Innehållsförteckning för November 2022 / Issue 38 från News Bites

When a person is as famous as the tennis player Novak Djokovic is, all kinds of interesting things can happen. Scientists in western Serbia recently discovered a new species of beetle. Who should they name this cave predator after? Serbia's successful tennis star, of course! Why? Well, it seemed like a good fit because the beetle, like its namesake, is also fast, flexible, strong and resilient. The beetle is able to survive in challenging environments. The insect's full name is Duvalius Dokovici because it belongs to the genus Duvalius. In early October, Djokovic won the Tel Aviv Open. This was his third title win this season. In his career he has already earned 21 Grand Slam trophies, winning his 7th Wimbledon this past July. The scientists who chose the name…

One of the world's most twisted towers, the ‘Dance of Light' was built in the Xingfu Plaza of Chongqing, China, this year. It rises to 180 m and has a twisty appearance on the outside. What makes this tower look so twisted? The architectural company Aedas chose to use a double-curved glass exterior to get this interesting look. The glass reflects light by day or night, making the tall building look even more curvy. And the appearance also changes depending on where someone is standing while viewing. The spirals of polar lights seen in the Antarctic and Arctic inspired the designers at Aedas. At night, some people think the building looks like a dancing ballerina as it reflects the surrounding lights. Twisty high-rises have become even more common in recent…

This army of ducks is off to work! Their job is to ward off pests on the Vergenoegd Lȯw Wine Estate, in Cape Town, South Africa. They are a trained team of 1,600 Indian Runner ducks. They eat snails and other pests that threaten the grapevines, and they fertilise the ground with their droppings as they do so. They sleep in an enclosed pen and are then herded out to the vineyards by day. After work, they go for a swim in the dam there, and later march back to their pen. Indian Runner ducks are flightless so there's no danger they'd fly away. Not that they would anyway - they're keen on their job, and it's a good life! It's also a useful one. Because of them, the farm…

The world's largest wind farm is now up and running in the North Sea. The new wind farm is located off the coast of Yorkshire, England, and is as big as 64,000 football pitches. It has 165 turbines and each of them is 200 metres tall. The wind farm, named ‘Hornsea 2', can generate enough electricity to power around 1.4 million homes. Just one rotation of the giant blades on one turbine creates enough power to run a house for 24 hours. As you might have guessed from the name 'Hornsea 2', there is also a 'Hornsea 1' wind farm. There are also plans for a 'Hornsea 3', so this wind farm just keeps growing and growing! This huge wind farm is a great achievement and a very important step…

FACT? OR FICTION? Thankfully, this common statement is science fiction, not fact. The pressure that builds up in your head before a sneeze occurs takes place in your blood vessels, and not in the muscles around your eyes. There has never been a case of someone's eyes popping out from sneezing. This urban legend may have come about from people closing their eyes when sneezing. Some scientists think that our brains instruct our eyes to close to prevent mucus (the stuff that comes from our mouth and nose when sneezing) from getting in our eyes but certainly not to hold our eyeballs in place! Bite Sized! Each time you sneeze, some 5,000 droplets come rushing out of your mouth and nose at speeds of over 160 kilometres an hour! No…

Romania is a country in eastern Europe. It is neighbours with Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine and Moldova. It has a small coastline on the Black Sea. Romania is famous for the region of Transylvania, the home of Dracula. History The name Romania comes from the Latin word ‘Romanus’, which means ‘citizen of the Roman Empire’. The Roman Empire was huge! At its biggest, it covered most of Europe, most of the Middle East and some of North Africa. Romania was part of the Roman Empire for around 200 years. The Porolissum Fortress is a famous Roman site in Romania. It is one of the biggest and best-preserved examples of a Roman castra (fort). Geography Romania is 23% mountains, 35% hills and 39% plains – it’s very evenly divided! Its lowest…

The founder of Hyundai, Chung Ju-yung, was born into a poor family in South Korea. His family were unable to afford expensive schools so, at the age of 16, Chung received his first taste of business in his local town when he began selling firewood on the streets. The Hyundai Motor Company's first car, produced in 1975, was called the Pony. It became South Korea's first-ever mass-produced car. The Hyundai Motor Group, which also includes Kia, is now the fifth-largest automaker in the world. Their main factory in Ulsan, South Korea, is one of the largest factories in the industry. It even has its own hospital and fire station. Founder: Chung Ju-yung Founded: 1967 First car produced: Pony (1975) Country: South Korea Top selling models: Tucson, Santa Fe, i40…

Across ThecapitalcityofRomania (9) IndianRunnerducksare (10) AnAfricancountryinGroup G of the FIFA 2022 World Cup (8) EdsonArantesdoNascimento more commonly known as _(4) WorldDayison Sunday November 13. (8) TheDanceofLight' tower can be found in this country. (5) AMiddleEasterncountryin Group C of the FIFA 2022 World Cup (5,6) TheInternationalMonetaryFund commonly called the _(1,1,1) WorldDaytakingplace on Monday November 21 (10) (From Front Page) The Chupa Chups logo was designed by Salvador Dalí. True! He did so in 1969 and it took him just one hour to complete it. Down DirectorofthenewMunsters movie (3,6) EnglandcaptainHarryKanehas been linked with a move to this German club (6,6) Thewordinflate means 'to grow _'(6) Thisislandsitsabout3,500 km off the coast of Chile, in South America. (6,6) Thenameoftheball Argentina supplied for the…

1. It helps us do well We often look at people who are successful and wish we could be like them. Perhaps we think these people do well because they have a special talent or are clever or rich or even just lucky. Having money, luck or talent is almost never the main or only reason that people do well. Trying hard is every bit as important as any of those, and sometimes even more important. People who rely solely on their talent and do not work hard rarely succeed. To do well at something, the answer is to try hard. For a test, we have to prepare and study, while in sports and activities we need to train regularly. Remember, 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard'!…

Hong Kong will face Portugal, the United States and Kenya this month as they attempt to qualify for the Rugby World Cup for the first time. The above four teams will compete in the final qualification tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Each team plays three games, with the top side qualifying for next year's World Cup. Hong Kong were beaten by Tonga in a World Cup qualifier in July but now have a second chance to claim their ticket to France 2023. They face Portugal first on November 6, before taking on the USA six days later. They finish with a match against Kenya on November 18.…

Archaeologists in the country of Georgia (between Europe and Asia) recently found a very old human tooth. Actually, the word 'old' may not be quite strong enough here. This tooth - from an early human species - is believed to be 1.8 million years old! A research student working with a team from the Georgian National Museum found the tooth near the city of Orozmani. Other discoveries at this site include stone tools and fossils from animals like sabre-toothed cats. About 20 years ago, human skulls of approximately the same age as the human tooth were also found at nearby Dmanisi. These are exciting finds! They help scientists understand the evolution and migration of early humans from Africa to Europe. The oldest human fossils found so far date back at…

Fans of ancient Egypt are holding their breath in excitement at the news that Queen Nefertiti might have finally been found. A statue of the beautiful queen was discovered in 1912 but, frustratingly, her actual tomb has never been found. However, there are rumours that some secret hieroglyphics found in the tomb of Tutankhamun (Nefertiti's stepson) might reveal the last resting place of the famous queen. Scientists have used special imaging technology to reveal what they think are hidden doors in Tutankhamun’s tomb. Could these hidden doors lead to another tomb - even greater than that of Tutankhamun? Famous Egyptologist Zahi Hawass recently announced that they are waiting on the results of DNA tests to identify several mummies. Could one of them be Nefertiti? It's a very exciting time for…

NOV 4 1922 On this day, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt, when a young water boy stumbled over a stone sticking out of the ground – it turned out to be the top of a flight of steps cut into the rock. At the bottom was a doorway. Carter made a tiny hole in it and peered in by the light of a candle. ‘Can you see anything?’ he was asked. He replied, ‘Yes, wonderful things!’ Inside were 5398 precious objects, including Tutankhamun’s mummified body in his sarcophagus (coffin), wearing a wonderful golden funeral mask. NOV 8 1847 On this day was born Bram (Abraham) Stoker, in Dublin, Ireland, where he studied at Trinity College. He…

Stonehenge is one of the best-known landmarks in the United Kingdom, and among the most famous monuments in the world. Over a million tourists visit the site every year. Stonehenge is located on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire in the south of England. The first monument was built here about 5,000 years ago, and the circle of standing stones that we see today was erected about 2500 BC. The people who built Stonehenge left no written history, so the monument is shrouded in mystery. We do know that it was definitely used as a place where they buried the dead. However, some people believe that it was also a place where people could follow the movements of the stars and worship the Moon and the Sun. The smaller stones at Stonehenge…

ACF AFRICAN ® CONSERVATION FOUNDATION Do you know what the 'Big 5' are? They are the African lion, the African leopard, the African elephant, the Cape buffalo, and the rhino. Yes, they are big animals - but that is not why the group has that name. They were given the name by hunters from Europe when they first came to Africa, because those animals were difficult and dangerous to hunt on foot and proved the hunters' courage and skill. With their early-modern weapons they killed thousands of them. Endangered Since then, the situation for the Big 5 has got worse and worse. Now, the African lion and African leopard are listed as 'vulnerable' while the African savannah elephant is 'endangered'. The southern white rhinoceros is 'near threatened' and the black…

Eliud Kipchoge improved his world record by 30 seconds as he powered to victory in the Berlin Marathon. The double Olympic champion recorded a winning time of 2:01.09, half a minute faster than his previous best, which he set in the same race four years ago. Kipchoge has won 15 of his 17 career marathons, which includes those two Olympic successes and 10 major titles. He became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours when he clocked 1:59.40 in Vienna in 2019. However, the time was not officially recognised as it was not set in a competitive race.…

China have gifted Qatar a special present ahead of hosting the FIFA World Cup - two pandas! The pandas are named Suhail and Soraya, and they were due to arrive in Qatar at the end of Last month. Suhail is the name of one of the biggest stars visible from the Gulf region, while Soraya is the Arabic name for the Pleiades star cluster. China won't be playing at the World Cup after winning just one of their 10 matches in the third qualifying round. However, Chinese companies have played a big part in helping Qatar prepare to host the tournament. Since the seventh century, China has given pandas as gifts to countries it shares close political ties with.…

In January 2022, an underwater volcano erupted near the group of islands called Tonga, in the South Pacific Ocean. It caused dangerous tsunami waves, and the air filled with ash. Several people died in that disaster and thousands of residents from a wide area had to evacuate. Since that time, many people have returned to rebuild their lives. Tonga still has some active volcanoes. On September 10, the Home Reef underwater volcano erupted. It continues to erupt, but luckily poses no danger to people who live nearby. Surprisingly, these eruptions have formed a new island! And the ’baby' island continues to grow - satellite pictures show this collection of ash, pumice stone and steam measured about 24,000 square metres by the beginning of October. This new round island isn't sturdy,…

Normally if you crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid, that would be a bad thing. Spacecrafts cost millions of dollars, after all. Not this time though! NASA scientists have crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid on purpose. The DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft had spent the last 10 months flying through space, and on September 26 it successfully crashed into the asteroid Dimorphos. This might sound like a bit of a crazy (but fun) thing to do, but it was in fact a very important experiment for NASA. DART is part of the world's first planetary defence strategy. Asteroid impact can be devastating for the planet - just think about what happened to the dinosaurs! NASA wants to make sure something like that doesn't happen again. If an asteroid…

Ants - where there's one, there's usually thousands. And in fact, here on Earth, there's at least 20 squadrillion of them! That's 20 million billion. A number so big that it's hard to even imagine, not to mention write out in digits! But it's good that there are so many of these busy and hardworking insects, as they are essential to our ecosystem. Ants play an important part by spreading seeds and being either predator or prey to other creatures. Bite sized! In 1986, the fossil of a gigantic ant was discovered in Lütz, Germany. The 49.5-million-year-old ant measured over 6 cm in length and had a wingspan of 15 cm. vote now…

1. The Superleggera name is a tribute to Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera coachbuilders, which helped Aston Martin develop its grand tourers in the 1960s and 1970s. 2. It features some very cool and hi-tech features inside, like a 360-degree camera system to give the driver a view around the car, an eight-inch LCD colour screen, keyless entry and front/rear parking sensors. 3. 50 lucky owners were able to buy a 2019 James Bond edition of the Superleggera. Named the Superleggera 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service Edition', it was styled on the 1969 model driven by James Bond in the movie franchise. Red trim inside is inspired by the car that held 007's telescopic sight rifle in the film. 4. The car also features Aston Martin's innovative Aeroblade system with an F1-inspired…

Mobile Phones The world's first mobile phone was the brainchild of inventor Martin Cooper, who was working for Motorola. The first call from that phone was made on the streets of New York City in 1973. The 'shoe' phone weighed over one kilogram and was the size of a small shoebox. As you would expect, the phone was considered to be amazing at the time but could only be used for 35 minutes before it needed to be charged - which took a staggering 10 hours! Rather cheekily, Mr Cooper decided the phone's first call would be to his competitor at AT&T! We now have ultra-slim, ultra-light and ultra hi-tech smartphones. They feature the internet, messaging apps, news, music players, cameras and even fingerprint and facial recognition abilities. They can…

Max Verstappen is Formula One world champion for the second year in a row. The Red Bull driver won last month's rain-affected Tokyo GP, leading from start to finish to claim victory. Verstappen was crowned champion in strange circumstances. His title rival Charles Leclerc finished second, which meant the race for the championship would be extended for at least another race. However, Leclerc was penalised afterwards for gaining an advantage after running off the track at the final corner. Race officials demoted him to third place, which confirmed Verstappen as champion. The final two races of the F1 season take place in São Paolo, Brazil on November 13 and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on November 20.…

Paris Saint-Germain say that Kylian Mbappé is not for sale, despite the star forward being linked with Liverpool and Real Madrid. Back in May, Mbappé signed one of the biggest contracts in sport to stay with the French champions but is reportedly unhappy with head coach Christophe Galtier's style of play. Mbappé has played as a central striker for PSG this season, which he doesn't enjoy, and he was unimpressed with the club's transfer dealings during the summer. PSC face Juventus in their final UEFA Champions League group match on November 2 before taking on Ligue 1 title rivals Lorient four days later.…

England captain Harry Kane has been linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich. Kane has a contract with Tottenham Hotspur until the summer of 2024 but could be tempted by Bayern, who are still searching for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski. Kane described Bayern as a 'top club' but said he was focused on Tottenham and the upcoming World Cup. The 29-year-old came through Tottenham’s youth academy and has scored over 250 goals for the first team. However, he has yet to win a trophy with the north London club.…