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30 6 12 JANUARY 2012 IssUe 291


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THE OLYMPIC GAMES COME TO THE UK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1948

THE YEAR WHEN THE WORLD SEES BRITAIN


Mr Cameron said 2012 must be the year we go for it and promised his Government would do everything it takes to get Britain up to strength. Cameras, TV channels and the eyes of the world will be on Britain for two extraordinary events this year. There will be three days of celebrations from 2 June for the Queens Diamond Jubilee, commemorating her 60 years on the throne. Then, from 27 July to 12 August, London hosts the 2012 Olympic Games, followed by the Paralympics from 29 August to 9 September. Mr Cameron said the events gave Britain the chance to feel pride in who we are and what even in these trying by editor Nicky Cox times we can achieve. When speaking about trying times, the Prime Minister was talking about the money problems the UK has been having, along with many other countries. This means that many people are worried about jobs and paying bills. Mr Cameron said: I know much needs to change. Weve got to do more to bring our economy back to health. I know how difficult it will be to get through this. But I also know that we will.

2012

THE QUEENS DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATES HER 60 YEARS ON THE THRONE

THIS will be the year Britain sees the world and the world sees Britain, declared Prime Minister David Cameron in his New Year message.

ps) And Simon Cowell returns to Britains Got Talent see page 7
*Source: First News Readership Survey, January 2011, Opinion Matters

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FIRST NEWS HEADLINES

For the latest on these headlines, go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

IN BRIEF
Piggy bank winners
WERE pleased to announce the winners of the piggy bank competition for the charity PiggyBankKids.
The panel of celebrity judges, including Alesha Dixon, David Tennant and First News editor Nicky Cox, chose Thomas The winning piggy bank, by Wades piggy bank Thomas Wade as the overall winner. He will receive the top prize of a family trip to LEGOLAND, plus a subscription to First News, a box of books for his school and a Nintendo Wii games console. Runner-up prizes went to Bertie and Vilu Borodi and Francesca Skillicorn.

Ring found on carrot top


A WOMAN who lost her wedding ring 16 years ago was amazed to find it around the top of a carrot in her garden!
Lena Paahlsson from Sweden lost her ring when she took it off to do some cooking. She now thinks the ring The ring on a carrot top! must have been mixed up with some potato peelings that were turned into compost and put on her garden. Sixteen years later, the carrot grew through the ring and it found its way back to its owner.

Happy new year!


FOUR million recipe cards are being given out to people as part of a new healthy eating campaign, launched on Monday.
More than 1,000 supermarkets are also offering discounts on healthy ingredients like fruit, vegetables and yoghurts as part of the Department of Healths Change4Life campaign. Its all part of Government efforts to get families to eat more healthily. There are worries about the growing number of very overweight and obese people, particularly children. An online recipe finder will accompany the by editor Nicky Cox recipe cards to help families plan cheaper, more nutritious meals. One hundred thousand copies of a brand new cookbook with celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott will also be published. It will contain a months worth of popular, healthy recipes, all for under 5, to help families make the most of the deals available at their local stores. Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: The New year is a good time to think about losing weight. The Supermeals campaign will give us all some great ideas for balanced meals on a budget. The discounted ingredients are available at Asda, Co-op and Aldi stores across England. What would help you to eat more healthily? Go to www.firstnews.co.uk to tell us.

inner d

THIS WEEk IN HISTORy


On 11 January 1962, a huge avalanche of rocks and ice, from the extinct volcano of Huascaran, engulfed several villages in Peru. Around 4,000 people are thought to have died.

Royal names top list Special stamps for 2012


ThE names of the royal princes, William and harry, topped the list of most popular boys names in 2011.
The princes names shared joint first place in the list of births announced in The Times newspaper. It could be that parents were inspired by the royal wedding last year, as all of the top five names Harry and William were the most popular for boys were names names for baby boys last year. Catherine of royalty. After William or Kate was not as popular for girls and Harry, the next most popular names were George, Henry and Edward, which are all the names of kings from history. However, there wasnt such a royal theme with the most popular names for girls. There were only two baby Catherines in the list and no baby girls were listed with the name Kate. The name Isabel took the top spot for girls, followed by Alice, Emily, Sophia and Matilda.

COLLECTIONS of special stamps will be released throughout 2012 to mark the big events happening this year, the Queens Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games.
The House of Windsor stamp collection will include all five kings and queens who have reigned Stamps to since the start of the 20th Century. The last in the celebrate the series will be our current queen, Queen Elizabeth II, Olympics and in celebration of her 60 years on the throne. Paralympics Six portraits of the Queen, taken from stamps, coins and banknotes will appear on a sheet of stamps in February. There will also be four series of stamps celebrating the London 2012 Olympic Games. The first of the series went on sale yesterday (5 Jan). Other stamp collections for 2012 include a set celebrating the books of Roald Dahl, including James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox and the Twits. The 200th anniversary of the birth of author Charles Dickens will also be honoured with a collection of stamps in June.

OLy

cOu N T D pIc
Olympic Fact

0W

9.6 million tickets went on sale 8 million for the Olympics, and 1.6 million for the Paralympics.

EEkS TO gO

N OW

FirstNews

Issue 291

6 12 JANuARy 2012

3 For the latest on these headlines, go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

FIRST NEWS HEADLINES

EDITORS cOmmENT
hAPPY New Year to you!

Editor Nicky cox mBE

Stop live animal trade


COMPASSION in World Farming launched its 2012 campaign against long distance live animal transport this week, with Joanna Lumley unveiling their new bus adverts in Trafalgar Square, London.
Millions of farm animals are transported across the world every year on journeys that in some cases can last for weeks. Groups like Compassion believe that the trade in live animals is inhumane and should be replaced by a trade in meat. Peter Stevenson, Chief Policy Advisor at Compassion in World Farming, said: Animals can suffer terribly from the strain and stress of live transport. Investigations by animal welfare groups have found cramped, overcrowded conditions, no access to water so animals suffer from dehydration and even occasions when they are so hungry they are forced to eat their own filthy bedding. Some collapse onto the floor of the truck where they are trampled by their companions. Others get injured or ill. In the worst cases, many die. by Jon Bennett, Compassion in World Farming Last year almost 80,000 sheep and young calves, only a few weeks old, were transported from Britain to the European mainland, three times more than in 2010. It is also hard for farmers to be sure their animals will be humanely treated when they arrive after sometimes gruelling journeys. For example, investigations have revealed that Australian sheep and cattle that are exported can be badly treated in abattoirs in the Middle East or Southeast Asia. Animal welfare campaigners hope that 2012 will be the year when long distance live animal transport is ended. Find out more at: www.ciwf.org or www.stopliveexports.com.

I loved looking at the pictures on page 5 of this weeks First News showing the New years Eve celebrations around the world. The dawn of a new year always comes with hope for a good and fulfilling year ahead. As Im writing this in the First News newsroom, there is a ferocious wind outside. So, do you see the wind as blowing in your face and holding you back? Or do you feel it behind you, propelling you forwards to your dreams this year? your choice 2012 should be an extraordinary year for Britain. There are lots of challenges ahead for us because of the money problems that the country has been facing, along with many other countries. But it should be a proud year too, with both the Queens Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympic Games meaning the eyes of the world will be on Britain. So, what are your hopes for 2012? Write to us at newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk putting 2012 in the subject box. Or send me a message on Twitter @Nicky_FirstNews.

SuBScRIBE FOR HOmE

No new year walkies


BRITAINs largest dog, Samson, hasnt had a very active start to the new year. The poor pooch is resting up after breaking his toe!
Samson, who is a Newfoundland and Great Dane cross, weighs a massive 20 stone (127 kg). He broke his toe when he was on his way home from a morning walk with his owners, Ray and Julie Woods, at the end of last year. Julie said: He suddenly yelped and started walking on three legs. We dont know how he did it. Ray had to hold him up to get him home. This isnt the first time Samsons found himself in trouble. In 2008 he damaged the ligament in the back of his leg. Luckily a newspaper ran a campaign to help him and raised over 4,000 for his treatment. This time, Samsons injury shouldnt be so expensive to fix, but he will have to give up walkies for a while. Luckily, one of his favourite places is sitting on the sofa alongside his owners. Julie said: Everyone who knows Samson wants him to get better soon. A big Get well soon from everyone at First News, too!

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gOOD WEEk FOR...


Kylie Minogue
The pop princess song Cant Get you Out Of My Head has been named the most played tune of the last ten years. The song was a No1 in the uK in 2001. The second most played song was Britney Spears single Toxic from 2003 and Robbie Williams Angels was in third place.

Samson with his owner, Julie

Business booming at school


STUDENTS at Oakfields Community College in Middlesbrough are hoping to get a head start in business, by learning about it as part of their classes.
The programme began in the year 8 German class, where students are learning how to speak German and how to run their own business at the same time. For the last year, the class have been setting up a company that sells German toys. In November last year they made 250 selling the toys at Middlesbrough trade fair. Twelve-year-old Eden said: Before, we didnt think much about German, but now we do because you can use it as a life skill. Business is booming in other classes, too. English students at the school are planning to sell some of their creative writing as eBooks and a year 9 design group are setting up a mail-order plastic crockery business. Two 15-year-olds at the school have even started up their own business, after developing an iPhone app that helps students manage their homework. The school hopes that learning about business early will give the students a better chance of getting a good job, especially as the Northeast has the highest unemployment rate in the country. One of the goals of the school is to teach that: With the right skills and qualifications, you can work for yourself and employ other people. Would you like to learn about business as part of your classes at school? Tell us at: www.firstnews.co.uk.

BAD WEEk FOR...


London theatres
Famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has said that London theatres will suffer because of the Olympics. He said: Nobodys going to go to the theatre at all. Most of the theatres in London will shut. Its not all bad news though: he also said that after the Olympics a lot of new musicals will be arriving in the West End, including a Spice Girls musical.

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SPECIAL REPORT
rEuTErS/Mohammad Ismail courtesy of www.alertnet.org

by Andrew Wander, Save the Children

HEADLINES

BEHIND THE

Two young girls walk miles to get water

Drought in Afghanistan
save the Childrens andrew Wander tells First News about the impact that drought has had on afghanistan and how it is affecting children.
Mats Lignell/Save the Children

What is the situation in Afghanistan?


In rural northern afghanistan, the weather matters. Families living in remote mountain villages rely on rain to grow food and, when winter comes, the snow cuts them off for months. The food theyve grown allows them to survive the winter. Without it, they can be snowed in for weeks without supplies. When the rains didnt fall in 14 provinces of afghanistan last year, families knew their crops wouldnt grow. They knew that, without crops, they would have nothing to sell, no money to buy supplies and no stores of home-grown food. and they knew that, when winter arrived, theyd be left desperately short of the basics they need to survive. They knew all this but they could do nothing about it. Shortages of crops meant that prices began to increase; the little money that families had was not enough to afford sought-after food supplies. now, as the first snows begin to fall, millions of people are facing a winter without enough to eat.

drought is worst, parents have told us that they have nothing to feed their children but bread and tea. Vegetables, once part of the daily diet, are an occasional treat, and meat has become a luxury few can afford. as Save the Children work with children all over the world, we know how dangerous such a diet can be. Growing children need all sorts of different foods to be healthy. Too much of one thing is almost always a bad thing. When there is only one food available, like bread, children become ill and, in afghanistan, it can be hard for the poorest families to find medical treatment.

Mats Lignell/Save the Children

A father smiles as his son returns to health

clean water to drink but, as the weather gets worse, the concern is that they will risk drinking dirty water rather than face long treks through the winter storms.

How are Save the Children helping?


Save the Children and other aid agencies are already helping families caught up in the drought, doing our best to make sure the children have enough to eat to survive the bitter winter. Were giving money to families who need to buy food, and special emergencies staff from Save the Children have travelled to afghanistan to work on helping these families get through the winter.

Why is it so serious now?


The number of children in afghanistan who need to see a doctor or nurse because they dont have enough food is growing. In the worst cases children could die because the rain they rely on for food didnt fall.

Race against time


We know we have to act fast to get help to the millions of people who need it. It is a race against time to reach families before the snow does. Our work will save thousands of lives. as a charity, that work is paid for by people around the uK, people who believe, in 2012, that no child should die because not enough rain has fallen.

Changing diet
A mother cradles her ill son

Greater effects
Just as bad, the wells villagers rely on for drinking water have dried up. We know families are already walking miles to find

Save the Children work in afghanistan helping families already facing war and terrible poverty. In the north, where the

FirstNews

Issue 291

6 12 January 2012

THE NEWS IN PICTURES New Years Eve around the world

LONDON, ENGLAND: Fireworks light up The London Eye ferris wheel just after midnight on January 1, 2012. Thousands of people lined the banks of the River Thames in central London to see in the New Year with a spectacular fireworks display. MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Thousands of people gathered to celebrate New Years Eve in Red Square, Moscow. As well as fireworks, the revellers enjoyed lots of lively parties.

NEW YORK, AMERICA: Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber performed at the annual New Years Eve celebrations in Times Square in New York City. BERLIN, GERMANY: Fireworks explode over the Quadriga statue on the Brandenburg Gate. According to the media, up to one million people celebrated at the countrys biggest New Years Eve party.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Fireworks light up the skyline over Sydney Harbour during the midnight fireworks display. The theme of Sydneys New Years Eve celebrations was Time To Dream.

Iraq: Iraqi Kurds watch fireworks lighting up the sky on New Years Eve in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Arbil, at midnight on January 1, 2012.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND: Revellers take to Princes Street to celebrate the start of 2012. Nearly 80,000 people turned up to the party.

For more pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news-in-pictures

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SCIENCE
Getty

For more science news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover

A man pays his respects after the devastating earthquake in Japan in March

The risk of quakes hasnt gone up


although there have been several enormous earthquakes in recent years, experts say that the global risk from quakes isnt going up.
Earthquakes in Indonesia in 2004, Chile in 2010, and this year in Japan, have led some people to suggest that the rate of large quakes is increasing. Scientists decided to test that theory by looking at all of the large quakes that happened worldwide between 1900 and 2011. They found that it is hard to work out an accurate rate of when large quakes happen, as there have only been 16 with a magnitude of 8.5 or more since 1900. It was also found that the rates for the more frequent, smaller earthquakes is pretty much the same as it has always been. So far, no-one has come up with a physical explanation for how this rate could stay the same if larger quakes were becoming more regular. Several of the largest earthquakes have come in the last ten years, so this cluster looks like an increase to human eyes. However, mathematical tests show that the cluster doesnt matter statistically and that the times of large earthquakes follow a random pattern.

Are texts full of fibs?


Thats the main result from a recent experiment with 170 student volunteers at the university of British Columbia in Canada. They were split into two groups and asked to play a game for money. Some would sell shares in a fictional company, while the others would decide how many shares to buy. The twist is that the sellers were told that, at the end of the game, the shares would lose half their value. The buyers didnt know this and hoped that they would make some money. The sellers communicated with their buyers in one of four ways: face-to-face, on the phone, or by video or text chat. At the end of the game, the buyers were asked to report whether their seller had lied to them about the value of the shares. The buyers who got information by text were 95%

people are more likely to tell porkies in texts or emails than when theyre talking to someone in person, on the phone or in a video chat.
more likely to have been lied to compared to a video chat. They were also 31% more likely to have been told fibs than those who had faceto-face deals, and 18% more than the people who spoke on the phone. Scientists say that the video made sellers more aware that they could be being watched, which lowered their desire to lie. Experts call this the spotlight effect.

Maggots 1, medicine 0
medical researchers in France have found that maggots can clean wounds faster than standard surgery.
Although it sounds gross, maggots have been used to clean wounds for hundreds of years, especially in remote locations Maggots can heal wounds during wars. faster than surgery Maggots are the larvae of flies, which usually lay their eggs in dead animals. The maggots release a chemical into the rotting flesh, which gradually breaks down enough so that they can feed off it. Since maggots dont eat live flesh, this means that they can be used to clear away any dead or rotten flesh around a wound. In tests with 119 wounded men in hospital, medics treated half of them with surgery and half with maggots. After a week, there was less dead flesh in the wounds treated by maggots. The wounds had also healed up more than in the patients treated with surgery. Strangely, even though all of the patients in the experiment were blindfolded, around half from each group said that they had a feeling like something crawling around in their wound.
Getty

Did you

know

The most deadly earthquake in history happened on 23 January 1556 in Shaanxi, China. 830,000 people are thought to have died and the tremors were felt 800km away.

Why dont we like fakes?


telling someone that a beautiful painting is fake will alter the way their brain responds to the picture, even if it is a genuine classic.
Thats what scientists have found by scanning the brains of 14 people. The volunteers were shown various paintings by Rembrandt, some that were real and some that were high-quality fakes. When told that a painting was genuine, the volunteers brains showed increased activity in the region that usually deals with rewards, such as winning a bet or eating your favourite food. However, if they were told that a picture was fake, a totally different part of the brain lit up in the scans. This area is associated with planning new strategies. The volunteers all said that they were trying to work out why the picture was fake. The researchers say the results show that there isnt just one area of the brain that deals with our impressions of art or beauty.

Aristotle Contemplates the Bust of Homer, by Rembrandt

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For more home news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

OUR STORIES
uk
BGT judges revealed
The new judges for the 2012 series of britains Got Talent have been revealed. It has been confirmed that Simon Cowell WILL return to the show alongside Amanda Holden. They will be joined by two new judges, comedian David Walliams and Alesha Dixon. This year the prize is even bigger than ever: the winner will win 500,000, half of which Simon Cowell is paying himself. The first ever open audition is being held in partnership with virgin media on Sunday 22 January at Londons oval.

Home News
leeds
Dog ban
Leeds City Council is trying to cut down on unruly dog behaviour by banning dogs from certain areas. Some school grounds, remembrance sites and wildlife areas have all been marked as dog-free zones since new Years Day. The new ruling also states that dogs must always be kept on a lead on footpaths, roads and grass verges around the city and members of the public can only walk four dogs at a time.

FAST WEATHER FACTS

FACT FIL E

scotland
Twitter warning
Teachers in Scotland are being warned about using Twitter and Facebook by the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association. They believe too much information can be revealed on the networking sites, which could lead to teachers becoming too familiar with pupils. new guidelines for teachers on social networking are being drawn up.

scotland
Wildcat winters
researchers have discovered that Scottish wildcats may struggle to get out after heavy snowfall. The end of 2011 saw Scotland blanketed with heavy snow but camera traps that usually capture images of the wildcats didnt spot any at all. other predators in the Cairngorms national Park were pictured during the bad weather. Scottish wildcats are very rare and it is believed that only 400 pure wildcats still survive.

The average daytime temperature in Indonesia during January is a very warm 27C/81F.

with jonathan Powell

THE WEEKS WEATHER

uk
Station thefts
A list of all the items stolen from police stations in the last five years has been revealed. Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of stuff has been stolen, ranging from a 2.50 cup of coffee to a 10,000 police patrol car. results show that Greater manchester Police were the worst hit force, with a patrol car and a private vehicle being stolen. other unusual items include a packet of crumpets, a mannequin and a copy of an antiques guide.

From Friday 6 January 2012 to Thursday 12 January 2012 Week In general Showers, chilly, very windy. FrIday 6 january Scotland/n Ireland rain showers. Day 6c/43f night 2c/36f. Strong southwesterly. england/Wales rain, west. Drier, east. 8c/46f night 3c/37f. Strong southwesterly. saturday 7 january Scotland/n Ireland rain showers. Day 5c/41f night 1c/34f. Strong southwesterly. england/Wales rain, west. Drier, east. 7c/45f night 2c/36f. Strong southwesterly. sunday 8 january Scotland/n Ireland rain showers. Day 5c/41f night 1c/34f. Strong southwesterly. england/Wales rain, west. Drier, east. 8c/46f night 2c/36f. Strong southwesterly. Monday to thursday Turning drier but a lot colder.

lancashire
Lollipop honour
Lancashires longest-serving lollipop lady has been acknowledged in the Queens new Years Honours list. Irene reid has been made an mbe after working for 43 years as a lollipop lady. She said: People say I deserve a medal but I didnt expect to get one!

THE WEEK IN NUMBERS

2,500 60

insurance claims were made by churches reporting stolen metal from their sites in 2011.

5.6

percent is how much an average ticket for travel on London Transport has gone up by this January.

miles is how far two former olympic medallists will run as part of a relay to celebrate the start of the olympic year. It will start at much Wenlock in Shropshire, the alleged birthplace of the modern olympics.

341,000

metres is the size of the dead sperm whale that washed up on a beach on norfolk on Christmas eve. It is still there and officials are now warning people not to touch it, as it is a health hazard. specially modified wheelchairs have been stolen from a basketball club for disabled youngsters in northamptonshire. A fundraising appeal has been set up to help replace them.

16.7 15

pounds is being given to police forces in the South West to buy 3D road crash scanners. This will help reopen roads faster after an accident.

8 FirstNews Issue 291

6 12 January 2012

Family Charter Pledge


o p 10 r u l e s T ade by yo
m

www.thomson.co.uk

First News and thomson Holidays teamed up to call for a Family Charter, listing rules that would make family life better and quality time together a priority. we asked YOU to send in the rules and to vote for your favourites and here are the rules youve chosen.
From around 3,000 suggestions you sent in, youve now voted for your top ten, below. The first eight were chosen by you and numbers nine and ten were chosen by the grown-ups in your family. as you can see, what is most important to you all is quality time together. Cut out this Pledge Poster for your wall to remind you and your loved ones to make time for family time and to enjoy it!

together, e.g. picnics, theme parks

1. Have more fun days out 2.

Have a vote on where to go on the family holiday

Have a family night out, e.g. the cinema, once a week

3. 4.

Be honest with each other Always keep promises Finish work on time so we have more time together

5. 6.

Have one family at home day per week when we watch DVDs or play board games together Ask before you borrow each others stuff, but dont refuse for no good reason

8.

9. Treat each other with respect


and listen to each other

7.

with each other (parent/carer and child)

10. Have one-on-one time

FirstNews

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For more world news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

GLOBAL STORIES SNIPPETS


A fan of Dutch football club Ajax has been jailed for four months, after he attacked the goalkeeper of rivals AZ Alkmaar. The goalie got a red card for fighting back.

World News
Germany Sweden Denmark
Missing millions
Experts say that there is still 5.67 billion of old German money that people havent exchanged for euros. The Deutschmark was replaced by the euro ten years ago, when the new currency was introduced throughout Europe.

Germany
Piggy pong
A court in the town of Osnabrck has given a farmer permission to carry on feeding his pigs raw onions. Neighbours claimed that the smell of the pigs trumps was overpowering, so the council banned the farmer from using onions. However, a court has now decided that there is no evidence that the onions are to blame for the stench.

Canada
Avalanche deaths
Two skiers have died in separate avalanches in remote areas of the country. One group of skiers was dropped into a wild area of the Selkirk mountain range, which is away from the normal skiing resorts. Three buried skiers escaped, but one man wasnt so lucky. In the other incident, a man was trapped overnight and died before he could be rescued.
Getty

Doggy armour
To protect dogs from wolves, a hunter has created new body armour for pooches. The coat has pockets filled with red-hot spices, so that any wolves trying to bite the dog will be warned off. The pockets also contain antifreeze to keep the mixture liquid.

Cyclist crackdown
The first increase in cycling punishments in 12 years has seen some fines double. Offences that will now cost more include cycling on pavements, jumping a red light or using a phone while riding. The countrys main cycling group said that the fines are way too high and that Parliament is using a bazooka to shoot a butterfly.

New Zealand
Ship in pieces
The stranded cargo ship Rena is still stuck on a reef off the coast of the country, nearly three months after it ran aground. Waves have battered the ship so much that it has split in two now. Several more containers have fallen overboard and at least one penguin has died in the last week after being covered in oil.

USA
Wandering kitty
A cat that escaped from his new home in Florida has turned up over 3,000km away in Colorado. Waylon escaped just 30 minutes after being taken home from a shelter in Naples back in August, but vets in Colorado scanned his microchip to find out who his owner was. Its still a mystery as to how he got so far.
Getty

USA
Arson investigation
Police have been holding a man in custody as they look into a string of arson attacks in Los Angeles and Hollywood. Dozens of fires have broken out in recent days, most of them in cars that were parked outside their owners homes.

Somalia
Town captured
Ethiopian troops have taken over the town of Beledweyne. The town was previously held by rebels from the Islamist al-Shabab group, which occupies much of the country. The rebels were forced to flee after troops pounded the town for hours.

Australia
Mushroom mistake
Four people have been taken to hospital after mistakenly eating death cap mushrooms. The four thought they were eating the paddy straw mushroom, which is a common delicacy in Southeast Asia. The death cap has claimed at least three lives in the last ten years.

SNIPPETS
A 64-year-old Australian man says that he is still turned down for jobs because he has a criminal record for swimming with no clothes on when he was just 14 years old.

A KIDS WORLD

To find out more about Street Child visit www.street-child.co.uk

Name: Josef Julius Conteh Age: 14 Lives: Makeni, Sierra Leone My father drowned when I was young. My mother remarried but, during the war, soldiers attacked our village. They set fire to our house and killed her.
My stepfather was shot and his leg badly damaged. The doctors had to amputate it. He was in hospital and unable to care for me. I was forced to live on the streets. I made a little money by washing dishes. One day I won a school uniform. Even though I wasnt registered at a school, I wore it and sneaked into class. The teachers didnt notice because there were 80 children in the classroom. I washed that uniform in the river every day. Sometimes I had to wear it when it was wet, which made me sick. I had to work again to raise money for medicine. One night, staff from Street Child of Sierra Leone found me. Im so glad they did. They spoke to my stepfather and convinced him to let me come home. Now they are helping him pay for my school. We live on an amputee camp with other people who lost limbs in the war. Life isnt easy but, for now, I am happy and proud. Street Child of Sierra Leone saves hundreds of street children across Sierra Leone each year. It provides counselling, clothing, medical care, food and a safe place, and unites children with a family member or guardian. It also funds the childrens return to education or training and offers ongoing financial support to their families. You can find out more about Street Child of Sierra Leone at: www.street-child.co.uk.

Getty

Getty

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ANIMAL NEWS

For more animal news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

What will go extinct in 2012?


A LIST of all the animals that are so endangered they may go extinct in 2012 has been drawn up.
In the last 100 years, around 10,000 species have gone extinct and more are predicted for 2012. The Global Species assessment has been put together by Conservation International. among the animals at risk this year are one in three amphibians, almost half of all turtles and tortoises, one in eight birds, one in four mammals, plus lot of plants. Species going extinct can be down to lots of factors, but most are the fault of humans. Pollution, loss of habitat and hunting are three of the major factors that affect the population of a species. What do you do to help the environment and animal species? Email us at newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk to tell us!
Pre Davids deer and Scimitar-horned Oryx (main picture) are both considered extinct in the wild but could disappear totally in 2012

Tree recycling!
IF you still havent taken down your real Christmas tree and want it to go to a good home instead of landfill, you might want to look to your local zoo.
Paignton Zoo in Devon is asking for old Christmas tree donations for their animals. The trees will be used to enrich the homes of all sorts of animals, from meerkats to tapirs. Phil Knowling, a spokesperson for the zoo, says: The Zoo can make use of old Christmas trees, so long as they havent been sprayed with fake snow, glitter or needle glue, as all of these may be toxic. The local Scout group will be collecting trees on 7 and 8 january for the Zoo for a minimum donation of 5. If you dont live close to Paignton Zoo, why not speak to your local zoos to see if they can use old trees for their animals instead of sending them to landfill.
First News web editor Nic Williams tree is perfect for recycling

New Year dieter


An overweight orangutan is starting 2012 much lighter after being rescued by Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset.
Monkey World ape rescue Centre

sick coral reef


The entire Florida reef tract, which spreads across 270km, is the only living reef in america and, in 2011, all of it suffered from coral bleaching. Coral bleaching happens when coral reefs are stressed or traumatised. They release the colourful algae that live within the coral shell, making them look washed out or bleached. This can happen for lots of reasons and leads to the reefs becoming sick or even dying. This in turn will affect the fish populations on the reef and has a domino effect on the ecosystem. Experts think the bleaching in Florida may be linked to one of the hottest years on record for the area, which will have raised the sea temperature slightly.

Oshine is fitter after her new diet

CORAL reefs in Florida suffered more damage in 2011 than in the previous six years, according to studies.

Oshine the Bornean orangutan has shed an amazing 25kg (a quarter of her body weight) since she was taken to the ape rescue centre in 2010. Oshine was rescued from a home in South africa where she had been a pet for 12 years. When she was rescued, she weighed more than double the natural weight of a female orangutan, after being fed sweets and processed food for most of her life. Oshine arrived at the centre unfit and unhealthy. after moving into a new home with five other orangutans, she has started eating healthily and exercising with her new friends. She has even started caring for an orphaned baby orangutan at the centre. Oshine can now climb, play and enjoy her new level of fitness. just like humans, it is bad for apes to get too overweight, as they suffer from problems like heart disease.

Monkey World ape rescue Centre

FirstNews

Issue 291

6 12 January 2012

11
For more big issues, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover

SPECIAL REPORT
by John Read, Clean Up Britain

Help Clean Up Britain!


sINCe the 1960s, litter has increased by 500% in Britain, and an eye-watering 2.1m pieces of litter are dropped every day. A new campaign called Clean up Britain (CLuB) has been launched to combat the huge problem. Read on to find out what the campaign is doing and how you can help too

Litter issues
Sadly, Britain is now one of the most littered countries in Europe and it costs local councils an astonishing 1 billion a year, thats 1,000,000,000, to clean up litter in Britain. This sort of money could pay for 60,000 new nurses, 5,000 libraries or 40 new secondary schools.

Gabby Logan (pictured below, with husband Kenny), Steven Gerrard, Julia Bradbury, Gary Lineker, andrew Lloyd-Webber, Mo Farah and Goldie.

How can you help?


If youre interested in helping or finding out more, go to the website www.cleanupbritain.org. you can get your mum, dad, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends to sign a Pledge supporting the campaign. If youd prefer to get people to sign paper Pledges, then that would be great too. The CLuB Pledge is as follows: Much of Britain is covered in litter, and I pledge to do whatever I can to help clean it up. I support the efforts of the Clean up Britain national campaign to change the attitudes and behaviour of people who drop litter.

The CLUB campaign


The Clean up Britain campaign is about changing the attitudes and behaviour of the 48% of the British population 29 million people who admit to dropping litter. washing machine. CLuB, joining forces with the rSPCa, is trying to persuade children and adults not to drop their litter on the ground because, apart from looking very unsightly, it could badly injure vulnerable animals.

Joining forces
The rSPCa is a Campaign Partner of the CLuB campaign. They receive more than 7,000 phone calls a year about litter-related incidents, and their officers regularly rescue pets, farm and wild animals trapped or hurt by discarded litter.

Keep Scotland Beautiful


Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) is another Campaign Partner of CLuB. It is Scotlands leading environmental charity and has been running anti-litter and waste awareness campaigns in Scotland for 40 years. KSB will be launching its national Spring Clean in april 2012, where many groups across Scotland take part in voluntary clean-ups or litter picks. The national Spring Clean provides an annual focus and opportunity for schools, youth clubs, environmental organisations, voluntary groups, community gatherings and businesses to play an important part in a bigger, co-ordinated anti-litter campaign.

Most recently the rSPCa have tended to: a fox cub with its head stuck in a dumped wheel hub a dog with its tongue caught in a discarded tin can a cow with its head stuck in a fly-tipped

Celebrity fans
So far 47 celebrities are supporting CLuB, including Jonny Wilkinson, Kevin Pietersen,

12 FirstNews Issue 291

6 12 JANUARY 2012

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Being you is enough


Theyre one of the most successful X Factor contestants eVer so we grabbed five minutes with Jedward to kick-start 2012 with a double dose of fun!
You have crazy fans. What kind of things do they do to see you? Edward: At nighttime they put masks on of us and come speeding down the motorway and follow us to our hotel. They check into the same hotels and stuff. John: Whats really cool is that, at the beginning, they were all fans of us but now they have become the best of friends with each other. They all share the same interests, they love me and Edward. Were kind of making people come together. Youve performed hundreds of times now. Do you get critical of your own performances? John: I think me and Edward never go: Ohmygod, we were good! I feel like we are critical of ourselves because, if were not, then you just stay on one level. I think you have to keep improving all the time. Youre never going to be perfect, so why not keep pushing yourself in the right direction? Edward: We just want to keep working and putting positive vibes out there. The advice we always give to people is whatever you are doing, just to keep doing it. John: No matter what, even if youve had no sleep, you just have to give it the best you can and keep going. Youre style icons do you think a lot about what you wear? John: We still like to look okay, but were not obsessed with what we wear or anything like that. Its so cool that people want to look like Jedward. Edward: Big hair is cool. Touch it, its not crunchy, its springy. (First News touches Edwards hair and can confirm it is springy) There are loads of ways to do it and usually it takes about five seconds. You just get loads of stuff and put it in it. Usually it turns out okay. Occasionally it is disastrous. If that happens, we just put a hat on. John: You can have different types of Jedward hair. Loads of girls want to touch our hair, and they scream when they touch it too. Big hair is cool. The Jonas Brothers have big hair, Justin Bieber has big hair. The Beatles had big hair. Edward: Imagine if we did a movie. Erm, okay. Is that in the plans? John: Imagine us in a Disney movie! Edward: Wed love to be in a Disney movie and go to all the awards shows and go up the red carpet and meet loads of famous people. Like Demi Lovato. John: Id like to do something like Camp Rock, but Id like to do something serious too. Edward: Id like to have our own TV series too, that would be so cool. Like Friends, or something like that. One of those shows that you can watch over and over again. Do you think youll ever get bored of fame? Both: No! John: Well never get bored because we dont see ourselves as famous. We just take every day as it comes. What happened yesterday is history and everything that happens tomorrow is a mystery. Do you ever get bored of each other? Both: No! Edward: That is such a weird question. We never get bored because weve been with each other since we were born. John: And we were premature. We were really, really small and in incubators. Then, when we got bigger, we used to go outside and climb trees, ash trees, and have mud fights, play hide and sneak. We were always outside. We were never inside watching TV like lots of kids. Edward: We were meant to be born in January but we were born in October. What would you say to kids who want to be famous? John: Aspire to be you and always think of the positive and keep things as simple as a pimple. Edward: You need to go out and realise that just by being you and thinking on another level makes you cool in your own right. Dont think you have to look this way or act this way just because someone in a magazine looks that way. Being you is enough. John: You need to keep your own thing. You just need to realise that people who are being mean to you at school, its not because of you. Its them. We didnt really fit in at school either! Could you imagine if they found a new planet and we bought it? That would be so cool. Edward: Planet Jedward isnt really a planet, its a lifestyle choice. What rules shall we make? John: I think everyone would be crazy. The crazier the better. It would just be random.

with Serena Lacey

Its not quite a Disney movie, but Jedward dressed up as Disney characters to launch the Disney Universe game at the end of 2011

Jedwards album Victory is out now.

ThE Borrowers is one of the most loved stories of all time, about the tiny people who borrow things from humans. Christopher Eccleston plays Pod Clock in a brand-new version of the film, so we caught up with him for a quick chat about playing a Borrower.
Are you a fan of the Borrowers book? The Borrowers is one of the very first books I remember reading as a child, and I loved it. As a child, if I liked a book, I tended to keep reading it. The film is a contemporary take on the story and still retains all the original elements of the book, which is really about a loving family a dad learning how to let go of his daughter so that shell come back. What was it like playing Pod? As the book was such an important part of my childhood, I was very familiar with the character of Pod. Ian Holm, who Ive worked with, is one of my heroes, as is Jim Broadbent both fantastic actors, so it was nice to think that Id play a role that those two great actors have played. Pod borrows his clothes from an action figure of the 80s, perhaps loosely based on a character from Raiders Of The Lost Ark. I think that appeals to Pods image hes quite an adrenaline junkie, he likes risk and adventure. Pod is also a lovely dad, and a hero. Ive played lots of troubled men and anti-heroes, but Pods a straight hero. Theres a great sense of humour to him, and a gentleness. Thats what attracted me to the role. Did you get to wear any cool costumes? Pods costume is very torn, tattered, spattered in mud, and half hanging off him. Hes a typical fella, hes not too concerned with what he looks like. When they go on this extraordinary adventure, Pod is reduced to rags really. Hes nearly dissected and his shirt is taken off him by the human beings he starts off pretty Harrison Ford-ish, and ends up like Steptoe and Son. What was it like performing the stunts in the film? Playing the role of Pod is unlike anything Ive done before. There was a huge amount of green screen. Ive done little bits of green screen in the past, but not that much. I would say its the most challenging role Ive done physically, because one of the conditions for me playing the part was that I did all the stunts.

I flew out of a drain!


My favourite stunt was where I ran along a gigantic bookcase and just threw myself into mid-air and onto a crash mat. I was very excited about doing that and they had to tell me to stop because I kept doing it for fun. I also flew out of a gigantic drain into 12ft (3m) of milkshake mix, but that was not as pleasant.

The Borrowers is released on DVD on 9 January

13

TV, FILM, MUSIC AND THEATRE!

GAME ZONE

2012 trailers! SHHH!


ThE first trailer for the forthcoming film The hobbit: An Unexpected Tale has been released.
Film fans have eagerly been awaiting their first glance of the new movie, which is out in December. Other big films have also released their trailers, including the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, which is released in July. The next year looks set to be a great one for films, with lots of new releases to look forward to, including The Hunger Games, The Amazing Spider-Man and the final film in the Twilight Saga series. Check out the trailers for all the latest releases online at www.firstnews.co.uk.
2011 New Line Productions, Inc.

We try out Sonys new console

CELEb SPLITS
Two high-profile celebrity romances came to an end over the festive period. Both Katy Perry and Russell Brand and Gethin Jones and Katherine Jenkins went their separate ways. The splits were announced on Twitter.

Whats Vita like?


SonYS new hand-held console, the PlayStation Vita, will be in shops on 22 February, so we spent a leisurely afternoon putting it through its paces to give you our verdict.
The first thing to say is that the PS Vita looks and feels pretty much like a PSP, but with a sleeker design and rounder edges. The obvious new change is the addition of the two analogue sticks. This is mainly to make it easier to play first-person games, which are quite difficult on the PSP or DS. Games will be released on 2GB or 4GB memory cards, so theres no slot to use your UMD PSP games. way you can make your own levels using pictures you take with Vitas cameras. One of the many stunninglooking games we tried was Wipeout 2048 (above), the latest version of the futuristic racing game with speedy hovercraft. It looks really crisp and feels satisfyingly speedy. Oh, and get this you can race against someone whos playing the same game on the PS3. Beat-em-up fans will love Reality Fighters (below), which lets you use Vitas front camera to take a picture of yourself, which you can use as your characters face. Then you can use the rear camera to set the location for your fight, such as your room or garden. One of the most unusual games we tried was Gravity Rush (below). Its a mysterious manga-style action game, which gives you the ability to change the direction of gravity and do some really powerful leap attacks. You also have a talking cat and the story is told in a dark comic-book style. Definitely one to look out for.

JAY-Z
Rapper Jay-Z will be performing at two charity concerts this February to benefit children from poor homes. Jay-Z said: That really bothers me someone who really applies themselves and wants to go to college and they cant further their education because of their situation, because of money or because they have to stay in the house to watch their siblings. The star says he wants children to have opportunities he didnt growing up.

Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit

Ice dancers revealed


ThE best thing about January is that Dancing on Ice is back!
The show starts this weekend, so check out the line-up below. With lots of fab celebs involved, who do you want to win? Tell us online at firstnews.co.uk/polls.

MARVIN & ROCHELLE


JLS singer Marvin Humes has asked girlfriend Rochelle Wiseman from The Saturdays to marry him. The pair got engaged just before New Years Eve while on holiday in Antigua and announced it on Twitter by posting a picture of themselves toasting with champagne (below).

Back Row: (left to right) Coronation Street star Andy Whyment, Blue Peter presenter Andy Akinwolere, TV presenter Mark Rhodes, Hollywood actor Corey Feldman, free runner Sabastien Foucan, TV presenter Sam Nixon, singer Chesney Hawkes (although as First News went to press he had injured his leg) and Emmerdale actor Matthew Wolfenden. Front Row: (left to right) Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter, actress Jennifer Ellison, British skier Chemmy Alcott, Sugababe Heidi Range, fitness guru Rosemary Conley, actress Laila Morse and Dallas star Charlene Tilton.

magIc Search Four new celebrities battle it out to work out who is the best magician among them in this new live series. The Magicians, BBC1, Saturday @ 6.35pm. Ice Ice BaBy Its back! Fifteen new celebs will take to the ice to try to be the next ice champion. Hosted by Phillip Schofield and Christine Bleakley. Dancing on Ice, ITV1, Sunday @ 6.30pm. Under the Sea Amazing new series looking at the complex underwater ecosystem that is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Great Barrier Reef, BBC2, Friday @ 7.00pm.

TOP TELLY!

The Vita has a touch screen, but also a rear touch pad. We werent sure at first how the rear touch pad would work, but two games made us realise why its such a genius idea. The Vita version of LittleBigPlanet (above) looks great, but theres a point early on where you see blocks of different sizes and shapes in the background and a platform out of reach. Using the rear touch pad, you have to push the right blocks through to make a staircase for Sackboy, which adds a new twist to the LBP world. Little Deviants is a funny collection of mini-games, including some augmented reality shooting games similar to those on the 3DS. But theres also one (below) where you have to guide a ball-shaped character to the end of each level, which you do by putting your finger on the rear pad. This pushes the ground up and causes you to roll down the hill youve just made. Its tricky at first, but pretty cool and unlike anything weve played before. Theres also a game in a wrestling ring, where you have to use one hand to pinch the front and rear of the Vita, which twangs your character off the ropes and into your opponents. Vita also has a gyroscope and accelerometer, which means you can tilt and turn it to play things like Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz (below), which is a lot of fun and fans of the series should love it, especially the

Racing fans will be blown away by Ridge Racer (below), which looks fantastic, especially when you watch a replay of your slick overtaking moves (or crashes!) Everything we played looks great, as the screen is bigger than the PSPs and the quad-core processor means that the graphics are pretty close to those on the PS3. A pretty useful feature is the ability to use text or voice chat with your mates, even when youre playing offline or playing different games. And the price? Well, the basic Wi-Fi model is going to be around 230, with a 3G/Wi-Fi model costing 50 more.

14 FirstNews Issue 291

6 12 jANUARY 2012

THE BIG INTERVIEW

For more interviews and clips go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover

It doesnt feel real


AfTer 14 years as a band, Westlife are going their separate ways. With their Greatest Hits album, last single and farewell tour in the pipeline, the boys are saying goodbye to their fans. We caught up with Kian to talk about the end of Westlife.
because were still in the middle of it. Were in the middle of the promotional tour and were doing interviews all the time, were talking about it all. Its so strange, but I dont think weve really realised what weve achieved and I dont think weve realised what weve been doing for the last 14 years. Were ending with a big concert so, when it all comes to an end, itll be quite an emotional moment for us all. Then its going to be interesting. Itll be an awkward few months, seeing what its like to live without Westlife. Thatll be when it becomes real. Youve just released your greatest hits album. Was it a tough job deciding which songs to include? We just said put everything that weve ever released on this album. There are two different versions of it theres one thats got the definitive hits, all the number ones How does it feel now you have announced youre splitting up? Well, its fine, you know. I think we all feel like were doing the right thing and its the right time. Weve spent a long time dedicating our lives to Westlife and to each other. I think weve all kind of come to the stage where were all wanting to spend more time with family and things like that and it just kind of feels right. We feel like weve been to so many places and done things wed never thought wed get to do. We never wanted it to end badly, we always wanted to end it as friends. Weve managed to do that after 14 years, so we really feel like weve made the right decision. Does it still feel like youve got quite a long to way go, with the tour next year? Yes, it is a bit like that. I dont think it feels real to us at the minute. None of it feels real, and the big singles. We wanted to make sure all the big moments are on there. Then they were like: Were going to leave off songs that were number two. But, if it was number two, why wouldnt we put it on? So it was a little bit funny in that way, but theres also another version that has literally all the songs ever released. That is amazing, and its got every video weve ever made on there as well, so thats the lump package and thats the one to go for, its brilliant. How long would it take to listen to that whole album then? Id say probably four hours. Three to four hours. Maybe more! Do you have your own personal favourite song or video from the past? I think songs like Flying Without Wings and You Raise Me Up and World Of Our Own. Those three songs are massive moments in our career and they still feel like we recorded them yesterday. So, from that perspective, theyre amazing songs, but then I remember I loved shooting Fool Again off the first album in Mexico. There were so many different things we did over the years and its just crazy looking back on it and trying to pull out moments that were better than others. Westlife are the longest-running boy band. Why do you think it is that youve had such a successful career for so long? I genuinely believe its because we just didnt argue with each other to the point of disliking each other. We never let things escalate. We had a genuine

AN EGAN KI
friendship with each other. From the early days that was the natural thing that happened. And, you know, we knew what we were. We werent one of these boy bands that were trying to be something were not. We werent trying to be cool and hip and trendy. We werent trying too hard. We just knew who we were and we stuck to it. We didnt try to change it. We are about ballads, mid-tempo, up-tempo songs that we like, that are just good fun. And I always think we were just ourselves. We were never fake. What you saw with us was what you got. We always just tried to be ourselves. Your Greatest Hits Tour in 2012 is going to be amazing. Why is it so important for you guys to kind of do that tour? Its a big thank you really and its a tribute to our fans, to ourselves. Its a pat on the back. Its a celebration. Its a celebration about what weve achieved as a band. Its a celebration about what the fans have given us. We want to go out on the tour and we want everybody to have a great time. We want it to be happy memories.

Westlife performing on their ITV Special Westlife For The Last Time

Westlife Greatest Hits is out now!

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6 12 january 2012

Furious frog
A PeT bullfrog has become an internet sensation after getting frustrated playing a game on a smartphone.
by Serena Lacey The youTube clip of the frog playing ant Smasher has had more than 2.5 million views so far. The frog tries to catch the ants, before eventually getting frustrated. Watch the hilarious clip online at www.firstnews.co.uk and see how the frog gets revenge on its owner!

CRAZY BUT TRUE

For more crazy news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

RECORD OF THE WEEK


Fastest trek to the North pole (Female)
The fastest unsupported trek to the north Pole by a female is 48 days 22 hrs and was achieved by Cecilie Skog (norway), who left Ward-Hunt Island with team-mates, rolf Bae and Per Henry Borch (both norway), on 6 March 2006 and reached the north Pole on 24 april 2006.

www.guinnessworldrecords.com

For info on this record and hundreds more, go to

QUICK CHUCKLES
Q: What did one snowman say to another? A: Do you smell carrots? Q: What is a cows favourite day? A: Moo years day!

Popcorn scoffers Crystal


CIneMAgOeRS in the UK ate almost three billion grams of popcorn in 2011.
results released by Empire Cinemas say that film fans ate more than two and a half billion pieces of popcorn: enough to fill 150,000 double-decker London buses that would stretch for more than 1,000 miles! Of the millions of boxes of popcorn sold at Empire Cinemas, 80% were sweet and only 20% salty. This year looks set to be an even bigger year for filmgoers, with big releases from all of the major film studios. Tell us which films youre looking forward to at newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk.

A SWAROVSKI studded toilet has been made by a Japanese toilet manufacturer.

covered loo

Upload your jokes to our website at:

www.firstnews.co.uk

The toilet is being called the worlds most valuable loo and was made as an offering to the god of lavatories. It is studded with more than 72,000 Swarovski crystals, worth around 82,000. The unusual toilet is on display in the Ginza shopping district, which is full of posh shops. The director of the Lixil interior fixture company, who created the loo, said: In japan, we believe a deity exists in the lavatory. Thats why keeping lavatories clean and taking good care of them has been a japanese custom since long ago. Opinions about the toilet have been mixed, with some members of the public saying the toilet is too nice to use, while others want to have a disco around it. What do you think? Would you like a crystal-covered loo? Vote online at www.firstnews.co.uk.

Written and illustrated by Paul Palmer

FirstNews

Issue 291

6 12 JANUARY 2012

17

by Nicola Burroughs, DFID

SPECIAL REPORT

Struggling to go to school
How many children across the world are in school?
Around the world, more than 69 million children of primary school age are not in school. Thats more than the entire UK population. One reason that so many children miss out on an education is because its too expensive for their families to send them to school. Although school is free in the UK, it isnt in many poor countries, so families have to cover the costs of school fees as well as uniforms and textbooks. For many of the worlds poorest families, who struggle to survive on less than 1 per day, these costs are too high. Even in places where school is free, the quality of teaching is often so bad that many parents feel they would be better off sending their children to work instead. supported by UK aid. Yasmeen uses the vouchers to pay the 3 it costs each month for Samia to go to school in Rawalpindi. I get a good education at my school, says Samia. My favourite subject is English and I want to be a doctor when I grow up. Yasmeen is very happy that Samia can go to school. She didnt get an education and, like half of all adults in Pakistan, she cant read or write. My younger kids will get a good education, get a better job and have a better future, says Yasmeen.
Vicki Francis Vicki Francis

ImagIne what your life would be like if youd never had the chance to go to school. For one thing, its unlikely you would be reading First news!

What is the future for pupils like Samia? Samias story


Samia is an 11-year-old who lives with her mother, four brothers and three sisters in the slums of Rawalpindi Pakistans fourth-largest city. Her family is very poor their small home in the slums has just one room. One third of Pakistans population live in extreme poverty. This means more than 62 million people live on less than 30 pence a day, and regularly go hungry. 17 million children in Pakistan do not go to school. UK aid is transforming the lives of more than 300,000 children like Samia, by helping them to get an education. This will increase to four million children across Pakistan over the next few years. Getting more children into school means more people will grow up with the skills needed to help Pakistan work its way out of poverty. And that means Pakistan will gradually become less dependent on aid from countries like Britain. Getting more kids into school is just one way UK aid is helping to change the lives of some of the worlds poorest people. To find out more, visit www.dfid.gov.uk.
Samia (far left) and her siblings

Why is it difficult for Samia to go to school?


Samias mum

What can the UK do to help?


The UK Government believes that helping children around the world to get a decent education is the best way to fight poverty. Thats why, over the next four years, British aid will be used to help 11 million of the worlds poorest children go to school, and train more than 190,000 teachers, to improve the quality of education.

Like many poor families, Samias mother, Yasmeen, has struggled to give her children an education. She earns just 48 per month working as a cleaner. When Samias father died a few years ago, her older brothers dropped out of school so they could go to work and help Yasmeen earn money for the family. Samia would have missed getting an education too, if it wasnt for the special vouchers her family started to receive from an organisation called the Punjab Education Foundation, which is

DFID

DFID

18 FirstNews Issue 291

6 12 JANuArY 2012

GREEN NEWS
with Keilly Swift

For more green news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover

Green Queen
WINdSoR Castle, one of the Queens official residences, is being powered by hydroelectricity now an eco-friendly way to generate power from flowing water.
The hydroelectric turbines, called Archimedes screws, have been installed in the romney Weir on the river Thames. They will not only power the castle, but also more than 300 homes in the area. Windsor Castle isnt the first royal residence to use eco-friendly power. The Queen already has a hydroelectric plant at her residence in Balmoral and Prince Charles has solar panels on his estate. Hydroelectricity is not only good for the environment, it also helps to save money on electricity bills. This will please the Queen, who has been trying to cut back on the cost of the royal family, as the economy is so weak. The latest project also helps river life, as a fish path has been built alongside the weir. This allows fish and eels to migrate up the

Big changes ahead for planet earth


NASA has said that by the year 2100, climate change will have affected half of the plant species on Earth.
The researchers used a computer model to help predict the changes to plant life as the temperature on Earth rises because of greenhouse gases produced by humans. They found that many plant species will find it hard to survive and others will have to move to different areas to find a climate they are suited to. Most of the Earth thats not covered by ice or desert is expected to experience changes. Its not just plant life that would be

river for the first time in hundreds of years. David DeChambeau of Southeast Power Engineering, the turbine developer, said the royals were quietly excited by the project.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!


What do you do to help fight climate change? How do you get your friends, family and school to do their bit too? Tell us and First News readers. Log on to www.firstnews.co.uk/ discover, or write to newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk or the address on page 21.

affected. The supply of food, water and energy would change, so humans and animals would have to adapt how and where they live. Jon Bergengren, a scientist who led the study, said: For more than 25 years, scientists have warned of the dangers of human-induced climate change. The researchers say the study shows how important it is stop temperatures on Earth rising.

ASK ESTHER

With thanks to

Ill miss them!


WE have always been close to our grandparents and see them every day. They are going to live in Spain in a few weeks time and I am dreading not being able to just pop in to see them. I really dont want them to go. Abbie, 13 It is great that you have such a good relationship with your grandparents. You are very lucky. There are lots of ways you could try to keep in touch with them, such as phone, internet, letters, and even live web chats if you both have access to a computer. Have you had a chance to talk to them about how this is making you feel? You could come up with a plan with them to keep in touch on a regular basis. I bet they will miss you just as much! You could try setting little goals for yourself, such as the next time you see them or are going to talk to them, instead of focusing on the negative aspects. And think about the great holidays you can have visiting them! Change is difficult to adapt to and this might be challenging at first, but it should get a little easier with time. If you would like to talk about this, you could call ChildLine free on 0800 1111.

Im Esther Rantzen, President of ChildLine, which helps 2,500 children every week. If theres something worrying you, please write to me at the address below.

Wanting a pet
LookINg after a pet can be great fun and there are lots of different types you can have.
A pet is also a big responsibility to take on so, if you really want one, having the backing of your parents or carers is important. Maybe youve been asking for a pet for ages and it feels like all you ever hear is: Well think about it! There could be good reasons why you cant keep a certain type of animal in your home. Maybe someone you live with is allergic to them or where you live doesnt suit that animals needs like having a big dog in a top floor flat. Another big thing to think about is who looks after your pet feeds them, cleans out their house or takes them out for a walk. Most of the time it could be you, with some help from the rest of the family, but there may be times when you arent around, like if you go on holiday or are unwell. And, finally, pets can be expensive and itll probably be an adult paying for a lot of the pets care. It may be a good idea to ask your parents or carer to sit down and talk through all the issues around having a pet. This will show maturity and that youve really thought things through. And dont forget to check out websites that offer great advice on keeping pets, like www.rspca.org.uk.

New Year

EvERy year I make at least one New years resolution and I never manage to stick to it. How can I find the willpower to commit to it this time? Lots of people have plans at New something unrealistic, you will find it very Year for various New Year resolutions. difficult to stick to. Also, it might help to However, sometimes it is difficult to stick make it something that is an enjoyable to them and, by the end of January, they experience, such as playing more sport? are forgotten! If you really want to keep This way you will have more chance of a New Years resolution, it is important to enjoying it and fulfilling your resolution. make your resolution manageable. If it is Good luck!

my boyfriend has just dumped me and I cant stop crying. He has asked a friend out now and she wants to say yes but doesnt want to upset me. I couldnt bare the thought. How should I handle the situation? This sounds like a difficult situation for you at the He might not realise how his actions are affecting moment and it is complicated when other peoples you. It is important to think about your actions decisions are out of your hands. It seems that you before you do or say anything, so that you dont do have spoken to your friend about this, which is a something you regret. It might help to have a look good place to start as she will be able to make a at the ChildLine message boards at www.childline. decision while having your feelings in mind. Have org.uk to see if any other young people have been you thought about talking to your ex-boyfriend through the same thing and have any other useful and letting him know how upset you are over this? advice. Good luck.

What should I do?

FirstNews

Issue 291

6 12 January 2012

19
For more news crew, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

YOUR NEWS

Tennis fun
ON Tuesday 22 November I was lucky enough to win a competition LIST in First News to meet the Barclays jOURNA Ball Kids at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament and join in with a training session.

Fundraiser

jUNIOR

MY favourite charity is the WDCS, a charity to help save whales and dolphins. Through the WDCS I have adopted dolphins Lightning and Stardance, to help towards saving these beautiful creatures. I would like to be a marine biologist when I am older so I can study all marine life to help preserve our oceans.
by Frazer Dale I have loved dolphins ever since I was very young. I think that their smiley faces, mischievous behaviour, trustfulness and super intelligence are wonderful. When I was eight, instead of presents, I asked all of my friends for a donation and gave all of my birthday money to the WDCS, which raised about 80. I have seen captive dolphins and didnt like it. The pool that they were kept in was small and boring. They were almost never given any freedom and, when they were, it was to entertain humans. I wanted to raise some funds for the WDCS again, so I chose to set up a stall, because I had lots of used and unused toys and games that I had saved for this event. My dad and I headed to the local church to set up our stall. There were lots of other stalls. As the day passed by, our stall became the most visited. I handed out all the leaflets on adopting dolphins that the WDCS had sent me and displayed some posters. By the end of the day we had raised 60. Seeing dolphins in the wild is a much more pleasant experience. Dolphins leap and twirl on their own because they want to in their natural habitat, not because they are made to. We need to help whales and dolphins because it would be a tragedy to lose them from our seas and rivers forever.

jUNIOIR L ST jOURNA

NEWS VIEWS
HeRe are some of the views on the news from our website users. Wed love to hear more of your views!
RSPCA release their funniest calls of 2011 I think these stories are really funny, but I do think the rSPCa should only be called in serious cases. Tabbycat16 (Age 11) New law introduced to help battery chickens Thank goodness! Bunnycat (age 13)
Harry Judd wins best celebrity hair of the year LOL! Justin Bieber should win an award for the most stupid hairstyle. Musicluva (Age 12) Time travelling island skips a day That would be really weird!! ellie-mo (age 12)

by Maddie Ribton As if that wasnt enough, afterwards I had tickets to watch Federer vs Nadal (Federer wiped the floor with him, unfortunately) and a doubles match at the glitzy O2 Arena. It was a great experience, almost like a West End show. I really Maddie with the Barclays Ball Kids enjoyed it. They were all so lovely and welcoming as well as showing great sportsmanship. The Ball Kids were very professional, patient and each movement they made was precise and perfect. You could sense their effort and determined focus through their silent presence on the court, a result of the long training programme that they go through. Thirty boys and girls aged 12-16 were selected out of 2,500 hopefuls. The chosen Ball Kids, after a final selection at a boot camp in London, had a weeks intensive training to participate in the worlds largest indoor tennis tournament, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Barclays Ball Kids are working with the eight best tennis players in the world. This marks a wonderful achievement for them and an experience that they wont ever forget.

www.firstnews.co.uk

Britains best friend Young designer


ITS official: Im Britains Best Friend! I was chosen by the British public after My Blue Nose Friends and celebrity street dance duo Twist & Pulse launched a national competition in the summer.
by Ffion My best friend Ella nominated me. Weve been BFFs for years and have been through a lot together. After her kidney transplant at eight, she needs to take regular medicine and I make sure she takes every dose. Ella had to submit a picture of us both and a brief description of why I deserved to be Britains Best Friend. Amazingly, we were chosen by My Blue Nose Friends Ffion and Ella with and celebrity best buds Twist & Pulse as one of the ten Twist & Pulse finalists, from over 1,000 entries! Ella and my mum had kept it a secret from me in the beginning, so I was totally shocked when I found out! The ten finalists were put to the public vote next. As the weeks went by, it looked like Ella and I were going to win but, as it was the public voting, we didnt want to get our hopes up! We couldnt believe it when we were told we had won! Setting off to school that morning was really exciting and nerve-wracking. We knew that there was a school assembly dedicated to us and that we would have to stand up and accept our prizes, including lots of My Blue Nose Friends goodies. Im honoured to be Britains Best Friend. I just did what any friend would do, but I think its really important to be loyal and care for your friends. Everyone needs friends and it doesnt really take much to be a best friend.

L SCHOOS

jUNIOR ST
jOURNA LI

I HAVE just found out that I have won 30,000 for my design idea, The Snug Hug, and have been presented with the cheque at a cool event at my school.
by Joseph Weaver, Winterbourne International Academy, Bristol All of this first came about in June when my teacher told me about a competition by Sound Asleep, who were searching for young inventors to come up with an idea for a sleeprelated product. I immediately knew I wanted to create a travel product aimed at children, and was Joseph (right) with Trevor Baylis OBE and Ortis Deley inspired by animal toys and photos Id seen of monkeys holding their young in the wild. My idea The Snug Hug is a child car seat accessory that gives the impression theyre sitting on the lap of a giant soft toy, to encourage them to travel. When I heard that Id won and that there was going to be a presentation at my school, I was amazed! It would be fantastic to see The Snug Hug go into production and be sold by Sound Asleep. I cant thank them enough for the way this competition has inspired me and other young inventors across the country. Its definitely going to take a lot of beating, thats for sure.

NEW

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Subscribe to the newspaper and resources Package for only 220 a year and receive six copies of First news as well as five downloadable resources, including a digital version for the interactive whiteboard, each week. Other subscription packages are available. all packages include free postage and packaging.

Call: 0844 8560 634 Quote: sPA Visit: www.firstnews.co.uk/teachers

20 FirstNews Issue 291

6 12 january 2012

FUN STUFF

WIN
9 5 3 7

LoNdoN 2012 goodIe bagS

WIN
5 8 7 1 2 7 3 5

The CLoCkWork MaN 2: The hIddeN WorLd gaMeS

THIS week we have the usual 3x3 grid and you need to fill in the numbers one to nine. Send in your answers and three lucky winners will each win a goodie bag filled with London 2012 goodies. The London 2012 Shop is offering you the chance to win a selection of London 2012 goodies to get you into the Games spirit! Prizes include a Mandeville beanie toy, Mandeville figurine, car pack and a classic routemaster bus toy.

6 5 3 1 4

8 2 7

5 3 4 5 7

CoMPLETE our prize crossword using the clues below. Send in your answers and three lucky winners will win a copy of The Clockwork Man 2: The Hidden World on PC CDroM. join Miranda and her robotic friend, Sprocket, on an amazing journey through a parallel Victorian universe where steam fuels technology! Miranda finds herself embroiled in a new adventure after discovering a strange artefact, which leads Miranda on a quest for The Hidden World, a land lost in time and glimpsed through legends.
www.avanquest.co.uk

ACrOSS 1 Strictly Come Dancing 2011 champion (5,4) 6 Fruit (5) 7 Part of the hand (5) 1 2 9 Erased (7) 12 Left out (7) 16 new ___ : the capital of India (5) 6 17 Polar ___ : large white animals (5) 18 jonny ___ : England rugby player who has retired from international duty (9) DOwN 2 Strong cord (4) 3 Produce or deliver (5) 4 up to the time when (5) 5 Feelings of uncertainty (6) 6 Dr Who's assistant (3,4) 8 nocturnal mammals with a black and white face (7) 10 What you see with (3) 11 Type of tree (6) 13 Spin around quickly (5) 14 Member of the united
11 12

arab Emirates (5) 15 What you hear with (4)


3 4 5

10

8 9

4 2 7

13

14 15

16

17

3 8

18

1 - Strictly Come Dancing 2011 champion (5,4)

Across

Down

2 - Strong cord (4) 3 - Produce or deliver (5) 4 - Up to the time when (5) 5 - Feelings of uncertainty (6) 6 - Dr Who's assistant (3,4) 8 - Nocturnal mammals with a 10 - What you see with (3) 11 - Type of tree (6) 13 - Spin around quickly (5) 15 - What you hear with (4)

Where oN earTh
aLL of these are flags. Do you know which countries they belong to?

WhaT oN earTh
9 - Erased (7) 12 - Left out (7)

6 - Fruit (5)

7 - Part of the hand (5)

aLL of these are items that you might find in the fridge. Can you guess what they are?

a C e

b d F

a C e

16 - New ___ : the capital of India (5)

17 - Polar ___ : large white animals (5) 18 - Jonny ___ : England rugby player who has retired from international duty (9)

14 - Member of the United Ara

d F

COMPETITIONS: you can enter First news competitions in one of two ways. 1. Go to www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions and follow the instructions. 2. Write to us at competition name (eg. Holiday), Shand House, 14-20 Shand St, London SE1 2ES. Please note: First news will not share your personal details with third parties. First news will only use your details to contact the competition winners. First news competitions are open to aged 16-and-under residents of the uK & republic of Ireland, except employees of First news, newsbridge Ltd, BGP and any associated companies and their families. Winners will be the first correct entries drawn after the closing dates. no purchase necessary. no responsibility can be accepted for entries that have been lost or damaged in transit. First news will not enter into any correspondence. all winners will be notified accordingly and their names and addresses will be available on request. no cash alternative for any prizes will be offered. The winner may be required to partake in media activity relating to the competition.

FirstNews

Issue 291

6 12 january 2012
send your finished puzzles to Puzzles 291, First news, shand House, 14 - 20 shand street, London, se1 2es. The closing date for puzzle entries is Friday 13 January 2012.

21

hoW To

eNTer

WIN arrIeTTy dVdS


a b

Arrietty is out on DVD and Blu-ray on 9 January

www.arrietty.co.uk

Can you spot the five changes to this picture from the film arrietty? Send in your answers and three lucky winners will each win a copy of arrietty on DVD. Discover an amazing adventure thats unlike any other. Beneath the floorboards of a sprawling mansion set in a magical, overgrown garden in the suburbs of Tokyo, tiny 14-year-old arrietty lives with her equally tiny parents. The house is occupied by two old ladies, who are unaware of the existence of their miniature tenants. arrietty and her family live by borrowing. Based on Mary nortons muchloved childrens classic The Borrowers, arrietty is a beautiful story of childhood and friendship.

FIrST NeWS ChaLLeNge


Q1 What is the name of Britains largest dog? Q2 What has been named the most played song of the last ten years?

Word Ladder
Q7 How many pieces of litter are dropped every day? Can you get from the top to the bottom by changing one letter at a time to make a new word?

Q3

Q7

Q2

TWIG

Q8 What boy band is Kian Egan part of? Q4 What is the average temperature in daytime Indonesia during january? Q5 Who are the new judges on Britains Got Talent? Q3 What creatures can clean wounds faster Q6 In the last 100 years, how many species have gone extinct? than standard surgery?
LAsT Issues AnsWeRs: FIrST NEwS ChAllENgE 1) Golf 2) Durham Tees Valley airport 3) youngest person to fly solo around the world 4) Two billion 5) The Thames 6) We brought a Zoo 7) 690,850 8) Michael Carrick 9) 31 october 10) Weymouth Sea Life Park SPOT ThE DIFFErENCE T-shirt has changed colour, part of the a is missing, tooth is longer, glasses have been coloured in, nose is a different colour whErE ON EArTh australia whAT ON EArTh Party hats, cakes, balloons, confetti, champagne, streamers wOrD lADDEr Tall, tell, teal, teak, weak, week

Q9 Who is the fastest person to trek to the north Pole? Q10 How many goals have been scored in the Premier League since it started in 1992?
O L Y M P C A M E L L E N S L I O E I I C S L

G N O R E E O T

B O T T O M R R A V E T O F T M

D R E A M E A

S M A R T R

E A R T H O

S C O T L A N D

2 9 7 1 8 6 5 3 4

6 1 5 3 2 4 7 8 9

4 3 8 5 9 7 6 1 2

7 2 3 4 1 5 9 6 8

5 8 1 9 6 2 4 7 3

9 4 6 7 3 8 1 2 5

8 6 4 2 5 1 3 9 7

3 7 2 6 4 9 8 5 1

1 5 9 8 7 3 2 4 6

SOAP

22 FirstNews Issue 291

6 12 january 2012

Book reviews
A Monster CAlls PAtrICk ness
reviewed by Hollie Reston, 12

THE BOOK CORNER

MY WAY CAMPAIGN With thanks to


www. redhouse.co.uk

a Monster Calls is about a boy named Conor and his relationship with his mum. Conor has been getting nightmares ever since his mum got ill. every night, the monster comes and asks Conor to tell the truth, but he doesnt. Its only when he is faced with losing his Mum quicker than he thought that the truth is revealed and we understand how Conor feels. all is not what it seems in this exciting, fantastic book full of amazing illustrations!
GrACe MorrIs GleItzMAn
reviewed by Year 7 Discovery Club at the Sholing Technology College

Be a My Way! star
fIRST nEWS has been running a campaign for a year called my Way! Its about getting people to understand that everybody learns in their own way. for some people school is easy but, for others, it might be harder. The important thing we want everybody to understand is that the way you learn has nothing to do with how smart you are. Around six children in each class have learning challenges, but that doesnt mean that they wont be fantastically successful in whatever they choose to do. As my Way! champion, Hank zipzer author Henry Winkler says: Every child has brilliance inside them. Their job is to dig it out and give it to the world.
We would like you to star in this column. Write around 150 to 200 words about your learning challenge and how youre succeeding in spite of it, and send us a photo too. HoW you learn is just as important as WHat you learn and we want to hear from you. send your reports to newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk, putting My Way! in the subject box. and tHanK you! Want to share your story? find out how online at www.firstnews.co.uk and click on my Way!

We love the way Morris Gleitzman keeps you entertained with humour and real-life drama. Grace is a normal girl brought up within a strict religious community and she finds it hard to obey the rules. she tries to keep her family together but can she do it without putting herself in danger? Grace is quite controversial, as it deals with religion and will hold your attention all the way through until the unexpected ending. If youre looking for something that will make you laugh and think, then give Grace a go! these books are short-listed for the red House Childrens Book award 2012. Visit www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk to view the full short list and to vote for your favourite. the closing date for votes is 20 january 2012.

For more book reviews and clips go to www.firstnews.co.uk/bored

WHATS IN THE SHOPS?


DoCToR WHo TImE of AngElS mInI SET ARgoS 9.95
CHeCK out this tiny tarDIs. take the Doctor and amy Pond underground with the Doctor Who time of angels mini set. Featuring a Weeping angel minifigure, customisable terrain and a mysterious computer terminal; youll have to take on the Weeping angels if you want to see daylight again.

READING CHAMPIONS
EvERYonE knows a Reading Champion theyre people who inspire others to get reading. Each week, one of our champions tells you a bit about their favourite reads and what they think makes reading so appealing.
name: Helen Dunmore Helen is an award-winning novelist and poet as well as a childrens writer. Helen was inspired to write the Ingo series by life on the Cornish coast. She spends much of her time writing in her house in Cornwall and so it seemed natural that she should set her stories there. What books did you read when you were a child? I loved Hans andersen and the Brothers Grimm. I read school stories, ballet stories, comics I loved jennings and anything funny. I remember my father reading the Wind in the Willows to us. If you could be a storybook character, who would you be? If I could choose, I would be tom in toms Midnight Garden. What is the best thing about reading? Going into other worlds and becoming at home there. What is your all-time favourite book? I dont have one favourite. However, if I were choosing a favourite childrens book, it might be Little Women, which I loved as a child. How important is reading in life? It is essential to my happiness, and from talking to other readers over the years I know that this is true for many, many people.

HoHnER lITTlE lADY mInIATuRE HARmonICA WWW.RIkkISmuSIC.Com 6.99


tHIs Hohner Little Lady harmonica is the smallest playable harmonica in the world. the same size as a paperclip, this miniature marvel is ready and waiting for any musical blast.

WoRlDS SmAllEST JIgSAW PuzzlE WWW.fIREbox.Com 4.99


any fan of all things small will love the Worlds smallest jigsaw puzzle. Despite its 1,000 pieces and picture of Londons tower Bridge, when completed it is still only as big as an a3 piece of paper.

mInI RETRo RADIo WWW.fInD-mE-A-gIfT.Co.uk 7.99


tHe mini retro radio is a fab pocket radio that scans FM stations automatically. this battery-powered funky retro radio has easy to use controls and an antenna, which you simply pull up for better reception. just pop in your pocket, wherever you go.

Do you think you would make a good Reading Champion? Ask your school to sign up today. www.readingchampions.org.uk

FirstNews

Issue 291

6 12 january 2012

23

No limits

Sport NewS

Sport NewS IN NUMBerS


goals have been scored in the premier League since it started in 1992/93. aston Villas marc albrighton scored the 20,000th goal, although Villa lost 2-1 to arsenal, so he wasnt too pleased with the result.

20,000 1

seasons is how long the premier League has been going. When ryan Giggs scored against Fulham recently (left), it ensured that he had scored in all 20 seasons. He is the only player to have achieved the feat.
Getty

20

is the number of premier League seasons where the team who was bottom at Christmas has avoided relegation. West brom were the lucky ones in 2005, but can blackburn repeat their escape this season? Head to www.firstnews.co.uk/polls to let us know whether you think theyll do it!

people watched the match between saracens and Harlequins at twickenham (left), a new world record for a club rugby match. saracens won 19-11 and gave Harlequins their first league defeat of the season.

82,000

pICtUre oF tHe weeK


Getty

Get INVoLVeD
Weightlifting is a great way to keep your body strong, but its always best to get advice from a trained adult before you start. For more information or to find a club, see www. britishweightlifting.org/club-finder.

one of the most awesome sights at the olympics is seeing weightlifters straining every muscle in their body to lift chunks of metal that weigh more than they do. GB weightlifter Helen Jewell told us why she thinks its such a great sport.
I got into weightlifting when a new teacher at my school set up a club. It was a different sport, something I had never been aware of before. I went along with a friend for a bit of fun, but I was strong for my age, so I knew there was potential for me to do well. I liked it because it gave me a sense of achievement, and I suppose it looks quite impressive. at first, I struggled to get into the correct positions and was quite unstable with the weights overhead. practice and repetition in training helped, and additional exercises improved my stability. We also do a lot of core strengthening and shoulder stability exercises. the technical side of lifting was challenging and is something that I still keep an eye on. It is a very technical sport and physically demanding. there is also such a fine line between having a good lift and missing it. but you can see progression very easily and there are no limits: you can always lift more! Weightlifting has become part of my life and part of me. Its addictive and I know I havent reached my full potential yet. With London 2012 being so close, that is a massive incentive. to qualify and make the Olympics in London is my ultimate dream and I am trying to do all I can to make it come true. Its a unique sport and very specialist, so its not for everyone. It is different because although you are competing against other people, you dont come into contact with them directly. Its between you and the bar! It gives you a good body workout, strengthens your muscles, bones and heart, and keeps you fit and healthy. youve got nothing to lose from having a go and trying it out, but not everyone will have the chance to try weightlifting so, if you do, you should feel privileged and count yourself lucky.

Austrian ski jumper Andreas Kofler sails over GarmischPartenkirchen in Germany during the FIS World Cup

Getty

24 FirstNews Issue 291

6 12 jAnuARy 2012

SPORT
with Ian Eddy
Suarez (right) and Evra tussle for the ball during the match that started the row

CRAZY BUT TRUE


Furious frog

GREEN
Big changes ahead for planet Earth

23

16

18

the FA has finally released the full reasons behind Luis suarezs eight-match ban.
by ian eddy
The epic 115-page report goes into great detail about the way Liverpool striker Suarez racially abused Manchester uniteds Patrice Evra when the two teams met in the league. An independent panel set up by the FA had to consult several language experts, as the evidence rested on the meaning of the word negro in Spanish. In some Latin or South American countries it can be used as a friendly greeting to someone with dark skin or even just dark hair. However, the experts said that as the uruguayan Suarez called Evra negro seven times during an argument, he meant it in an offensive way. Even though Evra started the argument by swearing at Suarez in Spanish, the panel said that Evras evidence was more believable and consistent. Evra was angry at Suarez for fouling him, and said that when he asked why he had done it, Suarez replied: Because youre black. Although Liverpool are considering whether to appeal, they have been criticised by some for sticking by Suarez, even though he has been found guilty. Piara Powar, the head of Football Against Racism in Europe, has called on Liverpool not to appeal. He says that their campaign to stick by Suarez and clear his name is damaging their reputation around the world.

FA releases Suarez report


the New orleans saints quarterback Drew Brees has broken the 27-yearold record for the most passing yards in an NFL season.
At the end of December, the 32-year-olds final pass of the game against the Atlanta Falcons saw him move three yards past the record to 5,087 yards. However, there was one game left of the regular season, and he finished up on 5,476 yards. He also set two other new records for a season: the most completed passes (468) and the highest completion percentage (71.2%). The passing yards record was one of the longeststanding individual records in the game. Dan Marino set the record of 5,084 yards in 1984 when he was at the Miami Dolphins. He tweeted his congratulations to Brees, Brees set three new individual saying: Great job by such a records for an NFL season special player.
Getty Getty

Brees breezes past record Dakar Rally hit by tragedy


competitors and spectators were left shocked on the first day of the Dakar rally, when motorcyclist Jorge Boero died after a crash.
This year, the race is taking place in Argentina, Chile and Peru. The Argentinean rider crashed after 55km of the first stage, between Mar del Plata and Boero was competing in his second Dakar rally Santa Rosa. He suffered a heart attack and, even though medics got to him in five minutes, they couldnt save him. The rally used to run from Paris, France to Dakar in Senegal, but was moved due to security worries in 2008. It has a troubled history, with several deaths over the last few years. This years rally was Boeros second. He also competed in 2011, but pulled out during the sixth stage.
Getty

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