Innehållsförteckning för September 2022 / Issue 36 från News Bites

GATHERING INTERESTING NEWS THAT CONNECTS YOUNG READERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD Welcome, one and all, to another super issue of News Bites! This month, we travel high into the sky to bring you a special feature on the world of iconic skyscrapers – as it’s World Skyscraper Day on September 3. These towering structures dominate city skylines across the world, providing homes and offices for many millions of people. And they’re getting bigger and bigger! Check out the feature on pages 12 & 13 – you’ll be amazed at how these extraordinary feats of engineering came about, and what the future holds. That’s not all we have for you, of course! In this month’s news, you will learn about the discovery of a giant pink diamond, and how cheetahs will…

Feeling ‘hangry’? Does being hungry put you in a bad mood or make you a little cranky? If so, you’re not alone. According to a recent study, feeling hungry really can make us ‘hangry’! Researchers from universities in the UK and Austria decided to test this by looking at how hunger affects people’s day-to-day lives. Using a smartphone app, the researchers asked 64 people from central Europe to record their levels of hunger over a period of three weeks and note how it made them feel. They were asked to record their data five times a day. When the data was returned, the researchers discovered that being hungry had a big effect on people. Negative feelings were indeed caused both by changes in levels of hunger and continuing hunger. So,…

Pinocchio Available: Disney+ Rated: PG Starring: Tom Hanks, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Directed by: Robert Zemeckis Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might … If your wish was for a live-action remake of the much-loved Disney classic, Pinocchio, then your wish has come true! Everyone’s favourite wooden puppet is back in this live-action remake. Geppetto is an elderly woodworker who makes a wish upon a star that the wooden puppet he just made will become a real boy. The Blue Fairy grants Geppetto’s wish and brings Pinocchio the puppet to life. There’s a catch though – in order to become human, Pinocchio must prove himself to be ‘brave, truthful, and unselfish’. Join Pinocchio on his wild adventure –…

Maserati MC20 1.The MC20 is fitted with an unusual eight-speed gearbox. It also has spark plugs and a combustion system inspired by Formula 1, meaning the car’s engine fires up really quickly. It is the first time this technology has been used in a road car. 2. The MC20 has one of the best power-to-weight ratios amongst its rivals – and while it has less horsepower, it can still hit 100km/h from a standing start in 2.9 seconds. 3.The interior of the car is also inspired by the race track. It has two screens: one displaying performance and the other a touchscreen Infotainment system. The racing steering wheel is made from leather and carbon fibre and holds Maserati’s first-ever ‘ignition button’. 4. MC20 Cielo for release in 2023. It is…

Sport not to be missed this month Everton v Liverpool September 3 Jurgen Klopp takes his Premier League title contenders across Stanley Park to face their city rivals. Frank Lampard has endured a difficult start as Everton boss and a win over the Reds would relieve some of the pressure. Buffalo Bills v Los Angeles Rams September 9 NFL returns with a bang as last year’s Super Bowl winners face the Buffalo Bills in the opening game of the 2022-23 season. The Bills suffered a galling overtime defeat against Kansas in last season’s playoffs but will again be title contenders. Rugby World Cup Sevens September 9-11 Hong Kong are among the teams competing at the eighth Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town, South Africa. They will face Uruguay on…

Avast, Me Hearties! Talk Like a Pirate Day Which of you scurvy dogs is going to walk the plank? Shiver me timbers, it’s time to batten down the hatches and set sail! What started off as a joke between two friends 27 years ago has now become a day that is celebrated and enjoyed all over the world! The story goes that when the two men who invented this day were playing a game of racquetball, one of them fell and shouted: ‘Aaarrr!’ From this, they decided to name the day ‘Talk Like a Pirate Day’. Since then, this fun day has taken off and children in schools around the world share in laughter as they say ‘Ahoy’ and suchlike to their friends and teachers. So, me hearties, whether you’re…

A Pug’s Life The Royal Veterinary College in London has revealed that pugs are twice as likely to get sick than other breeds of dog and should no longer be considered as a ‘typical dog’. The problem is that they are bred to have compressed snouts and, as a result, have problems beathing. Dr Myfanwy Hill says that pug breathing is like “trying to breathe through a really narrow straw”. The dogs also get infections on their faces where their skin folds onto itself. Dr Dan O’Neill, the lead researcher, said: “Although hugely popular as pets, we now know that several severe health issues are linked to the extreme body shape of pugs that many humans find so cute. It is time now that we focus on the health of…

NEW ZEALAND OFFICIAL NAME: New Zealand CAPITAL: Wellington POPULATION: 5.1 million OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language MONEY: New Zealand dollar MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Southern Alps, Kaikoura Ranges MAJOR RIVERS: Waikato, Clurtha, Rangitaiki, Wanganui and Manawatu New Zealand is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. They were formed around 23 million years ago when volcanoes erupted underneath the ocean. There are more than 50 volcanoes in the country and many of them are still active. The two biggest islands, North Island and South Island, are separated by the Cook Strait. No part of the country is more than 128 km from the sea. The nearest country to New Zealand is Australia, which is 1,600 km away. The first people to live in New Zealand were…

Metropol Parasol The Metropol Parasol is a modern landmark near the centre of the city of Seville, in the south-west of Spain. When they first saw the design, the residents were not happy at all. The Metropol Parasol is in the Plaza de la Encarnación (Incarnation Square) and is surrounded by historic and beautiful buildings. This new building did not seem to fit in, and people called it ‘Las Setas de Sevilla’, which means ‘the mushrooms of Seville’. It is a very modern building that consists of six large mushroom-shaped parasols. A parasol is an umbrella that is used to give shade from the sun. Seville is the warmest city in the whole of continental Europe – so shade was very much in the mind of the architect when he…

In 1783, in France, the Montgolfier brothers sent a sheep, a duck and a rooster into the sky, in a basket tied to a hot air balloon. It was the first flight in history to carry living beings! They wanted to see if animals (and therefore maybe humans) could survive flight at high altitudes. The King of France, Louis XVI, wanted to send up two convicted criminals, saying it wouldn’t matter if they died! But the Montgolfiers stuck to animals. They named the sheep Montauciel (Climb-to-the-sky) and staged a spectacular event attended by the King and Queen and a huge crowd. The balloon rose about 460 metres, covered three kilometres and landed safely. The animals survived. The King then agreed that humans could be sent aloft – non-criminal humans! Later…

Bids for 2026 Asian Cup Four countries have bid to host the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026. Australia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan have all submitted bids to the Asian Football Federation (AFC). The AFC will consider all four bids before announcing the winner next year. Australia and Jordan previously hosted the Women’s Asian Cup in 2006 and 2018 respectively. Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan have never hosted the tournament before – Saudi Arabia’s women’s team only played their first official match last February. This year’s Women’s Asian Cup was played in India, where China defeated South Korea in the final to win the tournament for a record ninth time. England Win Euro 2022 England are champions of Europe for the first time after defeating Germany in an extra-time thriller in…

Hidden Treasure Checking for broken bones? Sure! But X-rays are also used these days in the art world, to explore the secrets in paintings. Results can reveal the materials used, original sketches, and changes made during the painting process. Even more interesting is that X-rays sometimes show that artists painted over their previous works, probably as a way to save money on canvases. Recently, at the National Galleries of Scotland, the Van Gogh painting called Head of a Peasant Woman was X-rayed before being exhibited. Much to the experts’ surprise, a very different and rare Van Gogh painting was hiding under cardboard and glue on the other side. It was a self-portrait! Although he is now known worldwide, Van Gogh was unable to sell his work while he was alive,…

This Month in History 500 years ago! SEP 6 1522 On this day Spanish navigator Juan de Elcano returned to Spain and to have circumnavigated the world. His ship, the Victoria, was the only Ferdinand Magellan’s 1519 expedition to the Spice Islands in the Philippines. (One ship had mutinied and sailed back to Spain.) Magellan was killed in battle in 1521 and in the end only Elcano and 17 others were left out of the 270-man expedition. Ocean on a later voyage. Magellan’s name is the one most remembered, though he didn’t complete the circumnavigation. 30 years ago! SEP 12 1992 On this day the first married couple in space together, Mark Lee and Jan Davis, were launched by NASA on Space Shuttle Endeavour. They met during training in 1989…

Crossword Time Across 1 This famous children’s author is celebrated on September 13 (5,4) 2 In what country will you find Devil Ark, the world’s largest Tasmanian devil breeding programme? (9) 3 The first proper TV remote control was invented by a company called _________ in 1950 (6) 5 This month’s wacky sport: Beard And _________ Growing (9) 8 The ‘Lulo Rose’ is a HUGE pink _________ (7) 9 September 19: International Eat an ________ Day (5) 11 Wise words: __________ others is the secret sauce to a happy life (7) 12 Australia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and ___________ have all submitted bids to the Asian Football Federation to host the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 (10) 14 The most feared pirate of all was Edward Teach, also known as _________…

4 Good Reasons to … Help Out 1. It’s a way of saying thanks Think of the people that really matter in your life. It is almost certain that these people – they could be your parents or guardians, your grandparents, brothers or sisters – do many good things for you. Take your parents, for instance – if you were to write down a list of the things they do for you every day, you would be here a long, long time. So, when you help them, even in the smallest of ways, it is one of the best ways of saying ‘Thank you’. 2. It teaches you important skills As you get older, you start having to do things you never even had to think about as a child.…

Ichiro Suzuki Born: October 22, 1973 Sport: Baseball Titles: Japanese Series champion, seven-time NPB All-Star, 10-time MLB All-Star, 10 MLB Golden Glove awards Ichiro Suzuki made a key breakthrough for Asian players in Major League Baseball during an award-laden professional career that lasted 28 years. He was the first Japanese position player (meaning a non-pitcher) to be signed by a MLB team and he took the league by storm. Ichiro joined Seattle Mariners in 2001 and was named on the All-Star team in each of his first 10 seasons on the American west coast, making over 200 hits each year. In fact, he actually received 17 consecutive All-Stars and Golden Glove awards – seven in Japan and 10 in the USA! He also won nine league batting titles and was…