Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 135 i The Week Junior

IT’S AN AMAZING WEEK FOR…

THIS JOLLY CLEANER A cleaner working at the University of Bristol received a huge surprise after students raised £1,500 to send him and his wife to Jamaica to visit family. Herman Gordon was described by students as a “hero” and a “legend” for spreading “positive energy.” A BOOKSHOP OWNER Georgia Duffy, who owns a bookshop in Harrogate, tweeted that she had the worst day on 25 June after selling only £12.34 worth of books. Duffy’s tweet quickly went viral; people were so touched by her story that she sold more than 70 books the next day and she has had lots of messages of support. ENGLAND’S FOOTBALL FANS England won a dramatic penalty shoot-out for the first time at a World Cup to knock Colombia out of the tournament on…

Will fizzy drinks dry up?

Supplies of some foods and drinks in the UK have been affected by a shortage of CO2. CO2 is a colourless gas that is used to keep foods such as salads and crumpets fresh and to make drinkss fizzy, among other things. The shortage happened after three of the five main CO2 producers closed for maintenance, and one of the remaining two suffered a power cut. Asda is one of the supermakets that has had to limit how many fizzy drinks customers can buy, so that there are enough to go round. It is hoped the supply will be back to normal within a few weeks.…

Around the world

US Mountain of cheese is a big problem The US has the largest stockpile of cheese in 100 years – since records began. It weighs a combined total of 630 million kilograms, which is more than two kilograms for each American citizen. The reason for the stockpile is that milk production is at an all-time high, but people are drinking less milk than they used to and many are switching to non-dairy products such as soya milk and almond milk. It is easier to store milk in the form of cheese as it lasts longer. Mexico New president aims to make history Andrés Manuel López Obrador has won Mexico’s presidential election with 53% of the vote. Obrador is part of the Juntos Haremos Historia political party. The party’s name means…

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What do you think?

Now that you’ve read a bit more about it, tell us what you think by voting in our poll at theweekjunior.co.uk/polls . Vote YES if you think that mobiles should be banned at school, or NO if you don’t. We’ll publish the results next week. The aim of the Big debate page is to present two sides of an issue fairly and objectively, in order to stimulate discussion and allow our readers to make up their minds. The views on the page do not reflect those of The Week Junior, and the page is not funded by third parties. The page is created in association with the English-Speaking Union, an educational charity helping young people discover their voice and realise their full potential. For more information, please…

Saudi Arabia’s most famous film-maker

The award-winning film-maker Haifaa al-Mansour was born in Saudi Arabia, where there are strict laws preventing women and girls doing many of the things that you may take for granted. She told The Times newspaper that one of her brothers once told her that in Saudi Arabia “a man is equal to two women”. Mansour has fought for female equality ever since. She made her first film, Wadjda, in 2012. It is set in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, and tells the story of a 10-year-old girl who dreams of owning a bicycle. At that time the country’s law forbade women from riding bikes. Mansour now makes films in Hollywood and says that for her next project she would like to make a superhero movie about “a diverse…

PLACE OF THE WEEK

Brancaster, on the Norfolk coast, is a village with thriving fishing and sailing communities, a glorious beach and a nature reserve. A wide variety of bird species visit the area all year round, including several species of wading birds such as oystercatchers and redshanks. When the tide goes out, a shipwreck riddled with bulletholes is revealed. The SS Vina was used by the Royal Air Force for target practice during the Second World War and sank in 1944. Find out more at tinyurl.com/TWJ-brancaster…

Common dormouse

Scientists have warned that Britain’s dormice are faced with extinction after their numbers plummeted by more than 70% in just over two decades. Habitat loss, woodland management and climate change have all had a huge impact on their population. ● LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: Three years on average. ● HABITAT: Dense woodlands, hedgerows and thick shrubbery across Europe. ● DIET: Dormice feast on different things depending on the time of year. For example, they eat flowers in the spring and nuts in the autumn. They also eat fruit and insects. ● FUN FACT: Dormice are the only small British mammal with a furry tail. SLEEPY SPECIES Dormice get heir name from the French word dormir , meaning “to sleep” – which they do for much of the…

Spacecraft to study asteroid

Japan’s Hayabusa-2 spacecraft has finally reached its destination – an asteroid called Ryugu – after travelling 180 million miles since launching in December 2014 from the Tanegashima Space Center. Its mission is to blast a hole in the asteroid, gather up fragments and bring them back to Earth for analysis. Ryugu is a diamond-shaped asteroid that is just over half a mile long. It sits in an orbit between Earth and Mars. Asteroids like Ryugu have been around since the formation of the solar system around 4.6 billion years ago, so they can tell scientists a lot about the raw materials from which the planets formed. They contain water, organic compounds (the kind of molecules made by living things on Earth) and precious metals, such as platinum. “Comets and asteroids…

Robot footballers play in World Cup

The 22nd RoboCup competition, held in Montreal, Canada, took place between 16 and 22 June. Around 5,000 robots built by 4,000 people from 35 countries battled it out to see which robot football team was the best. Established in 1997, RoboCup has one goal: to create a team of robots capable of beating the human World Cup champions by 2050. However, the robots still have a long way to go before they have a chance of beating their human counterparts. Many of them tend to fall over rather than kick the ball. A robot football team built by the Netherlands’ Eindhoven University of Technology won the RoboCup’s Middle Size League. In their final match, the robots were seen passing, fighting for position and blocking goal shots, like real footballers. You…

Records smashed in Birmingham

Dina Asher-Smith and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake both won gold in record-breaking times at the British Athletics Championships. In the women’s 100-metre sprint on 30 June, Asher-Smith clocked an impressive championship-best time of 10.97 seconds. On 1 July, Mitchell-Blake took just 20.24 seconds to run the men’s 200-metre sprint. Around 700 athletes took part in the competition at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Track-and-field events for men and women included 100-metre hurdles, javelin, discus, hammer, high jump, long jump, pole vault and shot put. There were also long-distance races such as the 5,000-metre run, the 5,000-metre walk and the 3,000-metre steeplechase. Reece Prescod sprinted to first place in 10.06 seconds in the men’s 100 metres. The 22-year-old also won the event last year. More championship records were broken over the two days.…

Helena Pielichaty

Who is your favourite football player? My favourite female footballer is Arsenal Women and England midfielder Jordan Nobbs. She’s such a skilful player and a great ambassador for the game. What bores you? Waiting at home when something is due to be delivered. Do you prefer watching sport to playing it? I’m afraid to say I don’t play any sport these days, so the answer has to be watching. I go to Huddersfield Town matches and watch tennis and athletics on TV. What is your favourite childhood memory? Playing out on the old pit hills behind my house. Did you know it never rained during the 1950s and early 1960s? Kids could play out all the time! Which skill would you like to learn and why? To stop worrying about…

Comic to cover the Doctor’s many lives

It’s been announced that a new Doctor Who comic will shed light on the life of the 13th Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker. The story revisits the Time Lord’s previous incarnations (the appearance the Doctor took before each regeneration). Due to be published in October, Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Vol. 0 – The Many Lives of Doctor Who, will be set before the Time Lord’s upcoming adventures. Jodie Whittaker’s first series as the newest Doctor is set to hit TV screens this autumn. US magazine Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed the first look at the comic on 28 June. It described the upcoming 64-page publication as telling untold adventures from all of the Time Lord’s past selves, from the very first back in 1963. Each incarnation of the 13 Doctors…

This week’s new apps

Muvimi iOS (Free) If you’ve ever watched a cartoon on TV or YouTube and thought you could do better, Muvimi gives you the opportunity to find out. It’s easy to get started: first you need to create a character who looks like you or a friend, then choose a hairstyle, facial features and clothes until you’re happy with the results. Next you select a setting, from a science-fiction spaceship to a US diner. Then you can place your characters in it and make them move, whether they’re dancing, sleeping or karate-kicking. The next step to bring your cartoon to life is to record some dialogue of your own using your smartphone’s microphone, before saving your scene, creating other scenes to make a longer show, and then sharing the final results…

Become the wheel deal! It’s time to try... Roller-skating

SAFETY FIRST Wear protective gear. A helmet, elbow pads and kneepads won’t just stop you from getting hurt, they’ll also give you confidence to skate without fear of falling. “I LOVE TRYING STUNTS” My friend Katie taught me how to roller-skate. She gave me her old pair of skates and I learnt in less than two hours! We don’t go anywhere fancy, just the park up the road. Going down slopes or small hills is so much fun. But you must bend your knees or you may trip. I love trying stunts like high-fiving a friend while skating. It’s fun just skating from place to place, and I love going out with friends and family because you share the experiences with them. Plant your feet, bend your knees, lean forward…

Editor’s note

The Shine School Media Awards are held every year in London and on 2 July I was lucky enough to be there to present some of the prizes. The aim of the competition is to encourage secondary school pupils to develop publishing projects – both in print and online. The winners demonstrated eye-catching designs, engaging content, amazing photos and illustrations and lots of creative ideas. The ceremony was held in Stationers’ Hall – a beautiful 17th century building which is the ancient home of publishing in the City of London. The award that I presented was for “Best Overall Content” and it was won by Colyton Grammar School for its magazine, Seven Stripes . I’m looking forward to welcoming its editor to The Week Junior…

Teacher OF THE WEEK

Teacher’s name: Mrs Udy School: Penygawsi Primary School, Pontyclun, Wales “Mrs Udy is the best teacher because she is so enthusiastic and makes boring lessons fun. In addition, she has helped to build children’s confidence by giving them more opportunities. Mrs Udy also tells stories about a little bluebird every day before we go home. She has taught me in years five and six. Mrs Udy has taught me so much and I will miss her when I go to comprehensive school.” Sidonie, Primary 6 If we pick your teacher as Teacher of the Week, we’ll send your school three free issues of The Week Junior. Send your nominations, along with a picture of your teacher and your school’s full name and address, to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk GET INVOLVED Email…

POPJAM

Follow The Week Junior on PopJam@TheWeekJunior. Download the free PopJam app from the App Store or Google Play. Did you know that Mumbai, India’s most populated city, has banned the use of single-use plastic bags and bottles? “Hooray Mumbai!” @Jessluvsart “Yay, we are going to save our planet” @Music_mad_Queen “Wooooo! Go Mumbai. They are doing the right thing” @smileyface122 The Tour de France begins on 7 July. There’s also a Tour for female riders, called La Course. Do you have any words of encouragement for the cyclists? “Perseverance! How inspirational. KEEP ON GOING!” @inspirationalbiscuit “Well done!” @warmstrawberry Tell us what you think of this week’s issue. We’ll give you a shout-out if your post is printed here. The Week Junior is delivered in a recyclable LDPE plastic bag to protect…

Football team lost in Thai caves is found

A football team and their coach have been found alive after being lost for nine days in caves in Chiang Rai province in the north of Thailand. The 12 boys aged 11 to 16 and their coach entered the Tham Luang caves on 23 June, but became trapped when heavy rain caused the caves to flood. The group moved to higher ground inside the caves and were found on a mud bank on 2 July by two British divers, who flew to Thailand to help with the rescue, and Thai naval special forces. The divers had to swim through the flooded caves to find the boys, but it’s not going to be easy to get them out. It may be too risky for the boys to swim out the way…

Firefighters tackle blaze on moors

Firefighters and the army are tackling ferocious fires that broke out on moorlands near Manchester on 24 June. Scorching temperatures from the recent heatwave have caused them to intensify and spread. What happened? More than 100 firefighters and around 100 soldiers were deployed to battle a seven square mile blaze on Saddleworth Moor in the Peak District. By 26 June, almost 40 homes had been evacuated and some local schools were closed. Elsewhere, another fire broke out at Winter Hill in Lancashire and merged with a second fire near Bolton. More than 80 firefighters have been tackling the Winter Hill blaze since 28 June. It could take weeks to put all the fires out, but no one has been injured. How did the fires start? It’s not clear what caused…

Ducks given official escort

A family of ducks was guided through Nottingham city centre by a community protection officer, who stopped traffic to help them safely across the street. Tom Walters witnessed the event and said, “The ducks came through a crowd... and then went towards the road and trams. We thought, ‘Oh no! They’ll get hit!’” Luckily the officer appeared and guided them across the road and out of danger.…

Should mobile phones be banned in school?

At least 50% of children in the UK aged five to 15 regularly use a mobile phone and the number is rising. Mobile phones can be great for connecting with family and friends, for playing games and finding out all sorts of amazing information, but there is growing evidence that they are also distracting students from learning during school time. Schools are free to set their own rules about whether to allow phones in the classroom but Matt Hancock, the politician who is in charge of digital and cultural matters, has said that more schools in the UK should ban them. Some countries are already one step ahead of the UK. From September, France will ban all pupils from using their phones at school. What do you think? Should the…

Putting Potter into pictures

When Levi Pinfold was young, he thought he would become a helicopter pilot. But he’s glad he didn’t. Instead, Pinfold says he chose the much more fun route of drawing objects such as helicopters and imagining them instead. “Most kids draw,” he says. “I just didn’t stop when I was supposed to. I’ve always been drawing.” Pinfold is now an award-winning illustrator, and has just completed work for the Harry Potter Hogwarts House Editions (available now), which celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Pinfold says it was “scary” working on the books. “So many people love Harry Potter that you just want to get it right,” he says. “But it is also great fun because you’re dealing with characters that everyone knows and everyone…

Goodbye Koko, the signing gorilla

Koko the female western lowland gorilla, who was taught how to communicate using sign language, has died peacefully in her sleep. She was 46 years old. Born in 1971 at San Francisco Zoo, in the US, Koko was originally called Hanabi-ko, which means “fireworks child” in Japanese. Animal psychologist Francine “Penny” Patterson began working with her in 1972 and taught Koko a version of American Sign Language. Koko moved to the Gorilla Foundation in Redwood City, California, in 1974 and spent the rest of her life there. Gorillas use gestures to communicate with each other in the wild, but Patterson taught Koko how to express herself and “talk” to humans. She claimed that Koko was able to understand around 2,000 words of spoken English and respond using more than 1,000…

Airport expansion plans alarm environmentalists

On 25 June, Members of Parliament (MPs) voted overwhelmingly in favour for the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. Environmental campaigners claim that another runway would increase air pollution levels surrounding the airport, which already consistently exceed safe limits. For more than ten years, Heathrow’s two runways have been operating at 98% capacity, meaning that airlines have not been able to add more flights. The plan to build another runway in order to increase connections with other airports has been fiercely debated for years. Last month, 415 MPs supported a third runway, whereas 119 voted against it. The result means that Heathrow can now submit an application for permission to develop the project, which will start work in 2021. The Government says that the construction will create…

What’s the difference between a llama and an alpaca?

Jessica Jones ZSL London Zoo keeper Llamas and alpacas have a lot in common, but are very easy to tell apart. They both live in South America, are closely related to camels and spit when they feel threatened. But alpacas are a lot smaller than llamas – and a lot fluffier, with a clump of hair on their heads. Also, llamas have banana-shaped ears, whereas alpacas’ ears are short and blunt. Do you love animals? ZSL London Zoo’s Junior Zoo Academy is a great way to learn about creatures from all over the world. Find out more at zsl.org/experiences…

Is there life on Saturn’s moon?

Enceladus is the sixth-largest of Saturn’s many moons (it has at least 62) and scientists believe it is one of the best places to look for life in our solar system. Analysis of data gathered by the Cassini spacecraft last year suggests that complex carbon-based molecules could be in the moon’s subsurface oceans. These molecules are thought to form in reactions between water and warm rock on the ocean floor, and have only been found on Earth or in some meteorites. While this doesn’t prove that Enceladus harbours life, it does show that the moon has all of the basic requirements for life as we know it.…

Smart slime

A gooey form of black slime that can stretch and self-repair has been created by scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. The team mixed hydrogel with a substance called MXene. Hydrogel is a mixture of water and polymer (a synthetic material composed of two separate elements). MXene is a material made up of metal sheets, just one atom thick. When the hydrogel and MXene are mixed together, a slime is created that can stretch up to 35 times its original length, conduct electricity and stick back together when torn apart. The team believes the gel could be used as a biosensor (a device that detects chemicals in the body).…

5 books about coping with sadness

The Mystery of the Colour Thief by Ewa Jozefkowicz (Head of Zeus) Izzy’s mum is in a coma, her family is in pieces and her best friend at school doesn’t want to be friends any more. Now, her nightmares are haunted by a shadowy man who steals all the colour from the world. Can new neighbour Toby, and a nest of cygnets (baby swans), help Izzy solve the mystery of the colour thief? Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare. Illustrated by Jane Matthews (Firefly Press) Aubrey’s life is turned upside down when his father falls under the spell of the Terrible Yoot. Now his once-cheerful dad has been plunged into misery. Can Aubrey find a way to break the terrible spell and free his father? This prize-winning book…

A celebration of Japanese culture

Some amazing things have come from Japan: Pokémon, Hello Kitty and anime, to name just three. If you’re a fan of any (or all) of these things, then head over to Kensington Olympia in London between 13 July and 15 July for Hyper Japan – a festival celebrating the country’s culture, food and games. Tuck into some tasty treats at the Eat-Japan food court, where you can try katsu curry, ramen and sushi, or belt out a tune with your friends at the on-site karaoke booths. At the Hyper Game and Anime Park, game lovers can try their hand at retro titles such as Pac-Man as well as the latest game releases. Nintendo will be there to showcase its Japanese Switch games, from Splatoon 2 and Sushi Striker: The Way…

Close Encounters off the Third Kind (1977)

DVD, Blu-ray, iTunes, Prime Video Director Steven Spielberg’s recent film, Ready Player One, is arriving on DVD next month. But one of his many classics also showcased the cutting edge of visual effects. Close Encounters of the Third Kind tells the story of aliens arriving on Earth, a theme Spielberg also touched on with E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. Close Encounters was the first time Spielberg explored the idea of life on other planets, and one famous scene is likely to leave you craving mashed potato... WOW! There are three different versions of the film. All of them are available on the movie’s Blu-ray release.…

GAME OF THE WEEK

Suzy Cube Android / iOS (£3.49 / £3.99) If you’ve ever played a 3D platform adventure such as Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Odyssey on a games console, you may have thought it could not work on a smartphone or tablet. Suzy Cube demonstrates that it can. You play the title character Suzy Cube, who’s on a mission to rescue a treasure trove of gold coins that has been stolen by the nasty Skulls characters. How? By running and jumping around more than 40 levels, bouncing on the bad guys and collecting the coins. It’s easy to control Suzy, and there are some bonus secrets to discover along the way.…

HOW, WHAT, WHERE?

Is roller-skating for me? It’s for anybody with energy, enthusiasm and, ideally, a reasonable sense of balance! Where can I go roller-skating? If it’s safe (and smooth enough), you can roller-skate on the pavement outside your house or at your local park or playground. For indoor skating, search online for roller rinks near you. How do I take it to the next level? Head to a skate park to practise tricks or find an artistic rollerskating club where you’ll learn moves that are the equivalent of figure skating on ice. Or look up a roller derby team. Learn more… This funky video from Planet Roller Skate gives great tips for beginner skaters: tinyurl.com/TWJ-howtoskate . Or search for skating siblings Billy and Emily on 2015’s Britain’s Got Talent…

MP’s school visit

“On National Numeracy Day (16 May), pupils at Grafton Primary School in London were visited by the Member of Parliament (MP) John Glen and members of Yorkshire Bank. They came to our school to teach us about the importance of money. We had to match the definitions of words like “profits” and “budget” to their meaning. We then discussed our answers with our classmates. Next, we were told to create a party for 80 guests. My team came up with the idea of a music party and we were given a budget of £800. We raised £800 by charging £10 for entry and had a dance floor, DJ, fizzy drinks, etc. Six lucky children were then interviewed by the visitors, and they made a video that was uploaded to Twitter.…

YOUR PHOTOS

“During our class 3 Brockton School camp, we decided to do our bit for the environment and pick up some rubbish we found on the Devon coast.” Ben, Dexter and Tom, Year 5 “I went to march in London to demand a vote on the final Brexit deal. Here I am with The Week Junior waiting for things to get started.” Billy, Year 5 “I cut bits out of The Week Junior and created the English flag ready to watch England’s next football match.” Jess, Year 5 We’d love to see your snaps. Send them to us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Don’t forget to tell us why you took them.…

That’s unbelievable!

Super-fast Hello Kitty train Hello Kitty, the popular Japanese cartoon character, has starred in several television series and been plastered on products sold all over the world, including clothing, stationery and phone accessories. Last month, an eight-car train (which is usually white) was unveiled, covered with a strip of bright pink and signature Hello Kitty bows. It’s not just the outside that’s been Hello Kitty-fied: the walls, seats and curtains are also themed in the style of the famous feline. The super-fast bullet train will travel between the cities of Osaka and Fukuoka for three months, and officials hope the makeover will boost tourism. Four-year game of tag continues Georgina Wilkinson flew 4,000 miles from the US to tag her friend in a game of “it”. Wilkinson disguised herself as…

Happy 70th birthday to the NHS

On 5 July, the National Health Service (NHS) celebrated its 70th anniversary. Every day the NHS supports more than 1.5 million patients and their families, but it needs more money to cope with the UK’s growing and ageing population. Earlier this week, NHS England announced plans to stop providing certain treatments to save money. These 17 treatments, which include tonsil removal and surgery to stop people snoring, are performed 350,000 times a year, but often there are other options available. NHS England says that in the future, patients will only receive the treatment if they really need it. The health service hopes that by reducing these treatments, it will save around £200 million every year – money which could be used for more serious operations. The medical director of NHS…

THE WEEK IN HISTORY

10 July, 1553 The Nine-Day Queen takes the throne On 10 July 1553, Lady Jane Grey became Queen of England at the age of 15, after the death of King Edward VI. Grey’s father, the Duke of Suffolk, had convinced Edward VI to make his daughter Queen. However, Edward’s half-sister, Mary Tudor, was considered the rightful heir and it quickly became clear Mary had more support. Grey was arrested by Mary and imprisoned in the Tower of London where she was beheaded in 1554. Grey only reigned for nine days, and is often called “The Nine-Day Queen”.…

Fatberg attracts monster crowds

A slice of fatberg that has been on display at the Museum of London since February has turned out to be one of its most popular exhibits yet, according to the museum. Last September, the UK’s biggest known fatberg was found under Whitechapel in London. It measured roughly 250 metres long and weighed around 130 tonnes. That’s as heavy as 11 double decker buses and six metres longer than the capital’s Tower Bridge. It took nine weeks for the Whitechapel fatberg to be broken up with drills (it had become too hard to be broken up any other way). A few months later, it was confirmed that a piece of the fatberg would appear at the Museum of London in an exhibit showing the challenges of managing waste in London.…

What you need to know

● Matt Hancock, the Member of Parliament (MP) in charge of digital, culture, media and sport issues, wants more schools to ban mobile phones. ● The London School of Economics found that in schools where mobile phones are banned, test scores of 16-year-olds improved by 6.4%, and that banning phones is the same as adding five days of extra learning to the school year. ● France will ban the use of mobile phones in school from September this year. Students will be allowed to take their phones to school but can’t use them, even during breaks.…

The world’s oldest model

The world’s oldest working supermodel has revealed that she doesn’t “do retiring” in an interview with The Telegraph newspaper. Daphne Selfe recently celebrated her 90th birthday. In 1949, at the age of 21, Selfe won a competition to be on the cover of a local newspaper. However, it hasn’t always been as glamorous as you might think. “I’ve advertised sausages, wine and couture [custom-made fashion],” she reveals. “You did anything and you always did your own hair and make-up.” Selfe’s career slowed down when she had children but she made her comeback at the age of 70 and she’s still going strong. “When life is so interesting, why should I give it up until it gives me up?” she says.…

Western lowland gorilla

Western lowland gorillas are a critically endangered species, meaning that they are at an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild. They can live up to 40 years in remote forests dotted around parts of central Africa. Their slightly smaller size, wider skulls, more pronounced brows and smaller ears distinguish them from other gorillas. Over the last two decades, the gorilla’s population has declined by more than 60% because of poaching (illegal hunting) and disease.…

Good week / Bad week

Ochre sea stars This starfish species has made a recovery after a mysterious “melting” disease nearly wiped it out five years ago. Experts believe that the ochre sea star, which lives on the west coast of North America, developed a resistance to the virus that destroyed more than 80% of the population. The world’s forests A football pitch-sized area of forest was lost every second of 2017 – that’s equal to the size of Italy over the course of the year. Forests are cleared to use the land for other things, but this scale of logging – much of which is illegal – causes problems for wildlife and tackling climate change.…

A lifelong fight for education

Malala Day on 12 July is a day of celebration to honour the activist Malala Yousafzai and her work campaigning for every child’s right to free and safe education. Malala’s story As a child in Swat Valley, Pakistan, Malala loved to read and play outside. When she was 10 years old, members of the Taliban seized control of her neighbourhood. The Taliban is an extremist political movement and its followers are prepared to use violence to get what they want. They ban TV, music and cinema from the areas they control. One year after they moved into Malala’s region, they stopped girls from going to school and most of the schools in the Swat Valley closed. Malala began blogging about what life was like under the Taliban, attracting readers all…

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New easy test for malaria

Malaria is a disease passed to humans when they are bitten by female Anopheles mosquitoes carrying a parasite called plasmodium. Every year, an estimated 200 million people are infected with this deadly disease. The usual test for malaria requires collecting a blood sample using a syringe and sending it off to a lab for testing. However, Ugandan computer scientist Brian Gitta created a kit that gets a result in minutes – without using needles. The test shines a beam of red light on to a patient’s finger to detect changes in the shape, colour and concentration of their red blood cells, all of which are affected by malaria. Gitta, 25, was awarded the £25,000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation for his clever invention. “It’s a perfect example of how engineering…

Photos of the week

Peek-a-boo A pair of damselflies peer through holes they have munched in a leaf. Nap time Workers installing a wind turbine in China’s Hebei province make time for a mid-afternoon snooze. Seeing quadruple The US Navy’s Blue Angels demonstration squadron perform a jaw-dropping aerial stunt at a show in Ohio, in the US. One loveable mutt Zsa Zsa, a nine-year-old English bulldog, was named the World’s Ugliest Dog in California, the US. Back of the net Portugal defender Pepe scores in his team’s 2-1 World Cup defeat to Uruguay in Sochi, Russia. What a catch Locals try to catch offerings of food being thrown into a volcano for good luck at a festival in Indonesia. Breaking through A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket leaves Earth’s atmosphere on its way to the…

BOOK OF THE WEEK Girls FC: Is An Own Goal Bad?

The fun Girls FC series follows an Under-11s football team called the Parrs. Each book is told from the point of view of a different team member. In this story, it’s the turn of twins Dylan and Daisy. The pair live a chaotic life in a messy windmill with their scatterbrained parents, ballet-mad brothers and a host of crazy pets. They’ve promised to write up match reports for their football team – even though they find writing and spelling difficult. When Dylan gets muddled and scores an own goal, their Scottish granny is on hand with some ideas for a few clever tactics to sort things out. This funny and entertaining story is sure to score with anyone who loves reading about football. WIN! We’re giving away six copies of…

Three wacky inventions from Japan

Weird toilets Bathrooms in Japan can be rather different to the ones you find in the UK. Some, like the ones above for boys, have a game designed by Sega to play. Other toilets have heated seats for cold days or can even measure the amount of sugar in your wee. Egg-vending machine Every morning in the city of Nagoya, a vending machine is stocked with fresh eggs that cost around £2.20 for a bag of ten. It’s a cracking idea for people who, for whatever reason, can’t find a shop that sells them. That’s egg-cellent! Square watermelons Round watermelons can be a bit of a nuisance, rolling around and taking up too much room in your fridge. So smart farmers decided to grow square watermelons to combat the problem.…

THIS WEEK’S WATCH LIST

White Fang Available now on Netflix This 3D-animated film is based on Jack London’s 1906 novel and tells the tale of a loyal wolf-dog whose curiosity takes him on the journey of a lifetime. Set in Canada’s Yukon territory, White Fang sees the dog of the same name find adventure with three different masters. The Tour de France Live 2018 9.30am from 7 July, ITV4 Watch live coverage of the 105th Tour de France as the world’s top long-distance cyclists embark on the gruelling 23-day event. This year, the 2,082-mile race sets off from Noirmoutieren-I’Île, an island off the Atlantic coast. The Great British Germ Hunt 7pm on 8 July, Channel 4 They live in us as well as on us, but bacteria often tend to get a bad name.…

On screen

Is this the world’s tiniest computer? You can’t use it to go online, write homework or play games, but the University of Michigan’s new computer is making waves for another reason: it’s the tiniest computer in the world. The device, which doesn’t have a name yet, measures just 0.3 millimetres on each side – that’s much smaller than a single grain of rice (pictured above). The computer does one thing: it detects the temperature around it, and converts that into electronic pulses, which can be transmitted to bigger devices for analysis. Scientists could use it to test whether cancer tumours are hotter than normal body tissue, even when they’re tiny, which could in turn help to detect these potentially dangerous conditions as early as possible. The computer is ten times…

How to…

Make minty lemonade What you need: ● Large handful of fresh mint ● 5 lemons ● 175g golden caster sugar ● A handful of ice cubes ● 1 litre water ● Large jug ● Sharp knife ● Food processor ● Strainer Instructions: Pick the mint leaves and roughly tear them into pieces. Add to the jug. Cut four lemons in half. Put the lemons (pith and peel included but remove pips) in a food processor or blender with roughly half the sugar, some ice cubes, half the water and blitz together. Once it looks like juice, strain it into a jug. Tip the pulp back into the food processor. Add the rest of the sugar, more ice cubes and the rest of the water and blitz again. Strain this into…

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

Founded in 1998, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is one of the biggest poetry awards for children. The competition has around 6,000 applicants worldwide and selects 100 winners every year. Winning this award has kick-started many young writers’ careers, one of the most notable being Helen Mort, who was named a Next Generation Poet by The Poetry Book Society. This competition is open to children aged 11 and above, inviting poems on any theme. For more information on how to enter before the 31 July deadline, head to foyleyoungpoets.org. Good luck!…

How much of this week’s news can you remember?

1Which anniversary did the National Health Service celebrate on 5 July? a) 50th b) 60th c) 70th 2True or false? A piece of fatberg on display at the Museum of London has begun to “sweat”. 3How long was the great white shark that was spotted swimming off the coast of Majorca last week? 4A study found that students’ test scores at schools where phones were banned, were: a) Better b) Worse c) The same 5Which country is film-maker Haifaa al-Mansour from? 6True or false? Koko the gorilla was thought to understand around 20 words of spoken English. 7Where was Malala Yousafzai born? a) Panama b) Pakistan c) Portugal 8What is Saturn’s sixth-largest moon called? 9What breed is Zsa Zsa, the World’s Ugliest Dog? a) English bulldog b) Poodle c) Chihuahua…