NEWS MENTAL WASP VOLCANO FOR KIDS! HEALTH SCIENCE! FOR 2.6 MILLION+ WEEK P17 SALE! * READERS P18 G e tt y P6 G e tt y
Issue 778 £2.25 14 – 20 May 2021 HELPING THE UK GROW NEWS I SPORTS I ENTERTAINMENT I INTERVIEWS I PUZZLES I COMPETITIONS A NEW NORMAL WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
THE 56 million people in England will be able to take “a very considerable step on the road back to normality” on Monday (17 May), aft er the prime minister confi rmed that restricti ons can fi nally ease. Boris Johnson says the country has passed the four tests that had been set to decide if the country could COVID-19 start to open up again. That means we can all have some more freedom and get used to this new normal. The prime minister confi rmed that cinemas, UPDATE theatres, museums, play areas and restaurants will all be allowed to let people back inside again, and that fans can return to sports stadiums. Foreign holidays will be able to go ahead, too. The other big diff erence is that pupils will no longer have to wear masks at school, although many scienti sts and teaching organisati ons have spoken out against that decision. conti nues on p7
*First News readership is 2,626,625. Source: Opinion Matt ers 2020. First News is the widest-read of all children’s publicati ons audited in the UK. First News supports children’s chariti es, see p17. 2. QUICK NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 CENSUS RESPONSE AMAZON FOREST LOSS
Census2021/Twitter QUICK NEWS TO READ YOURSELF AND SHARE WITH FRIENDS Getty
Government data has shown The Office for National Statistics that deforestation in the has said the response to Census Amazon rainforest increased by 2021 has been much better WORLD RUN RECORD GLOBAL ICON AWARD 43% in April, compared to last than expected. Some 97% of Taylor Swift has become the first year. Brazilian president Jair households across England and woman to receive the Global Icon Bolsonaro has been accused Wales completed the survey, award at the BRIT Awards. Organisers of not doing enough to stop it. which collects data about where said the award recognises “her The world’s largest rainforest people live and the jobs they immense impact on music across the is very important in slowing do. The results of the census, world and incredible repertoire [all global warming, as its billions which happens every ten years, of her songs] and achievements to of trees store carbon. Last year, help local authorities to plan date”. The award continues a good Brazil’s space agency said that things, like making sure there year for Taylor, who won the Album deforestation was at a 12-year
are enough schools, libraries and Run World Life for Schaad/Wings Andreas of the Year award at the Grammys in high. Conservationists, world doctor’s surgeries in every town March (below). The BRITs took place leaders and UK supermarkets and city. have put pressure on Brazil to at London’s O2 on Tuesday and was the first big indoor music event to take protect the Amazon (see page 3). The 2021 Wings For Life World Run place in the UK since the pandemic. LEGO VENTILATOR took place last Sunday (9 May), setting the record for the largest run in A 12-year-old boy has used LEGO to RECYCLING TOYS history. The race saw 184,236 runners create a ventilator, which helps people Toymaker Mattel has launched a toy
from 195 countries raise over €4.1m Getty to breathe. Anthony Hartman, from (£3.5m) to fund research for spinal recycling scheme, where people can Illinois, USA, used LEGO Mindstorm cord injuries. Athlete and wheelchair send back old toys for recycling. The EV3 robotics pieces to create the user Aron Anderson, who won the Mattel PlayBack programme is part amazing device. Motors push LEGO men’s race, said: “As a person with a of the company’s aim to use 100% pistons that squeeze a bag, pushing spinal cord injury, it’s truly amazing sustainable plastic materials by 2030. air into the lungs of those with that over 180,000 people decided to For more information, just go to breathing issues. Anthony says he participate to help researchers come mattel.com/en-gb/playback. hopes to partner with LEGO to make closer to finding a cure.” his ventilator available in rural areas, RIP FIRST DOG BO where there could be shortages. ANIMAL OUTRAGE SHOCK PLANE BIRTH Former US president Barack Obama A LOTTA LOLLIES A new craze in China where pets are and his family have paid tribute to sold in mystery boxes has caused their dog Bo, who has died aged 12. outrage, after some animals were Michelle Obama called the Portuguese found to have died during delivery. water dog “our best friend”, while Mr The craze sees people ordering ‘blind Obama said Bo was “happy to see us boxes’ and getting a mystery pet on our good days, our bad days, and delivered. The trend has become
hawaiipachealth/Twitter every day in between”. increasingly popular despite the fact that it is against the law to transport live animals in this way. The mystery pet could be anything from a puppy
GoFundMe A woman who went into labour on or kitten to a rat or tortoise. Animal a flight to Hawaii had a stroke of rescue centres and Chinese residents A four-year-old SpongeBob fan gave luck when it turned out a doctor and have criticised the trend, while his mum a shock when 51 cases of three neonatal nurses, who look after national news agency Xinhua called for SpongeBob ice lollies were delivered. newborns, were on board as well. people to have “more respect for life”. It turns out that Noah, who has Lavinia Mounga didn’t even know autism, had ordered 918 lollies from she was pregnant until she began to ALCOHOL DEATHS RISE Amazon at a cost of $2,618 (£1,870). have her baby! Dr Dale Glenn, who To help pay for the lollies, a fundraiser helped with the birth, said: “The great Deaths due to alcohol in England and was set up. So far, more than $23,680 thing about this was the teamwork. Wales reached a 20-year high in 2020. (£16,785) has been raised, with mum Everybody jumped in and helped The Alcohol Health Alliance called for
Jennifer saying the extra money will out.” When the plane landed, baby better access to treatment and an end Getty go toward supporting Noah’s Raymond and his mum were taken to “the sale of cheap, strong alcohol educational needs. to hospital. They are both doing well. that is so harmful to health”. 3. BIG NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 NEANDERTHAL NIGHT- TAKING CARE REMAINS HUNTING DINO OF TREES FOUND DISCOVERY to ta an t re n str t re ta an
rema ns o n ne eandertha s have een o nd s ermar ets n the are threaten n to sto n rod ts n a ave near ome n ta tor aderma er tor rom ra over on erns a o t the ownersh o and n the o ntr he oss l sed bo es belo ed to ra l s arl a e t s o s der a Congress will fuel further destructi on se e e o e e ale a d a you e la that ould allo so e ubl a d la e reater r s o the l es o the boy ar haeolo sts sa d. It s bel e ed la d to be ade r ate. a a ers eo le a d ldl e ho all t ho e. they ere hu ted by hye as. say this will speed up deforestati on in Organisati ons like WWF are working he ea derthals are thou ht to the Amazon and aff ect climate change. hard to rote t trees arou d the orld. have lived in diff erent ti me periods. Lots o the s b su er ar ets e resear h ubl shed by r ll o o e o the bo es ould date ba d nosa r that lud a sbury s Ald es o a d Trees – a joint venture between WWF, 0 000 years h le others ould be ed to h nt at n ht had Waitrose, have signed an open lett er BirdLife Internati onal and the Wildlife as old as 100 000 years. all or the la to be re e ted. Conservati on Society (WCS) – says that Dario Franceschini, Italy’s Culture e traord nar v s on and ow hey also say that the ra l a early ll o he tares o orest Minister, described the fi nd as “an like” hearing, say scienti sts. res de t ro sed A r l that ra l has re ro s e 2000. hat s al ost extraordinary discovery which the Scienti sts have long wondered ould e d lle al lo . the size of France! The Atlanti c Forest hole orld ll be tal about . hether d osaurs ould hu t at Mike Barrett , executi ve director of in Brazil has done parti cularly well, as Neanderthals are an exti nct species night, like some modern-day birds. science and conservati on at WWF-UK, it’s esti mated 4.2 million hectares has or subs e es o hu a s ho l ed Now, a new scienti fi c study has sa d I assed th s ote the ra l a re ro there. thousa ds o years a o. sho that the Shuvuuia deserti d osaur h h as about the s e o a h e had hu e ear bo es a d ra er s ho n to tea h o n ould ha e had red ble hear eo e a o t the m ortan e o an a e s lar to a bar o l s. Musician Kray-Z Legz has joined forces with disability oday s b rds are all des e ded ro har ty Leo ard hesh re to lau h a e ra a d deo THAT’S A ti tled he La ua e o sab l ty. It a s to ra se a are ess thero od d osaurs su h as T-rex a d the elo ra tors. about the la ua e eo le use he tal to so eo e Scienti sts digitally reconstructi ng with disabiliti es, and how hurtf ul some words can be. Shuvuuia deserti s s ull also ou d The rapper, who was born with spina bifi da (when that ts eyes had so e o the lar est the spine doesn’t form properly), also wants to show u ls easured b rds or d osaurs others ho he has t let h s d sab l ty hold h ba . suggesti ng that they could have e s e e bee ted to a lo al s hool to tal about hu ted rey o lete dar ess. the experiences he’s faced. he study sa d the hu uu a s RAP! It comes aft er a new survey found that nearly three- s eleto s a o the ost b arre uarters o the 14.1 ll o d sabled eo le l the o all d osaurs. It had a s le la o ra e has say ore eeds to be do e about outdated a d strong litt le arms and huge legs – ideal wor ed w th amo s off ensive language. ra er noo o for chasing and digging for dinner! Check out Kray-Z Legz’s rap at www eonard hesh re or . 4. NEWS IN PICTURES FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 UK PARIS, FRANCE G e tt y The Royal Mint The Royal
EO LE dressed as soldiers commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of French leader Napoléon Bonaparte, who died on 5 May 1821. His tomb is in Paris, in the crypt of Les Invalides (a group of military museums and monuments). The commemorati on of his death is seen as controversial by some in France who think that he represents a dark period of French history.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA ON the 75th anniversary of his death, the oyal M t has ho oured the l e a d work of John Logie Baird on a commemorati ve 50p coin. Known as the ‘father of television’, the Scotti sh inventor’s early prototypes of television changed lives a d e terta e t arou d the orld. G e tt y
MASSACHUSETTS, USA FIREWORKS ahead of the start of celebrati ons on 12 May for Eid al-Fitr, the
Lily Hevesh religious festi val that marks the end of the fasti ng month of Ramadan.
MICHOACÁN, MEXICO G e tt y
A I A LE foundati on Wellcome, alongside UNICEF and Gavi, has joined forces with US domino arti st Lily Hevesh to create a one-off piece of domino art. The aim is to support the call for greater and fairer distributi on of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. The artwork uses 7,500 dominoes to visualise the role that vaccines play in combati ng the virus, as well as how O G has o letely dr ed u La e u t eo the se o d lar est the virus is passed on. the ou try. Me o s e er e ts orst drou ht 0 years. 3 ISSUES FOR £1 SUBSCRIBE.FIRSTNEWS.CO.UK 5. BIG NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021
UK ELECTION RESULTS:
THE INTERESTING BITS! “ EDITOR’S “ COMMENT “ at ast we an oo ahead to someth n e e as we knew it, with more of the COVID-19 restricti ons eased (front page). t we don t need to o a to norma we an th n a o t how we can have a “bett er normal”, taking forwards all the lessons we have learned from lockdown. What has coronavirus taught you since our lives were turned upside down more than a year ago? Tell us at newsdesk@fi rstnews.co.uk G e tt y
were lots of electi ons in the UK last week. Here’s what you need to know – with all the boring stuff taken out! GOOD WEEK BAD WEEK ENGLAND n and had ou l PERRIE EDWARDS TEA electi ons – councils look THE Litt le Mix E EA has ar ed aft er local issues, like parks, s er has o e tre e eather a d r s s hools a d re y l . a ou ed that te eratures e ya the orld s Of the main parti es, Boris Johnson’s Conservati ves did G e tt y she’s expecti ng b est e orter o bla tea. he a bit bett er than last ti me and Labour did a bit worse. her fi rst child report from the charity Christi an Aid he Gree ote e t u ost la es thou h a d Boris: infl ated th ootballer says that e tre e ra a d drou hts in Bristol 18-year-old climate acti vist Lily Fitzgibbon Ale O lade- could make tea less nutriti ous and
abo e r ht as ele ted as a Gree arty ou llor. G e tt y ha berla . tasty a d that har ests ll be s aller.
n and had electi ons for 13 mayors, who run citi es. G e tt y he s er hard os e 72 a tea ar er ro Most citi es were won by Labour mayors. osted a a e e ya sa d that l ate ha e had ou uber o O la a hose ol es luded o her belly th ea t that they a t red t seaso s “reducing the price of Freddo chocolate bars to 5p”, came the capti on: “So happy to be on this a y ore te eratures are r s . fi ft h in London. Sadiq Khan was the winner again. ld our ey th y soul ate. Me n and also had an electi on in Hartlepool for an MP, and ou. e a t a t to eet you the Conservati ves beat Labour for the fi rst ti me. Labour baby O h le the E la d layer to Keir: defl ated leader Keir Starmer said it was a “bitt er disappointment”. posted: “Anyone got any advice on ho to ha e a es o rate ul SCOTLAND WALES a d e ted to be o e a dad. br o the slee less hts. ot and had electi ons for Members of Wales had electi ons for the Senedd, the Scotti sh Parliament (MSP) – people the elsh arl a e t to hoose ho de de o la s otla d. eo le ho de de o la s ales. The Scotti sh Nati onal Party (SNP) won Labour won again, equalling their for the fourth ti me in a row. best e er o hal the seats. ARE WE BECOMING he leader sa d the as h stor a d e traord ary a d there And everywhere
ould be a other ote to a e otla d G e tt y there were ots o te de e de t o e the a de as o er. pictures of dogs waiti ng SMARTPHONE SNAILS? A re ord u ber o o e ere outside polling stati ons A NEW study from UCL has found that people ‘live’ in their smartphones. elected, including the nati on’s fi rst Muslim wh e the r owners A tea o a thro olo sts ho study hu a so ety a d ulture s e t o er a M au ab te art. went in to vote! year lear about s art ho e use e ou tr es arou d the orld. hey o used o older adults ho ere t you or elderly as they said it gave them “a bett er representati on of humanity as a whole”. Professor Daniel Miller, who led the study, said that they found: SUCCESS FOR SPACEX STARSHIP he s art ho e s o lo er ust a de e that e use t s ELON Musk’s SpaceX company launched and successfully landed its be o e the la e here e l e. enormous Starship rocket last week. to e are al ays at ho e our s art ho e. e ha e be o e The vehicle’s four previous test fl ights all ended up hu a s a ls arry our ho e our o ets.
G e tt y with explosions, making this test a signifi cant step in the sh s de elo e t. So, what do you think? Do you see your smartphone A A re e tly a ou ed that a e s tarsh ll as a home that you can visit whenever? Let us know! arry astro auts to the oo th the e t e years. a e ll re e e b ll o to hel de elo e t. Go to fi rst.news/polls to vote a e also la s to use the tarsh ro et to ta e eo le to Mars by the year 202 . 6. BIG NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 VOLCANO FOR SALE! G e tt y
AN area of land that includes an erupti ng volcano is up for sale in Iceland. The erupti ng volcano can be seen behind the capital city of Reykjavik he lot o la d at rau south est ur ur Gu G slaso ha r a o the Iceland includes Geldingadalir, an acti ve volcano Hraun Landowners’ Associati on, said that there that has been erupti ng on and off since March. have been several inquiries already and joked: Even though owning a volcano sounds like “This must be the hott est land in the country G e tt y something only a supervillain would want, right now.” there has been a lot of interest in the land. What would you do if you owned a volcano?! BAMBOO
Tourists have fl ocked
to the volcano since G e tt y it began erupti ng BATTING
G e tt y BETTER? A NEW study suggests that cricket bats made from bamboo are bett er than the ones traditi onally made from willow trees. Scienti sts at the University of Cambridge found that bamboo bats could be signifi cantly stronger, lighter and more sustainable compared to willow bats. Willow trees have to grow for up to 15 years before their wood is good for a cricket bat. Good-quality trees are also in short supply and up to 30% of the wood is wasted during the manufacturing process. Bamboo, on the other hand, is plenti ful in China, grows twice as fast as willow and less gets wasted when it is used to make things. he study also ou d that the l ht ess o ba boo bats ade or a aster s reas e er y transfer from the player to the ball”. By testi ng their bamboo prototype (which was actually 40% heavier than a normal bat), the researchers even found that their bat had a bigger and bett er ‘sweet spot’, for maximum batti ng eff ect. The fi ndings of the study were published in the our al o orts E eer a d e h olo y. 7. BIG NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 QUEEN UNVEILS NEW PLANS THE Queen made her annual speech on Tuesday, reading out what the Government plans to do in the year ahead. Here’s what you need to know… HEALTH ENVIRONMENT The Queen said the Government’s focus was The Queen said that the UK was sti ll committ ed to being to “deliver a recovery from the pandemic”. carbon neutral by 2050. As part of this, the Government Additi onal funding will be given to the NHS. will invest in green industries and create lots of new jobs. As well as COVID-19, the Government wants Three new laws will be introduced to boost the welfare to work on mental health, obesity and cancer. of animals as well.
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY The Government says it will focus on early years The Government will propose new laws to development, making sure “children have the best “lead the way on internet safety for all, start in life”. especially children”.
G e tt y Ministers will also address the ti me that young There are also aims to improve phone recepti on people have lost in educati on during the pandemic, and internet speeds, with further coverage of although there were no details. 5G services and speedy gigabit broadband. US APPROVES JAB FOR A NEW NORMAL WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 12 TO 15-YEAR-OLDS conti nued from front page THE Pfi zer/BioNTech COVID-19 to s eo le or t o households ll be jab has been approved for 12 to able to eet doors o a d a y eo le 15-year-old American children. ha e bee tal about 17 May as the day The Food and Drug Administrati on (FDA) he they a hu eo le a a . o e er reassured people that the benefi ts of the Mr Johnson warned that people sti ll need vaccine outweighed any potenti al risks. to use “cauti on and common sense” when Althou h ds are u h less l ely to et deciding whether to hug. ”We all know that seriously ill from COVID-19, they sti ll have lose o ta t su h as hu s a d re t about 14 o ases the . way of transmitti ng this disease,” he said, “so Janet Woodcock from the FDA said: I ur e you to th about the ul erab l ty “Today’s acti on allows for a younger o your lo ed o es hether they ha e had
G e tt y populati on to be protected from COVID-19, a a e o e or t o doses a d hether br us loser to retur to a se se there has been ti me for that vaccine to take of normalcy and to ending the pandemic.” eff ect.” he ollo s a ada h h last ee he M also ha ered ho e the essa e became the fi rst country to approve the that venti lati on is key to reducing levels of ab or eo le as you as 12. the rus the a r. e e ber outdoors s always safer than indoors,” he said, “and if you are meeti ng indoors, remember to open a window.” Wales relaxed many restricti ons earlier WOW! o May but 17 May should see eo le Wales allowed back into restaurants, cafes IF you live in central e as a d useu s. I otla d eo le Romania, you might get are e e ted to be allo ed to e as invited to Dracula’s castle, but don’t be scared – it’s just G e tt y theatres a d a es a d our eo le ro t o for your jab! Bran Castle is believed to be the inspirati on households a eet u s de a ho e. or for the castle in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but it is now orther Irela d 24 May s the date he being used as a vaccinati on centre for local residents. most indoor acti vity should start up again. 8. HOME NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 ENGLAND EDINBURGH Plasti c bag charge Penguin chicks arrive The cost of plasti c bags is to increase The fi rst of this year’s gentoo penguin ro to 10 sho s a ross E la d h s ha e hat hed at the oyal oolo al
from 21 May. The charge was fi rst Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo. Staff trodu ed 201 a d has see the at the wildlife conservati on charity are sale of plasti c bags fall by 95%. It’s del hted th the e arr als a d are ho ed th s ll all e e urther as both keeping a close eye on them. Gentoo chicks big and small shops must charge now. o ly e h arou d 8 he they hat h Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: about the same as half an avocado! People e o e ust o urther to rote t a at h a l se o the you sters o
iStock our atural e ro e t a d o ea s the zoo’s live Penguin Cam. Edinburgh Zoo h h s hy e are o e te d th s s ho e to ore tha 100 e u s ro charge to all businesses.” Scotland has three species: king, northern rockhopper Oh, baby! already introduced a 10p charge. and gentoo. So cute! IPSWICH UK orr sons G e tt y
Litt le libraries Morr so s has lau hed boo heeran s s ort donati on and exchange stati ons Ed Sheeran has become the new ts su er ar ets es e ally or s o sor o I s h o ootball children. Customers are invited to Club. The singer, who lives in Suff olk, br alo a y u a ted boo s they has su orted the lub s e he as ha e a d h ldre tee a ers a d a young boy. He has signed a one- are ts a u the boo s or year deal to s o sor the sh rts o free. The Morrisons Litt le Libraries the men’s and women’s fi rst teams. aim to promote reading, parti cularly The shirt logo features mathemati cal or you eo le ro d sad a ta ed sy bols l e the a es o h s albu s backgrounds. The supermarket has with the word “tour.” When he was reated ts o boo alled edr he as ed about the u usual lo o Ed Seed, too. It plans to donate 50,000 yster ously re l ed that all ll o es to o u ty rou s be revealed in ti me.” and schools across the UK. LANCASHIRE LONDON dden h stor ame a raven A 145-year-old ti me capsule has been discovered at o e ra e s ha e bee bor at the o er
Barrow URC Primary School in Clitheroe. The glass o Lo do a d eo le are be as ed to a e Palaces Royal Historic
ar as ou d by a de t dur so e bu ld Primary School URC Barrow o e o the he a e aster has a ed work on the school’s chapel. It was encased in a the baby boy Edgar already, but the girl is sti ll stone, and dates back to 1876. Inside the jar were waiti ng for her name. There’ll be no Raven ten coins and a rolled-up newspaper. Head teacher McRavenFace, but the shortlist includes Mati lda, Sue Taylor said the amazing discovery had brought Branwen, Brontë, Winifred and Florence. the “history of the school alive for the children”. he a e that ets the ost otes ll be o the s hool has se t the a sule to a tea o announced as part of the Tower’s reopening experts who will investi gate it in closer detail. on 19 May. Place your vote at www hr or . 9. SPECIAL REPORT FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021
as s worn rotesters n America, who want the US to do more or the h r eo e n h na CHINA AND THE G e tt y UIGHUR MUSLIMS s e n a sed more and more o h man r hts a ses d e to ts treatment o the h r eo e who ve n the n an re on he accusati ons have come from human rights organisati ons and governments around the world, including the UK and the US. People who have left n an sa that h rs are or ed to wor n am s and sate te ev den e s ests that h r emeter es and re o s s tes have een destro ed
h na den es an wron do n and wh e t adm ts the am s e st t sa s the are sed to tra n h rs or wor and to sto them e om n terrorists, but much of the world doesn’t agree. So, what’s really going on?
WHO ARE THE UIGHUR MUSLIMS? existence of the camps in October 2018. WHAT ELSE HAS HAPPENED? Over the years, Uighurs who have spent ti me in the he hurs also s elt y hurs y urs or hurs In March this year, Facebook banned a group of camps have told horrifi c stories about what happens are an ethnic group that sett led in an area called the hackers based in China who had been using the social in them, so more people are hearing about it now. ar as a orther h a ore tha media site to spy on Uighur people around the world. 1,000 years ago. Today, there are about 12 million Around the same ti me, western fashion brands hur eo le ostly h a. like Adidas, Nike and H&M saw a drop in sales when Their language is similar to Turkish, and they have Chinese consumers stopped buying their products. a well-established culture, cuisine and history. G e tt y That happened because Chinese media focused on past comments the companies had made, saying they WHAT’S THEIR HISTORY were “concerned” about forced labour in Xinjiang and WITH CHINA LIKE? didn’t buy cott on from the region. In 1949 Xinjiang became part of the newly-formed People’s Republic of China, under the Chinese HOW HAS THE WORLD RESPONDED? Communist Party government. In October 2020, 39 countries, including the UK Over the years, the government helped Han Chinese ne a t tho ht to and the US, signed a statement that said they were eo le the lar est h ese eth rou to rate ho se h r eo e concerned about human rights in Xinjiang. to (move to live in) Xinjiang. Since then, several countries have gone further. In In the 1953 census of Xinjiang, only 6% of the WHAT DO WE KNOW IS HAPPENING? January 2021, the US became the fi rst country to call populati on was Han Chinese, while 75% were Uighur. China says that the camps in Xinjiang were built to China’s treatment of Uighur people ‘genocide’, which Now, around 40% of the region’s populati on is Han help stop terrorist att acks and claims that there have is when a group of people are being deliberately Chinese, compared to 46% who are Uighur. been zero att acks since they’ve been there. It says targeted and having their human rights taken away Over the years, as Han Chinese people have sett led that the a s are there to hel hur eo le lear in an eff ort to destroy them. Two weeks ago, MPs in the region, tensions have grown. Mandarin (China’s main language) and to help them in the UK Parliament voted to say that China was The region’s Chinese government has been accused get jobs. committi ng genocide. of restricti ng Uighur cultural acti viti es, and dealing Those who have left the camps, along with Many countries have put sancti ons (economic with protests by the Uighur people in an aggressive independent human rights organisati ons, say that punishments) on China and Chinese offi cials. In and violent way. people in the camps are unable to leave and are return, China has put its own sancti ons on foreign Uighurs have also been responsible for att acks forced to work, usually on cott on farms and in offi cials who have accused it of human rights abuses. on Chinese people. There have been bombings and clothing factories. rst e s will keep you updated on what violent att acks on ordinary people. The camps have been described as prison-like happens next. by people who have had to live in them. They WHY ARE THEY IN THE NEWS? claim Uighurs are forced to say they’re loyal to In August 2018, the United Nati ons Committ ee on President Xi Jinping and have to sing the Chinese the Eliminati on of Racial Discriminati on published a nati onal anthem daily. report that said around one million Uighurs in Xinjiang There have also been accusati ons that women have G e tt y had spent ti me in a “re-educati on camp”. been forced to have surgery so that they can’t have The camps were kept secret at fi rst. It’s thought the more children, and some of those who have been in fi rst ones were built in 2014, when Chinese President the camps said that they were tortured. Although Xi Jinping launched the Strike Hard Campaign Against China has said it welcomes a visit by the UN, it has Violent Terrorism, to combat extremist att acks in blocked investi gati ons by the UN, journalists and h r eo e athered at a mar et sta China. The Chinese government only admitt ed the other rou s. 10. WORLD NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 NETHERLANDS CANADA JAPAN o a eaders a n h aws t at the m s Indigenous (nati ve) leaders in Canada have launched a CAD$2.1 billion (£1.2bn) Athletes ha e bee ba ed ro lawsuit against the government over a lack of clean drinking water. Canada is one wearing Black Lives Matt er (BLM) of the most water-rich nati ons in the world, yet its nati ve populati on haven’t always bra ded loth or a essor es h le had access to clean water. Instead, they have oft en had to rely on regular shipments on the fi eld of play or during offi cial of bott led water. Old laws mean that indigenous communiti es can’t set up their ceremonies at the Tokyo Olympics. But o ater syste s lea t u to the o er e t ho or years ha e t ade te s eatur the LM essa e ll G e tt y indigenous people a priority. When Prime Minister Justi n Trudeau was elected, he be allo ed dur ress o ere es promised to help get clean water to more than 100 indigenous communiti es by interviews and at team meeti ngs, 2020. h le he has a led to eet that oal th s ha e ro ed. I 201 10 offi cials say. The Internati onal Olympic communiti es had warnings in place about water quality but, by April this year, only Committ ee (IOC) says the decision was 33 communiti es sti ll had warnings in place. made aft er a majority of the 3,500 COVID-sniffi ng bees Olympic athletes said they think it’s Scienti sts from InsectSense and ot a ro r ate to de o strate or a e e o eter ary esear h express their views on the fi eld of play. have trained bees to sti ck out their tongue when they identi fy the virus that causes COVID-19. The insects ere e osed to a e ted sa le and the scienti sts rewarded them with a sugar-water soluti on, which the bees ate by e te d the r to ues. e eral bees sho ed ery
ood results a d ere able to tell G e tt y the diff erence between the infected sa les a d those ro healthy G e tt y a als. CHINA ZIMBABWE eo ards on the oose A Chinese safari park has apologised e hant or ot tell eo le or a ee that bab e has sa d that the ele ha t three leo ards had es a ed. lla ers populati on in the country is too high, ear the a hou a ar ar sa d a d that t s o s der ull they d see the es a ed a als as o trolled ll the reatures or early as 1 May but the ar o ly the fi rst ti me in 30 years. The total alerted eo le o 7 May. o o the u ber o ele ha ts the orld has leo ards ha e bee a tured but as alle o er the last e de ades but rst e s went to press, one was sti ll bab e ele ha t u bers are ss . It s u lear ho the leo ards r s . A o er e t ster sa d es a ed but the ar has bee losed that while culling “was an opti on”, or o h le t re e s sa ety ssues. there as t a de s o yet a d that scienti fi c advice would be taken. G e tt y G e tt y
ITALY ISRAEL een een eas or a m G e tt y he 17-year-old reat- ra ddau hter o Countries around the world have Italy s last berto II has bee a ed a ealed or al ro both s des as the e uee o Italy by her dad aft er Israelis and Palesti nians in E a uele l berto – e e thou h Italy o Gaza fi red rockets at each other
lo er has a royal a ly. he o ar hy as oria.disavoia/Instagram vitt ollo days o u rest. At least abol shed e ded 1 4 but the ra dso 24 Palesti nians, including children, of the country’s last king has sti ll declared are re orted to ha e bee lled. that he rs to the ro o lo er ha e to be he the a d the E ha e male. Vitt oria said: “It was the best gift he alled or a e d to the ole e ould e e. as soo as oss ble. 11. ANIMAL NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021
HELP FOR WILDLIFE WEALTHY countries should pay poorer countries to help conserve their nati ve wildlife, says a new report.
Researchers from the University of Hong Kong, poached for their body parts. G e tt y who led the study, believe that a lack of money Over the last 20 years, more than 420 in many countries drives the wildlife trade, with million wild animals have been traded in 226 some species fetching huge sums when they are countries and territories. Most of these animals sold illegally. are sold from low-income countries to richer, Lead researcher Jia Huan Liew believes that more developed countries. The illegal trade of the countries which supply the most wildlife ld a als s o e o the b est threats to products should be given fi nancial help to endangered species around the world. reduce their trade. That would then help lower The full study has been published in a journal the number of animals taken from the wild or alled Science Advances. TIGER TRIO SUPER SLOW mur ti ger has given birth to three cubs at Toronto Zoo. Tigress Mazyria (Mazy) and the cubs are all doing well and staff at the zoo are WORMS using remote cameras inside the ti gers’ den to keep an eye on them. The litt le
family will be left alone unti l the cubs are around six to eight weeks old, when iStock they will get a health check from the zoo’s veterinary team. Amur ti gers are endangered in the wild and capti ve breeding programmes like the one at Toronto Zoo are helping to protect the future of the species. Toronto Zoo Toronto
THIS month slow worms will start to emerge from hibernati on. Wildlife charity Froglife reveals some things you can do if you’re lucky enough to spot one in your garden… Help slow worms by creati ng a nice habitat for them. For example, make a compost heap, log pile or even just let part of your garden grow wild. Build a rockery or put out sheets of metal in sunny parts of the garden. Once they’re warm, they make the perfect spot for the creatures to bask on. Slow worms love to snack on a range of invertebrates, which you can encourage into your garden by growing a range of nati ve plants. 12. SCIENCE NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 MULTI-ETHNIC
KIDS MAKE iStock MARY ROSE
ADULTS ar ose
ow one o the rew MORE might have looked GENEROUS ev den e has een o nd to show that the rew o h dren have een o nd to have a the ar ose warsh was ethn a d verse YOU are a good infl uence on grown-ups! very positi ve eff ect on adult behaviour he Mary ose as e ry hat s hat a e study by among lots of diff erent types of people: both parents and non- VIII’s favourite warship, but it sank off the Universiti es of Bath and are ts e a d o e you er a d older adults a d e e orts outh 1 4 . Most o ts re Cardiff has found. Psychologists among those who had negati ve atti tudes towards children. o 41 d ed. he sh as re o ered there stud ed ho the rese e Lead researcher Dr Lukas Wolf from the University of Bath ro the seabed 1 82 a d s o of children infl uences adults’ sa d that re ous stud es had sho that adults are usually e h b ted at the Mary ose Museu o ass o eel d ess more helpful and empatheti c (understanding the feelings h h re-o e s o 17 May. and sympathy for others) and of others) towards children. But, he said, this was the fi rst Researchers at Cardiff University e eros ty. hey ou d that resear h to sho that the rese e o h ldre e oura es a d the Mary ose rust used a adults are ore o ass o ate d a d e erous beha our to ards ood auses ot d re tly iStock technique called multi -isotope analysis a d are u to t e as l ely related to h ldre . to e a e the teeth o e ht o the to do ate to har ty he r ol e t o to say so ety should o s der e ays re s s eleto s. h s a e the lues h ldre are rese t. to ol e h ldre ore d re tly ar ous as e ts o l e. e as to here the e had s e t the r he resear hers arr ed out e ht e er e ts o ore tha o ted out that h ldhoods a d hat ood they ate. 2 000 eo le. hey too to the streets a d ou d that adult h ldre s utures They found the fi rst direct evidence passers-by on a shopping road in Bath were more likely to are aff ected by that so e o e ry III s a y had do ate to har ty he there ere ore h ldre arou d tha de s o s ta e by A r a a estry. he study also ro -u s. he har ty as ot d re tly related to h ldre . adults but h ldre confi rmed that at least one of the six Researchers noti ced that when no children were present are t usually ar e ters o board ay ha e bee iStock a d all assers-by ere adults the adults ade rou hly o e rese t he those a sh a d three o the e ht re donati on every ten minutes. But when children and adults de s o s are ade. they stud ed ere ro souther ere e ually rese t o the sho street adult assers-by e th s that Euro e a d orth A r a. made two donati ons every ten minutes. h ldre should be r Ale a dra ldred ro the Mary he results ere t due to there be ore eo le out or involved in situati ons ose rust sa d e e er e e ted hether the do or as a o a ed by a h ld. I stead the here adults a e th s d ers ty to be so r h a d that psychologists say that the presence of children can infl uence orta t lo -ter the study tra s or s our re ous adults to beha e ore e erously a d do ate ore. Children’s presence could infl uence de s o s su h as o deas about the d o eo le ho adults’ decisions on climate change The researchers also said that the eff ect was noti ceable l ate ha e . ade u the E l sh a y.
DID YOU This report is from the Science Museum in London 14 May 1796, English physician Edward Jenner gave a vaccine to a boy named James Phipps to protect him against smallpox, a deadly KNOW? iStock disease that killed thousands of people unti l the 1800s. TINY bits of plasti c have been found inside fruits and vegetables, including A vaccine stops you from getti ng an infecti ous disease by pears, apples, carrots, potatoes and broccoli. Microplasti cs are the ti ny e oura your u e syste to rodu e he als alled fragments of plasti c – less than 5mm in length – that break down from anti bodies) that will fi ght against future infecti ons. larger items such as bott les or packaging. We’ve known for some ti me that The success of Jenner’s vaccine led to smallpox being eradicated (wiped out) in they are in our oceans, lakes, rivers and even the stomachs of fi sh, but two 1 7 a d the de elo e t o a y ore l e-sa a es lud those that separate studies last year found plasti c parti cles in supermarket fruit and are protecti ng millions of people, and counti ng, against the new coronavirus today! veg. It’s thought plants absorb microplasti cs from the soil through their You can see vials used for the fi rst mass coronavirus vaccinati on in the world on roots, and water containing the plasti c passes up the roots into the shoots. d s lay Med e he ell o e Galler es at the e e Museu he t reo e s o 1 May. ou a boo o at www.sciencemuseum.org.uk. 13. FYI FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021
rst ews has teamed w th show and the ma n ro rammes and v deos a o t the news wh h o an wat h on rst ews Educati on TV. This week, we launch the News Club! NEWS CLUB LAUNCHES THIS week, we are launching the News Club. Why not set one up at your school? I or our I o s a a ard- ee ly 1 - ute e s a a e show. Each week, it investi gates the big issues young people need to know about. here are re orts ro arou d the lobe e la ers debates a e News or Fact?’ alerts and in-depth reporti ng. The I tea also et b - a e ews or a t name interviews, from world leaders to pop and fi lm stars. being debated in class I your s hool s I e s lub you a at h the sho a d tal about hat you e ou d out th your r e ds a d s hool ates. he to s u or I th s ee s I, the team investi gate all things discussion will range from fascinati ng to serious and someti mes a litt le silly. l ate ha e. e orter lly r ht s ts r o h e o hel th th s ea h ee rst e s is creati ng a weekly ar the urator o o te orary e e at the I News Club Chat resource with lots of questi ons and ideas to get Science Museum in London. She fi nds out about carbon you th a d tal about hat you e at hed the sho . capture and how it may be part of the soluti on to global hese a be do loaded ro fi rst.news/Educati onTV. ar the ery ear uture. We will also be creati ng regular fun news quizzes for your News Club so You will also fi nd out what Klaus Lackner’s mechanical you a test your to al o led e A d e ll be as or your deas tree is, see the swimming Eelume in acti on and meet a about hat you a t the I team to investi gate. u te tall du that s a a a e or tsel .
s o r tea her to o to rst ews Educati on TV is our free video platf orm for schools and families. fi rst.news/Educati onTV to fi nd out more rst ews subscribing schools can also download accompanying resources for a o t the News Clubs. the classroom. Go to fi rst.news/Educati onTV to fi nd out more! SCHOOL NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
SCHOOL THE FIRST NEWS SCHOOL NEWSPAPER NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2020-2021 2020-21 IS NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES! IT’S that ti me of year again! We’re out to fi nd the best school newspapers of 2020-21 and to discover what you junior journalists have been up to.
O e a a t s bee a halle year o e a t a t to see hat you ha e th a other a de lo do so e bee u to th s year. WE’RE LOOKING FOR AN ENTRY THAT… o t ll ha e bee a tou h tas or you It doesn’t matt er whether you has stor es a d o te t that s ust r ht or your readers to r te reate a d ubl sh your s hool have created a newspaper, newslett er, or s your o u ty o the orta t ssues they eed to o about e s a ers th all th s o o . blo od ast broad ast or you e challenges readers to think about the problems and dilemmas that aff ect us all Last year e ere so ressed th been contributi ng to a local newspaper provides a litt le bit of fun and fascinati on to make your school all the e tr es e re e ed a d ere or e s ebs te all e tr es e s a er a ust-read or e eryo e a a ed at hat you d a a ed to a h e e. are el o e. Last year’s winners (l-r): THIS YEAR’S AWARDS… Faldingworth r ary hool e s a er Innovati ve News Award omm n t e o dary hool e s a er rst e s ou e orter A ard Primary School Ed tor al ea o the ear St John’s Marlborough More details and the competi ti on entry form essemer can be found at fi rst.news/schoolnewspaperawards Grange Primary Closing date for entries is Friday 18 June 2021. School The winners will be announced at the start of July. 14. ENTERTAINMENT
THIS WEEK G e tt y
nt and e have teamed w th 1 the r n e o a es and he r n e s r st to a n h a two wee o rse that w he o n eo e HOPPINGLY a ed deve o the s s the need to wor n the enterta nment nd str he ro e t s a ed nt e s a n t n ed a and the programme kicks off in July. GOOD FUN! m ardash an s end n her 2 vo e to a ood e n atro he ov e. The animati on is due n aster n aster aramo nt to e re eased n st and s the fi rst feature-length fi lm starring the pups. The fi lm-makers hope the an mated advent re w a ea to o m a t res o der v ewers as we as the s a res hoo ans
es endants star Dove Cameron is getti ng ready for a big year. The singer and 3 a tor s re eas n new m s and she e starr n as es n the ve adaptati on ofThe Powerpuff Girls, which is currently fi lming in Atlanta, Georgia! THE STORY Fans of the fi rst movie will be excited to hear that there’s even more acti on to come in eter abb t 2! All of our favourite characters are back, and this ti me they’re going to even greater places. Domhnall Gleeson, ho lays ho as M Gre or told us e start th the edd o ho as a d PICS OF THE WEEK Bea. They’re getti ng married and they’re in a really happy place. The rabbits seem ore l e ds th s o e. It s al ost l e ho as s o the a ly. he ea s books take off and they get involved with a publisher, and things get a litt le more complicated. At the same ti me, Peter starts going on his own journey slightly away from the family, so the fi lm splits in two a litt le bit.” NEW CHARACTERS he a ers are ee u et o a y e hara ters e ht eet but e do know about one – a publisher called Nigel Basil Jones. Nigel is a huge fan of the fi rst book that Bea has writt en. He has big plans for the book, and her next one, but his intenti ons might not be the best. Booo! David Oyelowo, who plays the new character, revealed: “He’s a very self-seeking [selfi sh] individual. He’s very much inspired by several people I’ve encountered in Hollywood. It is fun to play, especially in a fi lm like world is opening at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort this that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is very much a family fi lm.” David said he th s wee and t n des o r new r des was encouraged to take the role by his children, who are massive fans of the fi rst fi lm. I last ee s ssue o rst e s e sho ed you so e o the red ble LEGO statues reated or M I A orld o Myth al reatures a d th s ee e re ta a s ea y ON LOCATION This movie is shot in lots of diff erent places. The cast and crew fi lmed in the ee at the a tual r des. rst u l ht o the y L o is the UK’s fi rst fl ying theatre ou trys de ty streets at a ar ers ar et a d do by the r er h o d ride and takes you on a journey through mysti cal realms. Fire & Ice Freefall are twin, Lo do here e et the . e er-see -be ore dro to ers both sta d 1 etres tall. A d o ydra s halle e All of the diff erent locati ons proved a challenge for Will Reichelt, the VFX you can enjoy a thrilling, interacti ve experience on the water! or d o th a reat res opens at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort on a ets to the theme ar m st e oo ed n advan e o m a t res
FUN FACT! The rabbits are created using CGI technology. When the actors are fi lming, they have to imagine they’re talking to the rabbits even though they can’t see them. To help the actors out, there are stand-in rabbits that look a bit like stuff ed teddies! FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 .15
FIVE MINUTES o m a t res HOPPINGLY WITH… esort owers ton GOOD FUN! PETER Rabbit is back, and this ti me he’s going on a great adventure beyond the garden. We were invited behind the scenes of fi lming in London, to fi nd out more about this loveable sequel…
o m a t res ETHAN ROUSE o n a tor s the vo e o en on Gan sta Grann he de wh h o ens at ton owers esort th s wee
ow d d o et the ro e o en I’ve been doing some acti ng since I was about nine years old. I’ve got a voice-over [visual eff ects] supervisor. He told us: “Some locati ons are hard to get into and work agent and they asked me to do a voice recording as an auditi on when they were within, but it’s interesti ng from the fi lm’s point of view that we’re out of the garden. looking to cast the role of Ben. I read a lot of David Walliams’ books when I was So much of the fi rst fi lm was set in the manor and the garden, and now we’re out younger and Gangsta Granny a d Demon Denti st were my absolute favourites! and about getti ng into more urban locati ons, so that was fun. This is a much bigger hat d d o do to re are or the re ord n sess ons fi lm [than the fi rst one] – it’s bigger in scope, there’s more acti on, there are more Although I have done quite a few voice-over roles for animated series and fi lms, stunt set-pieces in there.” Exciti ng! I hadn’t ever done a voice for a theme park ride before. To prepare for the role, I re-read the book and watched clips of the TV adaptati on to get a feel for the character. I absolutely love the book. It’s brilliant, very funny, unique and out-there. hat was t e do n the re ord n Recording the voice-over was a super fun day. David Walliams had been in before me o m a t res to do some recordings, so I got to meet him and have a nice chat. David and I read ON-SET SECRETS some of the script together in character and had a laugh. His one ti p for me was just tho h the mov e s set to have lots of fun! Then I recorded some secti ons individually before being joined by n n and the ma or t o the incredible actress Debbie Chazen, who played the Granny, to do some recordings it was fi lmed in Australia together, which was great fun. d r n the hot s mmer ave o een on the r de et and what was t e hear n o r vo e LOTS OF LAUGHS I’ve not had a chance to go on the ride yet as I’m about to head into my GCSE exams In keeping with the fi rst fi lm, there are lots more laughs to be had in Peter at school. Hopefully I will get to Alton Towers soon to experience it for myself, which Rabbit 2 – and more physical comedy. Thankfully, Mr McGregor doesn’t get quite as will be very surreal. I have seen a few clips on David’s social media and I am so bruised, with actor Domhnall telling us he sprained his ankle on the fi rst day on set excited to see how it has all come together. I know they have added Raj’s shop, last ti me! Instead Rose Byrne, who plays Bea, takes on more stunts. Rose told us: which has lots of fun merchandise that I’m excited to see. “You really see her [Bea] sort of believing her own hype a bit in this story. It’s a fun thing to witness. We’ve got a lot more stunts in this one too. Well, I do. I think there’s h h other av d a ams oo s wo d that sophisti cati on with the humour so that parents and children can enjoy it.” o e to see t rned nto a r de THE THEMES I think The Midnight Gang would make a really fun ride! Watch out for some lovely themes in this new story. Executi ve producer Jodi Gan sta Grann Hildebrand revealed: “Peter has to come to terms with the fact that you can’t let he de o ens people defi ne who you are; you’re your own person. The other element is that on a at family can come in all shapes ton owers and sizes. They can be furry, esort ets
they can be tall, they can esort owers ton be short, they can be m st e oo ed FUN FACT! n advan e he ra ts are reated s n G te hno o hen the a tors any colour.” are fi lming, they have to imagine they’re talking to the rabbits even though they can’t see them. To help the actors out, there are stand-in rabbits that look a bit like stuff ed teddies! eter a t s n nemas rom a 16. CRAZY BUT TRUE FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 3D-PRINTED HOUSE WOW! BECOMES A HOME A DUTCH couple have become the fi rst in Europe to move into a fully 3D-printed house. The concrete bungalow – now lived in by reti red shopkeepers Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers – is part of a project being run by a university in Eindhoven Christi e’s Images LTD. 2021 LTD. Images e’s Christi and a housing company. 2021 LTD. Images e’s Christi The unusual home was inspired by the shape of a boulder, with rounded walls. There are 24 concrete parts in total – each one was printed at a factory in the Netherlands using a G e tt y big 3D printer with a nozzle that lays down the concrete. The dried layers were then transferred to the building site and put together. The roof and A bott le of wine that spent 14 windows were added aft erwards. If you months in space could fetch $1m look closely you can see the layers, and (£720,000) aft er going up for sale. even some bits that didn’t print so well! It was one of 12 bott les sent to The new home is 94 square metres, the Internati onal Space Stati on This concrete house is the fi rst to be fully has two bedrooms and opens with a for research, and is the only one 3D printed. Parti ally-printed houses have being sold. It even comes with a already been built in the USA and France digital key. Developers say the whole thing could be built in just fi ve days! corkscrew made from a meteorite!
o er ar s rm ta e has set a new SPEEDY SHOT Guinness World Record, aft er FARMER hitti ng a ball 303 yards (277m) FOR GOLFER nto a mov n ar MOVES BELGIUM Armitage teamed up with driver Paul O’Neill to att empt the record at G armer moved a stone that was Elvington Airfi eld in Yorkshire. blocking his tractor, but accidentally changed The duo att empted the record the border between Belgium and France! several ti mes and even broke the car’s Stones marking the border between the two windshield! Aft er sti cking with it, they countries were originally laid in 1819, and by moving successfully managed to land the ball a stone by 2.29m (7.5ft ), the farmer made Belgium from 303 yards, making it the farthest bigger by 1,000 square metres – and France smaller! golf shot ever caught in a moving car. Luckily the authoriti es on both sides saw the funny G nness or d e ords G nness or d The impressive feat smashed the side. Mayor David Lavaux, of Erquelinnes in Belgium, previous record set by golfer Jake said: “I was happy, my town was bigger, but the mayor Shepherd and former Formula 1 of Bousignies-sur-Roc [in France] didn’t agree.” driver David Coulthard, who managed The farmer won’t get in any trouble, as long as he a distance of 273 yards in 2012. returns the stone to its original spot.
Writt en and illustrated by Paul Palmer 17. BIG INTERVIEW FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 found that wasps represent about 5% of the insects sold at the ar ets the arts o the orld here they eat the o a re ular bas s. It s u te a s all proporti on, but some places do go crazy for them. Japan appears to be wasp crazy! They make cookies with adult wasps that are stuck into the dough. They make chocolate biscuits that look like wasp larvae, so THE it looks like you’re eati ng a wasp’s nest. They do eat SUPER the lar ae too. he a a ese ll also ay u to 100 dollars [£70] a kilo for a nest!
ow that s ra s t tr e that was s an WORLD OF WASPS he h mans w th o r hea th too It is. There are two areas where wasps could be as de arve s as there s a new useful for health, and it all comes back to the dreaded as oman n town We chatt ed to sti ng. The venom that wasps inject into their prey or was e ert ro essor e r an mner rom use to defend themselves and their colony, it’s like n vers t o e e ondon a o t how was s a chemical cocktail cabinet. There are studies that are more ama n than o m ht th n show certain venom has anti bioti c properti es that are eff ecti ve against certain bacteria, and species of bacteria that are common pathogens [organisms that he e ow a et and the hornet are the cause disease] for humans. The other exciti ng area most we nown was s t are there ots o for health is the idea that there might be components others o t there in the venom that could potenti ally be used in cancer es hose as s are the o es that e the a als treatment. There are parti cular pepti des in the a bad reputati on, but there are only 60-odd species venom, called mastoparans, which appear to be able of those type of wasps across the world – in the UK to target and kill cancer cells more so than healthy there are only nine. There are 33,000 species, at cells. There are only a few research papers on that, least, of other sti nging wasps! but it’s an area of potenti ally great importance.
e eat red o r re ent st d on o r o was s o nate e ees Watching a social wasp colony is a litt le s en e a e ast wee t what were the They do pollinate, but they don’t do it to the same t e wat h n a soa o era he ve a most s r r s n th n s o o nd o t d r n degree as bees. But, there is a cool relati onship got litt le personaliti es and they all have between orchid fl owers and male wasps. The orchids the resear h the r nd v d a ro es n so et O e o the th s that s really str about as s have evolved to mimic the look of a female wasp, and their importance is their role as pest controllers. and in some cases produce the smell of a female They are hunters. As a bee would hunt a fl ower for its wasp. That att racts the male wasp in and he thinks pollen, a wasp hunts prey and other insects, such as he’s trying to mate, but it’s obviously just a fl ower. spiders. They also scavenge carrion [dead animals]. While he’s doing that the fl ower dabs some pollen on Wasps collect protein and bring it back to their nests. him. He’ll then go off to the next female-mimicking If they’re a social wasp, they’ll feed it to their brood; fl ower, try and do the same thing and thus transfer if they’re a solitary wasp they’ll catch the prey alive, the pollen. So, the orchids have evolved to exploit the aralyse t a d the bury t the r est a d seal t behaviour of wasps and they are enti rely dependent up with their egg. That ti ny egg will hatch and the on these wasps for pollinati on.
lar a ll eat ts l larder that ts other has to left it, unti l it’s fully developed. It’ll then emerge as here s a was that ma es hone o o an adult. The adults themselves are not actually the now the hone tastes n e carnivores, they’re vegetarians. Wasps are really Ooh, I really don’t know! They do make a litt le bit of hen o te eo e that some was s t rn important because they remove a lot of insects from honey. They store it in their nests, mainly as a food the r re nto om e s aves does that ma e ecosystems, which isn’t a bad thing. supplement. There is one species called the honey them a re ate was s more or ess wasp, which appears very much like a honey bee, Why do people like watching horror movies? Why do hence its name. It collects nectar and pollen and it they like reading thrillers? They like it because it’s so a es ho ey. I th eo le ha e tr ed to har est d sturb a d rotes ue. or so e eo le t a es them, but they are known for being aggressive. them more fascinated by wasps. I think the more we can raise people’s awareness about the wonderful Wasps are quite nutriti ous themselves, world of wasps and the fantasti c behaviours and to aren t the strate es that as s ha e e ol ed s reat. here Insects are very highly nutriti ous. They’re high in really are e dless or s o as s. here s e eryth protein and low in fat, and they’re a very sustainable from your zombifying wasps, to the hunters with source of food. There are three billion people cocktails of venom and the social wasps with around the world who already eat insects on a wingspans of 7cm. There are so many awesome facts daily basis, parti cularly in Asia and South America. about wasps. I hope that our new research paper has We did actually review what types of insects were sort o hel ed ut as s o the a ter s o the r eate a d hether as s ere eate at all. e value to our societi es and our planet. CHARITIES SUPPORTED BY FIRST NEWS 18. SPECIAL REPORT annah mson FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 WHY IS IT HOW CAN IMPORTANT? NATURE HELP? Our brains need to be looked aft er, The theme of this year’s Mental ust l e our bod es. hey deal th ealth A are ess ee s ature. all of our emoti ons and feelings. There have been lots of studies about Someti mes we feel very happy, and the connecti on between nature and other ti mes we feel very down. It’s wellbeing. The charity Young Minds normal to experience ups and downs found that 55% of young people said in life. But it’s when those things exercise such as walking or running seem off balance and we have lots helped them during the latest of negati ve thoughts or worries lockdown. that there might be a problem. So, how can we get back to nature? It’s important if you feel like this Here are some of our favourite ideas. to ask for help. Enjoy a good book in your garden The past year has been especially Go on a long walk or bike ride hard for people’s mental health, as Have a picnic we’ve been living in lockdown and Create some nature-themed art, oft en not seeing our friends and or write a poem or story family as much as we’d like. hy ot se d t to us at MENTAL yournews@fi rstnews.co.uk?) Visit a nature reserve or park YOU’RE NOT ALONE Discover diff erent wildlife or It’s important to remember that build a bug hotel you’re not alone in dealing with e tal health orr es. Me tal health aff ects people from all walks HEALTH of life – no matt er your age, gender or ethnicity.
MATTERS iStock LOTS of people know how important it is to look aft er their
G e tt y physical health, but our mental health matt ers just as much! To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, from 10-16 May, we discovered how getti ng back to nature can help, Lots of high-profi le people have and chatt ed to TV’s Dr Ranj to get his top ti ps. spoken out about the challenges they’ve faced with issues such as anxiety (feeling worried, tense or G e tt y afraid) and depression. This includes DR RANJ’S TOP TIPS TV presenter Fearne Cott on, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (above) and Dr Ranj is a doctor, presenter and author. Here Selena Gomez, to name just a few. are his three top ti ps for bett er mental health. 1 Get out of the rut – It can be really hard to feel positi ve when you’re feeling down, but there are lots of things you can do that will help you feel bett er. A chat with friends, some exercise, getti ng outdoors for some fresh air, doing a hobby or G e tt y something you enjoy, or even some meditati on, can make all the diff erence. THE PROOF 2 Emoti ons diary – At the end of a busy day, write down three diff erent emoti ons Studies have found that you don’t you’ve felt, such as happy, sad and angry, and what made you feel like that. If the have to spend lots of ti me outdoors emoti ons are negati ve, try to think of ways you could improve the situati on or your for it to make a diff erence to your reacti on next ti me. mental health. Even simple acti viti es like smelling wildfl owers or watching 3 Wrestling with worry – It’s normal to feel worried at ti mes but we don’t want that wildlife can help. keeping you up at night. One of my favourite tricks to solve this is the Stress Safe – USEFUL INFO A report by the Nati onal Trust called it’s a really simple way to help you get a good night’s sleep: If you need any advice or Noti cing Nature found that children support to do with your mental Get yourself a box with some pieces of paper. were more likely to report feeling health, there are lots of places to Before going to bed, write down what’s worrying you on diff erent pieces of paper, happy if they: turn. If you don’t feel comfortable then fold them up and put them in a box – any box will do. Put the box away had a higher level of connecti on talking to an adult you know, you somewhere it is out of sight – ideally, out of your bedroom – and tell yourself you th ature can always get in touch with the are putti ng your worries away at the same ti me. You could leave it tucked away, took part in acti viti es linked to following organisati ons. or return to the box a few days later and take a look at what was on your mind. nature, such as writi ng songs CHILDLINE Oft en the issues feel easier to tackle with a bit of distance. or poetry about nature and Call for free on 0800 11 11 or But don’t forget: if anything is bothering you, it is always best to talk to someone, celebrati ng natural events visit www.childline.org.uk whether they’re a good friend or an adult. Don’t keep your emoti ons bott led up! relaxed in nature, such as YOUNG MINDS How To Grow Up And Feel Amazing!: The No Worries Guide For Boys s shed sitti ng in the garden. visit youngminds.org.uk Hachett e Children’s Group, available online and at all good bookshops, priced £9.99 Proof then that nature is good for you and your mind! 19. GAME ZONE FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 BE A GAME SWITCH BUILDER Nintendo 8 NEW POKÉMON SNAP Nintendo YOU can now capture pictures of Pokémon in their natural habitat, with New Pokémon Snap, a Switch game where you
Nintendo get to become a budding Poké-photographer. Hop into NEO-ONE, a track-based vehicle that has a 360° view of its Pokémon-fi lled surroundings, then you can take photos as you travel and NINTENDO has announced Game Builder Garage, a game for the Switch that teleport to diff erent locati ons. will teach you how to make games! Each picture you take will be graded by Professor Mirror. The bett er the Game Builder Garage will be released A-butt on, and then connect it to another snap, the more points you’re awarded! There are bonus points on off er for a through the Nintendo eShop on 11 June. Nodon that will tell it what to do. For good picture of a Pokémon’s face, or if they’re doing something interesti ng, It will feature seven lessons that will teach example, you could connect the A-butt on like posing or building a nest. you how to make a game in a specifi c genre. to a ‘jump’ Nodon or a ‘shoot’ Nodon. There are lots of things to unlock, like Fluff ruit, which Pokémon can snack That means fi ghti ng games, racing games or Game Builder Garage will explain all the on, or the Melody Player, which might make a Pokémon dance! platf orming games! basics, then it’s up to you to go wild! You can edit photos too, and share them online for others to enjoy. Rather than teach a programming Once you’ve made a game, you’ll be able Later on in the game, you’ll even encounter mysterious, glowing language, Game Builder Garage will use to share it. Alternati vely, you’ll get given a Illumina Pokémon! Nodons to teach you programming, which creator code, which others can use to view Overall, the game is quite peaceful and calm. It’s great to see Pokémon in will make things much easier. all the games you make. their natural habitat, and at ti mes it can be challenging to get a really good So, you could have a Nodon for the What games would you create? shot of a Pokémon!
WORCESTER BOSCH Adverti sement feature
WORCESTER BOSCH has launched its new story book, A Robot Called B4
Childhood friends Alfi e and Ava are taken to the dinosaur age, thanks to a ti me-travelling robot called B4. However, they realise that the natural, beauti ful landscapes the dinosaurs roamed in don’t exist any more. Alfi e and Ava are on a mission to fi x this, but need a litt le inspirati on to work out what their next adventure should be. CLOSING They need your help! DATE 23 JUNE GET YOUR IDEA TURNED INTO A BOOK! Are you aged between 7 and 11? One lucky winner will get their Then we want your story ideas! Where should own special-editi on printed copy of their B4 take Alfi e and Ava on their next adventure? story. It will also be released digitally and Send us your great ideas in 100 words or less. hosted on the Worcester Bosch website. Just email your idea, along with your name and The winner and fi ve runners-up will age, to [email protected] also get a Worcester Bosch goodie bag.
A Robot Called B4 is out now! Head to worcester-bosch.co.uk/storybook to read or listen to it.
Terms and conditi ons: This competi ti on is only open to readers aged 7 to 11 years old. Every entrant must have permission from a parent or guardian over 18 years old. Five entries will be selected by a team at Worcester Bosch and special guest judge Angellica Bell, then the winner chosen by Nicky Cox, editor in chief at First News 20. PUZZLE FUN FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021
MICE WIN! ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UNBELIEVABLE FACTS WORD CAN you complete our sudoku puzzle, fi lling in the n m ers one to n ne end n o r answers and two w nners w w n he n o ed a o n e eva e a ts e o r a t m s es LADDER and test your trivia knowledge with this fascinati ng book. o an et rom the to Packed with 500 perplexing questi ons, it’s perfect for family of the ladder to the bott om quiz nights and impressing in the playground. by changing one lett er For more informati on, visit Quarto.com at a ti me to make TAIL a new word 3 9 5 4 5 3 7 4 8 3 1 WIN! THE UNHURRY 8 1 5 6 7 BOOK o om ete o r rossword 1 2 puzzle using the clues below? e d your a s ers a d three ers ll ba a o y o he hurry oo . Take ti me to breathe, 9 3 2 4 1 focus and be calm with this write-in acti vity book. Try a spot of yoga, colour in soothing squiggles, go 5 2 4 7 9 on a sense safari and much more. Available online and in all good bookshops.
2 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 7
6 7 8 WH 9 De ett r mor ers o E Re o re an E h m Oo t o find the wor ak n d L 10 11 s a th e rd nd at , wo se s n W e s n a n o th a h th e 12 m a e m w e e o n tt d h r e d r e s e 13 14 tt e R T 15 16
O O 17 Across Down M Former1 - USFormer president US President (6,5) (6,5) Att racti ve fl ying insects (11)1 - Attractive flying insects (11) Squad;6 - line-upSquad; (4) line-up (4) Fierce sound of a lion (4) 2 - Fierce sound of a lion (4) Large stringed musical instrument (4) Went down on one knee (5) Network8 - Large of train stringed tracks musical(7) instrument 4(4) Opposite of home (4) 3 - Went down on one knee (5) K B 10 Correct9 - Network (5) of train tracks (7) 5 Esti mate fairly accurately (11)4 - Opposite of home (4) Alphabeti cal reference list in a book (5) 7 Appliance (7) 10 - Correct (5) 5 - Estimate fairly accurately (11) Disentangle (7) Inhabited by ghosts (7) 15 Inacti11 -ve Alphabetical or doing nothing reference (4) list in a book Seizes;(5) steak (anag) (5) 7 - Appliance (7) Informati13 - Disentangle on and stati (7) sti cs (4) One of the bones in the forearm8 - Inhabited (4) by ghosts (7) E I 17 William ___ : playwright (11) 14 Molten rock from a volcano (4) 15 - Inactive or doing nothing (4) 12 - Seizes; steak (anag) (5) 16 - Information and statistics (4) 13 - One of the bones in the forearm (4) 17 - William ___ : playwright (11) 14 - Molten rock from a volcano (4) Send your fi nished puzzles by email to win@fi rstnews.co.uk. Don’t forget to put Puzzles 778 in the subject box and include your 21. PUZZLE FUN HOW TO ENTER: contact details. We’re afraid we can’t accept postal entries for now. The closing date for puzzle entries is Thursday 20 May 2021. WIN! WABOBA WINGMAN CAN you spot the fi ve changes we’ve made to this picture from Igor? Send in your answers and three lucky winners will win a Waboba Wingman. With its unique aerodynamic design, the indoors and outdoors safe Wingman fl ies over 130 feet (40m). With its silicone material, you can catch it easily by squishing it in your hand, then simply fold it up to fi t snugly in your pocket. Available from amazon.co.uk and leading toy and leisure stores. A B 2008 Exodus Producti ons SARL. Igor is a TM of Exodus Film is a TM of Exodus SARL. Igor ons Producti 2008 Exodus Reserved. All Rights Fund I, LLC. WHAT ON EARTH? CAN you fi nd the words in our science-themed wordsearch? ALL of these are wild fl owers. Can you guess what they are? Remember that the words can be horizontal, verti cal or diagonal. A B iStock iStock
C D iStock iStock
E F
Beaker Atom Telescope Laboratory Chemistry Volume Geology Research Data iStock iStock Parti cle Thermometer Experiment
ou a e ter rst e s competi ti ons in one of two ways. Go to fi rstnews.co.uk/competi ti ons and follow the instructi ons. 6 4 1 8 2 3 7 9 5 N I N E T E E N D M I E Email us at win@fi rstnews.co.uk putti ng ‘competi ti on name’ (e.g. Holiday), in the subject box. Please note: rst e s will LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: 2 7 8 6 5 9 1 3 4 D E L H I T O W E L not share your personal details with third parti es. First News will only use your details to contact the competi ti on winners. Spot the diff erence: Chair is green, popcorn has 5 3 9 7 4 1 8 2 6 I E T H T E rst e s competi ti ons are only open to those aged 17-and-under and residents of the UK & Republic of Ireland, except employees of been added, cup has changed to blue, Peter has 8 2 4 1 3 6 5 7 9 C A S E L E S S O N 7 1 3 9 8 5 6 4 2 K L R I rst e s, First Group Enterprises Ltd, Reach plc and any associated companies and their families. Winners will be the fi rst correct entries an extra ear, straw is longer. Word ladder: tall, 9 5 6 4 7 2 3 1 8 E S S A Y S I S L E N T R T A N 3 9 2 5 6 7 4 8 1 drawn aft er the closing dates. No purchase necessary. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that have been lost or damaged in transit. toll, tool, cool, coos, cows. What on Earth?: see- S C I F I A D U L T First News will not enter into any correspondence. All winners will be noti fi ed accordingly and their names and locati on will be available on 1 8 5 3 9 4 2 6 7 F C X N saw, goal net, dog, rowboats, swing, bench. 4 6 7 2 1 8 9 5 3 F E S T I V A L request. No cash alternati ve for any prizes will be off ered. The winner may be required to partake in media acti vity relati ng to the competi ti on. 22. SHOPS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 WHAT’S IN THE GAMING GAMER ZONE CONTROLLER WALL STICKERS SHOPS? AMAZON.CO.UK £9.99 Create your own eye-catching mural with these GAMING LOCKERS gaming sti ckers, and turn any room into your very own gaming zone. They’re easy to apply and NUMSKULL.COM remove, and can even be reused. You won’t need to use any special tools: just positi on, remove the IZZA GAMING MOUSE £24.99 backing and sti ck to the wall. These gaming lockers will ee all your a ear AND MOUSE PAD neat and ti dy. They hold MENKIND.CO.UK £9.00 u to te o your a our te This specialised, light-up gaming mouse bo a es 4 a es and pad are perfect for gamers. The or o es a d ha e ha dy LED mouse features a crack eff ect o art e ts to hold all th a ho e o red blue ree or of your essenti als, such as pink lights. The textured surface of the o trollers ables a d ore. ouse ad s reat or s ooth l d lus your head ho es a s t a d hel s rease the a ura y o your se urely o the to . hoose a . er e t or ded ated a ers. ro Harry Pott er or at a . *All prices correct at ti me of printi ng
rst e s tea deta ls a a lable at www.fi rstnews.co.uk/team. or ed tor al e u r es o ta t newsdesk@fi rstnews.co.uk or (020) 3195 2000. For home subscripti on enquiries, email subscripti ons@fi rstnews.co.uk or all 0330 333 0186. or s hool subscripti on enquiries, email [email protected] or all (01371) 851 898. eb www.fi rstnews.co.uk. All material in this newspaper is © 2021 First Group Enterprises Ltd and cannot be used without writt en permission. First News is published by First Group Enterprises Ltd, 58 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0AS. Printed by Reach Printi ng Services, St Albans Rd, Watf ord WD24 7RG. Distributed by Marketf orce (UK) Ltd, 3rd fl oor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP. Tel: 0330 390 6555. e are e tre ely ass o ate about the e ro e t a d e are al ays loo at ays to redu e aste throu hout the o a y a d a ross all o our rodu ts. Our a er o es ro susta able sour es. e a a e rst e s a ture o o ostable ra er a er ra er ardboard ra s a d bo es de e d o the order s e. ee www.fi rstnews.co.uk/about-fi rst-news for more informati on about our environmental commitments. FIRST NEWS HOME iHUB FIRST NEWS HOME iHUB
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Try our award-winning, interactive, educational support and news platform HEAD TO FIRSTNEWS.CO.UK/HOMEIHUB TO FIND OUT MORE 23. SPECIAL REPORT h d ne FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 PLAYING AFTER THE
PANDEMIC to G eo e have a ed a ot o ha en es over the ast ear or so wh h s wh h d ne s a n h n a new da st or o and celebrati ng a chance to play.
h ldl e s a ree hel l e or h ldre a d tee a ers that s ru by h ldre s har ty the . It s there to ro de su ort a d HOW HAS CHILDLINE HELPED? ad e about hate er s o your d. e the start o A r l last year h ldl e has del ered ust o er 7 000 ou sell sess o s O er the last year as the orld has ha ed young people taking positi ve steps to support where children have discussed their mental and emoti onal health. so a y ays h ldl e has bee there as a the r ellbe dur the a de . Lots o tal sour e o su ort or h ldre . h ldre used the ra e o breath e er ses hose ho d d t a t to u the ho e and acti viti es in the Calm Zone to help let go WHAT HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE TOLD to s ea to a ou sellor ould hat to o e o stress the ood our al to re ord ho CHILDLINE DURING THE PANDEMIC? o l e a the 1-2-1 ou sellor hat or se d they ere eel a d the o t h h h ldl e a e a l a the ebs te. he h ldl e encourages you to do just one positi ve thing housa ds o h ldre a d you eo le ha e ot tou h th ebs te sa hu e reases the u ber o a day to hel ro e your ood. Childline as they’ve att empted to cope with the closing of schools, lockdowns, concerns about the virus and isolati on. Just over a year o ro the start o the a de h ldl e has released e data WHY LAUNCH a d s ht to sho ts a t o h ldre . CHILDHOOD DAY? At the start of the pandemic, the change in daily routi nes, being stu at ho e a d the re o al o su ort ro s hools aused he s e oura great worry, parti cularly for those who were already coping with communiti es everywhere to play their other ssues the r l es. hrou hout the last year h ldre ha e art h ldre a br hter uture tal ed to h ldl e about be sad lo ely o er hel ed a d l e by o to ether to lay o h ldhood they had lost a se se o o trol o er the r l es. ay. It ta es la e o 11 u e a d the he start o the year a d the a uary lo do sa lots o ll as a l es a d r e ds ro to h ldre et tou h to tal about r s O I death rates a d a ross the to elebrate h ldhood by o er about the losure o s hools a a . or a s a lay e e t to ra se o ey ere s hat t o e bers o the s ou eo le s oard a d hel ee h ldre sa e. or ha e had to say about hat s orta t beyo d the a de ow we are o n towards WHY PLAY? the end o o down th n that to o n eo e rea need s ort Aft er the year we’ve just had, we could all do with and ti me to catch up on the work a bit more play! It also has a whole host of benefi ts the have een ven thro ho t or your ellbe too. lay a hel you to or lockdown, and also to be off ered through diffi cult emoti ons and practi se encountering support for anxiety from lockdown.” e e er e es as ell as hel to bu ld res l e e – Becky, 14, from the confi dence and boost your self-esteem! e ast d ands o hy ot s t do th your a ly a d la th n or o n eo e the ho you re o to lay th s h ldhood ay just need someone to listen. We To fi nd out more and get your free struggle to talk someti mes, we u dra s a th lots o lay deas s t can fi nd the world unforgiving and ns or h dhood da . confusing, but when someone stens t ee s e we have th s o wo d re er not to s ea to an ad t o now o an s ea weight lift ed off our shoulders.” to h d ne on ne or hone s t h d ne or a or – Poppy, 13, from Yorkshire and o down oad the or e a the Humber 24. FAMILY FUN! FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 WIN! A SMASHERS WIN! FAMILY TICKETS BUNDLE FROM TO SEA LIFE TAKE a trip back in ti me with the awesome mashers no e e ran e rom ZURU. SEA LIFE Centres nati onwide reopen on 17 May, and to celebrate they have given us Are you ready to s ash o e a a eso e family day ti ckets for fi ve lucky families! sur r se O e u the e to re eal 2 a a With an exciti ng array of amazing creatures at each sur r ses. your ay throu h the Gro att racti on, you’re sure to discover a fascinati ng new o rystal l e a d ore to olle t all the a our te as you et u lose to the ost e rd a d e es. he bu ld your ery o o wonderful the ocean has to off er! s ash-o-saur Visit the UK’s very fi rst sea ott ers – Ozzy and Ola – th the M o I e A e E there are s hara ters to olle t loo e lus ely at EA LI E r ha or et a e-to- out or the ultra-rare s eleto s ash-o-saur too ou a a d at h fi n with awesome sharks as they glide through the the parts to build your own dino pal as you build your collecti on. o ea tu el at EA LI E Lo h Lo o d a d arou d ra o e your e s the e ht- a to re eal the su er- ool o the sh re at Ma hester. Ice Age fi gures. There are over 50 to collect, including a E er e e bu s a d ree y ra l es the l ard ro tosaurus the o a e a d ore. olle t ra orest o la ool or Lo do or hy ot s t them all for plenty of acti on-packed adventures! Europe’s only colony of fairy penguins at SEA LIFE Ea h bu dle ll lude three ashers o I e A e ey outh see adorable seals at arborou h ur r se E s three ashers o I e A e M ur r se or u sta to or ar el at the turtles at Great E s a d three ashers o I e A e e ht- a s. o be Yarmouth and Brighton (the world’s oldest aquarium!).
in with a chance of winning, just answer this questi on: smashersworld.zuru.com & The Entertainer Smyths from Available Family day ti cket is valid for two adults and two children to visit a SEA LIFE o be th a ha e o ust att racti on of their choice on a day of answer this questi on: hat does the name d nosa r mean their choosing, valid unti l 31 December a ear reat ard 2021. On choosing a locati on, booking codes will be issued and the visit must How many tentacles does an octopus have? ear reat rd be pre-booked online in advance. a Ten Eight ear reat on www.visitsealife.com ENTER NOW! MARK YOUR ENTRY DINO ENTER NOW! MARK YOUR ENTRY SEA fi rstnews.co.uk/competi ti ons or see page 21. The closing date is 27 May 2021. fi rstnews.co.uk/competi ti ons or see page 21. The closing date is 27 May 2021.
WIN! KITS TELL YOUR TRY 3 ISSUES JOURNEY into the prehistoric era with Bandai UK and uncover genuine dinosaur fossils with the Dino Dig Kit, then create an awesome erupti on FRIENDS FOR £1 with this exciti ng Volcano Science Kit! Nati onal Geographic’s Dinosaur Fossil Dig Kit is an exciti ng hands-on adventure that you’ll love! Become a real palaeontologist as you explore fossils that are millions of years old. Spark your love of history and science, and learn all about dinosaurs with Nati onal Geographic. You can also create an erupti on with Nati onal Geographic’s exciti ng Volcano Science Kit. Get to cast your own volcano, paint it, then make it erupt! This is a great family acti vity and provides hours of fun for all ages. Five lucky winners will each win a Nati onal GeographicTM Dino Fossil TM Dig Kit and a Nati onal Geographic Build reserved All rights LLC. Partners, onal Geographic © 2021 Nati Your Own Volcano. To be in with a chance of winning, just answer this questi on: www.bandai.co.uk Both available online Who is the Roman god of fi re? and in-store from Sti ll delivering the news to your door every Friday a Vesta no Vulcan The Disney Store Learn about the changing world around you while keeping up to date with the latest science, sport and entertainment news.
ENTER NOW! MARK YOUR ENTRY DIG Follow-on price: fi rstnews.co.uk/competi ti ons or see page 21. The closing date is 27 May 2021. www.fi rstnews.co.uk/subscribe 13 issues for £22.99 25. BOOKS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 ati onal Literacy Trust’s YOUR READS! Virtual School Library reviewed THE WIZARD IN MY SHED by Noah DEFEAT the Evernight with Matcham, Ross MacKenzie. aged eight oss s our rtual hool L brary SIMON FARNABY author o the ee . This story is about a girl called Rose who s t the rtual hool L brary ro meets a warlock (a naughty wizard) going by the the Nati onal Literacy Trust and the Oak name Merdyn the Wild. Merdyn has travelled Nati onal Academy to read Evernight through ti me from the Dark Ages and landed or ree in the 21st century. They form an unlikely Ross recommends these three reads: friendship aft er Merdyn uses some of his magic The Witches by Roald Dahl, to make Rose’s guinea pig, Bubbles, speak. illustrated by Quenti n Blake One minute you’re reading about Merdyn’s The Graveyard Book by life back in the year 511 and then you’re ti me Neil Gaiman, illustrated by travelling with him to the 21st century where he Chris Riddell is getti ng into all sorts of trouble with modern Wonder by ala o life. He does silly things like walk into glass Step inside the library to doors because he’s never seen them before, watch an exclusive video calls helicopters ‘whirly birds’ and defi nitely with Ross MacKenzie and shouldn’t be allowed to drive a car! read a Q&A! He sti ll speaks in old-fashioned language, which is very funny, but it’s also interesti ng to learn some of these old words. Rose and her family have to help Merdyn on his quest to get back to his own ti me and save the uture ro the e l ere ah erabo. This is one of the best books I’ve read, FOR MORE TIPS AND ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE YOUR READING, WRITING, it’s laugh out loud funny and I would really SPEAKING AND LISTENING AT HOME, VISIT WORDSFORLIFE.ORG.UK recommend it. THE BIG(ISH)
PICTURE AlUla Commission for and Royal AAKSA
THESE ancient stone structures in the Saudi Arabian desert have now been studied in more detail than ever before. Scienti sts say that there are more than 1,000 of these mustati ls (Arabic for ‘rectangle’) in the northwest of the country, and that they are older than Stonehenge and Egypt’s pyramids. The walls are only a metre or so high, which means they oft en get parti ally buried beneath the sand. While some are quite small, others are hundreds of metres long. Scienti sts writi ng in a journal called Anti quity say the mustati ls were probably used for rituals, as catt le horns seem to have been deliberately placed inside them. 26. YOUR NEWS FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 WE WANT TO SCHOOL HEAR WHAT FIRST NEWS FRIDAY NEWS YOU/YOUR by Sienna, Edith and Freya, Year 6, Westwood Primary G the school year, children in Key Stage 2 SCHOOL IS UP TO have been doing work linked to First News. They have also created a display board, including news stories r te to let us o hat you e bee u to lately a e linked to eco-issues and the health of our planet. you been getti ng creati ve? Been ear a d u ls ha e really e oyed or o these for a great day out? How has topics because rst e s provides so much up-to-date the coronavirus aff ected your informati on, which helps with research tasks. Finlay said: school, friends and family? Why “I really enjoy reading and writi ng about stories from all over Pupils from Year 5 and 6 creati ng their latest news display not share your experiences with the world. My favourite story so far has been about potenti al rst e s readers? life on Venus and sending robots up to the planet.” spotlight. The board will be used for us to quiz each other on Pupils from class 9 and 10 have also been using rst e s the who, what, why, when, where of diff erent news stories. Rhys Email your report and have completed a variety of acti viti es on the best day of from class 10 said: “I fi nd the rst e s work quite fun because (including pictures) to the week, rst e s Friday. Even during school closure we have e are able to lear about hat s ha e the orld a d yournews@fi rstnews.co.uk been able to work from home using digital copies of the news can test our knowledge by answering questi ons about the rst Don’t forget to include your stories, so the fun never stops! e s stories.” Edith in Class 10 said: “At Westwood CP, each name and age (and your Studies have included the rst e s comprehensions and student has a copy of rst e s to read. Aft erwards we fl ick school’s name and address Four Stories, debates and map work, where we study maps through unti l we fi nd a news story that interests us, then we cut for school news reports). By from the UK and World News secti ons and draw them, before that story out and write the fi ve Ws about it. I enjoy rst e s writi ng in, you give consent to choosing diff erent news stories to put into our own words on a Friday as it is a way to express ourselves and our teacher rst e s printi ng details and around the maps we have drawn. lets us set out our work individually to how we like it. I really like hoto ra hs o those ol ed Recently, we decided to create our own display board using that now our most interesti ng stories can also go on display for in the report. past copies of rst e s, to keep the plight of our planet in the others to share.” WRITING WINNERS CAR PARK PARTY by Year 7 pupils, St Francis of Assisi Catholic College, Aldridge by Mia WE have been declared the winners in a nati onal I WAS lucky enough to visit Billionaire Boy writi ng competi ti on and will see our work Car Park Party, a drive-in theatre show. JUNIOR published in a book! It was diff erent because we sat in the car JOURNALIST to watch the show instead of seats. During the school closure in February SCHOOL I lo e the boo Billionaire Boy by a d and March, all students were invited to Walliams and I made sure I had read it again take part in a competi ti on run by Young NEWS before I went to the show. Writers publishing company enti tled It was really good and really funny. David ‘Unsolved – Mini Sagas’. This entailed Walliams even came up on the screen. writi ng a story under the theme of I enjoyed dancing to the songs and beeping Unsolved but with the added criterion the horn so that the actors knew that we loved that it had to be exactly 100 words. This it. We got to eat popcorn and chocolate in the s ot as easy as t sou ds a d ol es car too. I loved it and didn’t want to leave, and a lot of editi ng skills, along with the I think you would love it too. The big screen! obvious need for creati vity and a high level of literacy ideas. When our school fi nally reopened, English teacher Mr Mobberley, who had organised the competi ti on entries, Year 7 writi ng winners as del hted to hear that s o our entries had been considered good was a remarkable achievement. enough to be included in the book. With The lucky winners are: Samuel the competi ti on open to the whole of Dawson, Riley Mannion, Jack Patt erson, the UK and more pupils than normal Lucian Cope, Julia Cyganik and Tilly entering due to lockdown, the selecti on Pickering-Grainger. Waiti ng for the show to start Getti ng a bett er view criteria was incredibly high, so this really We can’t wait to read the book. SUBSCRIBE FOR SCHOOL – FIND OUT MORE AT SCHOOLS.FIRSTNEWS.CO.UK CALL: (020) 3195 7256 EMAIL: [email protected] 27. SPORT FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 SPORT IN PICTURES
China’s Tang Xijing competes on the beam during the China G e tt y Nati onal Gymnasti cs Championship & Tokyo Olympic Trials at Dong’an Lake Sports Park in Chengdu, China G e tt y G e tt y
Malaysian diver Cheong Jun Hoong in acti on during the 10m platf orm semi-fi nal at Matt Markland from the New Zealand Olympic skateboarding team does tricks for the the FINA Diving World Cup in Tokyo, Japan cameras. The team is touring New Zealand with this giant skateboard to promote the upcoming Tokyo Games The peloton makes its way through the countryside between Biella and Canale, during the third stage of the Giro d’Italia G e tt y G e tt y
A football fan in Rome, Italy, takes a selfi e with street arti st Harry Greb’s new picture of José Mourinho, who has been named manager of Roma 28. SPORT FirstNews Issue 778 14 – 20 May 2021 Formula 1 pole positi ons have been claimed by Lewis 100 Hamilton, aft er he started fi rst on BLUES VERSUS BLUES the grid at the Spanish Grand Prix. Although he lost the lead at the fi rst corner to Max Verstappen, Hamilton fought back to win the race and secure his 98th career victory. G e tt y G e tt y G e tt y
he sea e e rate the r o rth omen s er ea e ti tle (far left ); Manchester t s en h te s ores million pounds was against West Ham (above); G e tt y a d or a est that on aster e es e end e had bee or by Chipchase (left ) 1 Michael Jordan 2020-21 Women’s Super League ended in a thrilling weekend, with the winner being decided on the fi nal dur h s se o d da o mat hes seaso lay or the ers ty o North Carolina. The $1,380,000 bid at Although Arsenal and Manchester United weren’t too far off ahead within 68 seconds, as Melanie Leupolz’s half-volley aucti on is more than three ti mes the the pace, this season was all about the batt le between Chelsea hit the back of the net. Fran Kirby scored twice, assisted by re ord set last year or a other o the and Manchester City. Away at West Ham, City knew that Sam Kerr, who then scored the fourth. Kerr is only the second basketball legend’s jerseys. nothing other than victory would see them collect the trophy. player aft er Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema to score more than In a closely-matched contest, the Blues had two penalti es 20 WSL goals in one season. Erin Cuthbert was next on the saved by Hammers goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and also hit scoresheet as Chelsea celebrated retaining the ti tle. the woodwork three ti mes. Their persistence paid off when All of the WSL matches began with a minute’s applause in Ellen White scored the game’s only goal in the 75th minute. memory of Julie Chipchase. A pioneer of women’s football, City also needed their rivals to lose, but the Blues from she won the FA Cup with Doncaster Belles, later becoming the Chelsea had other plans. At home to Reading, they were team’s manager and the director of football. G e tt y
Rory McIlroy also won the Wells Fargo ham onsh n and wickets were taken by ast bo lers RORY’S Ben Sanderson 19 and Gareth Berg as Northamptonshire beat Sussex by an innings and 120 runs. Berg got nine wickets for 90 runs in RETURN the best performance of his career and Sanderson got 10 for 99. Northants’ RORY McIlroy fi nally returned to his winning Tom Taylor picked up the other wicket. wa s at the e s ar o ham onsh
G e tt y With his last victory coming in November 2019 and his fi rst round ending in a one-over-par 72, McIlroy wasn’t in a good positi on to win the G e tt y contest in North Carolina, USA. However, his next two rounds of 66 and 68 saw him move up the leaderboard. Two shots in front at the fi nal hole, he took a penalty drop aft er his ball landed in a hazard, but kept his nerve to win by a single shot. US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau Berg (left ) and Sanderson fi nished the fi rst two rounds at two over par and believed he had missed the halfway cut. While fl ying more than 1,610km (1,000 miles) home, he G e tt y learnt by text that he was sti ll in the competi ti on! Flying back immediately, DeChambeau rushed to the course to play. His game certainly wasn’t aff ected by the overnight travelling – he shot three under par on each of his fi nal two rounds r son e ham ea to fi nish in joint ninth place!