P6-7 BREXIT: P24 GREAT P21 GAMES TO WHAT’S GOING ON? READS! LOOK OUT FOR

Issue 655 £1.99 4 – 10 January 2019 TRUSTED NEWS TO MAKE YOUNG PEOPLE THINK NEWS SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT INTERVIEWS PUZZLES COMPETITIONS AND MORE SO THAT WAS 2018… FIND OUT WHAT 2019 HAS IN STORE

ANOTHER SILLY WORLD CUP! EVENTS!

OUR A-Z OF THE YEAR AHEAD THANK YOU, SUPERHEROES AND B IS FOR BREXIT! FLYING ELEPHANTS! NEXT!

First News readership is 2,235,888. Source: Opinion Matters 2016. First News is the widest-read of all children’s publications audited in the UK. First News supports children’s charities – see page 12 2. A-Z OF 2019 FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 A-Z OF 2019 IT’S 2019! If you thought 2018 was jam-packed with big events, wait unti l you see what’s in store for us this year. We’ve got loads of exciti ng days ahead of us! So grab your calendar and jot down our alphabet of events so that you can keep up with everything 2019 has to off er.

is for Anti -Bullying is for Brexit. Week. Every year we’re With very reminded about the litt le ti me left , A eff ects of bullying when B there’s sti ll this important week lots that we

rolls around, and 2019 is don’t know about iStock no diff erent. While the theme hasn’t been iStock the UK’s departure from Europe. announced, the week will run from 11-15 There are less than three months November. 2018’s fantasti c event was set to go unti l the 29 March deadline, around the theme of ‘Choose Respect’, so so we’ve put together a guide on Anti -Bullying Week 2018 made it clear that just what Brexit means and how by respecti ng each other at school, in our it is likely to aff ect the UK, your homes, communiti es and online, we can family and you. Head to pages help put a stop to bullying. 6-7 to fi nd out more.

is for Comic-Con, the greatest gathering of super-fans in the is for the D-Day world! No matt er what you’re a fan of, whether it be Star Wars landings and or the Avengers, you’re sure to fi nd friends at Comic-Con who the Batt le of C love it just as much. The biggest, most fan-fi lled Comic-Con D Normandy’s is thought to be at San Diego in California, which hosts around 75th anniversary, 170,000 people every year! If you’re not looking to fl y to San which takes place Diego anyti me soon, don’t worry, since Comic-Cons are hosted all over the UK, too. on 6 June. On that day in 1944, London’s Comic-Con will take place at the end of May, while Manchester’s will be and during the long summer that held at the beginning of June. followed, men from all over the world headed to Normandy, , where they fought the Nazis to bring freedom back to the country. Every year we remember and pay tribute to those many heroes who lost their lives during that summer. On the day itself, about 250 men and women will board an aircraft in the UK to fl y across the English Channel and jump into the historic drop zones of iStock Normandy, exactly like those men who did it 75 years before. iStock

is for Fairtrade Fortnight, which this year is running from 25 February to 10 March. In case you’ve not heard of Fairtrade is for the Eurovision Fortnight, it’s a celebrati on of those who Song Contest, F make all our Fairtrade products. which is taking Campaigners, businesses, place in Tel Aviv in schools and places of E G e tt y Israel. Contestants worship will show their support for the from across Europe farmers and workers who grow our will head to the city to perform. The food in developing countries. Each person with the most votes will be year has a diff erent theme, and this crowned the winner at the grand fi nal year’s is cocoa. Farmers of cocoa on Saturday 18 May. Last year, the UK have seen prices crash to crisis levels was represented by SuRie, who got 48 in the last few years. By buying points. Tel Aviv scooped the top spot Fairtrade chocolate and raising though, with Nett a Barzilai (pictured) awareness of Fairtrade products, you

scoring 529 points. Who will be can do your bit to make sure these under- iStock victorious this year? represented people are treated well. 3. A-Z OF 2019 FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019

is for Glastonbury, is for Harry Pott er Book Night! Back for its fi ft h magical year, this the UK’s ti me it’s all about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! biggest festi val! Somewhere hidden in the Scotti sh Highlands lies Hogwarts, the G Unfortunately, H school where Harry Pott er and his friends learnt everything they even though the know. As well as being the setti ng for some of the most historic festi val isn’t unti l the moments in wizarding history, the insti tuti on features staircases iStock end of June, ti ckets had completely that constantly move, portraits that talk to each other and students who get to sold out within 40 minutes of going study magical lessons such as Poti ons, Charms, Transfi gurati on and Herbology. There on sale back in October 2018. A were more than 13,000 Book Night events organised in 2018, and we’re sure that whopping 175,000 people go to the just as many, if not more, will be celebrati ng the wizarding world of Harry Pott er four-day festi val, which att racts some this year, when the Book Night takes place on Thursday 7 February. Head to of the biggest names in music. Last www.harrypott er.bloomsbury.com/uk/harry-pott er-book-night now to sign up. year, the festi val took a ‘fallow year’, to give the land, local populati on and organisers a break. Although lots of the acts are sti ll to be confi rmed, Stormzy was the fi rst headliner to be announced. Posters revealing the news appeared in Oxfam stores.

is for Internati onal Women’s Day, held on 8 March. This global event has been taking place for more than a century to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and politi cal achievements of women. When the fi rst Internati onal Women’s Day was held in I G e tt y 1909, women couldn’t vote or become politi cians in the UK. It’s easier to support Internati onal Women’s Day than you think – all you’ve got to do is remember that equality is important and to speak up if you think that things are unfair. Celebrate the achievements of women and lead by example. By the ti me March rolls around, you’ll have had loads of practi ce! is for Japanese Emperor Akihito’s abdicati on. In case you hadn’t J heard, Japan’s 85-year-old Emperor G e tt y is quitti ng his post (abdicati ng) this year – making him the country’s fi rst monarch to do so in 200 years! The emperor said in 2017 that his age and health would make it diffi cult to fulfi l his duti es. The abdicati on will happen on 30 April and the emperor’s son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will G e tt y immediately take over on 1 May.

is for lights out for WWF’s Earth Hour. Famous landmarks across the world, such as the Eiff el Tower, Buckingham Palace is for Kids Week, which actually lasts for a month! Yes, a month and Edinburgh Castle, will switch off their lights for an hour of cheap family theatre ti ckets! Last year, more than 170,000 L from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on 30 March to show they care about ti ckets were sent out, and thousands of families took part in ’s future. Millions of people will also join in at home or K one of the 50+ acti viti es, workshops and events that were held at work. Why not make a promise to the planet this year? You can in London. Kids Week oft en teams up with awesome plays and fi nd out more at www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour. shows like Wicked, Disney’s The Lion King and Horrible Histories, so we wonder what will be on off er this year? iStock G e tt y 4. A-Z OF 2019 FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019

is for Marvel Universe Live!, is for the new £50 notes that will be unveiled by the Bank of which touches down in someti me this year! Last year, the bank announced the UK in 2019. It’s a big the new polymer £50 would feature a Briti sh scienti st and it M year for Marvel, as you N asked for nominati ons from the public. Among the most popular can see on page 13, where people put forward were Stephen Hawking, Ada Lovelace we’ve got the lowdown on and Alexander Fleming, but the bank received thousands of all the biggest movies out this year (spoiler nominati ons. We haven’t been told when the winning scienti st will be announced, alert: we’re in for a LOT of superhero acti on!). so make sure you keep reading First News to fi nd out! But one highlight of the year for any Avengers afi cionado will be Marvel Universe Live! The live arena show will see families assemble for a night of acti on-packed thrills and spills! Some of Marvel’s mighti est heroes, including Spider-Man, Captain America, Black Widow and the Guardians of the Galaxy, will showcase their skills in an exciti ng batt le against the most fearsome villains. The show is going on tour across the UK, taking in citi es including Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle. G e tt y

is for the Oscars, the most celebrated fi lm awards in the world. Last year, there was a big debate over O whether to include a ‘popular fi lm’ category. This would honour blockbuster movies that might not is for the pitt er- otherwise be up for an award, such as patt er of ti ny The Greatest Showman. However, that feet in the Duke plan’s now been scrapped, or at least and Duchess

G e tt y P put on hold for a while. This year, Mary of Sussex’s Poppins Returns and its lead actor, house, as the royal Emily Blunt, have been ti pped for couple are expecti ng a baby in the awards. Do you think the movie should spring. An offi cial announcement be honoured at the ceremony in America from Kensington Palace last year in February? said: “Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share is for Quidditch Premier this happy news with the public.” The League, featuring the baby’s gender has yet to be revealed, sport inspired by Harry but Prince Harry hinted he’d like it to Q Pott er! This Muggle G e tt y be a girl. What do you think? competi ti on only launched last year and teams are based on regions of the UK. They include the Scotti sh Thistles and the East Midlands is for Red Nose Day, which is back on 15 March. Homes, schools Archers, and there’s also a European and communiti es will be donning their red noses, while helping Division, featuring teams like the Brussels to raise money for people living tough lives across the UK and Atoms. The season starts in the summer. R Africa. The day is held every two years and includes a whole night of TV on the BBC, full of comedy and entertainment. Did you know that schools and nurseries helped to raise over £5 million last Red Nose Day? There are loads of ways you can get involved this year, including is for Safer holding a bake sale, doing a sponsored swim or wearing red clothes to school for Internet a day! Find out more at www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday.

Day, which iStock S seems to get bigger every year. G e tt y Last year, an incredible 1,700 organisati ons got involved in supporti ng the initi ati ve, which reached almost half of all the young people aged 8-17 in the UK! It’s not long unti l Safer Internet Day 2019, which will take place on 5 February. This year’s global theme is ‘Together for a bett er internet’. 5. A-Z OF 2019 FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019

is for transport. is for United Nati ons Day on 24 October. United Nati ons Day A new railway raises awareness of what the United Nati ons does, while is set to be also celebrati ng its achievements. The United Nati ons is an T unveiled in U internati onal organisati on that was founded back in 1945 aft er central London the Second World War. Most nati ons are part of it (there are this autumn. The 193 member states) and its main aim is to promote peace and Crossrail was meant to open back security across the world. United Nati ons Day has been celebrated since 1948 and in 2018, but Crossrail Ltd admitt ed encourages people to come together. There are oft en concerts, that they needed more ti me. The events and exhibiti ons to celebrate the day. central secti on between Paddington and Abbey Wood is now due to open this year. When it’s fully completed, the new Elizabeth Line will cover 60 miles from Reading and Heathrow iStock in the west through to Shenfi eld and Abbey Wood in the east. It is expected to serve around 200 million G e tt y people each year.

is for the Virgin Money London Marathon, the largest annual fundraising event on the planet! Last year’s marathon was record-breaking. Firstly, it was the hott est – according to V the Met Offi ce, temperatures of 24.1°C were recorded in St James’s Park. Despite this, it was also the largest, with 40,255 runners crossing the fi nish line. Together, they raised a massive £63.7 million – the most ever! Will this year’s marathon on 28 April match it? We’ll see in a few months’ ti me! is for World Book Day, which was set up with the aim of giving every child and young person a book of their own. Celebrati ng authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) reading, G e tt y W some schools in the UK will ask students to dress up as their favourite literary characters for World Book Day. Who will you be going as on 7 March? iStock

is for X-Men: Dark Phoenix (12A), the next big fi lm in the long- running X-Men series. Delayed from last year, it’ll be released in June alongside the many, many other superhero fi lms out in X 2019, including the sequel to last year’s smash-hit, Avengers: Infi nity War. For a bett er look at all the big fi lms coming out next year, head to page 13. is for young writers, engineers and arti sts. There are loads of amazing competi ti ons taking place in 2019, so make sure you check out First News throughout is for Zero Y the year! The Wicked Emissions Day Young Writer Awards – or ZeDay – have already opened, iStock Z a worldwide perfect for getti ng your creati ve movement that juices fl owing. The competi ti on aims to encourage invites young people aged the use of renewable energy sources, between 5 and 25 to write as opposed to fossil fuels. The about absolutely anything challenge of ZeDay is simple: use as they like! It could be a story,

litt le electricity generated by fossil poem or play. The deadline iStock fuels as possible! ZeDay is on 21 for entries is 18 March. September, so you’ve got plenty of We’re also excited for our ti me to get your family ready. Find out Young Digital Innovator of more at www.zeroemissionsday.org. 2019, coming in the autumn. 6. BREXIT SPECIAL REPORT FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 BREXIT WILL 2019 BE THE YEAR iStock THAT WE CAN FINALLY TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE?

THE Government has been trying to strike a Brexit agreement ever since people voted to leave the European Union (EU) in a referendum in June 2016. The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March this year, but things aren’t really going to plan…

IF PEOPLE VOTED TO LEAVE, WHY IS THE IRISH BORDER SUCH A BIG DEAL? WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FUSS? At the moment, people and goods can cross freely between Northern Ireland and the Republic of The problem is that Prime Minister Ireland, but if the UK leaves the EU, the north Theresa May’s fi nal deal with the EU will be out of the EU while the Republic will hasn’t pleased many MPs. The PM sti ll be in it. postponed a vote on the deal that she That causes problems because it could had promised MPs, saying it was clear mean that there will need to be a ‘hard they would reject it – rescheduling it for border’, where customs offi cials have to the second week in January. There are sti ll inspect the goods that trucks are carrying several possible outcomes following that or check that people aren’t smuggling vote, so here’s our guide to the number of items in their cars. things that could happen next. Having border posts is also a reminder for many people of the decades of the Troubles, The PM’s deal is approved by Parliament. where various armed groups from the Catholic Most MPs are sti ll unhappy with the deal, so it Republic and Protestant Northern Ireland were seems unlikely that they will vote for it. Many object to the responsible for many acts of terrorism. All sides, ‘backstop’ arrangement that will aff ect Northern Ireland (see right). including the Briti sh Army, killed many people. However, it’s possible that MPs will prefer this deal to the next opti on… To prevent a hard border, the EU has insisted that We leave the EU without a deal in place. This is what’s being called the Brexit deal includes a backstop arrangement (a a ‘hard Brexit’ or ‘no-deal Brexit’, and is what a lot of leave voters and safety net), which would leave Northern Ireland more some Conservati ve MPs want. It would mean a clean break from the EU, closely linked to the EU. Although the backstop is only without having to follow any of its rules. This is what will automati cally intended to be temporary, lots of MPs are worried happen if a deal isn’t in place by 29 March. that it could go on for a long ti me and split the UK. The PM could call a second referendum. Mrs May is against the idea and says it won’t solve the problem, but since Parliament can’t agree, many think that voters should get the chance. Lots of remain voters HOW MUCH IS BREXIT COSTING? prefer this opti on, because they hope that enough people will have The Nati onal Audit Offi ce is an independent changed their mind. Also, in the last two years millions of young people organisati on that is responsible for looking at (who generally favour remain) are now old enough to vote. Many people Government spending. We asked them what the also think that a second referendum will allow people to say what kind costs of Brexit have been. of Brexit they want. “The changes that Government needs to We could cancel Brexit altogether. The European Court of Justi ce has make, and how quickly, will depend on if ruled that the UK can cancel its plan to leave. Obviously remain voters the UK and the EU agree a deal,” they said. prefer this opti on, but it seems unlikely that the Government will choose “For example, the Government might need it. It would also anger the 52% of people who voted to leave. to make changes to the checks it makes on people, food and animals as they move There could be a general electi on. It’s possible (but not guaranteed) that between Britain and the rest of Europe. the Labour Party could win an electi on. However, Labour say they will sti ll “Making all these changes costs money. The go ahead with Brexit, but even Labour supporters are confused about Government thinks it will spend £4.2 billion what their party wants. preparing for Brexit between 2016 and 2020, The Brexit process could be extended. This would give the Government and businesses will also need to spend money to more ti me to negoti ate, but the EU and MPs would have to agree to this. prepare. Creati ng so many new rules and systems in The EU has also said that the current deal is the best one available. a short ti me and doing this well is a big challenge.” 7. BREXIT SPECIAL REPORT FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 WHAT DOES BREXIT MEAN FOR THE ECONOMY? We spoke to Swati Dhingra, who works at the London School of Economics, and has been researching the eff ects of Brexit. Economists are known for being divided on most issues, but how about for Brexit? “Actually, 96% of economists say that there is going to be an economic hit,” she says. “The 4% who don’t agree are people who happen Around 135,000 NHS staff are from outside the UK, including 60,000 from Europe. Medical organisati ons have warned that Brexit could aff ect the to be much more politi cal than UK’s ability to hire enough doctors and nurses academic and they make some very strange assumpti ons that Dhingra says that London and don’t square up with reality. The the southeast will recover more rest are prett y much in agreement that quickly than the rest of the UK if WHAT WILL BREXIT MEAN FOR OUR HEALTH there’s going to be a hit, we just don’t know the economy suff ers aft er Brexit how big.” AND THE NHS? So what about Brexiteers’ claims that this is all scare tacti cs? The respected medical journal The Lancet has said that “the likelihood “I think it’s really disappointi ng that they’re dismissing all these warnings,” says of a no-deal or chaoti c Brexit has increased into an uncomfortable and Dhingra. “Because what they’re basing their analysis on is a very absurd assumpti on. alarming region of possibility” and that it “risks seriously harming the Even their economists agree that there’s going to be a reducti on in trade with the EU, health and wellbeing of the country’s people for generati ons to come”. but they say they’re going to make up for that by starti ng to trade with India, China and The medical community is generally against Brexit. Marti n McKee the US. To grow that to the point where the EU trade is, you would need it to grow by is the Professor of European Public Health at the London School of 400%, which hasn’t happened really ever in history.” Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and has been criti cal of the approach “One thing that people aren’t really paying att enti on to is that Brexit is probably to Brexit by both the Government and the Labour Party. going to aff ect younger people much more,” Dhingra adds, “as they’re the ones who “As the President of the Royal College of Physicians has warned, any tend to suff er more in economic downturns. That’s really where we should be focusing Brexit will be bad for health,” McKee told us. “But a ‘no-deal Brexit’ – what we’re doing to future generati ons.” would be catastrophic for the NHS, with ministers warning about Boris Johnson has been one of the most outspoken MPs regarding Brexit. He is in shortages of medicines and health professionals. Although supporters favour of a hard Brexit, which would mean the UK doesn’t have to follow any EU rules. of Brexit keep off ering reassurance, they have utt erly failed to provide “That was the vision of Brexit we fought for,” he said. “That was the vision the prime any detail whatsoever on how their ideas will work out, other than minister rightly described last year. That is the prize.” to repeat the argument that ‘they need us more than we need them’. “Brexit should be about opportunity and hope,” he said in a lett er to the PM. “It Hardly any health professionals want any form of Brexit. Doctors who should be a chance to do things diff erently, and to maximise the parti cular advantages are also MPs have demanded a second referendum, arguing that no of the UK.” surgeon would ever perform an operati on on the basis of consent given by a pati ent two years previously, before the procedure had been defi ned. This view is supported by the Briti sh Medical Associati on, the Royal College of Nursing, and leading medical journals.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg (left ) and Boris Johnson have been two of the biggest supporters of Brexit in Parliament

WHAT DO BUSINESSES THINK? On 10 December, the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committ ee (which is made up of a mix of MPs from the Conservati ves and Labour) published A NOTE FROM This is a fast-moving story and there are the opinions of companies who work in aerospace, cars, food and drink, EDITOR, many complex issues involved. Please and medicines. be reassured that everyone wants the The report said: “Leaving the EU without a deal would have catastrophic NICKY COX best for the future of the country, so keep consequences and must be avoided.” It also said that no businesses thought the reading First News for what happens next! PM’s agreement “provides a deal as good as the one we already have with the EU”. 8. HOME NEWS FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 UK SCOTLAND GREAT BRITISH HIGHLAND GAMES BEACH CLEAN Every year, on the fi rst Saturday in Every year, thousands of people take September, the Braemar Gathering part in the UK’s biggest beach clean. takes place. This is a huge cultural and The event is all about protecti ng our sporti ng event, which sees musicians, coastline and marine life from waste dancers and athletes come together. and plasti c litt er. You can help to There are pipe bands and games such tackle the problem by getti ng as tug-of-war. Look out for the Queen, involved in an event near you! who oft en att ends with her family. The Great Briti sh Beach Clean runs between 20-23 September. BRISTOL BALLOON FIESTA

G e tt y Balloons of all diff erent shapes, sizes and colours will take to the skies above Bristol for the Internati onal Balloon Fiesta from 8-11 August. Thousands of people visit the festi val each year, with one of the highlights being a nightglow event, where balloons light up to music.

BIRMINGHAM BIG BANG FAIR The UK’s biggest celebrati on of STEM G e tt y (science, technology, engineering and maths) for young people is returning NEWCASTLE UK to the NEC between 13 and 16 March – and you can get free ti ckets! There GREAT NORTH RUN Thousands of people are expected to will be loads of cool demonstrati ons, take part in the Great North Run on immersive experiences and fun facts 8 September, while many more will be to discover. spectati ng. The famous run att racts top LONDON athletes and celebriti es – last year Mo Farah won the race for a record fi ft h STAMPEX ti me! David Weir also set a new course INTERNATIONAL record in the men’s wheelchair race. McMeekin Jonathan The UK’s largest philatelic (stamp) What will happen this year? exhibiti on is taking place in Islington HERITAGE DAYS from 13-16 February. You can learn all

iStock Heritage Open Days is England’s about diff erent stamps and the hobby largest festi val of history and culture, of stamp collecti ng, as well as enjoy and this year it’s getti ng even bigger! an interacti ve photo booth and a live Running from 13 to 22 September, aucti on. There’s even a Stamp Acti ve people will be able to visit all sorts kids’ corner, which will be celebrati ng of historic buildings and hidden sites. Phileas Fogg and his Around The G e tt y The theme for 2019 is People Power. World In 80 Days adventure.

21 JUNE is the 22 DECEMBER is DATES TO REMEMBER summer solsti ce, the the winter solsti ce – the day with the longest day with the shortest 5 FEBRUARY 21 APRIL period of daylight. period of daylight. is Chinese New Year. is Easter Sunday. People across the world, On this day, Christi ans 10 NOVEMBER including in London’s celebrate the is Remembrance Chinatown, will be resurrecti on of Jesus Sunday. The nati on will celebrati ng with parades from the dead. Lots of remember all those and festi viti es. This year people also give and Chinese lanterns symbolise people letti ng iStock who have fought and marks the Year of the Pig. receive Easter eggs. go of their past selves and getti ng new ones died in war. iStock 9. NEWS IN PICTURES FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 HARBIN, CHINA CHANGZHOU, CHINA

CHILDREN in China celebrate the start of a new year, by forming a huge 2019 in their school playground.

LONDON, ENGLAND ENGLAND football manager THE world’s largest ice festi val opens in China on 5 January. The annual Harbin Gareth Southgate is among Internati onal Ice and Snow Sculpture Festi val features giant sculptures and full- those who have been sized illuminated ice buildings. Over a million people are expected to visit. honoured on the New Year’s Honours list 2019. The list recognises the outstanding achievements of people across the UK. Others being recognised include record- SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA breaking cricketer Alastair Cook, children’s author Julia Donaldson and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas.

MARS, SOLAR SYSTEM

THIS image from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express shows a new FIREWORKS explode over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House ice-fi lled crater that has been discovered on Mars. The Korolev crater is an during a display on New Year’s Eve. 82-kilometre-wide feature found in the northern lowlands of the Red Planet. 3 ISSUES FOR £1 SUBSCRIBE.FIRSTNEWS.CO.UK 10. CHILDREN’S DAYS FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 CELEBRATING KIDS AROUND THE WORLD DID you know that almost every country in the world has at least one special day a year completely dedicated to celebrati ng children? It makes sense, because you are a prett y awesome bunch! We thought our year-ahead issue was the perfect occasion to take a quick trip around the world to see how a handful of countries will be celebrati ng kids in 2019!

THE WHOLE TURKEY

WORLD Unti l 2013 the UK was one of the few countries in the world not to have a Nati onal Nati onal Sovereignty and Children’s Children’s Day. But today, Nati onal Children’s Day UK is a huge nati onal celebrati on. Day is a public holiday that falls on Universal Children’s Day is observed This year it’s on 12 May and will feature everything from small family and community 23 April every year. On this day, every year on 20 November by get-togethers to countrywide events. Nati onal Children’s Day UK was launched by the children quite literally take control millions of people across the world. Save Childhood Movement in 2014 and is always held at the beginning of summer. of the government! Girls and boys The day is offi cially known as United take seats in parliament and see Nati ons Universal Children’s Day what it’s like to govern the country and has been marked since 1954 to and discuss children’s issues. “promote internati onal togetherness, awareness among children worldwide and improving children’s welfare”. In other words, it’s a day all about you and for you (aft er all, you are the adults of the future). It’s a day to remember that not all children are as lucky as some. G e tt y Across the world, children have their rights denied every single day. The UN is working hard to ensure INDIA that every child in the world is in school and learning, safe In India, Children’s Day is known as from harm and able to fulfi l their Bal Divas and is celebrated on 14 potenti al. Universal Children’s Day November. It is celebrated on the reminds everyone that there’s birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, so much more work that needs India’s very fi rst prime minister. to be done. Nehru believed that children were the future of the nati on and should be treated with respect and love. THAILAND As a result, Children’s Day in India is also a day in which many In 2019, Nati onal Children’s Day people honour Nehru and pay (known as Wan Dek in Thai) will fall tribute to his love for children. on 12 January. Thailand celebrates Children’s Day is commonly marked the special day by opening its doors in schools with teachers arranging to children across the country, while various fun acti viti es. special events are organised by zoos, museums, the army, the navy and the government. The prime minister gives each Nati onal Children’s Day a theme. NIGERIA JAPAN G e tt y Last year’s theme was ‘Good children are diligent and crave for learning, for In Nigeria, children are given the day off In Japan, Kodomo No Hi a bright future.’ school for Children’s Day on 27 May. The day is (Children’s Day) is a nati onal celebrated with lots of fun parades organised holiday that falls on 5 May. It by teachers and there is also an offi cial parade is a day for men and women to organised by the Nigerian government. respect the individuality of all children and celebrate their happiness. It is also Children play For Nigerians, the day is a reminder of the a day where children show grati tude to their mothers. Families oft en raise on Nati onal problems that some children face every day of carp-shaped koinobori fl ags (above) – one for each member of – as Children’s Day their lives, such as violence and not being able part of the day’s celebrati ons. The brisk movement of the fl ags in the wind is in Thailand G e tt y to go to school. said to represent a healthy childhood. 11. SCIENCE NEWS FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 2019 IN SCIENCE

by Eddie de Oliveira ONE of the most exciti ng things about science is that it’s full of surprises. Scienti sts around the world work hard all year round to make major breakthroughs and discoveries that can change lives, save lives and improve our understanding of the world and universe around us. G e tt y We can’t be sure what major breakthroughs will be made this year, but we can be fairly certain that this year will see big news in scienti fi c fi elds such as medical science, astronomy, climate science and geneti cs. The fi rst major scienti fi c event of the year may well be the lunar eclipse on 20 January. It has already been nicknamed a “super blood wolf moon”, because a full moon, wolf moon, super moon and a total lunar eclipse will happen on the same night. A wolf moon is the term given to January’s full moon. A super moon describes the moon’s closest On 20-21 January 2019, a total point to Earth in its orbit, and the eclipse’s red glow is known as a blood moon. lunar eclipse will take place PERIODIC TABLE TURNS 150 SUN AND MOON THE most famous table in the world – the periodic table of chemical elements – turns 150 this year. THIS year is set to be a busy one for 1869 is considered the year Russian chemist (and owner of an excellent beard) Dmitri our moon and sun. Mendeleev (below right) discovered the periodic system. So 2019 has been named Before the upcoming lunar eclipse (see Internati onal Year of the Periodic Table by the United Nati ons General Assembly and above), China expects to land the fi rst ever UNESCO (the UN’s science, culture and educati on agency). Events to celebrate the craft on the so-called dark side of the moon. anniversary will be held worldwide, kicking off with an opening ceremony in France The Chang’e-4 spacecraft will undertake on 29 January. a lot of scienti fi c research and return samples to Earth. India is also planning its second mission to the moon this year, aft er delaying a launch due for 2018. The The SpaceIL country’s space agency wants to send the Chandrayaan-2 rover probe to the lunar surface early in 2019. Israeli company SpaceIL also plans to send its own spacecraft to the moon this year. If it succeeds, it’ll be the fi rst privately-funded pilotless spacecraft to ever land on the moon. As for the sun, the Parker Solar Probe, which launched in August 2018, will fl y close to our star in April and in September. Its fl yby ought to teach us lots of new things about the sun.

EUROPEAN LAUNCH MORE INSIGHTS DUE THIS year will see NASA’s InSight rover THE European Spallati on Source (ESS), conti nue to beam back stunning images one of the largest science and technology from the surface of Mars. We should begin projects in the world, is due to launch to unlock some of the secrets of what lurks in 2019. deep inside the Red Planet. Fift een European countries – including the This picture, taken in late December, shows InSight UK – are involved in the ESS, which is being placing its seismometer onto Mars. It will measure built in Lund, Sweden. It is a research facility seismic waves caused by ‘Marsquakes’ and containing state-of-the-art equipment that meteorite strikes. These studies will let scienti sts will enable scienti fi c breakthroughs in research study how the planet’s crust, mantle and core The site of the ESS on materials, energy, health, physics and are layered, and teach us how rocky planets (like environmental technology. Earth) and moons are formed. NASA/JPL-Caltech 12. BIG INTERVIEW FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 HEY GUYS, WHAT ARE THE STAND- CHERYL, YOU AND OTI GET VERY OUT MOMENTS FROM THE SHOW FOR EMOTIONAL. WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOU SO FAR? DANCE THAT BRINGS OUT SUCH Cheryl: Oti dragged me up on stage to EMOTION FROM PEOPLE? jive – that was a stand-out moment for Cheryl: I think it’s a bit like music, it’s me, because I could have killed her! a form of expression. It’s a form of I was in six-inch heels! art, really. It’s open for interpretati on. Oti :The funniest thing about that was Like Oti cried at Ellie [one of the that I said: “Ooh, let me do it” and then contestants], and I loved Ellie but I two seconds before, I realised I didn’t didn’t cry. Oti was really touched by have my shoes on! So you literally see her performance. That was the same me saying: “Cheryl, let’s go, let’s go”, as throughout the auditi on process. Some I’m trying to pull my shoes on. of us were really passionate about Matt hew:There was a young guy in someone, while the rest of us didn’t a wheelchair and a group with auti sm. have the same connecti on. Those groups in parti cular really stood out for me, because it’s what dance is all about. It’s saving people’s lives. For HOW COMPETITIVE DOES IT GET? those people who need to fi nd a way Matt hew: As you’ll see in future of expression, it’s just beauti ful to episodes, we have to decide our fi nal watch. It’s dance at its purest. nine. We each get three acts. We were

BBC/Syco/Thames/Tom Dymond BBC/Syco/Thames/Tom basically locked in a room and had to hash it out between each other. Things CHERYL, HOW DOES THIS SHOW got a litt le heated then, because we are COMPARE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE ON CHERYL: very passionate people. Cheryl and THE X FACTOR? I were fi ghti ng over the fi rst one a lot. Ha ha! At the end of the day, I think we Cheryl: I always felt like I tried to all really stand behind the fi nal nine that mentor my acts on The X Factor, too. we picked. Of course I want my three to I was defi nitely more of a mentor than be the winner, but I’m happy with all a judge. But there was defi nitely more the acts and I champion them all. of a competi ti ve nature among us “OTI DRAGGED as judges, probably because Simon liked to sti r things. It did feel more competi ti ve with The X Factor because at the end someone was WHAT SORT OF ACTS DID YOU winning a massive record contract ME UP ON STAGE GO FOR? and you felt responsible for their Oti :When I chose my acts, I kind career. With this show, you’re of went for people that touched helping them to win £50,000, which me. Lati n and ballroom is my world, is awesome, and to hopefully perform so I can see when people are very on Strictly. You’re just giving and giving, TO JIVE!” technically good, but someti mes it’s just you’re not trying to create a career. Cheryl, Strictly pro and actor Matt hew a personal thing that makes me cry or Hopefully a platf orm, but not a career. makes me feel like I really enjoyed it. It just feels diff erent; it’s a diff erent vibe. Morrison are on the hunt for the best dancer in Britain. We caught up with the dance captains Matt hew: I think I brought diversity to of new talent show The Greatest Dancer it. Like Oti , I went for acts that really to fi nd out more… touched me or I had a connecti on OTI, YOU’VE COME FROM STRICTLY with, but also what I felt COME DANCING. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO I could bring the most to BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE as a mentor. I went for acts I felt I could teach TABLE AS A JUDGE? the most. O ti : First of all I was like: “Oh Cheryl: I went for gosh, I hope they turn my mic somebody that excited down, as I’m so loud!” I was just me as a performer. proud. This is the fi rst ti me that I’m Not necessarily actually mentoring and sitti ng on the someone I could teach other side. Just to see the whole thing or tell where to step and from beginning to end fi lls me with such what to do, but someone I pride. It’s just a joy to be on the show. could encourage to do the best they can do. I’ve defi nitely got a diverse group, for sure. It’s going to be fun and CHARITIES SUPPORTED BY FIRST NEWS The Greatest I want to be challenged, too – I don’t Dancer starts at want to sit in my comfort zone. The thing is, I went to summer school at the 8pm, Saturday Royal Ballet when I was nine and I’m 5 January, BBC 1 now 35. I couldn’t tell a ballerina what to do, though. It was a long ti me ago! 13. ENTERTAINMENT FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 2019

Hiccup and Toothless are back in How To HOLD ON TIGHT! Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

HOLD on to those magic carpets, elephants and dragons (or whichever mythical fl ying object you’ve opted for) nice and ti ght, because 2019 is going to be quite a ride for all you entertainment fans out there! We’re talking three helpings of live-acti on Disney, endless new stuff to stream, arena tours, reunion concerts, West End debuts and never-before-seen theatre. Yep, 2019 means (show)business. Here’s a quick look at the whirlwind year ahead. DISNEY! Disney fans are in for quite a treat this year. Aladdin is set The fi lm company looks set to conquer the box offi ce more than to show you a FAB FILMS! once in 2019, with the release of not one, not two, but three live- whole new world acti on fi lms over the next of live-acti on few months – Dumbo (29 magic this May March), Aladdin (24 May) and The Lion King (19 July). Some big names have signed up to be part of the acti on too – look out for Eva Green, Colin Farrell and Michael Keaton in Dumbo, Will Smith and Naomi Scott in Aladdin and Seth Rogen and Beyoncé (yep, Queen B herself) in The Lion King. And don’t worry, you’ll sti ll get an ample serving of Reserved Rights All Inc. Enterprises, Disney © 2018 classic Disney animati on, with the release of Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2. Toy Story 4 will be released on 21 June and Frozen 2 is due to bring chills to fans across © 2018 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved Rights All Inc. Enterprises, Disney © 2018 Dumbo fl ies into cinemas in March the world on 22 November. BIG SEQUELS! SUPERHEROES! Where do we start?! Various superheroes have proven they LOADS of your old faves are coming back to gift us have the power to conquer the global box all with more adventure, fun and giggles in 2019. offi ce in recent years, but do this year’s big In additi on to Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2 (see heroes have what it takes to soar straight above), you can also look forward to How To Train to the top? Your Dragon: The Hidden World (1 February), Marvel has three huge releases The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (8 February), planned for this year: Captain Marvel Farmageddon: A Shaun The Sheep Movie (18 on 8 March, Avengers: Endgame on 26 October), The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (31 May) April (and if you’re an Avengers fan, you’re and the next Jumanji fi lm (13 December). no doubt counti ng down the days unti l If you need us, we’ll be in the cinema… The Secret Life Of Pets 2 your questi ons are FINALLY answered) and Spider-Man: Far From Home on 5 July. We don’t know much about the fourth Avengers fi lm at this stage, but what we do

know is that Marvel has said that the next Marvel © Marvel Studios Captain fi lm will ti e up every single loose plot line since the franchise began with Iron Man Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers, aka back in 2008. Wow! Captain Marvel, a hero charged with protecti ng planet Earth, which has Marvel is also releasing X-Men: Dark One of our fi rst looks at Toy Story 4, become caught up in the middle Phoenix, but we’ll probably have to wait

featuring new character, Forky Reserved All Rights ©2018 Disney•Pixar. of a war between two alien races unti l 2020 for DC’sWonder Woman 1984. 14. ENTERTAINMENT FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 TV MOVIES! ON ! Look out for some seriously Oh, Netf lix, you are good to us… awesome TV movies coming to There are plenty of new Netf lix nuggets to look forward to in TOP TV! a living room near you this year! 2019. The biggie is a brand-new Planet Earth-style docuseries Here at First News HQ we narrated by nati onal treasure David Att enborough, called Our can’t wait for the third instalment of junior villain acti on from Mal and the Planet. According to Netf lix, the new series will take viewers on gang in Descendants 3, coming to Disney Channel this summer. a journey through some of the world’s most precious natural All of our fave goodie-baddies are set to return and they’ll be joined by habitats when it hits the streaming service on 5 April. a whole host of Descendants newbies, including Jamal Sims as The Princess Other streaming gems to keep an eye out for include a G e tt y and the Frog’s villain Dr Facilier, Jadah Marie as his daughter Celia, as well as new Christmas fi lm called Klaus, an automoti ve show called Cheyenne Jackson as the hot-headed Hades from Hercules. Hyperdrive (defi nitely one for the Top Gear fans out there) and Keep your eyes peeled for a brand-new live-acti on Kim Possible fi lm this a new animated series called Twelve Forever. Sir David Att enborough year, too! We’re sure there’ll be plenty more to come as well!

PIKACHU is

BBC DID YOU making from your KNOW? small screens to the big screen once again! But this ti me you’ll marvel at this superstar in all his live- acti on fl uffi ness (he’s also voiced by funnyman Ryan Reynolds). Pokémon: Detecti ve Pikachu is OLD FAVES RETURN! set to electrify audiences when , The X Factor, The Voice it hits UK cinemas on 10 May.

Disney UK and The Voice Kids will all be gracing our TV Be sure to catch this one! The cast of Descendants 3 on their last day of fi lming screens for another glitt ering year in 2019. Woo! STARS ON TOUR! If you’re a fan of live music, then this will be music to

G e tt y your ears! MEGA A whole host of top superstars will be touring the UK this year. The likes of Pink, Litt le Mix, George Ezra, Shawn Mendes, The Vamps and Olly Murs will be coming to a stage near you in 2019, as well as the Spice Girls (history’s biggest-ever girl band!), who Jessie J will be releasing new music in 2019 recently announced their summer reunion tour. MUSIC! They’ll no doubt be spicing up everyone’s lives this summer… NEW ALBUM ALERT! KIDZ Bop Loads of your favourite arti sts have been working on new DID YOU are back music for 2019. Meghan Trainor, Busted and Jessie J will all and 2019

be dropping new albums this year. G e tt y looks set KNOW? Rumour has it that Adele will be releasing new music, too, to be their although nothing’s been offi cially confi rmed by the diva herself year. The – but we have our fi ngers and toes crossed, just in case! teenage boppers It will also be a big year for Disney soundtracks! Look out for just announced a fourth the soundtracks to Descendants 3, Aladdin, The Lion King and UK album, a headline UK Dumbo just ahead of each fi lm’s release date. They’ll all be on Shawn Mendes show (on 20 April) and repeat in the First News offi ce! revealed their new band member, Mia! G e tt y G e tt y

Adele on her last world tour The Spice Girls are back 15. ENTERTAINMENT FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 AND AT THE THEATRE!

A CATS fi lm DID YOU is coming to MARY POPPINS RETURNS… cinemas this KNOW? year! Andrew Lloyd Webber’s TO THE WEST END! West End hit The world’s most famous magical nanny cast one serious spell has been reimagined over the nati on in the Christmas hit fi lm Mary Poppins Returns, for the big screen and boasts leaving many of us feeling all jumpy around painti ngs. one seriously paw-some cast, If you’re looking for even more supercalifragilisti cexpialidocious including Jennifer Hudson, Taylor acti on in 2019, look no further than Mary Poppins the musical, Swift , Ian McKellen, James which will be fl oati ng back to London’s West End in autumn. G e tt y Corden and Idris Elba. Did we The musical, based on the 1964 Disney classic, will take over menti on Taylor Swift ? Just in from Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre in London. Aladdin’s case, we’ll say it again: Taylor closing performance is scheduled for 31 August 2019 – so go and Swift , peeps! TAYLOR SWIFT! see that if you haven’t already! David Boyd and Annemieke van Dam in a stage Mary Poppins fi rst premiered in the West End back in 2004. performance of Mary Poppins from 2004 ARENA TOURS! 2019: THE ‘DON’T MISS’ LIST! The nati on’s stadiums can boast Don’t miss the following stage shows in 2019! There’s truly quite the display of high-fl ying, back- something for everyone at the theatre this year… fl ipping, fox-trotti ng, head-banging acti on in 2019! There are a whole Join the eccentric Dr Dolitt le (played byHarry Pott er’s bunch of mega shows hitti ng the Mark Williams) and his animal friends in this extraordinary road this year, but here are some family musical. The show is touring the country unti l of the top ones in our calendars: The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice November 2019. The boys are back and they’ve got their dancing shoes From 18 January to 10 February the stars of Strictly will be waltzing around the country for the annual on! Join Strictly favourites , Louis Smith, Jay Strictly Come Dancing – The Live Tour. The 2019 tour will be directed by Strictly TV judge Craig Revel McGuiness and in their brand-new dance Horwood and features many of the celebriti es and professional dancers from the recent series. We show, Rip It Up. Catch the boys at London’s Garrick Theatre have no doubt that this is going to be FAB-U-LOUS! from 7 February – 4 June. Monster Jam has been visiti ng Cardiff for a few years now but 2019 will see its fi rst ever UK tour. Fans can expect to see high-speed racing, awe-inspiring stunts and daring tricks performed by enormous monster trucks. Each truck has its own persona and is operated by a world class driver. You’ll be amazed at how high the vehicles can go! Monster Jam is heading to Manchester, Cardiff and Coventry between May and June. For the full tour schedule, head to monsterjam.com/en-GB. Join Mickey Mouse and some of Disney’s most beloved characters on a walk – well, skate – down memory lane in The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice. The UK and Ireland tour begins its journey at The SSE Arena in London on 13 March and ends in Dublin on 12 May. For more informati on, head to disneyonice.com. TORUK – The First Flight is a live immersive spectacle that brings the breathtaking world of James Cameron’s blockbuster fi lm Avatar to the stage. Cirque du Soleil applies its unique style to James Cameron’s imaginary world in a show like no other. Take a journey

Errisson Lawrence to another world this year! The The Broadway hit Come From Away will premiere at spectacle arrives at London’s London’s Phoenix Theatre from 30 January. This joyous

O2 Arena on 26 June 2019. new musical shares the incredible real-life story of the You can fi nd out more at 7,000 air passengers who were grounded in Canada aft er TORUK: The First Flight cirquedusoleil.com/toruk. the tragic events of 9/11. VISIT WWW.FIRST-TICKETS.CO.UK FOR GREAT DEALS ON TICKETS TO FAMILY SHOWS 16. TRAVEL by Aaron Henderson FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 WHAT’S IT LIKE IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS? JANUARY is a good ti me to start thinking about holidays! Just a few weeks ago, we were invited to go on a once- in-a-lifeti me trip to the Turks and Caicos islands. This isn’t BEHIND THE SCENES something you get to do every year, so aft er thinking about it WE spoke to Fedeline Julien, the for two seconds, we packed our bags and hopped on the fi rst fl ight Children’s Acti viti es Manager at to the islands, which, if you’re wondering, are between the Bahamas Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and the Dominican Republic. Here’s what we got up to! Villages & Spa, to fi nd out what goes on at the resort. Do you have any funny stories about working as a Children’s Acti viti es WORLD’S BEST BEACH? Manager at the resort? Turks and Caicos is made up of 40 islands! That’s a lot of islands, and a lot of During one of our Talent Shows, the swimming – should you want to see them all. We wouldn’t recommend that litt le ones love to accompany their though, since most of them are absolutely ti ny, and prett y far away from each other. older siblings on stage. There was The main island is called Providenciales, or Provo to locals, and it’s where you can a litt le boy who accompanied his fi nd Grace Bay Beach, said to be one of the best beaches in the world. brother singing and the litt le one Just a few minutes walk away from the Beaches resort we were staying at, you quickly would dance as his big brother sang. see why it’s got a reputati on! Five miles long, with soft white sands and a sea so blue The litt le one quickly realised that the you’d think someone had dyed it! singer was more popular, so he ran to his big brother and said: “I want the microphone!” There’s lots of audience parti cipati on at the shows – has anyone ever done REALLY FRESH SHELLFISH anything crazy? The Turks and Caicos islands are home to the third biggest coral reef in the world, We’ve had one or two children who which means that the surrounding seas are teeming with incredible sea creatures and join us on stage during the shows and wildlife! We took a trip with Island Routes boats, who zipped us around Provo to the seem shy, but when they’re asked shallow shores of a nearby deserted island. It was there that we went scavenging for to take part in a challenge they’ve conch (pronounced ‘conk’). surprised everyone! For example, we You might have seen a conch shell before (pictured) – but the creature that lives inside the have a show where there’s a dance-off shell isn’t nearly as famous and looks a bit like a freaky snail. Turks and Caicos is the only and everyone is asked to show off their place in the world that you can fi nd a conch farm! best dance moves. A litt le girl who had Among the seaweed and coral, we found some conches and plucked them out of the water been in the kids’ camp for a week but at the request of our captain, Rice, and his fi rst mate, Crispy. From our conch haul, they made a was very quiet suddenly brought out Daniel Neal/Flickr salad, fresh from the ocean, which was incredibly tasty! these amazing moves on stage. It was such a shock and brilliant to see!

To book or for more informati on about PIRATES AHOY! the Beaches Resorts diff erence, visit www.beaches.co.uk, call 0800 597 0002 Turks and Caicos was a hotspot for pirate acti vity or pop down to the Sandals Luxury around fi ve centuries ago! In fact, one of the Travel Store at 135 Fulham Road, islands there, now called Parrot Cay, used to be London. called Pirate Cay, since it was the base of so many pirates! There are thought to be around 1,000 shipwrecks in the area today, and it’s claimed that For more informati on about conch one of the islands might hide the long-lost treasure diving and other boat excursions, head of Captain William Kidd… to www.islandroutes.co.uk. 17. FESTIVALS FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019

IF you’re looking for some fun a little closer to home, there are loads of amazing events happening throughout the year. FESTIVAL We’ve rounded up a few of our favourites below. FEVER DURHAM ISLE OF WIGHT CHESHIRE LUMIERE DURHAM THE GREAT WONDERFEST GERONIMO FESTIVAL The UK’s largest light festival is TV presenters Dick and Dom are hosting Family fun is the order of the day at returning to Durham for its tenth their very own festival! The Great this festival, with loads of amazing anniversary. Some of the city’s world- Wonderfest is set to be packed with rides and games to try your hand famous buildings will be illuminated music, magic and comedy. We wonder at. There are also performances in light, including the UNESCO World if there might even be a game of Bogies Getty from famous kids’ entertainers and Heritage site Durham Cathedral. thrown in there, too?! workshops where you can learn all 14-17 November 1-4 August sorts of new skills! www.lumiere-festival.com www.greatwonderfest.com 24-27 May www.geronimofest.com UK LUNA KIDS CINEMA EDINBURGH What better way to celebrate summer than with an outdoor cinema? Tons of top EDINBURGH FRINGE family movies and animations will be hitting the big screen at Luna Kids Cinema The famous festival is taking over the events across the UK. You can even enjoy some tasty snacks, and maybe a read city for three weeks of entertainment. of First News if you spot us there! Thousands of performers head to the Scottish capital every year to perform on hundreds of stages. You can catch comedians, theatre shows, dance performances, music acts, circus tricks, exhibitions and loads more. Getty 2-26 August www.edfringe.com

DORSET iStock CAMP BESTIVAL Get your masks and capes at the ready, as this year’s festival is celebrating the theme of ‘Heroes vs Superheroes’! Lulworth Castle will be taken over with live music, special guests, shows, activities and food stalls galore. BATH OXFORD & YORK 25-28 July BATH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL COUNTRYFILE LIVE www.campbestival.net The largest dedicated Dubbed the ultimate country fair, children’s literature festival Countryfile Live is all about the great in Europe is back! Loads of outdoors and getting close to nature. authors will be heading to You’ll be able to meet all sorts of

Getty the city to talk about their animals, from dogs to birds of prey, books, host activities and do take part in family activities such signings. Last year saw the as canoeing and enjoy some great likes of Tom Fletcher, Cressida storytelling. We’ll be there, too! Cowell and David Walliams all 1-4 August at Blenheim Palace, joining in the fun. Oxford 27 September-6 October 15-18 August at Castle Howard, bathfestivals.org.uk/ York childrens-literature countryfilelive.com 18. FIRST CAREERS FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019

WHAT I DO we have such a wide variety of candidate should have work ethic I am the commercial director for businesses that we trade with, from [willingness to work hard], the ability Caswellsgroup, which is a very big global companies through to ti ny to adapt to the requirements of the diverse and challenging role. It one-man businesses. They all bring job in hand and the willingness to PAUL involves the operati onal running of challenges, but in the main are all very learn. Aft er 20 years I am sti ll learning the business, assisti ng in procuring appreciati ve of the service we provide. and I probably sti ll will be up unti l the [buying] products and negoti ati ng day I reti re. with suppliers, completi ng tender WHAT’S DIFFICULT ABOUT IT MURPHY There isn’t anything that I can label documents and making presentati ons WHERE SHOULD YOUNG PEOPLE COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR to customers. I also manage the as diffi cult, but, dealing with as many START IF THEY WANT TO DO THE producti on of our catalogue, website areas of the business as I do, there and all our marketi ng campaigns. doesn’t seem to be enough hours in JOB, TOO? the day to provide the att enti on that At the bott om, regardless of HOW I GOT MY JOB is someti mes required. qualifi cati ons! There is nothing bett er I started at Caswellsgroup when than understanding the business from I was 15, washing vans on a Saturday WHAT SKILLS I NEED top to bott om. A young person starti ng morning! I then went on to work in I don’t think that this type of job at the bott om, learning every role and the stores during holiday periods while can be taught. However, an ideal having work ethic and ambiti on, will studying at college and university. quickly rise to the top. I left university with a degree in applied biological sciences and ended HOW MY JOB COULD CHANGE up as part of the internal sales team. IN THE FUTURE THIS week’s interviewee As the ever-changing digital world really understands all of WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB takes hold on our industry, we may the roles in his company – I love many aspects of my job, and not end up building relati onships because he’s done most of it certainly isn’t boring or repeti ti ve. with customers and suppliers. them! Paul told us how he In 20 years I can honestly say that Instead it may be the cheapest rose through the ranks, and I haven’t had two days the same. price and fastest delivery service how you can do it, too. I love dealing with customers and that are the driving factors. VISIT FIRSTCAREERS.CO.UK – A SHOWCASE OF HUNDREDS OF JOBS AND CAREER PATHS TO INSPIRE YOU FOCUS ON YOU NEW YEAR iStock RESOLUTIONS EVERY year, most of us make resoluti ons and goals for the new year. However, making them is easier than sti cking to them! Wouldn’t it be good if this year was diff erent? Here are some top ti ps to keep you moti vated: Keep a daily record of how your resoluti ons are going. Reward yourself at the end of a good week. Stuck for resoluti on ideas? This litt le lot might help you out: Set small, achievable goals. Rather than cover the enti re year, set a goal for a week, then another, and so on. Help your parents cook more tasty home- Read more books. made dinners. Take up a hobby. Get a resoluti on buddy; someone who is doing the same resoluti on so that you can keep each other moti vated. Get your homework done on the fi rst night. Be more environmentally-friendly. Learn a new language. Do good deeds for others. I’M ESTHER RANTZEN, PRESIDENT OF CHILDLINE, WHICH HELPS THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN EVERY WEEK. IF YOU EVER NEED TO TALK, YOU CAN VISIT WWW.CHILDLINE.ORG.UK OR CALL THEM ON 0800 11 11. 19. ANIMAL NEWS FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 30 DAYS WILD BIG GARDEN HOW do you fancy taking on a wild challenge? iStock Every June, hundreds of thousands of people take part in 30 Days Wild, organised by The Wildlife Trusts. BIRDWATCH The aim of the event is to bring a litt le nature into your life every day for 30 days. They call these Random BIG

Acts of Wildness! You could give up Kennedy Ray single-use plasti cs, pledge yourself to a nature campaign or enjoy planti ng Andy Hay BUTTERFLY diff erent things in your garden. You can learn more by going to www.wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild.

Ray Kennedy Ray COUNT THIS giant survey of butt erfl ies takes place again this summer. Andy Hay Andy Hay The event was launched in 2010 and helps experts to assess the health of THE RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is back – and it’s our environment. Matt hew Roberts hew Matt celebrati ng its 40th birthday! Last year a record-breaking 100,246 Between 26-28 January, over half a million people will head people took part, submitti ng 97,133 out into their gardens to count all the diff erent birds they see. counts of butt erfl ies and day-fl ying The survey helps the RSPB to understand how birds are doing in moths from across the UK. the UK and potenti ally spot any problems. They’ll then put steps in place to The results showed that white help any species that are struggling. butt erfl ies were the most common, Last year, results showed that the house sparrow was the most with sighti ngs of the small white, large commonly spott ed bird in the UK, with the starling in second place and white and green-veined white making the blue ti t in third. It was also a good year for greenfi nches, who saw up 55% of all the species counted. The a rise in their numbers. two blue butt erfl ies – the holly blue Sadly, it wasn’t all good news, as blackbirds and robins suff ered a decline. and common blue (pictured) – also Experts also discovered that frogs and toads are in desperate need of help. had a good year. To mark the event, the RSPB is encouraging parti cipants to share their Big Unfortunately, the small Garden Birdwatch stories with #BigGardenBirdWatch. Perhaps you can build tortoiseshell suff ered its worst Big your own birdwatching den or bake birdseed cakes? Butt erfl y Count on record and the red ZOO To fi nd out more and get involved, check out www.rspb.org.uk/get- admiral saw a big drop in numbers involved/acti viti es/birdwatch. We can’t wait to see what the results of this from 2017. year’s survey will show, but hopefully it’ll be more good news than bad. You can fi nd out more at NEWS www.bigbutt erfl ycount.org.

DINOSAURS ARRIVE ANIMAL STOCKTAKE G e tt y MARWELL Zoo is getti ng some EVERY year, the animals roaring new additi ons this year – at ZSL London Zoo and dinosaurs! ZSL Whipsnade Zoo are The Hampshire zoo is to become weighed and counted. the fi rst att racti on in the world to host a That includes every bird, collecti on of giant LEGO brick dinosaurs, fi sh, mammal and repti le! as part of BRICKOSAURS. The zoos are home to The prehistoric experience will feature thousands of animals that all have a total of 50 life-sized LEGO sculptures, to be registered in a huge database. built with more than two million bricks. It’s a big job and takes around a week One of the highlights is a whopping to complete. eight-metre T-Rex! The informati on from the stocktake is then shared with zoos around the BRICKOSAURS will run from 5 April world so that experts can see how endangered animals are getti ng on in unti l 1 September 2019. their internati onal conservati on breeding programmes. 20. CRAZY BUT TRUE FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 2019 WECRAZY can’t wait to see what wonderful and wackyEVENTS records are broken this year! In the meanti OFme, here are some of the spectacularly crazy events that are heading your way… CHEESE CHAMPS MAY JUNE THOUSANDS of people will head to Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire for this world-famous cheese- rolling event. G e tt y EGG-CITING ACTION Competi tors att empt to chase a rolling cheese wheel down IT’S the 14th World Egg Throwing the hill to be crowned the champion. The traditi on dates back Championships in Lincolnshire this year. several hundred years, but it can cause a few injuries! Teams of two have to see how far they can throw and catch an egg without dropping or breaking it! The ones who manage the furthest AUGUST distance are crowned the winners. MAN v HORSE BOG SNORKELLING RECKON you could run WE never get ti red of this one, as it’s just so faster than a horse?! JUNE crackingly crazy! SCARE FEST That’s the premise of this bizarre THERE’S a scare fest coming The 34th annual

Gett y Gett to the idyllic Yorkshire competi ti on, which sees runners and horses World Bog Snorkelling AUGUST pitt ed against each other over mountainous Championships are taking Dales village of Kett lewell! terrain in Wales. The course was changed place in Llanwrtyd Wells Every year, scarecrows pop up in every nook and cranny of the in 1982 so that it’s more of an even fi eld and will see contestants from across town, eager to delight visitors (and perhaps scare off the birds!). and the runners actually have a chance! the world snorkelling through a muddy bog. It’s all part of the Kett lewell Scarecrow Festi val, which started The horses have only been beaten on two The current world champion and world record back in 1994. Famous stars, sporti ng heroes and classic movie occasions, so could 2019 be the year it holder is Neil Rutt er, who set a speedy ti me of 1min characters have all been created in scarecrow form. We wonder happens again? If a human runner wins, 18.82sec in the 2018 competi ti on. what visitors will see this year! they’ll bag a tasty £3,000 cash prize! RECORD OF THE WEEK TALLEST CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN THE largest chocolate fountain is 8m (26ft 3in) tall and circulates two tonnes (4,409lb) WOW! of chocolate at a rate of 120 quarts (240 WHAT DO pints) per minute. It is displayed at the PENGUINS LIKE Bellagio Pati sserie (USA) in Bellagio Hotel TO EAT? and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. BRRRR-ITOS! FOR INFO ON THIS RECORD AND HUNDREDS MORE, GO TO SHARE YOUR JOKES WITH US AT [email protected] GUINNESSWORLDRECORDS.COM

Writt en and illustrated by Paul Palmer 21. GAME ZONE FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 THE BIG GAMES OF 2019 2018 was a big year for games, but 2019 is looking like it could be even bigger. For one thing, loads of the games we were really excited for in 2018 are fi nally coming out this year!

ANIMAL CROSSING SWITCH CONCRETE GENIE PS4 SINCE the Switch was fi rst announced, Animal Crossing fans have AN interesti ng game about been demanding that a new game in the series be released for the creati vity and bullying comes console. In 2019, it looks like fans will get their way. to the PS4 in 2019. We’ve got absolutely no details about the game as of yet, In Concrete Genie, you play as Ash, other than the fact that it’s supposed to come out this year. a lonely kid from the dreary town That said, since it’s an Animal Crossing game, we can be of Denska. Your job is to bring the sure of a few things. There will defi nitely be fi shing, bug polluted place back to life, which is catching and fossil hunti ng, and we’re likely to see the done by using a magic paint to draw return of Isabelle (pictured), fresh from her appearance friendly and helpful creatures on its in Super Smash Bros Ulti mate. crumbling walls. Other than that, we can’t be quite sure. Will we be made As you explore the town, climbing mayor of the village like in Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the over fences to reach new walls to paint, 3DS or will we have some enti rely new responsibility? We’ll you’ll have to face bullies. Fortunately, hopefully fi nd out soon! the art you make can come to life and stop them in their tracks! Looking like something special, Concrete Genie is due out someti me POKÉMON SWITCH in the fi rst half of the year. MUCH like Animal Crossing lovers, Pokémon fans can’t wait for a proper new TRIALS RISING (PEGI 12) PC, SWITCH, PS4, XBOX ONE release for the Switch. TRIALS Rising will have us While Pokémon: Let’s Go was barely balancing a motorbike a fun way of playing Pokémon, in 2019. it was prett y diff erent to The game sees you travel across a standard Pokémon game a dangerous track by leaning back like Pokémon Sun or Moon. and forth on your bike. This year, a ‘mainline’ You might have played an app Pokémon game is set for release or game like it before, but it won’t on the Nintendo Switch, although compare to Trials Rising, which takes the details are sti ll hush-hush! the game to new heights, like the top of the Eiff el Tower! Plus, there’s a new tandem mode, where two riders control the same motorcycle, both controlling a part of the balance and power of the bike. KINGDOM HEARTS III (PEGI 12) PS4, XBOX ONE It’s set for release in February, and we can’t wait! OKAY, so Kingdom Hearts III was in fact in our Biggest Games Of 2018 list, but this year it’s really coming out, and soon! We promise! In less than a month’s ti me, we’ll fi nally be back fi ghti ng shadow creatures alongside Donald, Goofy and other characters from the world of Disney. DREAMS PS4 While there have been a total of 12 games in the Kingdom Hearts series, there’s ANOTHER game that we a good chance that you’ve never seen thought we would be playing or heard of them, especially since the in 2018 was Dreams. Could fi rst one came out in 2002! it be that we fi nally get the In them, you play as Sora, a boy with chance this year? the magical Keyblade weapon, which allows him to fi ght the Heartless, From the team that made shadowy beings who are threatening Litt leBigPlanet, comes Dreams various Disney worlds. – a game that can make games. As you venture through these worlds, With the ability to write your you’ll meet and unlock the powers of own music, make your own fi lms characters from a huge bunch of Disney and design levels, characters and games from the ground up, there’s no doubt fi lms! You’ll meet Winnie the Pooh, the that Dreams is going to be unique. Toy Story crew, Captain Jack Sparrow As it turns out, a game that you can make games in takes a long ti me to create. and Mike Wazowski! Honestly, we’re sti ll not sure we’ll be playing it in 2019, but we sure hope we are! 22. PUZZLES FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 SUDOKU WORD RAIN HAVE a go at our sudoku and fi ll in the numbers one to nine. LADDER SEE if you can get from the top of the ladder to the bott om by changing one lett er at a ti me 2 5 to make a new word. 5 3 2 1 4 7 8 BOWS 8 6 2 1 4 9 2 1 2 CROSSWORDCAN you complete our crossword by using the clues below? 7 3 1 1 2 3 4

3 9 8 4 5 6 7 8 4 1 8 6 7 9 3 8 1 9 10 11 D WHE 12 13 14 E 15 R ore lett ers or m you L O ee ca r n f th you fi nd the word ma Ws o can th ke rd d at u , u o An se si 16 17 w e. s n y n al g n o l t th a ch h e m a e m e le w n tt id o i d h r e r le E e s E tt ? S le N N 18

AcrossACROSS DOWN Down 1 - Type1 ofType ape of with ape large with ears (10) 1 Mammal with disti 1ncti - Mammal ve with distinctive humps (5) E I large ears (10) humps (5) 5 - Very5 small Very insmall scale in (5) scale (5) 2 Correct or right (6) 2 - Correct or right (6) 7 Grasp; get an illness (5) 3 Pleasant (4) R 7 - Grasp; get an illness (5) 3 - Pleasant (4) 9 Person currently in 4 Very (9) 9 - Personfi rst currently place (6) in first place (6) 6 Dare (9) 4 - Very (9) 10 Small amphibian (4) 8 Something worn G O 10 - Small amphibian (4) 6 - Dare (9) 12 Friend (4) on the head (3) 12 - Friend13 Pieces (4) of fabric used to 11 River that fl ows 8 - Something worn on the head (3) cover a bed or matt ress (6) through London (6) S A 13 16- Pieces A dance of fabric performed used to by cover people a bed or12 mattress Car (anag) (3) 11 - River that flows through London (6) (6) in a single line (5) 14 Serious or strict (5)12 - Car (anag) (3) 1716 Perhaps- A dance (5) performed by people in a single15 lineSoft (5) bathroom 18 Instruments like drums (10) mineral powder (4) 14 - Serious or strict (5) 17 - Perhaps (5) 15 - Soft bathroom mineral powder (4) 18 - Instruments like drums (10) 23. PUZZLES FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 SPOT THE DIFFERENCE JUST for fun this week. Can you spot the fi ve changes we’ve made to this picture from Doctor Who? A B

WHAT WILL WIN! A ROYAL MAIL YEARBOOK ROYAL Mail has released their annual yearbook that YOU BE IN celebrates all of the stamp issues from 2018. The hardback book is a limited editi on of just 8,000, which are all individually numbered. THE FUTURE? Containing all of the Special Stamps and Miniature Sheets from 2018 in mint conditi on, the 64-page full-colour yearbook is packed with photos and imagery. This exquisite book provides a fresh perspecti ve on the themes commemorated or celebrated through stamps during the course of the year, including Harry Pott er, the Centenary of the RAF and classic sitcom Dad’s Army. An overarching theme runs through every yearbook, with the one for the 2018 editi on being First, refl ecti ng the fact that the stamps for each issue all appear on the fi rst page of every chapter. To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the following questi on:

GET behind the scenes of some of the UK’s most interesti ng jobs What does RAF stand for? and fi nd what’s right for you. a) Royal Air Force On the First Careers website you can search through over 150 job profi les and b) Red Air Force discover career opportuniti es, inspirati on and advice. Our honest job profi les give a taste of what it would be like to land your dream job, plus many of our c) Regal Air Force interviews are carried out by young people, so you get the lowdown on the things that matt er most to you (like whether maths is really important, aft er all). ENTER NOW! MARK YOUR ENTRY BOOK www.fi rstcareers.co.uk fi rstnews.co.uk/competi ti ons or see below. The closing date is 17 January 2019.

COMPETITIONS: You can enter First News competi ti ons in one of two ways. 1. Go to fi rstnews.co.uk/competi ti ons and follow the instructi ons. 5 2 7 4 8 9 3 6 1 A C H I E V E M E N T 2. Write to us at ‘competi ti on name’ (e.g. Holiday), First News, First fl oor, 58 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0AS. Please note: First News L E I A R LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: 9 8 6 5 3 1 4 2 7 T E A M T E T N A will not share your personal details with third parti es. First News will only use your details to contact the competi ti on winners. First News Spot the diff erence: clock is missing, Spider- 3 1 4 7 6 2 9 8 5 E R E M A I N S N competi ti ons are open to those aged 17-and-under and residents of the UK & Republic of Ireland, except employees of First News, First Group Ham’s ear removed, Miles’ head is bigger, 1 5 8 9 4 7 2 3 6 R A L T S 2 4 3 8 1 6 7 5 9 N O I S Y G E T U P Enterprises Ltd, Trinity Mirror and any associated companies and their families. Winners will be the fi rst correct entries drawn aft er the closing A U P R O Gwen’s top is diff erent, number removed from 7 6 9 3 2 5 1 4 8 T F R E E Z E R R dates. No purchase necessary. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that have been lost or damaged in transit. First News will not 8 7 2 1 5 4 6 9 3 poster. What on Earth: party hats, balloons, Big I D L E A D A R T enter into any correspondence. All winners will be noti fi ed accordingly and their names and addresses will be available on request. No cash 4 9 5 6 7 3 8 1 2 V E C F E Ben, sparkler, champagne corks, disco ball. 6 3 1 2 9 8 5 7 4 E X A G G E R A T E D 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. 24. BOOKS FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019

THE PECULIAR PEGGS OF RIDDLING WOODS TOP READS FOR 2019 BY SAMUEL J HALPIN When Poppy moves to Suds to stay with her grandmother, she discovers three peculiar women who seem to weave a strange THE GIRL WITH THE SHARK’S TEETH magic over the inhabitants. But there’s an even bigger mystery to solve, as children have been disappearing from Suds. Children who turned BY CERRIE BURNELL completely grey before they disappeared. Can Poppy and her new friend Erasmus Minnow is diff erent from the other girls in her town brave the Riddling Woods and solve both mysteries? and there’s plenty to set her apart, including her affi nity with the water, which leaves people speechless. She is sure that once in deep, deep water, her body began to glow like a sunken star! When her mum gets into trouble GALLOGLASS and is taken from their boat in the dead of night, Minnow is alone with one instructi on: sail to Reykjavik to fi nd your grandmother; she will keep you safe… BY SCARLETT THOMAS Effi e Truelove and her school friends Lexy, Wolf, Maximilian and Raven must use their magical skills to defeat the Diberi, a corrupt organisati on intent on destroying the worlds at THE HAVEN Midwinter. But during a visit to the Otherworld, Effi e is mistaken and imprisoned for being a galloglass – a dangerous, BY SIMON LELIC selfi sh islander. Meanwhile, Lexy is threatened by the vile professor Jupiter Alone and on the run, Ollie Turner has nowhere to hide. Peacock and Wolf embarks on a perilous But aft er he’s snatched from his bed in the middle of the journey to fi nd his missing sister. night, he gets a second chance. Underneath the city there’s a secret sanctuary for kids, far from adult eyes. Soon Ollie is caught up in The Haven’s batt le to stop Maddy Sikes destroying the city. Time is running out for Ollie and his new friends, and millions of lives are at stake… EVIE AND THE ANIMALS BY MATT HAIG ILLUSTRATED BY EMILY GRAVETT WORDS Evie is a litt le girl with a special talent: she can talk to animals. But when she rescues the school rabbit Gerald and sets him free, Evie lands in big trouble. She promises FOR LIFE her dad never to talk to animals again. But when Evie sees a silver kitt en on a missing poster, she secretly starts using her magical gift again. Soon she discovers that this cat isn’t the only animal to have HOLLY Webb started writi ng several years ago while working as gone missing in town. And if Evie won’t fi nd them, who will? a children’s books editor. She has writt en over 90 books, including the Animal Stories, My Naughty Litt le Puppy and Maisie Hitchins series. Her latest book, Sara’s Dream Role, the second book in the ALEX RIDER – SECRET WEAPON Shine series, is due on 7 February. Here, Holly tells us

BY ANTHONY HOROWITZ what books she read as a child: A lot of them! I loved the Narnia books, and I read a Ever since MI6 recognised his potenti al, Alex Rider has “ lot of boarding school stories – I never wanted to go constantly been thrust into the line of danger. From a routi ne “ to a boarding school, though. I also really loved visit to the denti st that turns into a chase through the streets a series called The Animals of Farthing Wood. of London, to a school trip with a deadly twist, no day has ever been ordinary for the teenage super-spy. This collecti on of adventures features new and familiar characters from the TO READ HOLLY’S FULL INTERVIEW, VISIT WORDSFORLIFE.ORG.UK/AUTHOR-INTERVIEWS. thrilling world of Alex Rider. FOR BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS, ACTIVITIES AND GAMES, GO TO WORDSFORLIFE.ORG.UK.

FOOTBALL SCHOOL – STAR PLAYERS BECOME A FIRST NEWS BOOK REVIEWER! HAVE you read a book recently that you desperately want to tell people BY ALEX BELLOS AND BEN LYTTLETON about? Write us a review! The newer the book, the bett er your chances of What made Pelé the greatest player of all ti me? How did getti ng in the paper – and while we all love the Harry Pott er and Diary Of Nadia Nadim fl ee from Afghanistan and end up playing for A Wimpy Kid series, we get loads of reviews for these books, and we can’t Manchester City? Who was the Liverpool player who invented publish the same review every week! If you want to become a First News book the world’s most popular football boot? This collecti on of fi ft y reviewer, all you need to do is send us around 100 words on a book you’ve biographies brings together the incredible true stories of the been reading – good or bad – and a picture of yourself (with your parents’ game’s greatest legends who changed the world of football. permission). Email your review to bookreviews@fi rstnews.co.uk. 25. FAMILY FUN FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 FirstNews QUIZ HAVE a go at our First News Challenge! Why not set yourself and your friends or family a ti me challenge to see who can get the highest score in the quickest ti me? See how well you did by using the answers at the bott om. WHAT HAVE WHAT’S IN THE SLOTHS 1. WHEN IS HARRY POTTER WE LEARNED BOOK NIGHT? THIS WEEK? SHOPS? SLOTH MUG 2. HOW MANY TEAMS WILL ...... IWANTONEOFTHOSE.COM £9.99 COMPETE IN THE FIFA Feel instantly calm and relaxed with this cute WOMEN’S WORLD CUP? sloth mug. The lovely painted mug gives you the 3. WHAT BIRTHDAY IS THE perfect excuse to laze around. So the next ti me you’re feeling a litt le sluggish, just relax and take BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH a long refreshing sip from the smiling face of your CELEBRATING THIS YEAR? ...... new sloth buddy!

...... 4. WHAT HAPPENS IN SENSITIVE SLOTH PLANTS THE VILLAGE OF GETTINGPERSONAL.CO.UK £9.99 ...... KETTLEWELL EVERY AUGUST? Put your green fi ngers to good use and grow your very own sensiti ve sloth plant! The unique fern-like 5. WHERE WILL THE leaves react to human touch by ...... slowly closing up. This great set EUROVISION SONG CONTEST includes all the materials you TAKE PLACE IN MAY? need to bring your sloth plant ...... to life! Includes a Sensiti ve Sloth puzzle booklet...... 6. 2019 IS THE CHINESE YEAR OF THE… ...... HANGING SLOTH PLUSH AMAZON.CO.UK £17.99 7. WHICH ACTOR PLAYS CAPTAIN ...... This adorable soft and cuddly hanging sloth comes with hook and loop att achments on its hands and feet MARVEL IN THE NEW MOVIE? so you can clasp them together. Hang it or simply play with it, this hanging sloth will make you smile either 8. WHO WILL TAKE OVER FROM JAPAN’S way. Every hanging sloth comes with an educati onal EMPEROR AKIHITO WHEN HE ABDICATES? tag containing informati on on the mammals, noted for ...... their slow movements and for spending most of their

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Crown Prince Naruhito Prince Crown 8) Larson Brie 7) Pig 6) 6) ......

Israel Aviv, Tel 5) val Festi Scarecrow 4)

ANSWERS: ANSWERS: 40th 3) 24 2) February 7

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First News team details available at www.fi rstnews.co.uk/team. For editorial enquiries, contact newsdesk@fi rstnews.co.uk or (020) 3195 2000. For home subscripti on enquiries, emailsubscripti ons@fi rstnews.co.uk or call 0330 333 0186. For school subscripti on enquiries, email [email protected] or call (01371) 851 898. Web: www.fi rstnews.co.uk. All material in this newspaper is © 2019 First Group Enterprises Ltd and cannot be used without writt en permission. First News is published by First Group Enterprises Ltd, First Floor, 58 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0AS. Printed by Westf erry Printers Ltd, Kimpton Rd, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU2 0TA. Distributed by Seymour Distributi on Ltd, 2 East Poultry Ave, London, EC1A 9PT. Tel: (020) 7429 4000. We are extremely passionate about the environment and we are always looking at ways to reduce waste throughout the company and across all of our products. Our paper comes from sustainable sources. The polyfi lm we use to wrap mailed copies is fully recyclable and also has a special additi ve that allows it to degrade much quicker than normal plasti c, should it end up in landfi ll by accident. 26. YOUR NEWS FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019 IN 2018, WE RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF YOUR REPORTS…

Loads of you told us all about what you’d been up to throughout the year, and we’ve loved hearing from you. Here’s a brief look back at just a few of the amazing events, acti viti es and experiences that Daniel MacAlpine was very excited to learn some of our readers were he had won the First News Gravett garden involved in. competi ti on. Daniel and his classmates Pupils from Bishop Henderson School had an extra-special lesson enjoyed selecti ng plants and fl owers to in the playground. Year 6 were studying remembrance as their Don’t forget to keep telling us brighten up their school. history topic and really enjoyed seeing this Spitf ire plane. what you get up to this year. Email your report (including pictures) to yournews@ fi rstnews.co.uk. Remember to include your name and age (and Ellis and his brother took part in the your school’s name and address RSPB’s Wild Challenge, completi ng for school news reports). various acti viti es to help nature. By writi ng in, you give consent to First News printi ng details and photographs of those involved in the report.

Stanley was in the crowd to watch Ross Edgley complete his herculean eff ort to become the fi rst person to swim around Britain, and the fi rst to swim the length of the English Channel.

In September, pupils at Brabyns Preparatory School in Cheshire Ruby went along to interview Mo returned to Farah at Soccer Aid for UNICEF. It turns school in brand- out he may be a great sportsman but new blazers he’s rubbish at doing the fl oss! Noah and his family stayed in a shepherd’s made from hut at Port Lympne. They got to hang out recycled plasti c with ti gers aft er the park was closed. bott les.

Tomas and his football team travelled to Spain to take part in a three-day internati onal football tournament.

Marcus told us all about his powerboat training at Haversham Sailing Club. Ananyaa told us about her visit to Moscow, Russia. 27. SPORT IN 2019 by Eddie de Oliveira FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019

New Zealand, aka the All Blacks, celebrate winning the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England THE YEAR AHEAD

BIG SPORTING G e tt y EVENTS IN 2019 AUSTRALIAN OPEN 14 – 27 January The fi rst tennis Grand Slam of RUGBY WORLD CUP 20 September – 2 November the year begins just two weeks One of the biggest sporti ng events of defeated them in 2018 and are the reigning aft er New Year’s Day. Roger the year takes place this autumn. For the Six Nati ons champions. Federer (right) and Caroline fi rst ti me ever, rugby union’s showpiece England will be looking to do well aft er their Wozniacki won last year’s internati onal tournament will take place disastrous performance four years ago, when singles ti tles, and both are set to in Asia, as Japan takes on hosti ng duti es they became the fi rst host team in World Cup defend their trophies this year. for this year’s Rugby World Cup. history not to make it out of the pool stage. Wozniacki faces sti ff competi ti on A total of 20 teams will compete in 12 South Africa are also among the favourites, from Serena Williams, 37, who is G e tt y venues across Japan, with the hosts kicking while 2015 runners-up Australia go into this seeking a 24th major singles ti tle. off proceedings against Russia in the opener. year’s tournament as slight underdogs aft er Federer, who is also 37, is Champions New Zealand are sti ll the team a terrible 2018 in which they lost nine hoping to lift a 21st Grand Slam to beat, though keep an eye on Ireland, who matches and only won four. ti tle. He won his fi rst back in 2003!

EUROPEAN FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS CRICKET WORLD CUP 21 – 27 January 30 May – 14 July

The best fi gure skaters in Europe will gather G e tt y Cricket’s coming home! in Minsk, this month to compete in four England and Wales disciplines: men, ladies, pairs and ice dance. will host this year’s Alina Zagitova is the big favourite in the tournament, with ten

ladies’ contest. The 16-year-old from Russia is teams batt ling it out in G e tt y the reigning Olympic one-day internati onals at England’s Joe Root will and European 11 venues, including Trent be hoping his hands end champion, and she Bridge in Notti ngham, up on the World Cup has won a load of Edgbaston in Birmingham junior ti tles, too. and Lord’s in London. Cardiff is the only host city in Wales. The current Briti sh England will fancy their chances of lift ing the trophy, but reigning G e tt y men’s champion, champions Australia should be strong, and India and South Africa are Graham Newberry expected to be in with a shout. (left ) is scheduled It all bowls off on Thursday 30 May with England v South Africa at to compete, as is The Oval in London. Alina Zagitova reigning Briti sh is expected to ladies’ champion be among the Natasha McKay. medallists CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE 28. SPORT IN 2019 by Eddie de Oliveira FirstNews Issue 655 4 – 10 January 2019

England came third at the last World Cup THE YEAR AHEAD G e tt y

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 7 June – 7 July France are the hosts as the best 24 and Brazil. countries in the world compete in nine England have been drawn in a G e tt y citi es for a chance to win the eighth group with Scotland for the second AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS editi on of the Women’s World Cup. tournament in a row, aft er the two 15 June – 13 July The USA won the last tournament faced off in the opening round of the in Canada, with Japan fi nishing as European Championships in 2017. The fi nest footballers in Africa will come runners-up. England came third, and The offi cial mascot of the World together for a month-long footballing they go into this year’s competi ti on Cup (right) is a young chicken extravaganza – but where? Original G e tt y brimming with confi dence under coach named etti e. We’re not quite hosts Cameroon had the tournament Phil Neville. Other sides with a good sure why the ‘e’ isn’t a capital taken away from them because their chance of glory include Sweden, Japan, lett er, though! preparati ons were so behind schedule. Egypt and South Africa are bidding to be hosts instead. A decision will be made on 9 January. Liverpool’s Egypti an striker Mohamed Salah (right) is expected to shine, WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS while Mauritania and Madagascar are making 27 September – 6 October their Africa Cup of Nati ons debuts. Doha in Qatar is the place to be in 2019 for the world’s best track and fi eld stars. The ten-day competi ti on will see records smashed and new stars born. COPA AMERICA 14 June – 7 July Brits to look out for include sprinter Dina Asher- The oldest internati onal football competi ti on in the Smith (left ), who took three golds at the 2018 world comes to Brazil this year. G e tt y European Championships in Berlin, in the 100m, All ten South American countries, and invited 200m and 4x100m relay. teams Japan and Qatar, will batt le it out across Team GB topped the medal table in Berlin, six stadiums in the giant country. so will be expecti ng to do well in Doha, too. Argenti na will be hoping Lionel Messi (left ) and But, as ever, the USA, Kenya, France and China Sergio Agüero will return, having taken a break will likely be batt ling for the top spots in the fi nal from internati onal football aft er the 2018 World Cup. medal table. However, Russia may sti ll be banned The reigning champions are Chile, whose front line

following their doping scandal. G e tt y is led by Manchester United star Alexis Sánchez. MORE DIARY DATES TURN TO PAGE 27 FOR G e tt y Rugby Union: 1 February – 16 March Six Nati ons Championship American Football: 3 February Super Bowl LIII MORE SPORT IN 2019 The 2015 Special Olympics Multi -sport: 14-21 March Special Olympics World Games Football: 18 May FA Cup fi nal Tennis: 26 May – 9 June Roland Garros French Open Baseball: 29-30 June Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees in London

G e tt y Tennis: 1-14 July Wimbledon Cricket: 2-31 July Ashes (women) 1 Aug – 16 Sept Ashes (men) The Yankees are coming! Tennis: 26 August – 8 September US Open