Innholdsfortegnelse for 266 i The Week Junior

Politicians in the US are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from power after a riot broke out in Washington D.C. on 6 January. What happened? On 6 January, Trump held a rally in Washington D.C., where he told his supporters to march towards the Capitol. The Capitol is where Congress meets. Congress is made up of members of the House of Representatives and members of the Senate, and is where new laws are decided (like Parliament in the UK). Trump’s supporters broke into the building and the politicians inside had to be rushed to safety. There were clashes between police and the rioters, and five people died. Why do people want to remove Trump from power? Trump is accused of encouraging the violent scenes and trying to…

More than 50 pro-democracy activists were arrested in Hong Kong on 6 January, prompting the governments of Australia, Canada, the UK and the US to express “serious concern”. Those arrested include politicians, lawyers and students. The activists are fighting for democracy – citizens’ right to vote for their government – in Hong Kong. Huge pro-democracy protests were held there in 2019 and 2020. In June 2020, China introduced the National Security Law. This made it illegal for anyone in Hong Kong to disrespect the Chinese government. Many people see this law as a way for China to increase its control of Hong Kong, which is a semi-autonomous region. This means that although Hong Kong is part of China, it has some control over its own rules and a separate political…

The foundations of what will be the largest classical labyrinth in the world have been laid in Cornwall, England. The maze-like structure will stretch 56 metres across. When the lockdown is lifted, volunteers will build up the traditional labyrinth – named Kerdroya – out of Cornish hedges, for the public to enjoy. Cornish hedging is an ancient art using stone and vegetation to create walls. The project is hoping to open in spring 2021.…

“In the books we write, the songs we sing, the art that we make, we celebrate the essential connection that we feel with nature,” wrote more than 100 musicians, actors and writers to Boris Johnson. Yet that connection is hemmed in by the fences that surround much of England’s land, stopping people from wandering free. In 2000, a law was passed making it legal to roam around 8% of England’s countryside. The other 92% is owned by businesses, the Government, private estates and very rich individuals. Some people, including those who wrote the letter to the Prime Minister, say this isn’t good enough. Others point out that there are businesses, like farms, that need to keep the land private. So what do you think? Should people be allowed to walk…

Eleanor Wadsworth, who was one of the last surviving “Spitfire women” has died aged 103. The Spitfire women were a group of female pilots who flew military planes from factories to the frontline during the Second World War (1939–45). “I put my name down and didn’t think much about it,” Wadsworth recalled last year. Although she had no flying experience, she was recruited into an organisation called the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), and her job was to fly fighter planes from the factory to Royal Air Force bases. It was dangerous work and historians have described the ATA pilots as “incredibly brave”. Wadsworth’s favourite plane was the single-seat Spitfire fighter, which she flew 132 times. “It was a beautiful aircraft, great to handle,” she said.…

Japanese macaque Scientists have been studying Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, since the 1950s. In 1963, researcher Kazuo Wada saw one of the monkeys climb into a hot spring to retrieve a fallen apple. When the monkey discovered that the water was warm and pleasant, it stayed to splash around, and other macaques soon followed. The bathing monkeys have since become a big tourist attraction. • LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: About 25–30 years. • HABITAT: Forests on three of Japan’s main islands. • DIET: Wild plants, fruit, insects and nuts. • FUN FACT: Japanese macaques live in large, harmonious groups known as troops.…

A robot space mission has successfully brought samples of rocks and soil from the Moon back to Earth for the first time since the 1970s. The capsule from China’s Chang’e-5 mission landed in Inner Mongolia in December 2020, carrying with it around two kilograms of Moon material. The unmanned Chang’e-5 spacecraft (named after the Chinese goddess of the Moon) was launched in November 2020. After a 250,000-mile journey to the Moon, it entered orbit and released a small landing vehicle that fell towards the surface. Using rockets to slow its descent, the lander made a soft landing on a 1,300-metre volcanic hill called Mons Rümker, in an area called the Ocean of Storms (one of the dark rocky plains or “seas” that give the Moon its blotchy appearance). The lander…

Scientists have found a surprising new way to grow human cells: inside Irish soda bread. Cells are the building blocks of living things. There are trillions inside our bodies, each with its own function. By reproducing them in laboratories, scientists can create living tissues and even organs that can be used in treating medical conditions. In order to grow, however, cells need a framework, or scaffold. Usually this is provided by collagen, a substance found in bones, joints, muscles and skin – but collagen can be hard to come by. Inspired by the popularity of baking during the coronavirus lockdown, a team from the University of Ottawa, in Canada, wondered if bread might work as an alternative. “It seemed like a fitting project for these times,” said project leader Andrew…

Held every year in early January, the FA Cup third round gives lower-league mens’ football clubs a chance to shine. It’s when teams from the Premier League and Championship – the top two divisions in England and Wales – enter the famous cup competition, and anything could happen. In the third round this year, Crawley Town, who play three levels below the Premier League in League Two, caused the biggest cup upset. They easily beat top-level team Leeds United 3-0 with goals from Nick Tsaroulla, Ashley Nadesan and Jordan Tunnicliffe. National League North team Chorley beat Derby County 2-0, who are four divisions above them in the Championship. Derby had to field a very young and inexperienced team, though, because of a coronavirus outbreak among their regular players. Blackpool, Doncaster…

The latest national lockdown in response to the coronavirus means millions of young people are doing their learning at home again. This time round, more students may be having live online lessons with teachers but there will still be plenty of work that needs research. Thankfully, there are lots of online resources that were created for the first lockdown last year, as well as some new ones. The BBC is using its CBBC and BBC Two TV channels for daily primary and secondary school learning programmes, including Shakespeare plays, science and history shows and shows based on its BBC Bitesize website. The BBC Bitesize website is getting more maths and English lessons, as well as other articles based on the topics being taught in schools this year. YouTube has been…

A musical based on Disney’s 2007 film Ratatouille has raised more than £1.4 million for charity. The musical started life as a TikTok video, posted by a teacher called Emily Jacobsen last August. It was a clip of her own song about the film’s rodent hero, Remy. Since then the video has been watched more than a million times, and it was noticed by other TikTokers, who began to create their own songs for a (still imaginary at this point) Ratatouille musical – which then became a reality. The musical could first be watched online in July by anyone who bought a ticket. Money from those ticket sales was given to The Actors Fund, a charity in the US that helps actors and other entertainers who are struggling financially. The…

Prince Charles has launched his Terra Carta, or Earth Charter, outlining how big businesses can help save the planet. He is asking companies to sign up to the charter and commit to being more environmentally friendly. In a speech at the One Planet Summit on 11 January, the prince made an urgent appeal to business leaders around the world. He said that by supporting the Terra Carta, they could “bring prosperity into harmony with nature, people and planet over the coming decade”. The charter encourages businesses to commit to almost 100 actions that will improve their sustainability in 10 key areas by 2030. Sustainability means avoiding using up the Earth’s natural resources. Several global companies, such as the bank HSBC, the energy company BP and Heathrow airport are backing the…

Five parrots with a reputation for bad language are being moved to their own enclosure – complete with warning signs – at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in England. The parrots, named Billy, Elsie, Eric, Jade and Tyson, are all African greys – a species famous for their ability to mimic human voices. They were adopted by the park in August and kept together in quarantine (a period of isolation that allows vets to make sure they don’t carry diseases). Chico, another of the park’s parrots, is well known for singing If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé, but visitors got a different sort of performance when the new birds went on display and started swearing. They knew some rude words when they arrived but the habit got worse in quarantine. One…

Scientists have announced new discoveries from the first robot space probe designed to look inside Mars. US space agency NASA’s InSight mission landed on Mars in November 2018, equipped with sensitive motion detectors and a probe that digs down into the Martian surface. Since then, it has made important discoveries including “Marsquakes”, which suggest activity deep inside the planet. Now new data has shown that Mars’ rocky crust is no more than 45 miles thick, and is divided into two or three layers. InSight’s findings will help scientists build a better picture off how Mars was formed.…

SMALL WONDERS Welcome 2021 with the new issue of Science+Nature – it’s jammed with amazing stories. Meet the big heroes in small packages as we explore the astonishing superpowers of nature’s smallest animals, then wow your friends and family with some brilliant and surprising maths tricks. Take a flight in a record-breaking plane, set out to solve the fishy mystery of mermaids, and try out lots of exciting science in your own home. Get your copy of the new issue, on sale now! VISIT sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk THE WEEK JUNIOR SUBSCRIBERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT. CALL 0330 333 9494 TO CLAIM!…

There are rumours that Jodie Whittaker is about to leave Doctor Who, after four years as its star. Whittaker was announced as the first female Doctor in the programme’s history back in July 2017. The Doctor is a Time Lord who travels through time and space in a blue police phone box called the Tardis. The next series, which could be Whittaker’s last, is scheduled to start later this year. On 1 January, it was announced that comedian John Bishop would be joining the cast as the Doctor’s assistant. Fans have started to think about who they would like to see step into the Tardis, should Whittaker leave. In an interview with SFX magazine, actor Whoopi Goldberg said she would love to be the first Doctor from the US. Goldberg…

In the summer you may like taking lots of photographs as you play outside, visit beaches and parks and have fun in the sun. Even as cold weather grips the UK during this lockdown, it can also be a special time to start snapping the wintry landscape and features around you. This could be done from your garden, front door, back door or a window. It doesn’t matter if you know a lot or a little about using a camera because great winter photographs can be taken by anyone. Mobile phones and tablets take good photos but a digital camera can be better still. It often has a bigger image sensor and larger lenses for clear, sharp images. One of the benefits of a mobile phone camera is you are…

Taiwan’s car karaoke king A taxi driver in Taiwan has set up a karaoke system in his car and is giving passengers free rides if they sing. Tu Ching Liang, who has driven taxis for 27 years, films his passengers and uploads their performances onto YouTube. Some of the videos have been watched more than two million times. His car has speakers on the outside, so people in the street can enjoy the performance (whether they want to or not!). Tu Ching Liang rewards the best singers with a free lift home. One day he hopes to drive Ed Sheeran around. Can asparagus tips point to the future? A 65-year-old woman claims she can predict the future using a bunch of asparagus. Jemima Packington throws several asparagus spears up into…

On 8 January, parts of Spain were hit by Storm Filomena, which brought the heaviest snowfall for around 50 years. Although many people enjoyed playing in the snow, the bad weather caused severe problems with the delivery of the vaccine for Covid-19 (the disease caused by the coronavirus). A vaccine is a medicine that helps your body fight a disease using its own defences. At the time The Week Junior went to press four people had died in the storm. The worst hit area was the capital city, Madrid. About 50 centimetres of snow fell between 8 and 9 January. Temperatures fell to -8° C in parts of the country and more than 600 roads in central Spain were covered in snow. The government sent soldiers to clear the roads…

The largest vaccination programme in UK history was launched on 11 January. A vaccine is a medicine that helps your body fight a disease using its own defences. Although Covid-19 vaccinations began in the UK in early December, now hundreds of new vaccination sites have opened around the UK as part of the Government’s plan to vaccinate at least two million people a week against Covid-19 (the disease caused by the coronavirus). Where are the new centres? Seven large-scale vaccination centres have opened in England. They are in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Stevenage and Surrey. Around the UK, hundreds of other sites such as hospitals and pharmacies are being used, and more centres will open in the coming weeks. These could be in places such as sports stadiums, supermarket…

Paris, France Extraordinary garden for famous street The mayor of Paris, France’s capital, has given permission for one of the city’s most famous streets, the Champs-Élysées, to be redesigned. The £225 million scheme will increase green areas and space for pedestrians, and will reduce space for vehicles by half. Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the new plans would turn the 1.2-mile-long stretch into an “extraordinary garden”. The redesign will be completed by 2030, with work beginning after Paris hosts the Olympic games in 2024. Managua, Nicaragua Rare white Bengal tiger is born A rare white Bengal tiger cub born in a zoo in Nicaragua has been named Nieves, which means snow in Spanish. Nieves’s mother, who is yellow and black, was rescued five years ago from a circus. She cannot produce…

There are new hopes that Swinhoe’s softshell turtles, the world’s most endangered turtle species, might be brought back from the brink of extinction. Scientists have confirmed that a female has been found in a lake in Vietnam. Researchers discovered the turtle in October last year, and now tests have confirmed that it is a female of the ultra-rare species. The last known male Swinhoe’s softshell turtle lives in a zoo in China and has been alone there since his female companion died in 2019. The pair had been together since 2008 but failed to produce any offspring during that time. Scientists hope the newly found female and existing male may be able to breed successfully and save the species. Swinhoe’s softshell turtles, also known as Yangtze giant softshell turtles, have…

On 15 January 2016, Tim Peake carried out the first spacewalk by an official British astronaut. Shortly after 1pm, Peake stepped outside the International Space Station (ISS) and spent four hours and 43 minutes carrying out repairs on one of humankind’s greatest technological achievements. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Peake’s spacewalk, take a look at how and why the ISS was built and what it is like to live and work there. Assembling the ISS The ISS orbits the Earth and is home to crews of astronauts. It is a joint project between the US, Russia, Canada, Japan and European nations, including the UK. The ISS is built from modules that fit together and create one large spacecraft. It was assembled in space and the first piece was launched…

Takes the biscuit A boy competes in a snack-eating contest in Myanmar, south-east Asia. A line in the sand The UK’s Sam Sunderland races in the 2021 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. Baby bear A polar bear cub called Finja at a zoo in Vienna, Austria. Going nuts A chipmunk in Ontario, Canada, stuffs its face with peanuts. World of ice An aerial photo of Harbin Ice and Snow World in Heilongjiang, China. Smile for the camera A roe deer stops for a photo in Glencoe, Scotland.…

After parachuting out of a plane, a young boy wakes up on a mysterious island. Chased by a dark spirit, the boy must make his way from one end of the island to the other in order to get to safety. Along the way he explores the island’s natural wonders and befriends different animals. This is the plot of the animated film Away, which is being released on digital download. Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis made the film completely on his own, a process that took more than three and a half years. Other animated films often have hundreds of people working on them. Speaking to The Week Junior, Zilbalodis said that the best part of working alone was having creative freedom and being able to experiment without any pressure. However,…

There’s a museum inside the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game, where players show off the bugs, fish, fossils and works of art they’ve collected. Now there’s a project to make people’s Animal Crossing islands part of a real-world museum. The National Videogame Museum in Sheffield, England, has launched a project to record how people have been playing the game during the coronavirus lockdown. Iain Simons, the museum’s director of culture, said that the game’s release in March 2020 was “a welcome relief for millions of people who wanted to go outdoors but couldn’t, who wanted to meet friends but weren’t allowed. This incredibly creative, social space became a safe haven.” Players can send in diary entries or things they’ve written about the game, as well as video tours or screenshots;…

Console keeps chicken warm A games console is being released that can keep people’s fried chicken warm while they are playing. The “chicken chamber” is a sliding drawer that is built into the console as a handy place for people to keep their food warm during “intense gaming sessions”. The compartment works by using the heat that’s naturally produced by the console when it’s switched on. Gamers can now look forward to being able to play their favourite games and eat some hot fried chicken at the same time. So what do you think? Does this sound true to you? Or have we cooked up a lie?*…