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A group of 12 European football clubs, including six from England, have suspended plans for a new competition, following protests by fans. What happened? On 18 April, leading English football clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur announced that they were joining up with six clubs from across Europe to create a new competition called the European Super League (ESL). The other six clubs were from Spain (Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid) and Italy (AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus). How would the ESL have worked? The ESL was going to be made up of 20 men’s teams, split into two groups of 10. After playing each other home and away, the top teams from each group would progress to a knockout phase. The 15…

The Big Ask is inspired by the Beveridge Report, which was published during the Second World War (1939–1945) and was based on surveys that asked people how they thought the country could improve. The report recommended tackling poverty and disease, among other things. In the years after the war, the Government introduced the welfare state, which gave money and support to people who needed it and led to the creation of the National Health Service.…

“As a kid I ate a lot of cereal,” food writer Josh Sutton tells The Week Junior. “I remember my brother and I would always have cereal before bed. Is that a normal thing?” Now his meals are more adventurous. His first recipe book, Guyrope Gourmet, published in 2013, encourages campers to “banish the baked beans, bin the bangers and fill up on delicious, freshly made meals on your camping trip.” Lobster linguine and risottos are on the camping stove menu instead. In a more recent book, CookPal, Sutton writes about his time volunteering for a skateboarding charity that builds skateparks in Palestine in the Middle East. “The parents would bring us homemade food to the skatepark and we’d share meals,” he says. “A shared meal,” says Sutton, “is at…

Scientists have found a natural blue food dye – in red cabbage. Blue pigments (colour-producing chemicals) are rare in nature, so blue food dye is usually made with artificial colours. Now, however, an international team have identified and separated out a blue pigment found alongside red ones in the cabbage. Although not much blue is present, the team found they could make more by changing the red pigment with a chemical called an enzyme. So far, they have used it to make blue doughnut icing and ice cream. Enjoy these stories? Find more in this month’s The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk…

Max Verstappen The Dutch F1 driver, who races for the Red Bull team, won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy. He is now one point behind Lewis Hamilton in the championship. Norwich City They won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, the top level of men’s football in England and Wales. West Ham United Women On 18 April, in the Women’s FA Cup, they beat Chichester and Selsey 11-0 to reach the fifth round. They face Manchester City next. Kathleen Dawson The swimmer broke Scottish national records in the 100 metres and 200 metres backstroke races during the Olympic trials in London.…

During a road trip to drop off their daughter Katie at film school, the Mitchell family find themselves in the middle of a robot uprising. All around the world, electronic devices are rebelling against humans. Facing off against everything from Furbys to washing machines, the bickering Mitchells soon become humanity’s only hope for survival. This animated film, from the producers of 2018 hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, could change the way you look at technology. Speaking to The Week Junior, co-writer and director Michael Rianda revealed that the Mitchells were inspired by his own family. “I really wanted the characters to feel specific, and I’m not that creative so I based it on my own family,” he says. The Mitchells’ nature-loving dad Rick was based on his own father, and…

New details have emerged about the fifth Indiana Jones film. Starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, the Indiana Jones series is about an archaeologist, played by Harrison Ford, who searches for ancient artefacts. Archaeologists are experts who study ancient man-made objects to help us understand history. Ford, who also played Han Solo in the Star Wars films, is playing his role again and will be joined by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who voiced the droid L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Waller-Bridge d is playing a new character and is the film’s female lead. Mads Mikkelsen has joined the cast too, but his character is still a secret. Mikkelsen will play Grindelwald in the next Fantastic Beasts fi lm and he was the villain in Doctor Strange. The…

How to Be Me by Cath Howe (Nosy Crow) Since Lucas’s mum died, he and his dad don’t seem to understand each other. Now his dad is sending him to a drama camp and Lucas is dreading it. Once he gets there, though, things begin to change and his new friends help Lucas to open up. Slowly and steadily, Lucas discovers how to be himself. The Perfect Parent Project by Stewart Foster (Simon & Schuster) In this funny, warm-hearted story, Sam has been in and out of foster care all his life and dreams of having a real family of his own. Then his best friend Leah suggests that rather than wait for a family to come to him, he should go out and find one of his own. Sam…

Queen of nails gets clipped A woman in the US called Ayanna Williams has clipped her fingernails for the first time in 30 years. Williams holds the Guinness World Record for the female with the longest nails on two hands; they measure more than 733 centimetres in total. Her claws prevented her from doing everyday tasks such as washing up. It took a few days and at least three bottles of nail varnish to paint them. Now, Williams says she is looking forward to a new, short-nailed life. “With or without my nails, I will still be the queen,” she said. “My nails don’t make me, I make my nails!” The nail clippings will go on display in Florida, US. The world’s most expensive comic A comic book has sold…

England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford has launched a book club for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He has teamed up with the publisher Macmillan Children’s, which will donate 50,000 books. These books will be given out to more than 850 primary schools across England and Scotland, through the charity Magic Breakfast. “We haven’t been affording these children the option of reading for fun,” says Rashford. “But that changes today.”…

From 15 April to 15 June, a wildlife charity is encouraging volunteers in England, Scotland and Wales to join the search for water voles and to report their findings. There are nearly 900 sites nationwide – such as waterways, riverbanks and canals – where volunteers can go to look for the voles. Signs that the animals are nearby include bank-side burrows, droppings, footprints and the sound of a plop as they slip away into the water. The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) charity will use the results of the survey to monitor how populations of water voles are changing each year, and identify areas where they are most in need of help. Water voles are the fastest declining mammal in the UK. Almost 90% of their population disappeared in…

Scientists have revealed a unique new species of pterosaur (a type of flying reptile that lived at the time of the dinosaurs), which they have nicknamed the “monkeydactyl”. What makes the find unusual is that it is the oldest-known creature to have had opposable thumbs, meaning that one of its claws could bend to touch the fingers of the same hand. Opposable thumbs make it easy to pick up and hold objects, and their development was an important stage in the evolution of primates (humans and their relatives, such as apes, lemurs and monkeys). Officially called Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, the monkeydactyl lived in what is now China during the Jurassic period (between 200 and 145 million years ago). Its fossils were unearthed in Liaoning, China, in September 2019. The research team…

Great Britain will have a women’s football team at this summer’s Olympic Games for the first time since 2012. Hege Riise, from Norway, will be the manager and players will be selected from the national teams of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. On 21 April, the draw will be made to decide who Great Britain will play in the group stage, which starts on 21 July in Japan. There won’t be a men’s British football team at the Olympics.…

Atlas Made by the US company Boston Dynamics, Atlas is a famous humanoid robot. It has made a name for itself over the past few years, thanks to some viral videos. Said to be one of the world’s most agile robots, Atlas has been filmed doing everything from dancing to backflips. Aquanaut A real-life transformer, the Aquanaut is an underwater robot that can change its shape. The Aquanaut starts off as a miniature submarine but can turn into a humanoid robot. T-HR3 Made by car company Toyota, the T-HR3 is a robot that can mimic the movements of its operator. It is hoped that doctors will be able to use these robots to perform surgery in distant parts of the world.…

Stowaway Available to watch now on Netflix When an unexpected passenger is found on board a two-year mission to Mars, the crew are forced to make some tough decisions. This science-fiction thriller promises to be scientifically accurate – YouTuber and scientist Scott Manley was an adviser. Secrets of the Whales Available to watch now on Disney+ Filmed over three years in 24 locations, this new Disney+ documentary series plunges you deep beneath the sea and into the wonderful world of whales. You can watch five species (belugas, humpbacks, narwhals, orcas and sperm whales), how the creatures behave with one another and find just how similar they are to humans. The Forgotten Forests of Malaysia 7pm on 25 April, Sky Nature Take a trip through the rainforests of Malaysia, home to…

Bigfoot Mountain by Roderick O’Grady (Firefly Press) Minnie lives in a small cabin at the foot of a mountain. Surrounded by remote, wild country, she is struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother – and being stuck with her stepfather, Dan. When she and her friend Billy discover some giant footprints on a mountain trail, Dan tells them it must be someone playing a trick but Minnie isn’t so sure. Meanwhile, Kaayii is watching the smoke from a raging forest fire that has forced him and his clan to move to the other side of the mountain. He’s feeling wary of the humans he sees living down below but soon, Minnie and Kaayii’s stories begin to intertwine. The book explores family, friendship, dealing with loss and…

Where can I get car-cleaning products? Most supermarkets sell car-cleaning stuff such as cloths, shampoo and sponges. A bottle of shampoo could cost between £2 and £4 and a large sponge around £1. The car’s owner might want to buy extras such as wax, tyre gel, alloy wheel spray and a spray to clean inside the car. Any other tips? Clean the car in the shade if it’s possible. Direct sunlight can cause streaks. Don’t put your sponge or cloths on the ground because they may pick up little stones and gravel that could scratch. Be careful your clothing doesn’t have buckles or zips that could mark the paintwork when you’re cleaning it up close.…

Did you know that one in four pupils leaves primary school unable to read well? This can affect their whole life. The charity Schoolreaders places volunteers in schools to give weekly support, so that young people get extra help with their reading. The Race for Reading is raising money for the Schoolreaders cause, and they want as many people as possible to join in. You have until 19 June to take part by running, walking, cycling or even hopping for charity. You can get a sports shirt and medal by taking part. Find out how to get involved at tinyurl.com/TWJ-raceforreading…

A dinosaur footprint made by a “Jurassic giant” has been found on a Yorkshire beach. It is thought it could have been made by a Megalosaurus, a nine-metre-long, meat-eating dinosaur that lived around 155 to 175 million years ago. The footprint was discovered by Marie Woods while she was out collecting shellfish for dinner. The location of the find is being kept secret and plans are being made to save the print before it is washed away by the sea.…

• Members of the French parliament have voted to ban domestic passenger flights (that’s flights within the country) in France if the same journey can be made in less than two and a half hours by train. • Planes are a big source of greenhouse gas emissions – which is one of the main causes of climate change (the long-term change in world weather patterns, such as rising temperatures, which is caused by human activities). • The number of domestic flights in the UK has fallen by 20% in the past decade. In the same period, passenger numbers fell by 10% – although there are still around 22 million passengers per year.…

In 2015, deep-sea explorers discovered the world’s largest-known sponge. It was found in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of the US island state of Hawaii. At 3.5 metres long, more than two metres wide and 1.5 metres high, the monster sponge is roughly the size of a small van. It was found by a robot submarine at a depth of around 2,100 metres below the surface. It’s not known how long the sponge has been there but some species can live for 2,300 years.…

Saltwater crocodiles grow to six metres long and weigh as much as a tonne. They are strong enough to overpower almost any animal and their diet includes large mammals drinking at the water’s edge, making them more dangerous to people than crocs that hunt smaller prey. Africa’s Nile crocodile is even more dangerous, partly because it lives in areas where there are lots of people. Enjoy unlimited visits to ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos, plus a host of other benefits with ZSL Membership. Find out more at zsl.org/membership/zsl-membership…

Northern Ireland’s women’s team set a football record this month by reaching a major tournament for the first time. Over two games they beat Ukraine 2-1 and 2-0 for an overall 4-1 win. The victory books their place at the Euro 2022 competition in England, which starts in July next year. When qualifying for the Euro 2022 championships began in 2019, there were 47 countries in nine groups trying to earn one of the 15 places available. Not many people believed that Northern Ireland could do it. The team has lots of players who are not professional footballers and do other jobs too, such as working in hospitals and shops. They finished second in their group, though, before beating Ukraine in the play-offs. For a team ranked only 49th in…

Are you often late for things and wish you could be more on time? Lots of people find it difficult to be on time, so as school term starts, clubs reopen and you are able to meet up with friends and family again, it’s good to brush up on timekeeping skills. What does being punctual mean? Being punctual means being able to arrive somewhere, complete a task or meet someone at an agreed time. Examples include getting to your classroom before the lesson starts; handing in your homework on time; or arriving at a friend’s house when you say you’ll be there. Being punctual allows you to be more organised and prepared, and it shows that you value other people’s time as well as your own. Why is it important…

Mission: Impossible Apple TV, Chili, Prime Video, Rakuten, Sky Store, Virgin Media The only one so far of the six Mission: Impossible films to come with a PG certificate, there’s a strong argument that this one is also the best. It stars Tom Cruise as a secret agent on a mission that does get quite confusing. Yet it’s worth watching for some grippingly tense sequences, including a moment where the film goes all but silent as Cruise is lowered into a vault. It gets a bit silly by the end but there’s a lot to enjoy here – not least some quite terrific disguises. The film was based on a long-running TV programme, and two more films are planned. The next two films are set to be released in 2022…

Smart watches that can use apps, measure people’s activity and make phone calls are very popular. Now, mobile operator Vodafone has teamed up with Disney to make a smart watch aimed at young people. It’s called the Neo and it recently went on sale in the UK. One of the main benefits is that it’s good for those who haven’t yet got a phone because it allows you to stay in touch with grown-ups. There’s a 4G SIM card inside, so you don’t have to be connected to a Wi-Fi network to make contact. The Neo’s messaging feature has been designed to be safe. You can only send messages to people with the Neo app and they have to be approved by your parent or carer, to make sure that…

Favourite mountain? Bigfoot Mountain, of course. I’ve only been there in my imagination but I know all the trails, the biggest trees and the secret hiding places of the Bigfoots. Of actual mountains, I like Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, as it’s actually a volcano. Is this book based on any real-life experiences you have had? Unfortunately not. I’ve never slept in the woods overnight; I’ve never had pine cones thrown at me in the woods by an unseen pine-cone flinger; and I’ve never found giant footprints in the mud, anywhere. Do you have any hobbies? I grow vegetables to eat and flowers to give to my friends. I’ve also started a bonsai tree. It’s a pine tree that I will keep pruning to keep it miniature. If you could…

Justin Somper is an award-winning author and creator of the Vampirates series, which so far consists of six books. Here he shares his tips to help your write your own story about pirates. Over to you, Justin... I never set out with the intention to write about pirates. The word “vampirates” just dropped into my head one day and I knew I had to grab this amazing and unique idea for a story. Back then, I knew very little about vampires and even less about pirates, so I started researching pirate history and vampire myth. These days, I love writing about pirates! If you fancy having a go yourself, here are my 10 top tips to help get your story sailing... Set it whenever you like One of the most…

It’s been an eventful week for football fans. Only a few days after announcing a new competition called the European Super League (from which they could never be relegated), six of England’s biggest men’s football teams backed out following fan protests. You can read all about it on page 2. As a supporter of one of the clubs involved, Tottenham Hotspur, I’m relieved by this outcome. The first time I went to see Tottenham play live, we were bottom of the Premier League, having made the worst start to a season in our history. Two years later, we had qualified for the Champions League for the first time. Going through ups and downs is what football is all about. You can’t win all the time, and experiencing defeat is what…

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“I really enjoyed making the splat rat bookmark. I even got my mum to join in and make one with me.” Ben “My friends and II held a charity bake sale in aid of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). We totalled our earnings up to £365 and sent it to our local branch of the RSPCA.” Arthur “I have trained my Labrador, Willow, to pick up litter out of the canal. My next goal is to teach her to put the rubbish in the bin!” Bethany…

Follow The Week Junior on PopJam@TheWeekJunior. You can download the PopJam app from the App Store or Google Play. Last week, we asked if New Year should be marked in spring... “No, as that is not the start of the year. The year starts in January not April.” “Yes, because spring is a time for new beginnings and nice weather.” “New Year starts on 1 January so it would be weird to break the tradition.” “No because New Year in winter brings some joy to the cold and dark.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…