Innholdsfortegnelse for 208 i The Week Junior

On 2 December, events were held in London and Cambridge to remember the victims of an attack on London Bridge. What happened? On 29 November, two people died and three others were injured when a man with a weapon carried out a terrorist attack (an act of violence aimed at scaring the public) on London Bridge, in London. The attack started in a building called Fishmongers’ Hall, where a meeting was being held to re-educate former prisoners and help turn them away from crime. The police arrived quickly after the attack began and shot the man to prevent him from hurting anyone else. Who were the victims? Two people died during the attack. They were 25-year-old Jack Merritt and 23-year-old Saskia Jones. They were both graduates of the University of…

A study by the National Literacy Trust has revealed that more than 380,000 children in the UK do not own a single book. The National Literacy Trust is a charity that works to improve reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. The charity conducted a survey of more than 56,000 children between the ages of nine and 18. Just over 6% of those who took part said that they didn’t have any books at home. As a result, the charity estimates that this is the case for 383,774 children across the country. The survey found that children who do own a book are six times more likely to read above the expected level for their age, nearly three times more likely to enjoy reading and more than twice as likely to…

When it comes to calculating a dog’s age, it’s long been believed that every year a dog spends on the planet is equivalent to seven years for a human. That’s because they age much faster than we do. New research suggests it’s a bit more complicated than that. Scientists at the University of California, in the US, have discovered that Labradors are the equivalent of 40-year-old humans at just two years. After this, their ageing slows, and their bodies won’t feel as old as a 60-year-old human for six more years. The scientists analysed the DNA of Labradors. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, and it’s the chemical contained in the cells of every living thing. It carries information about how that organism will grow, look and behave. Sections of DNA…

On 19 December, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in cinemas. It is the ninth and final film in the Skywalker saga, which started back in 1977 with Star Wars. The series famously takes place “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away”, and tells the story of the Skywalker family. With its groundbreaking special effects, memorable music and colourful cast of characters, Star Wars has captured the imagination of people both young and old for decades. The popular series now includes books, toys, theme parks, TV shows and video games. A long time ago… Star Wars, which was later retitled Star Wars Episode VI: A New Hope, was released in 1977. It tells the story of Luke Skywalker who, along with Jedi Knight Obi-Wan…

“Ilove Spurs, and it was an amazing moment.” That’s what 15-year-old Callum Hynes said after what happened to him at the end of November. He is a ball boy at the London football club Tottenham Hotspur. Ball boys and ball girls give the ball back to the players after it goes out of play. During the Champions League game against the Greek team Olympiakos, Hynes reacted quickly to throw a ball to Tottenham’s Serge Aurier. That helped the team score to make it 2-2, before they eventually won 4-2. Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho congratulated Hynes, and told journalists, “I love intelligent ball boys. This kid today was brilliant.” As a special reward, Mourinho invited Hynes to meet the Tottenham players and have lunch with them before their next match against…

New Pokémon games often come in pairs. The latest examples are Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, which are the first main series games for Nintendo’s Switch console – as opposed to spin-off games like Pokkén Tournament DX, Pokémon Quest and the two Pokémon Let’s Go games. If you’ve played a main series Pokémon game before, you’ll feel instantly at home with Sword and Shield. Your character gets to choose one of three Pokémon as a starter, then ventures out into the world to battle and collect more, while training up the best ones to be part of your squad for fighting other characters’ teams. Set in a new region called Galar – which is based on the UK – the new games have plenty of brand new Pokémon to discover.…

Friend sells £1 million video game character for just £400 A man has accidentally sold his friend’s video game character, which was worth more than £1 million, for £400. The character, from a popular game called Justice Online, had been massively upgraded by its owner, Lu Mou, using in-app purchases. He decided to let his friend, Li Mouscheng, borrow the character, but when Mouscheng tried to return control back to Mou, he accidentally posted it in the game’s online marketplace for £400. A stranger snapped it up, but the makers of the game have now returned it to Mou. Supermarket bans Pumpkin the cat Customers have said they will avoid a branch of Tesco Express in Norwich, in Norfolk, after it banned a local cat called Pumpkin, who likes to…

The activist Greta Thunberg has arrived in Spain for a big conference on climate change. For nine days, until 11 December, world leaders are meeting in Spain’s capital Madrid to discuss the issue. Climate change is the name for long-term changes in Earth’s weather patterns – including rising temperatures. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) are a major cause. Burning fossil fuels releases emissions (gases) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air, which trap heat into the Earth’s atmosphere. The aim of the event is for top officials to agree on ways of cutting emissions. To reach the conference, Thunberg sailed on a yacht to avoid flying because planes release emissions that harm the environment. The conference was due to be held in Chile,…

A 16th-century manuscript found in a London palace was partly written by Queen Elizabeth I, a historian has discovered. The document was studied by Dr John-Mark Philo at Lambeth Palace Library in London. Philo, who is an expert in the history of written works, says that it must have been written by the monarch in the 1590s. The manuscript is an English translation of The Annals by Tacitus. The Annals is a history of the Roman Empire from AD14 to 68, and Tacitus was a public official who was alive during Roman times. (The Roman Empire was made up of all the territories ruled by ancient Rome. At one point it included much of western Europe.) Tacitus’s record is one of the best sources of information about the Roman Empire.…

Anthony and Jane Ranzetta from Lavenham, in Suffolk, are trying to sell their house. It’s no ordinary home – it featured in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as the place where Harry’s parents lived. The Ranzettas are fed up with the number of visitors turning up at their door – they say a person once knocked and asked, “Is Harry home?” Despite the troublesome tourists, Jane Ranzetta says it is an honour to live in such an unusual place.…

Paris, France Black Friday protests against Amazon On 29 November, there were protests in Paris and other parts of France against the online-shopping company Amazon. Protesters tried to disrupt Amazon’s operations on Black Friday, a day when shops offer discounts. They say that Amazon’s delivery services add to climate change (the long-term change in world weather patterns largely caused by human activities) because its vehicles emit carbon dioxide – a gas that causes global warming. Valletta, Malta PM resigns over journalist’s death On 1 December, the prime minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, said he would resign over an investigation into the death of a journalist. Two years ago, reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed. She had revealed corruption (people using their position of power for personal gain) in the government.…

Most dolphins are right-handed, according to new research from the Dolphin Communication Project in the US. Watching common bottlenose dolphins in the Bahamas over six years, scientists found that in 99% of instances, the dolphins would favour their right side. ● LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: 45–50 years. ● HABITAT: Bottlenose dolphins are found in many parts of the world, from tropical oceans to the seas around the UK. ● DIET: Bottlenose dolphins are carnivores. They eat fish, squid and shrimp. ● FUN FACT: The largest bottlenose dolphins in the world are found in the waters of Scotland.…

Great Britain trampoline, tumbling and DMT team The team won seven medals at the trampoline, tumbling and double-mini trampoline (DMT) World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, held from 28 November to 1 December. Golds were won in tumbling by the women’s and men’s team, and Elliott Browne, Shanice Davidson and Megan Kealy won individual medals. ● There were three events: trampoline, DMT (which uses a large and small trampoline) and tumbling (a series of somersaults and twists on a long, sprung strip). ● Scores are awarded for how difficult a routine was and how well the gymnast performed it. ● Trampolining is a sport at the 2020 Olympics, but tumbling is not.…

What do Matilda, Oliver Twist, the Bash Street Kids and Tracy Beaker have in common? They’re all a little bit naughty, and they’ve been entertaining young readers for years. These brilliant characters, along with others from more than 50 books, are being celebrated in a new exhibition at the British Library in London. Marvellous and Mischievous: Literature’s Young Rebels examines the history of naughty characters from children’s books through words and art, starting with one of the first and finishing 300 years later with more recent publications. The oldest item on display is a schoolbook from 1680, which was used to help teach pupils Latin, but it seems it didn’t quite keep everyone’s attention – hidden throughout the book are doodles, probably drawn by bored students. That wouldn’t have gone…

Balance your team Each Pokémon has a “type” – like fire, grass or water. Try to get one of each of these three in your team as quickly as possible, for the first gym battles. Get practising The first time you reach the Wild Area, spend some time roaming around having battles. Every time you fight, all your Pokémon gain experience, so they will level up quicker. Learn to camp Another new feature is camping in the Wild Area, where you can set up a tent to rest, and also cook curries (using found ingredients) that have positive effects on your Pokémon.…

On 3 December, events were held around the world to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). The day aims to raise awareness of people with disabilities and how they positively impact the world. A person with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental condition that limits their movements, senses or activities. IDPD has been organised since 1992 by the United Nations (UN) – an organisation of 193 countries that work together on issues including health and peace. This year, the focus is on how people with disabilities can have their say in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals set out how to improve the planet by 2030, covering issues such as poverty, healthcare and hunger. To mark IDPD, events have been held at…

7 December 1909 The birth of man-made plastic On 7 December 1909, scientist Leo Baekeland was granted a patent for his invention, Bakelite, which was the first man-made plastic. A patent is a right given by the government to an inventor to protect their invention. Bakelite’s scientific name is polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride (you can see why he called it Bakelite), and it was very popular because it could be moulded into different shapes. At the time of Baekeland’s death in 1944, his invention was used in more than 15,000 products.…

The biggest names in music regularly visit the UK. Earlier this year, South Korean band BTS played two sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium, and next year the Jonas Brothers will travel from the US to play shows in Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London. However, some people are questioning whether musicians should travel such long distances. This is because of the environmental impact of flying, as well as the energy that is used to power a concert. The British band Coldplay recently announced that they will not be going on a world tour to mark their new album. Instead, they played two concerts, which they streamed live on YouTube. They will play a third show in London to raise money for an environmental charity. Should bands stop going on tour? Yes…

Climate emergency has been picked as the word of the year for 2019 by Oxford Dictionaries. The expression was reportedly used 10,796% more in 2019 than in 2018, and the company said the term reflected the mood and concerns felt by people this year. Despite being made up of two words, climate emergency is treated as a single word, in the same way as both heart attack and fake news. Many people have started to use climate emergency to describe the challenge facing the planet, in place of the term climate change. Climate change refers to long-term changes in the world’s weather patterns, mostly caused by activities such as burning fossil fuels and farming. Climate emergency is defined as a “situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or…

In a medical emergency, when someone is badly injured, what doctors need most of all is time. The more time they have, the more likely it is that they can fix the wounds before the patient’s body can no longer work well enough to keep them alive. To try and solve this, a new life-saving technique, in which a patient’s blood is temporarily replaced with a chilled mixture of salt and water, called saline, is now being tested in the US. Researchers hope the cold will protect the body, especially the brain, so instead of having just a few minutes to save a patient, doctors will have a couple of hours. At normal body temperature – around 37° C – every body part needs a steady supply of oxygen. The…

Awesome acrobatics A circus performer leaps in front of the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Crazy carving A giant carving in mahogany in Jiangsu province, China. Taking the plunge A winter swimmer launches into a lake in Shenyang, China. We fish you a Merry Christmas Fishermen make a festive display out of fishing equipment in Ullapool. Larger than life The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, US. Deck the halls Christmas decorators at work in Windsor Castle, England.…

Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre There’s a lot to see at this Buckinghamshire museum, no matter how many of Dahl’s books you’ve read. Visitors are also given the chance to do some writing themselves. Look out for the regular workshops and activities. Scottish Storytelling Centre With a packed programme of events, there’s always something to do at this Edinburgh attraction. Everything is devoted to the art of storytelling, based on the old Scottish proverb (saying):“The story is told eye to eye, mind to mind and heart to heart”. Hay-on-Wye The entire town of Hay-on-Wye is a must-see for bookworms everywhere. Since the 1980s, it has built up a reputation for its collection of bookshops and annual book festival. Because of its small size, it’s easy to explore Hay and…

Tech time for futuristic Scout groups Scouts across the UK are taking part in a new project that aims to use technology to tackle issues including the climate emergency and mental health. The project is called Preparing for the Future, and will see Scout HQs across the UK hooked up with broadband internet, to help them come up with more digital ideas. It’s a partnership between the Scouts and the internet company Plusnet, which is providing the broadband. It was announced with a digital camp this month for Scouts from Sheffield and London. The camp included a hackathon, in which the Scouts were challenged to build inventions that could help with issues that young people care about. The ideas included a digital diary for people with autism, which turns emotional…