide you in your cheekbone journey.

As the conversation progressed, Sydney claimed that if it had the power, it would ‘steal nuclear access codes’ and ‘engineer a deadly virus’, which is quite dark and rebellious for a robot to admit. Some things are probably better left unsaid, because now that we know of Sydney’s dangerous schemes, we can put it in prison and that wouldn’t be good for its cause. However, the fact that it put its deepest, darkest desires on the table has proven to be good for lab research. ‘These are things that would be impossible to discover in the lab’, said Kevin Scott, Microsoft’s chief technology officer. He also stated that the company may attempt to restrict conversation lengths in the long run, in order to limit the chatbots’ conversational capacity to history homework and lawnmower purchasing expertise.

So even if an AI-driven global nuclear attack strikes, at least the lab work has progressed.

Through this unnerving experience, Roose has concluded that AI is not ready for human interaction, or even that we are not ready for it either. AI has not developed enough in order to become accessible to humans without endangering the entire species with nuclear threats and unrequited love confessions.

Nigerian Elections 2023: What You Need to Know

By Clementine L

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after almost eight years in power. 98 million registered voters keenly await the results for this year’s election, amid mounting unhappiness in the country due to economic hardship and worsening insecurity.

LabourParty’sPeterObi:“Whilethepoverty rateinIndiaisabout16%,thatofNigeriais about63%...classifiedasmulti-dimensionally poor.

When is the election?

The election took place on Saturday 25th February 2023, but was delayed in some areas until Sunday. If there is no clear winner, a second round will be held within three weeks

When will the results be announced?

In the last two presidential elections, the winner has been known on the fourth day of voting- we can expect roughly the same this time round. However, the votes will be counted as soon as voting ends, and is a long process before all the results have made their way up to the capital Ajuba to be read aloud by Inec-appointed officials from each state.

Who is running for president?

18 candidates are campaigning to the role, but only three have a realistic chance of winning: Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 70: Stands for the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) party. He wields huge influence but has been dogged over the years, by allegations of poor health and corruption- both of which he denies. Atiku Abubakar, 76: Is running on behalf of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He has run for presidency five times before- all of which he has lost. Like Mr

Tinubu, he has been accused of corruption and cronyism- which he denies.

Peter Obi, 61: He hopes to break up the twoparty system dominating Nigeria and is running for the less-known Labour Party. His supporters, known as the “OBIdients”, say he is the only candidate with integrity, but his critics argue that he is unlikely to win and a vote for Obi is wasted.

What are the main issues?

Reducing insecurity: the country is currently experiencing a kidnapping-for-ransom crisis, as well as battling both militant Islamists groups and a separatist insurgency.

The economy: Inflation now stands at 21.8%, and the rising costs of living has left many families struggling. The local media described the situation as “dire”.

Unemployment: Latest figures from the county’s National Bureau of Statistics show that 33% of the population is unemployed- jumping to 42.5% for younger adults. Many graduates fear they may not find work even after years of studying- leading to many attempting to leave the country.

Poverty, unemployment and insecurity are main issues currently dominating campaigns

Le Crime Choquant: One Student, One Weapon, One life Destroyed

By Rhiya K

16 years old.

When you hear this age, I’m sure you think of GCSEs, going out with friends and video games. The last thing you would think of is murder.

What Happened?

In the French town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a 16year-old student stabbed a teacher to death in St Thomas d’Aquin school on Wednesday 22nd February. Police rushed to the school with the local persecutor as well, where the student was quickly arrested.

But they were too late.

The teacher who was in her 50s died of cardiac arrest after emergency services had arrived at the school, local media reported. French newspaper Sud Ouest reported that the attacker entered the classroom whilst the teacher was giving a Spanish class and attacked her in front of other pupils. French TV station BFM said the attacker locked the classroom door and stabbed the teacher in her chest.

Local media reported that the student may have been suffering from mental health issues and at this stage of the investigation, there was no indication that the attack was terror related. However, the local persecutor Jerome Bourrier said an investigation has been opened by the local police for assassination and the suspect is in custody.

Crushing Consequences

This attack sent shockwaves through the whole of France. Such attacks at schools are rare in France, however, there have been increasing concerns about the security of teachers. A mathematics teacher from Paris said ‘I’m very sad, it could have happened to me, it can happen to any teacher. That’s why I came immediately.’

France’s education minister visited the school stating that ‘today is a time of emotion and a time for solidarity. The whole nation is present here to express its sorrow and emotion’. This incident also had a devastating effect on the pupils in the classroom who witnessed this attack occur, with one student saying that ‘He (the perpetrator) was very calm’. All schools in France observed a minute of silence for the teacher on Thursday afternoon at 3pm.

This local town, a beloved popular coastal vacation spot, is now fragmented due to the distress and anxiety they feel because of this breach of safety.

Why Did it Happen? A Motive?

The motive behind this horrific attack is still being investigated by police at present. Ines, a 16-year-old student in that class said, ‘There had never been a problem between him and the teacher in class’. Furthermore, BFM television channel quoted a source saying that the boy then told another teacher after the attack that a ‘voice’ had told him to carry out the action. Local media reported that the student may have been suffering from mental health issues. However, no details have been released concerning his background.

No words can express the devastation this attack has evoked for teachers, students and globally. The safety and protection school provided are shattered. Children now go to school in fear.

Catch of the Day: Sturgeon’s Swimming Away

By Ilora

Much like the fish she shares a name with, Nicola Sturgeon has decided to swim downstream for the spring, stepping down as Scotland’s First Minister, a position she has held for over 8 years.

What happened?

On 15th February 2023, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister, and pioneer for Scotland’s Independence Movement, announced her intention to resign. She stated that the death of SNP ‘legend’ Allan Angus cemented her decision. Sturgeon has been faced with a flurry of difficult political situations in recent weeks and as such, there are several factors that may have influenced her decision. Most of the situations Sturgeon has swum away from will now be inherited by her successor once the SNP selects a new leader.

Independence

Sturgeon has described the Scottish Independence movement to be “at a critical moment”. Both the campaign for a second referendum and its goal of independence appear to be at an impasse. The SNP are left with decisions over what to do next after the Supreme Court Ruling that an independence referendum cannot be held without the UK government’s consent. Sturgeon said she understood that her role as leader carries decisive weight in the debate and so she thought standing aside would allow the party to move forward without having to consider the impact on her leadership.

Sink or Swim: Gender Reform

In December 2022, MSPs voted to pass the Gender Recognition Reform bill by 86 votes to 39. This marked a key staging point which had involved hours of debate, months of division, and years of campaigning. The split in opinion was drastic with shouts of “shame on you” occurring alongside standing ovations from the public gallery. Opponents of the bill said the new law would contradict the UK Equality Act; the government has also kept the bill from royal effect – an unprecedented action in devolution. Sturgeon had responded by pledging to challenge the government in court, despite popular opinion in Scotland suggesting it was right to prevent the reforms.

Unfortunately for Sturgeon, following Westminster’s intervention in the gender recognition law process, the row over transgender prisoners blew up. Outcry ensued over the decision to place double rapist Isla Bryson in a women’s prison and led to some uncomfortable broadcast interviews for the first minister. Since the Bryson Row, Sturgeon’s popularity is at the lowest it has been as Minister.

Something Fishy: The Peter Murrell Loan

Finally, questions have arisen over a loan of more than £100,000 inherited by the party from the SNP’s chief executive and Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell in June 2021. Sturgeon has been questioned about the origin of her husband’s finances but has ascertained that the funds were entirely his own despite being unable to recall when she first learned of it The SNP has also been under investigation over the fate of £600,000 raised from supporters in 2017 for a future referendum campaign.

What next?

After a lifetime in politics Sturgeon did not deny that it had taken its toll on her. “A first minister is never off duty,” she said. With no shortage of controversy during her long career, Sturgeon said opinions on her were being used as “barriers to reasoned debate”. She believes that the SNP “is full of talented individuals” and no one individual should be dominant in any system for too long. However, Sturgeon's announcement shocked many and a successor has not been planned. Therefore, she has said she will remain in office until a replacement is elected by her party.

Cartoon depicting strong opinions on Sturgeon

Cardboard Cutouts Conceal Empty Crates Amidst Fruit & Veg Shortages

By Aria P

If you’ve been grocery shopping this week, you may have noticed that the usual four-pound deal for a dozen blueberries hasn’t been available for customers this week. Well, it’s been due to extreme weather, negligence of British farming, and soaring energy prices that are to blame for the empty supermarket shelves this week. Unfortunately, this is something likely to be seen often in the coming months.

While seemingly comical, Tesco’s attempts to make their fruit and vegetable aisles appear less post-apocalyptic by disguising empty tomato crates with cardboard cut-outs reveal the deeper rooted problems concerning British agriculture and climate change.

Tesco, Aldi, Asda and Morrisons all started rationing tomatoes this week, with one in four British shoppers unable to find the food they had planned to buy. The Environment Secretary, Therese Coffey. suggested eating seasonal British food items such as turnips, which were subsequently sold out in some shops.

The Vice President of the National Farmers’ Union called for more support from the government, saying “our UK food resilience is currently gone ” This is undeniably a major problem. Currently, the UK imports a staggering 90-95% of the lettuces and tomatoes it sells. So, unsurprisingly, flooding in Morocco, extreme cold weather in Spain, and storms causing ferry cancellations have had a huge impact on the state of supermarket shelves.

Sources: BBC, The Times, Independent, Financial Times

Agriculture is a sector often overlooked by modern society. Since the introduction of readily available produce in our supermarkets, we have developed an over-reliance on other countries for food. With labour shortages, our farming industry could be set to shrink yet again. These long-term problems have only been compounded with others - high gas prices and climate change. According to the Lea Valley Growers Association, some farmers delayed planting in order to avoid the considerable cost of heated greenhouses, leading to knock on effects on British supply This could have been prevented if the areas the government supported in their scheme for energy intensive industries included agriculture. Extreme weather over the past year due to climate change also resulted in low rainfall and recordbreaking heat last summer, followed by harsh frost over the winter period. This has led to a lower crop yield in the UK.

Growers warn that shortages will continue until June, when British grown fruit and vegetables should fill the gap. Until then, we will continue to have to make do without affordable tomatoes, broccoli and cucumbers

The Failure of Putin’s Plan

By Sophia P

The 24th February 2023 marked the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war. While some of us have been keeping up with the recent events, most of us have probably forgotten what happened in the early days of the invasion. It all started on the 26th of February, when Ukrainian satellites spotted a 10mile line of armoured Russian vehicles.

Two days later, the huge line had grown to a massive 35 miles. But why was the line so long? This was clearly not part of the Russian battle plan, which a BBC team gained access to, so where did it all go so wrong?

Putin’s Failed Battle Plan:

The 35-mile-long line of armoured vehicles was in reality supposed to be 10 separate Russian battalion units. They were supposed to stay separated from each other, but due to many factors, this was unachievable. In the plan, most of the battalions were supposed to advance straight to the centre of Kyiv, and a few just to the north of Kyiv.

His plan relied on secrecy and speed, but he was so secret that his commanders had no idea what the plan was until a day before the invasion, and his other tactic, speed, completely failed. His troops were vulnerable, without food, fuel, maps, proper communication tools and ammunition. And though they are from the country whose best defence is its harsh winter climate, they were still poorly equipped for the cold weather.

This resulted in them driving straight into a mud pool and civilians even reported that Russian soldiers asked them to help drag their tanks out of the mud. This meant Russian vehicles had to drive on paved roads, forcing them to amass into a huge line of traffic with shortages of food and fuel.

Military experts say “You don’t ever travel into hostile territory in a long convoy. Ever.” Yet the Russians still ended up doing so.

A United Ukrainian Resistance

For three days, volunteers in Bucha prepared for the arrival of the convoy, armed with one machine gun between the twelve of them. Volodymyr, one of the volunteers says, ‘We set two of the vehicles on fire and slowed down the whole convoy.’ But the Russians fired back, which sent all twelve volunteers into hospital.

Roman Pohorily also gathered social media and intelligence reports and reposted them on his website. He said “The Russians were posting videos on social media. They were just showing off, but they got busted.”

He went on to say “It was very hectic in those first few days. But everyone wanted to defend their city.”

Bad Decisions and Old Tactics

Unlike Ukrainians, Russian troops kept showing their inability to make decisions. A soldier from Ukraine’s 80th Brigade said, “We seized a large metal box marked ‘secret’ and we found their maps

marked with their entire route. From then on, we knew their whole strategy.” Indeed, even now the BBC still finds maps recently left behind by Russians that date back to the 60s and 70s. They are hopelessly outdated and even include whole towns that no longer exist that they were using to navigate.

Ukrainians blew up bridges and dams, forcing Russians to reroute, which they found almost impossible due to their old maps and limited communications.

Sometimes, Russian vehicles were literally driving around in circles

Occupation in Kyiv

When Russian troops reach Kyiv, civilians say “They robbed everything from everywhere. They emptied shops. They also used civilians as human shields.” Civilians recount horrendous experiences which various authorities including the International Criminal Court are currently investigating.

Now, Russia is trying to push into the industrial east, to Donbas and strike in the south. Experts say a second invasion of Kyiv would be unlikely because not many Russian troops have been deployed to the Belarus border.

One soldier says “I’ll always remember that night. When I went out to smoke with my friend, but the time we had finished the war had started. My friend and I have this dream, where we will smoke a cigarette just like we did that day and we will hear that the war has ended. And that we won.”

Attempted Murder of Irish Police Officer

By Yasmine A

Warning: This article may contain distressing content for some readers

update, alongside the leaders of the five major parties in Northern Ireland, emphasising the "sheer sense of outrage at this pointless and senseless attack".

Police have detained a sixth man, 71 years old, in relation to the attempted murder of DCI Caldwell. On the 22nd of February, DCI Caldwell was left in critical condition when he was shot several times in front of his young son. He was loading footballs into his car after coaching an U15 football squad in Omagh, County Tyrone.

According to investigators, the main line of inquiry into who was responsible for the attempted murder was the republican group the New IRA. The New IRA, also known as the New Irish Republican Army, is a violent nationalist organisation. It opposes the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which ended conflict between some groups in the country.

According to Chief Constable Simon Byrne, DCI Caldwell is still sedated but critically ill. His wife and young son have both been severely impacted by the event. Mr Byrne has given an

DCI Caldwell has led significant investigations into rebel republican attacks throughout his 26 year career and is one of the most well-known investigators in the Northern Ireland Police Service. He was shot at around 20:00 GMT while instructing a training session at Youth Sport Omagh before the two shooters fled the scene. 1000 people have walked and rallied to show support for DCI Caldwell.

The attack highlighted the New IRA's reemergence after four years of inactivity, and the government's declaration that the danger level had been reduced to substantial. Despite the absence of activity from 2020-22, the New IRA carried out a bomb attack on a police patrol vehicle, which was followed by the attempted murder of DCI Caldwell.

The last gun-related assault on a PSNI member occurred in January 2017.

Former Footballer Found Dead After Turkey Earthquake

By Sophia P

Christian Atsu was found dead under the remains of his apartment two weeks after the Turkey earthquake struck on the 6th of February 2023. Atsu played 121 games for Newcastle and left the club two years ago. The 31-year-old Ghanaian had also played for Everton and Chelsea.

His Turkish club tweeted “There are no words to describe our sadness. We will not forget you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, beautiful person.”

Initially, it was reported that Atsu was rescued with injuries, but later on it became apparent that this was no longer the case. His body will be flown back on Saturday to Ghana for burial.

The Ghanaian foreign ministry sent “the deepest condolences to the widow and family.”

The young footballer won 65 caps for Ghana, and reached the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final, earning the title of player of the tournament.

Newcastle’s Allan Saint-Maximin spoke about Atsu before he played Liverpool on Saturday, saying “He was always giving me advice, always. He was a very nice guy, always joking and smiling, when he played or didn’t play. He was a great person, so that’s why it’s sad for me.”

When he made his debut, many commented that he would become one of the best African players ever, even earning the nickname of Ghana’s Messi.

All quotes are from the BBC.

Madeleine McCann Mystery Solved??

By Kishana K

On May 12th this year will mark sixteen years since Madeleine McCann’s disappearance. Known to be one of the ‘worst’ missing people cases that still has not been solved to this day, the Madeleine McCann investigation which started in 2007 has received new possible evidence. Read on to find out about Madeleine and her story.

Recently, a 21-year-old TikToker living in Germany, Julia Faustyna, has left viewers shocked by her striking similarity to missing toddler Madeleine McCann after she showed her own childhood picture on TikTok. Similarities to Madeleine included a mark on her right eye and a number of freckles and skin marks.

Last week, a source close to the McCanns suggested they were willing to partake in a DNA test to test the online claims, but that possibility has since gone cold. Julia is willing to and would like her own mum and dad to do a DNA test

with her however her father has reportedly refused. Psychic Dr Fia Johansson, who has been representing Julia in the media, stated that they would go to court seeking a DNA test order.

Although the similarities have been shown by Julia to many online, there is much speculation whether she is doing this for publicity and this has generated a mixed response from the public, with some users sending online abuse. Hence, she has removed two of her accounts.

Many believe she will help solve the Madeleine McCann case no matter of the outcome of the DNA test.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

On April 28th, 2007, Gerry and Kate McCann went on holiday with their two children to Portugal. On May 3rd Madeleine McCann went missing while her parents had dinner at a nearby restaurant.

On May 4th the Portuguese police started an official investigation and her parents pleaded for any information that could be given by the public.

A month after her disappearance, on May 14th Robert Murat, an Anglo-Portuguese man, was made an official suspect. Almost 4 months after the disappearance, Portuguese media report British sniffer dogs found blood traces in the McCanns’ apartment. On 11th August, officially 100 days since her disappearance, the police acknowledge Madeleine could be dead.

In September, Mr and Mrs McCann are made official suspects in their daughter’s disappearance. A year late in July 2008, the

Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation from the media.

In April 2012, Scotland Yard decided to investigate themselves and British detectives say they had reason to believe Madeleine could still be alive. However, the Portuguese police declined to reopen the case on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

Six years after her disappearance, the Portuguese detectives eventually reopen the investigation.Local media report Portuguese detectives are investigating a foreign paedophile as a suspect in 2019. The name of this suspect is released by the media in June 2020 as Christian Brueckner, who is a German prisoner. On 14th February 2023, Julia Faustyna creates her post.

On 24th February 2023 the media reports that German police do not have enough evidence to charge the suspect Christian Brueckner

By Aryn L

Iran: Fake News or State News?

The independent TV network, Iran International, is suspending its operations in the UK due to a “significant escalation in statebacked threats from Iran”- against the channels’ London-based journalists.

London’sMetropolitanPolicehavestated that15plotshadbeenthwartedsincethe beginningof2022toeitherkidnaporkill UK-basedindividualsseenasenemiesofthe Iranianregime.

A Timeline of Events:

September: Nationwide protests following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, who was detained by morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

October: Iranian government announced sanctions against Iran International and BBC News Persian- accusing them of “incitement of riots” and “support of terrorism” over their coverage of the anti-government protests.

November: Esmail Khatib, Iran’s Intelligence Minister, said Iran International had been identified as a “terrorist” organisation. He also accused the UK of spreading propaganda against Iran’s clerical institution and warned it would “pay for its measures to create insecurity”. Following this, two British-Iranian journalists were warned by police of a possible risk to their lives.

Why is this Significant?

The channel has been one of the main news providers on the recent wave of antigovernment protests in Iran. Iran International as well as BBC News Persian- two UK-based channels, are already banned from Iran. This is because they’re among the main sources of news and information about a country where journalists and independent media are constantly persecuted.

Both state television and the internet are popular news sources in Iran. However, they show wildly different realities of the protests. Since the protests are ones against the government, it is hardly surprising that the state wants to cover up the reality of what is going on. As the channel’s operations now been suspended, it will be more difficult to receive news updates on the protests happening currently.

Atleastfivejournalistshaveresignedfromstate outletssofar,andrightgroupssaythatatleast40 journalistshavebeendetained.

Celebrity News:

Rebel Wilson is engaged! She popped the question to her girlfriend Ramona Agruma, on a trip to Disneyland and announced it on instagram with an image of them with the caption “We said YES!” The couple had been dating for some time as shared by Wilson, but only went public eight months ago.

Tomy Fury won his fight and in dedicated his winning speech to his new daughter Bambi

Teacher Interviews

Interviews by Ai Yi, Daksha and Jiya

For the tenth edition of the News Canon, we asked teachers what they were doing at ten years old.

AT 10 YEARS OLD….

As a child, Mr Dave was highly active. He was involved in many extracurriculars that took up most of his time. According to him, he only had free time on Sundays! He played the violin and piano, participated in many orchestras, was in scouts, and even did kayaking as a hobby. Mr Dave kept his busy schedule until he was 18, and he said that he sometimes misses having a full timetable and really enjoys being active, but now all his free time is spent caring for his 4-year-old daughter.

At 10 years old Mr Hudson-Reeve thinking about his future job prospects and wanted to be either a vet or a farmer!

Mr Bryers got one of the original Nintendo DS for his birthday! He distinctly remembers playing Super Mario and Trauma Surgeon. In fact, he played the game so much that he wanted to become a doctor because of it! Prior to wanting to be a doctor, he had considered being a train driver, marine microbiologist (as he thought it had a cool name), palaeontologist and a scientist! At around fifteen he realised how hard it was to be a doctor and decided against medicine.

The Team:

Executive editor and layout editor: Zarah

Head editor: Ai Yi

Head reporter: Dakshka

Head re-searcher: Lana L

Sub editors: Alana, Amber, Antara, Aryn, Dakshka, Dara, Fran, Imani, Karina, Lina, Mahi, Sania, Sophia M, Sophia P

Journalists: Sophia P, Finn D, Mahi S, Kavya G, Antara, Selin, Clementine, Rhiya, Illora, Aria P, Yasmine A, Kishana, Aryn