£1.
20 21 – 27 JAN 2011 Issue 242
WILD WEATHER
Devastating
floods
around the
world 2 the zoo
prince’s
north
pole
trek
Prince Harry is getting ready to join four wounded British
Army soldiers who are hoping to ski to the north Pole.
The Prince will join the men
for part of the 200 mile (320km)
journey in April. The soldiers
were all injured while serving
in Afghanistan.
The expedition is in aid of the
charity, Walking with The Wounded,
of which Prince Harry is patron.
He said: “It will raise awareness of
the debt this country owes to those
it sends off to fight – only for them
to return wounded and scarred,
physically and emotionally.”
Two of the team are amputees.
Cavalry officer Guy Disney, from
Oxford, had his lower leg blown
off by a grenade in Afghanistan in
2009. Paratrooper Jaco Van Gass,
originally from South Africa, had his
Working with
The weekly newspaper for kids First News supports
children’s charities
ANIMALS SPECIAL REPORT WIN!
An activity-
Hollywood packed
comes to Climate family
6 change 4 holiday 19
From left to right: Steve,
Guy, Jaco and Martin
PRINCe HARRY
TO JOIN FOuR
WOuNDeD
sOLDIeRs
by editor nicky cox
left arm amputated at the elbow
after another attack.
Third team member Martin
Hewitt has a paralysed right arm
after being shot and Steve Young
fractured his back when his
New TV news bulletin for kids
BeGinninG this week you’ll be able to watch a
vehicle went over a buried mine
in Afghanistan.
brand new TV news bulletin made just for you.
The men will have to drag First News has joined with Sky News for the brand new
everything they need behind weekly news round-up which you can watch now on the
them in heavy arctic sledges First News website – www.firstnews.co.uk/tv.
called polks in temperatures that Teachers will also be able to show you the news bulletin
could get as low as -50 degrees. on your school whiteboards to keep your classrooms up-
Harry will need to make sure to-date with events around the world.
he returns in time for his brother’s Let us know what you think about the First News/
wedding on 29 April (see page 3). Sky News bulletin by commenting on the website or by
emailing us at newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk.
 2 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 JAN 2011

FIRST NEWS HEADLINES For more headline news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

IN BRIEF

Tu r o rt th
rn ur on e r
Bus explodes

fo epo ea

to sp w
r

pa ec ild
ge ial
w
in Pakistan

4
At least 15 people have
been killed in a bus
explosion in Pakistan.
Most buses and cars in Pakistan
run on gas, rather than petrol,
because it’s cheaper. A bystander
said that the bus crashed into
another vehicle, causing the gas
cylinders to explode. But police
are investigating whether a
bomb may have been on board
the bus.

We need you!

Worldwide
WhAt would you like
to ask the politician in
charge of taking care of
the environment?

wild weather
First News readers can have
the chance to meet and question
Chris Huhne, the Secretary of
State for the Department of
Energy and Climate Change.
Tell us what question you
would ask him by emailing us at
newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk or
by logging on to www.firstnews.
co.uk and we will select four of
you to come to London.
Tunisia trouble
BrItons on holiday in
tunisia have been trying
to get home following
violence on the streets.
Crowds protested against
the old president and a new
government has been formed.
It seems that every day brings more news of heavy rain causing devastating floods across the globe.
Although the flood waters in Australia are
receding slowly, the enormous operation
to clean up is just beginning. The Premier of
Queensland, Anna Bligh, has launched an
inquiry to find out how the state could be so
devastated by the flooding. The inquiry will look
at the state’s dams and find out how things can
be improved for the future. At least 20 people
died in the flooding and more are still missing.
Brazil
The state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is
by Gabrielle Utton
suffering its worst natural disaster ever.
At least 600 people have been killed in the
mudslides caused by torrential rain. The
previous worst disaster to hit the country
was in Sao Paulo state in 1967 when 430
people died.
The Brazilian army has been brought in to
help rescue survivors, clear blocked roads and
maintain law and order. Some villages have
been cut off by the landslides and more are
A landslide in Brazil caused by flooding. Above
left: people in Queensland, Australia, start to clear
muddy water out of their homes. Above right:
women wade through a flooded street in Sri Lanka.
without electricity.
Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka flood waters are ebbing away
but the fear now is that water-borne
diseases will take hold. More than 300,000
people have lost their homes and at least
32 people lost their lives in the floods. The
United Nations has launched an appeal to
raise money to pay for mosquito nets, clean
water, food and to help replant destroyed
rice fields.

Lost seal pups

found miles away
three grey seal pups born off the english
coast have been found 350 miles away on
a beach in holland!
The seals were washed off their home on the
Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast by
a storm. They were only a few weeks old. Baby
seals this young don’t usually leave their colony
until they’re older and have lost their white coats.
David Steel, National Trust Head Warden for the
Farne Islands, is astonished the pups survived their
journey: “This is a remarkable tale of determination
and survival in the turbulant waters of the North
Sea. For three young grey seal pups to make it
through such an ordeal is amazing.”
The pups were identified by the coloured dye on
their coats. They will be released back into the wild,
A sleeping grey seal pup perhaps to swim back home, once they have put on
enough weight.
 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 JAN 2011 3

FIRST NEWS HEADLINES For more headline news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

Real life super hero Young people plead EDITOR’S

COMMENT
with Prime Minister Editor Nicky Cox MBE
Photo: Austin Hargrave

LAst week we wrote about the

A mAn who acts as a real life super hero came off
worst in a street fight when he broke his nose.
Phoenix Jones roams the
streets of a town in Seattle, USA,
looking to see if any residents
need help. Recently he prevented
a car from being stolen.
But, when he tried to break up
a fight, his nose was broken. He
says: “I endanger my life with a
reason and a purpose.”
Phoenix Jones has nine
friends who are also trying to
keep the streets safe in super
hero costumes.
Seattle police say they
appreciate the help but that
the police should be called
rather than the public getting
involved in fighting crime.
PrIme minister David Cameron received a letter this
week from thousands of young people asking him not
to make their lives more difficult.
As part of Government cuts
the British Youth Council (BYC)
say there will be a reduction in
the amount of money available
for councils to spend on youth
projects. If the cuts happen
many youth centres and
projects for young people could
disappear.
Youth projects often provide
support for young people,
giving them advice, shelter and
someone to talk to. Without
them, some teenagers say they
will go back to hanging around
on streets, feeling like they have
no-one to help them.
Part of the BYC letter reads:
“We are criticised for hanging
out on street corners… yet
floods in Australia.
Then, before the week was out, there
were the devastating mudslides in Brazil and
the very desperate floods in Sri Lanka.
centres It seems that barely a week goes by at the
that give moment without extreme weather hitting a
us a place different part of the world.
to go, keep We decided it was time to look a little closer
us safe and at why this was happening. Is it coincidence?
provide us Are they natural disasters? Or caused by
with the mankind?
guidance So, turn to page 4 for our special report
we need about wild weather from the UK’s MetOffice.
to make the right choices, are The Met Office has a long history of weather
being wiped out.” forecasting and the experts there have been
The BYC says it costs £100 to working in the area of climate change for more
help keep a young person out than 20 years.
of trouble through these youth They employ more than 1,800 people
projects. It costs 100 times that around the world to give people the best
to jail a young offender. advice about what is happening with the
To find out more about the weather – so what do they make of what’s
British Youth Council log on to happening right now? (Page 4)
www.byc.org.uk.

THIS WEEK
IN HISTORY
On 28 January 1986 the American space
shuttle Challenger exploded a minute after
it took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida,
killing all seven astronauts on board.

BAD WEEK FOR...

Tottenham
Hotspur
The football club didn’t
have newly loaned
David Beckham playing
for them against his
old team, Man Utd,
and drew 0-0.

No presents Will William and Kate be

given a souvenir mug
for a wedding present?
GOOD WEEK FOR...

for royal couple?

PrInCe William and Kate middleton are thinking of asking for donations to charity rather than gifts from
their wedding guests.
The royal couple are said to be guests to donate to charity instead raised for charity.
keen not to have a flashy, expensive of buying them something. As there William and Kate’s close family and
Glee
wedding while the country is will be many rich and powerful friends may still give gifts so the happy The all-singing, all-dancing, TV hit
suffering a tough financial time. So, people attending the wedding a couple shouldn’t be short of toasters and won three awards at the Golden Globes
they are considering asking their wedding significant amount of money could be picture frames! in Hollywood.
4 FirstNews IssUe 242 21 – 27 JAN 2011

SPECIAL REPORT For more special reports, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover
by Barry Gromett for The Met Office

Wild
weather
As the UK recovers from its coldest December for
100 years and the deepest and most widespread
snow since the mid-1960s, the world is about to
set a record for its warmest year on record.
so how does that work?

At first glance it appears rather odd that we could say both

of these things but, in fact, it is true for a number of reasons.
Our country is very small compared to the rest of the
world so what happens here is not a reliable guide to what
may be happening elsewhere. Temperatures around the
world can vary enormously (known as global variations) and,
for every area experiencing much colder weather than usual,
there is another enjoying warmer weather. You can see this
with a glance at the map here showing where the hotter
and colder parts of the world were during December 2010,
compared to normal.

1 December 2010 to 31 December 2010

60N

30N

30S

60S
CHECK IT OUT
180 90W 0 90E 180 For more information visit
www.metoffice.gov.uk/
climate-change
-25 -10 -5 -3 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 3 5 10 25
Difference from normal (oC)

Crown Copyright 2011. Source: Met Office

The cold and snowy weather we experienced here at determining the pressure patterns.
home was because of a high pressure system sitting over The Greenland ice sheet has lost 1,500
Other things that may be influencing our billion tonnes of ice since 2000
the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. These weather systems weather include the shrinking amount and
are very large and act rather like boulders in a stream, thickness of Arctic sea-ice and variations in
diverting smaller weather systems from their usual paths. the radiation or heat from the Sun. There is
Unsurprisingly, we refer to this as a ‘blocked’ pressure increasing evidence that both may have helped
pattern. This means that, instead of our weather coming in making this (and last) winter particularly cold
from the west, we saw our weather coming from the north and snowy.
and east. In December, these Arctic and east European areas
are very much colder than the Atlantic and so we had a So we can begin to
record-breaking month of weather.
understand why this early
What could have caused such a winter has been so cold,
weather pattern to develop and but how can 2010 be the
stay for so long? warmest year?
Well, one of the reasons is La Nina, a natural phenomenon Again, part of the answer is that the global
where unusually cold waters rise to the surface of the variations mean that higher temperatures in
eastern Pacific Ocean and change normal weather patterns some regions balance out the colder areas.
across the world. La Nina is the counterpart to El Nino (where In early 2010 warmer El Nino came before La
warmer waters affect the surface of the eastern Pacific) and Nina, the cause of cooler temperatures. We should also not natural variability is much greater than the longer-term
the two form part of a fairly regular cycle acting over a few forget that Earth is getting warmer: much of that warming warming we have seen over the last 150 years or so.
years. This cycle, called the El Nino Southern Oscillation — is almost certainly because of more carbon dioxide in the Just as we have experienced cold winters in the UK and
ENSO for short — is, perhaps, the largest natural influence atmosphere — known as man-made global warming. extreme weather around the world in the past, we should
on global weather variations. Factors such as the distribution Despite this warming, what is very clear is that our not be surprised if we experience this kind of extreme
of Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperatures are important in climate will continue to vary naturally. The range of this weather again in the future.
FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011 5

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

17 January taipei, china: Children dressed as

rabbits carry lanterns to promote this year’s lantern festival.
17 January london, uK:
This is andrew Garfield, the new
Spider-Man. The latest Spider-Man will
15 January wengen, be in cinemas in the UK on 4 july 2012.
SwitZerland: norway’s aksel Lund
Svindal jumps during the FIS alpine
Skiing World Cup downhill.

16 January Seoul, South Korea: Bitter cold wind forms an ice pattern
in the frozen Han River. People were ordered to do their public duty by switching off the
heating and wear extra clothing as the severe cold puts a strain on power resources.

17 January melbourne, auStralia:

Roger Federer of Switzerland serves in his first round
match against Lukas Lacko of Slovakia during day
one of the 2011 australian Open.

15 January new delhi, india: Indian army soldiers perform a stunt on

motorcycles during the army Day parade. The Indian army celebrated the 63rd
anniversary of the formation of its national army with soldiers from various regiments
and artillery taking part in a parade.
 6 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 JAn 2011

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

Zoo story goes

to Hollywood
THE amazing story of
Dartmoor Zoological Park is
to be made into a Hollywood
film, starring Matt Damon.
The zoo was due to be closed
and all the animals destroyed in
2006 – when it was bought by the
Mee family.
Without any previous experience
the family moved to the zoo where
they became the owners of lots
of animals including five Siberian
tigers, three African lions, two
pumas, nine wolves and many
more animals.
The film tells the story as they

Poaching high
struggle to save the zoo and get to
grips with their new animals and
life. The film We Bought A Zoo is due
out in December!

THE number of wild rhinos in South Africa killed by poachers in 2010 is at an all-time high, according to figures
released by the WWF this week.
There were 333 illegal rhino deaths in South Africa last year. Ten of killed there.
those were black rhinos that are critically endangered. That’s almost Poaching has been a long-term problem for many animal species.
one rhino a day for a whole year! Modern poachers use advanced methods for finding and hunting their
The numbers were collected by national park officials. They show the chosen animal, including helicopters, night vision goggles and silencers
number of rhinos being killed has tripled since 2009. on their guns.
The world famous Kruger national Park, a popular destination for Rhinos are hunted for their horns which are prized as an ingredient in

Cross-eyed
tourists on safari, was the hardest hit with almost half of the rhinos traditional Asian medicines.

Noisy neighbours
opossum! Clever collie
A CROSS-EYED opossum at
Leipzig Zoo in Germany has A BORDER collie in America
become a huge star, before has amazed the world by
she is even on display! appearing to learn more
than 1,000 words.
Heidi the opossum isn’t due to be
on display until July but she already The dog, called Chaser, is believed
has a Facebook page, her own to have learned words for 1,022
stuffed toy and a YouTube video, toys, showing researchers that
thanks to her unusual cross-eyes. her memory is better than their
A picture of Heidi that appeared memories. They had to write the
in a German newspaper sparked the names of the toys on them in
global interest in her. A band has marker to stop them forgetting.
even written a song about her. Chaser has also shown a great
The zoo says the attention is understanding of language, taking
“surprising and unplanned”. They three years to learn the words.
say her cross-eyes could be a result In numerous studies Chaser was
of excess fat deposits in her body able to select the right toy out of the
because she is overweight. entire selection. She also learned
Two and a half-year-old Heidi is set commands like putting her paw on
to be a huge tourist attraction when a specific toy.
she takes her place in the zoo’s new The discovery is very exciting
tropical exhibit this summer. for researchers and tells them a lot
about the intelligence of dogs and
how much they can learn.
Pic: Leipzig Zoo

A NEW study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbours!
Researchers from the universities of young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of
Auckland and Bristol found that young fish natural reefs, complete with noisy animals!
looking for a home choose areas where other The scientists likened the choice to a music
fish, shrimps and lobsters live. The scientists fan wandering around at a music festival,
played the young fish various sounds which choosing to pitch a tent nearest the music they
had been recorded in different habitats. The liked best!
FirstNews Issue 242
OUR STORIES
scotland
Flood warnings
Flood warnings have been
issued across Scotland and on
most rivers. More than 25 flood
warnings have been issued, five of
them severe, as heavy rains batter
the country. Swollen rivers may
affect roads and cause accidents
so drivers and pedestrians are
being urged to take care when
out and about. People are being
advised to protect their homes as
much as possible with sandbags
and homemade versions.
Buckinghamshire
Library protest
Residents in Milton Keynes have
emptied a library of its books in
a protest about plans to close it
down. all 16,000 books at Stony
Stratford library have been taken
out on loan. The idea started as
a joke but local residents soon
joined in. It is believed 378 books
were taken out every hour. a
decision about the closure is due
on 22 February.
southampton
Great pig escape
at least two Vietnamese pot-
bellied pigs are on the loose in
Southampton after escaping from
a farm. a number of sightings
have been reported to police but,
as First news went to press, the
pigs were still on the loose. One
of the pigs is black and the other
is black and white. They are not
dangerous but police are urging
anyone who sees them to call
their local police station.
THE WEEK IN NUMBERS
1623 is the year a rare
first edition piece of writing by
Shakespeare was written. It is
currently being displayed at
Durham University.
27.5 acres of greenfield in
Bangor, Wales, have been saved after
a 14-year battle to stop houses being
built there.
21 – 27 jan 2011 7
For more home news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news
Home News
FAST WEATHER
FACTS FACT FIL
E
lincolnshire Rhyl kent
Lessons in the pub Memories wanted Bittern winter
Students from a primary school in County officials in Wales are asking The harsh winter may be bad news
Lincolnshire are having lessons in a people to share their memories of for lots of people, but it’s been
country pub after their school was Rhyl’s Marine Lake. The lake has good news for the rare bittern. The In the UK, january 2010 was the
coldest january since 1987.
flooded. Theddlethorpe Primary received new funding which will RSPB has recorded record numbers
School was flooded after pipes allow a new nature and heritage of bitterns at their Dungeness site.
burst. The water damage could trail to be created. Officials hope The charity says that frozen ponds
mean some classes are held in a
local pub until February. The pub is
to use the memories collected on
boards along the new trails.
forced the birds to gather in the
same place to feed, making them
THE
opposite the school, which means
children can still eat lunch at school
easy to count.
WEEK’S
and use the playground, as well as
some of the classrooms. WEATHER
with jonathan Powell
From Friday 21 january 2010
to Thursday 27 january 2011
Week In geneRal
Colder with snow and
frost returning.
FRIday 21 januaRy
Scotland/n Ireland –
Snow showers. Day -2c/28f night
-4c/25f. Moderate northeasterly.
England/Wales
– Sunshine and rain
showers. Day 3c/37f
night -1c/30f. Light southwesterly.
satuRday 22 januaRy
Scotland/n Ireland
– Snow showers. Day
-3c/27f night -5c/23f.
Brisk northeasterly.
England/Wales
– Sunshine and rain
showers. Day 2c/36f night -1c/30f.
Light southeasterly.
sunday 23 januaRy
Scotland/n Ireland
– Snow showers. Day
-2c/28f night -4c/25f.
Brisk northeasterly.
England/Wales –
Snow showers. Day 2c/36f night
-2c/28f. Brisk northeasterly.
Rest oF the Week
Turning milder with rain.
3 months is how long police in
Tayside will trial the use of Twitter to
28 manhole covers have
been stolen from roads in
update the community about issues Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Thames
in the local area, including traffic Valley police are now investigating
and crime prevention advice. the thefts.
10,000 tonnes of road
salt has been used by gritters in
200,000 pounds
will be spent by Cambridgeshire
Surrey during the recent wintry Council in the next four years on
weather. tree planting.
 8 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jAn 2011

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

USDA

Fruit flies have helped to solve

a complex computer problem

Fruitful work
computing experts have
taken a leaf out of mother
nature’s book to solve a

The city at sea

tricky problem.
Scientists often use mathematical
models to understand biological
systems but, this time, they have
done it the other way around.
Complex computer programs
are used to control things called ‘The Streets of Monaco’ even
has its own submarine
distributed computer networks.
These control everything from
web search engines to the flight this design based on the tiny nation of monaco could be the first in a series of huge – and hugely expensive –
of an aeroplane or a network of themed yachts for multimillionaires.
environmental sensors.
‘The Streets of Monaco’ idea has been As well as several swimming pools, the mini-submarine.
If a network of computer
put forward by a new company called Yacht 155m-long vessel has a cinema, library, dining The yacht only has room for 16 guests,
processors is random and spread
Island Design. Their creation replicates many room, dance hall, casino, wine cellar and but needs 70 crew members. The owner’s
out, such as with outdoors sensors,
of the features and buildings of Monaco special sea-level ‘beach’ decks. apartment is spread over three floors and an
selecting which processors
and has a karting track based on the famous The tennis and basketball court doubles as area of 1,460m2, which is about 15 times the
take charge is a big problem for
Grand Prix circuit. a helipad, and a submerged hull is home to a size of an average three-bedroom home!
computer programmers.
Experts have studied fruit flies
to learn how the nerve cells at the

Pleasant dentist
base of their tiny sensing hairs grow.
Mike Hettwer

These nerve cells communicate

in the same way as the computer
networks.
After writing programs based the sound of a drill is one of the scariest
on the fruit fly’s nervous system, things about going to a dentist, but a new
experts now say that their solution invention promises to cancel out the noise.
is more efficient and foolproof than
The small device fits into an MP3 player or mobile
their old systems.
phone, and then the patient plugs their headphones
into the gadget. The device is designed to cancel out the
Science/AAAS

very high-pitched noise of a dentist’s drill, as well as the

suction equipment. By using a technique called adaptive
filtering, the equipment can lock on to sound waves and
still cancel them out, even when the pitch of the drill
changes as it is being used.
The patient is able to listen to their own music through
Researcher Paul Sereno poses with
their headphones, and would still be able to hear the
A close-up of a fruit fly, showing
a reconstruction of Eodromaeus dentist and their assistant.
the large and small hairs that
form a network The idea was inspired by a system that Lotus were

The tiny predator

working on to reduce driving noises while still letting the

?
sound of emergency sirens through.
Getty

Did you the fossil of a previously unknown species has been found, giving

know
scientists new information on the early days of the dinosaurs.
The creature, which has been called
Eodromaeus, lived at the beginning of
the dinosaurs’ time on Earth, around 230
The fruit fly’s scientific name
million years ago.
is Drosophila melanogaster,
Scientists who made the discovery
which is Greek for ‘dark-
say that Eodromaeus was an ancestor of
bellied dew lover’. They are
the group of creatures called theropods,
used regularly in studies
which includes the predatory dinosaurs.
because they breed quickly
This new fossil has given experts
and lay lots of eggs.
new clues about how theropods and
sauropods developed over time. The
sauropods include plant-eaters such as
Diplodocus.
The fossils were discovered in the
north-east of Argentina, in an area that
has been home to several other important
fossil discoveries.
Writing in Science, the researchers say
The sound of a dentist’s drill
that the creature was under 2m long and
could be a thing of the past
would have run on two legs.
FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011 9

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

SNIPPETS
500 people in Salt Lake City,
US, helped to raise money
for charity and break a world
record by building 1,279
snowmen in an hour.
usA
Women for war
a report from military experts at
the Pentagon has recommended
that women should be allowed
on the front line of combat.
although there are hundreds
of thousands of women in
the armed forces, they are not
allowed to fight. The report says
that this discriminates against
World News
Canada
Furry attraction
a pair of foxes have become a
minor tourist attraction after
setting up home on the roof of a
Charlottetown house. Tony Kelly
said that the animals get up onto
the snow-covered roof in the
morning, go off to find some lunch,
then come back afterwards.
Netherlands
donation conversation
Improving conversations with
relatives would vastly increase the
number of organs available for
donation, according to experts. at
the moment, there aren’t enough
organs like hearts being donated,
so people on the waiting lists often
die before they get one.
Denmark
One of each
Hundreds of people gathered
outside the Rigshospitalet in
Copenhagen to see the newest
members of the royal family.
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown
Princess Mary have just had twins,
a boy and a girl.
Russia
Tanning inside
an official has said that inmates at
Moscow’s Butyrskaya prison will
soon be able to use tanning beds.
The spokesman said that the beds
are supposed to compensate
for the lack of sunlight reaching
cells. However, prisoners will have
to pay 20p a minute to use the
beds, which will make them too
expensive for most prisoners.

Getty
women and is out of touch with
the modern world.

Australia
Clean-up costs
The devastating floods that have
swept across australia could
cost the country over £19bn,
Getty

according to some experts. as

well as cleaning up the mess,
houses, roads and railways will
usA also have to be fixed. Original
estimates for the costs were
nearer to £6bn.
Broom for a burglar
a burglar who tried to rob a
house in Byram got more than
he bargained for this week. First
Cinnamon, the family’s dog,
attacked the man and bit him,
then the family’s baby-sitter hit
him with a broom. Officials have

charged Cedric Romone Williams
with burglary and assault. usA
LeGO labour of love
a Columbus man has finished
his LEGO replica of Ohio State’s
american football stadium. Paul
janssen used a million blocks of
LEGO in his creation, which has
room for 6,000 LEGO people. It
Getty
Germany
Shrine for Paul
Paul the octopus will have a shrine
built in his memory at his former
home. Paul became famous around
the world for correctly predicting
the results of matches during last
year’s World Cup. The shrine will
Getty
Japan
Snow chaos
Parts of japan have seen as much
SNIPPETS
as 2.4m of snowfall. The snow Three women have died in
has affected travel all around the Budapest, Hungary, after being
country, including on the usually caught in a stampede in a
efficient bullet trains. Deliveries nightclub. an investigation has
were badly affected, causing

started into what caused it.

took him 1,000 hours to build. include a 1.8m statue of him. Toyota to close 12 factories.

Gopal and his sister

KID’S WORLD
Name: Gopal Age: 10 Lives: Bangladesh environment. now they can grow and sell crabs to pay for school
fees and books for their children.
ChiLdreN can go to school because of crab-rearing. Gopal says: “I would like to be a famous footballer for
Bangladesh. I score a goal at school every day! But I can only play
Bangladesh is one of the wettest countries in the world. One- at school as there is not a playground near my home.”
fifth of the country is flooded every year.
a cyclone in Gopal’s village destroyed his house. Rising sea
levels, due to climate change, caused salt water to flow onto the
land. It is impossible to grow most crops such as rice in salinated
CHECK IT OUT
water. Because his parents could not earn money they found it Find out more about
difficult to send Gopal and his sister to school. Christian Aid
Christian aid help families find new ways of earning money, www.christianaid.org.uk
like crab rearing, as crabs are able to survive in this saline
10 FirstNews issue 242 21 – 27 jAN 2011

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

WIN DESIGN OUR LOGO The Big March…

LASt November, hundreds of thousands of people marched across more
FirSt NewS is giving every school in the country than 60 websites, including First News’, to ask the Government for help to
the chance to design a new logo for us.
The winning design will
be printed on the front
WIN
YOUR LOGO
protect children from bullying and violence.
Grace Lennox and Amelia Beardall-
edmonson, Langley Park School for Girls
so many people took part, it was also a
chance for victims of bullying to realise there
page of First News for one HERE! is help through cybermentors.org.uk and
week which will be seen The Big March was a fantastic event we really hope that people realise there is a
by more than 700,000 and we were really pleased to be involved. chance to talk to someone and get help.
children! To enter, ask your Anyone who saw all the avatars marching We were given some fantastic goodie bags
teacher to download an across the screen on that day could not have full of books which we can’t wait to read!
entry form and the activity failed to be influenced by the message.
sheet from www.firstnews. We logged on at different times during It really was an experience we will
co.uk/teachers. There is the day and it was unbelievable to see the never forget.
no limit on the number of number of people who had
entries per school! signed the petition just
Entries need to be grow and grow.
posted to First News logo The politicians now need
competition, First News, to do something and take
Shand House, 14-20 Shand the message seriously and
St, London SE1 2ES. Closing do something
date is Friday 4 March 2011. about bullying.
Your design should fit in Everyone who took
a space measuring 250mm part in the Big March was
wide by 42mm high. sending a clear message
that bullying is wrong and
Good luck! it needs to be stopped.
Not only was the Big
March important because

YOUR SCHOOL IN FIRST NEWS We want to hear what your school is up to

Are you doing something sponsored for charity? Starting your own school newspaper? Or putting on a show?
Send your report (including pictures) to the address on page 18 or email newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk. If we print your story we’ll send you a copy of the paper and an exclusive First News
certificate to be presented to you in assembly! Don’t forget to include your name, age, and your school’s name and address. (Please note: by writing to First News you give consent to
First News printing details and photographs of those involved in the report.)

SUBSCRIBE TO FIRST NEWS www.firstnews.co.uk/subscribe

Brand new offers for 2011!

10 issues for £10!* *followed by £13.99
on Direct Debit every
three months

Call 0844 8267 338 visit www.firstnews.co.uk/subscribe Please quote FN242 when ordering
FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011 11

FIRST NEWS SPECIAL sponsored by

FOCUS ON FOOD
The delights
of dairy

all pictures by Getty

how can a cow in a field be so important to our diet? From grass
to grub, we follow the flow from a dairy farm to investigate how
marvellous milk can be!
In the UK, 13.2 billion litres of milk are produced every year. That’s enough to
fill 5,280 swimming pools! But what do we do with all that milk, and why is it so
important for our health?
Of the raw milk taken from cows in the UK, 53% goes into shops as milk in its various
full-fat and skimmed forms. The next biggest use of milk, 27%, is for making cheese.

?
There are over 16,400 dairy producers in the UK and each one of their cows makes an
average of 7,084 litres of milk every year. That’s nearly 12,500 pints from just one cow!
Dairy products are important to us because they are very valuable sources of

Did you
calcium, which the body needs to grow bones and teeth. Dairy products also contain
other vitamins, such as B12 and potassium, as well as protein.

know
Eating dairy products is especially important for you, because young people need
more calcium and other minerals than adults. This is because your skeleton is still
growing, and 90% of your adult skeleton will be formed by the time you are 18.
There are roughly 1.85
million dairy cows in the UK.
That’s over three times the
population of Glasgow!

We’ve all eaten yogurt, but do you know what’s Everyone knows that calcium is good for teeth and Can you tell the difference between a cow’s footprint
actually in it and how it’s made? Turn over the page bones, but why? and what other vitamins are in milk? See and a duck’s? You will be able to once you’ve tried out
to find out! p13 to read about the health benefits of dairy products. our quizzes and puzzles on page 14!
12 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011

FIRST NEWS FOCUS ON FOOD For more news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

sponsored by

From farm to fridge

?
milk is used to make a whole range of products, but one of the increasingly common ones is yogurt.
it starts with a ‘moo’ and ends in your mouth, but what happens to the milk to turn it into yogurt?

Did you
1
know
2 The cows that supply Müller
Dairy are milked at least twice
daily, usually in the early
morning and late afternoon.

Milk is collected from dairy farms in

special insulated milk tankers. These
keep the milk cool and fresh.

Once it gets to the factory, the milk is

homogenised, which means that the
cream is broken up and spread evenly
throughout the milk. This helps to stop a
creamy layer forming at the top.

3 Did you
know ?
Most of the milk that Müller’s
Shropshire dairy uses comes 4
from farms within 30 miles.
That means that it can go
from milk to yogurt in
24 hours.

The milk is heated to kill any harmful bacteria, then

cooled down again. Harmless ‘friendly’ bacteria are
then added. The two most commonly used are called
Lactobacillus bulgarius and Streptococcus thermophilus.
The bacteria then start to ferment the milk, by turning the
milk sugars (lactose) into lactic acid. The proteins in the The yogurt is then cooled down
milk then start to thicken and set, forming yogurt. to stop the bacteria from growing.
It’s then ready to have fruit added,
before being poured into pots
and sent to your local shop.
 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011 13

FIRST NEWS FOCUS ON FOOD For more news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

Dairy in
sponsored by

Did you
know ?
the diet
GROWinG into an adult takes a lot of energy and nutrients, and
The calcium in dairy
food is easy for the body
to absorb. Dairy foods
are the main source of
calcium in the diet.

many of these can be found in milk and other dairy products.

Calcium is the most important nutrient found in milk. Without
calcium, bones cannot grow strong or thick enough and could lead
to health problems in later life. One of these is osteoporosis, which
makes bones brittle and easy to break.
Calcium is also one of the key ingredients in enamel, the hard,
protective layer on the outside of all of our teeth. When plaque
bacteria digest sugars in foods that we eat, the acids produced can
start to break down tooth enamel.
Calcium is very important for babies and young children but,
after about the age of 11, the body starts to need more again. This
is because most people of this age go through a ‘growth spurt’ as
their body develops much more quickly.

It’s not just calcium that’s found in milk and dairy

products. They also contain small amounts of other
vitamins and minerals, such as:

Vitamin a – keeps your immune system healthy

and also helps you to see in dim light

Vitamin B12 – helps to make red blood cells and

release energy from the food that we eat

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) – keeps the skin, eyes and

nervous system healthy

Potassium – controls the balance of fluids in

the body

know?
Dairy-free
Did you diets
Our bones and teeth contain
99% of the calcium in the
body. The other 1% circulates
in our blood, and is used for
crucial bodily functions, such
as blood clotting, muscle
contraction and nerve signals.
Did you
know ?
nOt everyone in the world is lucky enough to be able
adults don’t need as much
to drink milk. A condition known as lactose intolerance
calcium as kids, but it is still
means that some people are unable to digest milk. an important part of the diet.
In countries and communities where drinking milk is not Each year, between 10-30%
traditional, the lactose sugars in milk cannot be digested or of an adult’s skeleton will be
absorbed into the body. For instance, in South america, africa and replaced and repaired with
asia, more than half of the population are lactose intolerant. new calcium.
In the UK, Republic of Ireland, northern Europe and north
america, only around 5% of people suffer from this.
14 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011

FIRST NEWS FOCUS ON FOOD For more news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

sponsored by

Fun on the farm!

now that you’ve digested our dairy facts and figures, you can test your brains with our fun farm-related puzzles! see below for the answers.
FIRSTLY, these four animals could all be found on a dairy farm. Can you match them to their footprint?

A B E F

C D G H

aLL of these things can be found on a dairy farm. Can you spot what they all are? Can you find all five differences between these two pictures?

A B A

C D

B
E F

is missing; cow’s horn is twice as long.

different colour; cow is wearing a hat; cow’s tail is missing; brown patch on cow’s back
C – cattle grid, D – border collie, E – bull’s horn, F – wellies. Spot the difference: Bucket is
anSWERS: Footprints: a-H, B-G, C-E, D-F. Mystery pictures: a – tractor, B – cow’s udder,
FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011 15

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

Underwater
RECORD OF
THE WEEK

museum
oldeSt wing wAlker
The oldest wing walker is Thomas Lackey
(UK, b. 22 May 1920) who completed a wing
walk across Cirencester, Gloucestershire,
at the age of 90 years and five months, for
Guinness World Records Day 2010.

More than 400 concrete statues have been planted on the sea floor near Mexico in Cancun as part of an For info on this record and hundreds more,
underwater art exhibit called the Silent evolution. go to www.guinnessworldrecords.com

The life-size statues of people have by Serena lacey The sculptor, jason de Caires Taylor, says:

QUICK
been sunk as the first art exhibition of the “Part of the project is to actually discharge
new underwater museum called Museo home to thousands of marine plants and those people away from the natural reefs

CHUCKLES
Subacuático de arte. animals. It’s hoped that it will attract some and bring them to an area of artificial reefs.”
Eventually the exhibition will cover more of the 750,000 tourists who snorkel or dive Check out a video of the underwater
than 420 square metres and will become on Mexico’s reefs every year. sculptures online at www.firstnews.co.uk

Bullet nose
Q: what did the sea say to the
little mermaid?
A: nothing, it just waved

A MAn who was shot in the head has survived – and

sneezed the bullet out of his nose! HA HA
Darco Sangermano, 28, from Italy was shot accidentally in the Q: what kind of pet did Aladdin have?
temple during new Year’s Eve celebrations in naples. The bullet A: A flying car-pet
went in behind his eye and lodged itself in his nasal passage.
amazingly, no serious damage was done.
!
While waiting to see a doctor at the nearest hospital, Darco
WOOF
sneezed and the bullet flew out of his right nostril. WOOF!

Vulture spy!
A vulture has been caught and arrested in Saudi
Q: why is Cinderella rubbish
at football?
A: She’s always running away from
the ball!

Arabia, suspected of being a spy!

The bird, which belongs to Tel aviv University, flew into Saudi
arabian territory while wearing a GPS tracking system and a tag.
Residents and journalists flew to conclusions and branded the bird
a spy flying on a secret mission. It was then caught and arrested.
The Israeli authorities say the bird is innocent and is part of a email us your jokes to
long-term conservation programme to monitor the migration newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk
habits of the species!

Written and illustrated by Paul Palmer

16 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jAn 2011

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS TV, FILM, MUSIC AND THEATRE!

with Serena Lacey

SHHH!
THE WANTED
The Wanted have signed
up to promote the Make Mine
Milk Campaign. The band
are helping to promote milk
and the health benefits of
drinking it. The lads performed
a free concert in London and
took part in a special milk
challenge.
SARAH HARDING
Girls Aloud singer Sarah
Harding has admitted that
she and her fiance are fans of
fishing. The glamorous singer
said: “The first time we went out
we didn’t catch anything. We
went out the following day at
the crack of dawn.” She added:
“It was brilliant. I’ve had a few
big ones now.” An unusual
hobby for a pop star!
PUPPY LOVE
joe jonas and his girlfriend
Twilight actress Ashley Greene
have bought a puppy. The pair
are now the proud owners of a
rare miniature English bulldog
puppy called Winston. Check
out the cute video of the stars
picking up their new friend
online at www.firstnews.co.uk.
We meet
Jay Sean
HIT music-maker Jay Sean is the latest star to get involved
in the Disney XD’s Aim High campaign. He tells us more…
How did you decide to get involved with Disney XD’s Aim High?
When they told me what this scheme was about I didn’t even need
to think twice. For me, it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.
You know, I believe that when you’re given the opportunity to affect
someone’s life in a positive manner through your own success, to help
someone else to achieve their dreams, I think that’s a really nice thing
than when you’re older. You’ve got your health, you’re just fearless.
to get involved in.
When you’re young you think you can do anything, you can be
anything and, now that I know that, I wish I’d done more at a
Why is Disney XD’s Aim High important to kids?
younger age.
Well, I think when you’re young you’ve got so much potential and I
think that, often, that potential is wasted. You know, I wish that I’d
Did you always want to be a pop star?
taken up more things when I was young. I used to play karate, I used to
play piano, for example, and then I just gave up, because I just couldn’t Music has always been a passion of mine. It wasn’t necessarily
be bothered any more. now I regret that and I wish I’d kept up with something I thought I’d end up doing for a living. I think being a pop
them. So, I think if I can affect someone at a young age in a positive star isn’t exactly a career that you think is going to be possible when
way, then that’s a really good thing. you’re young. There’s no application form to complete in order to
become a pop star. So, for me, I didn’t think it would ever be possible. It
One of the principles behind the campaign is trying new things. was more of a dream come true.
Which new things would you like to try?
new things? I think I’d love to learn how to play guitar. I think that’s What is the best thing about being famous?
definitely something for me. You know, you can’t drag a piano around, Doing things like this, like Disney XD’s Aim High scheme. I just think
but you can take a guitar with you. I think I’d also like to write a script when you’re famous you can do many things. You can abuse that
for a film. That’s always been something I’ve wanted to do, but I’ve privilege and get in to restaurants and get free clothes. You can
never found the time to do it. I’m very interested in film, especially in become selfish with it and some people choose to do that and that’s
writing, because I write my own songs. For me to be able to write a up to them. Or, you can give back. You can join charities and get
feature film one day would be amazing. involved with helping people and that’s for me.

Who inspired you growing up? What’s next for you?

It’s interesting because I wasn’t always just inspired by musicians. At
a young age I was always inspired by people who were just generally
successful, including people in my own family. I just really look up to
people who make the most out of their lives. I look up to people like
that. I look up to my parents.
What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time?
Don’t waste potential. When you’re young you’ve got more brain cells
Well, I’ve got a new album coming out in the spring called Freeze Time
and I’m going on tour in America with Enrique Iglesias, so that’s going
to be a lot of fun!
jay Sean is a mentor for Disney XD’s Aim High, which offers fans
the chance to take part in a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience of a
one-on-one mentorship with talented and dedicated superstars.
Go to www.disneyxd.co.uk/aimhigh for more information.

You choose best single! TOP TELLY! the competition BeGinS

NEXT month is one of the most important events on the music calender
– the Brit Awards.
This week the nominations were
announced at a glitzy ceremony in London.
Tinie Tempah has been nominated for four
awards, including Best British Male and Best
Album of the Year.
One of the most exciting
awards this year is the Best
British Single, which is voted
for by the public. Ten singles
are nominated including Olly
Murs with Please Don’t Let Me
Go, The Wanted with All Time
Low, Matt Cardle for When We
The 12 winning celebs from the preliminary
Britney on GLee!
shows take to the ice for their first proper
For the first time this series Emma is back,
show. Dancing on Ice, ITV1, Sunday @ 6.10pm.
Collide and Cheryl Cole’s Parachute. and Brittany daydreams about
The Brit Awards will be held on 15 Britney Spears, who also
February. You can see a full list of the appears in the show. Brilliant!
nominations for Best British Single and find Glee, Channel 4, Saturday @
out how to vote at www.firstnews.co.uk. 10.25am.
neW SerieS
The gang are back for their
16th series of the fast-paced
motor show. Top Gear, BBC2
Sunday @ 8.00pm.

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

FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011
GAME ZONE
News of more LEGO fun, and an unusual way to play games
LEGO does ninjas
lego fans are in for even more of a treat this year, with the
announcement of the new lego ninjago game and a ninjago area of
the lego Universe online game.
We already felt like we were being spoilt So far, we know that you’ll need to
this year, thanks to the upcoming LEGO master Spinjitzu, turning yourself into a
Pirates of the
Caribbean and
LEGO Star Wars
III: The Clone
Wars games.
The new
ninjago figures
and other toys
are available
now, and the
LEGO ninjago tornado to defeat your enemies. You’ll also
DS game (left) be able to play as either good or evil sides
will be out and customise your own characters.
in the spring apart from that, we don’t know a great
sometime. If you played LEGO Battles, this deal so far, but we do know that there’ll
could be right up your street. be dragons and silliness involved, which
sounds pretty good to us.
If you’ve been playing LEGO Universe
online, there’ll soon be a new zone called
Crux Prime (above and left), where a
ninjago story will take place. In it, you’ll be
asked to protect the nexus Tower’s beam
of Imagination from the nasty Maelstrom
Skeletons. It will feature over 100 new
missions and achievements, as well as over
100 new pieces of equipment to collect.
Play while you wee
we still haven’t worked out whether this is the best thing ever or the
most disgusting, so we need your help.
The people at SEGa in japan have off walls to seeing how long you wee for.
developed a new games console that and the name of this new console?
fits into urinals in men’s toilets – and it’s Geniusly, it’s been dubbed the ‘Toylet’.
controlled by a player’s own wee!
The consoles will be installed at four
Suddenly, all those bad jokes about the
Wii seem a bit more real.
metro stations in Tokyo, and there will be What do you think? Do weeing and
four separate mini-games to choose from. gaming go together, or do you think it’s
Pressure sensors in the urinal control the grim? Let us know by taking part in the
games, which range from blasting graffiti poll at www.firstnews.co.uk/polls.
For some hot new trailers
www.firstnews.co.uk/bored
17
GREEN NEWS
with Gabrielle Utton
A litter-free world
A new survey has found that your biggest concern with the environment is
the problem of litter.
at the end of last year Keep Britain Tidy Keep Britain Tidy hopes that Eco-Schools
asked 15,000 Eco-Schools what are their will concentrate on making their eco-wishes
eco-wishes for 2011. The top five are: come true. The best eco-wish projects will be
1 Getting rid of litter from our streets shown at the Eco-Schools show in june.
2 no more plastic bags To find out how your school can become an
3 More energy saving (turning off lights and Eco-School go to www.eco-schools.org.uk.
electrical appliances) What is your eco-wish for 2011? Write to
4 For supermarkets to use less packaging newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk.
5 To use more renewable sources of energy
Pupil Lily Sanderson who took part in
the survey said: “My wish is that popular
supermarkets won’t use as much packaging
for items that don’t need packaging to help
turn useful plastic into something that is
more needed for other people and things.”
Woodmansterne Primary School
Woodmansterne Primary School Zac Cash; Hannah
(pictured) put no more plastic bags as their McGurran; William McCafferty; Morgan Doyle;
top eco-wish.
Charlotte Ellis; joe McFarland; ava Yarwood; Lucy
St Lucia’s Primary School wrote a list of 18 Gilbert; Emily Barclay; Lola Quehan; Lucas Williams
eco-wishes with an end to litter at the top. and Olivia McGee-Smith
Time to walk
A new website has launched that will help you, your family and your
friends get walking and explore your local area.
Many people spend a lot of time in cars, so you can keep track of how much exercise
buses and trains and less time walking you’re getting.
around their neighbourhood. a new website Chris Leigh, from Get Walking Keep Walking,
created by The Ramblers is designed to help says: “The difficult part is getting people to
you plan a walk, and so get healthier. take those first steps out of their front door
Health experts recommend that everyone and show them how they can build walking
does 30 minutes of exercise, which includes into part of their everyday routine.”
walking, a day to help
stay fit and healthy.
You don’t need to
live in a particular
area of the country
and it doesn’t matter
if you live in the city
or the countryside.
The website, www.
getwalking.org,
helps you work out
a route to walk,
find out about the
area you’re walking
around or join a
group walk.
The site can also
tell you how many You could discover all kinds
steps you’ve taken, of new things on a walk
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, write to
newsdesk@firstnews.co.uk or the address on page 18.
For more green news, pictures and
videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news
 18 FirstNews issue 242 21 – 27 JAN 2011
tHE BiG intErViEW
the Piers morgan interview...
I want to do the headbanger
TV presenter Laura Hamilton is usually found on Nickelodeon but, this Sunday night, (and hopefully many
more) she’ll be skating across our screens on ITV1’s Dancing on Ice. Laura tells us about getting starstruck by
Torville and Dean, working with Aston from JLS and why she is desperate to do the infamous headbanger.
What made you want to do Dancing
On Ice?
I loved watching ice skating as a child. Mum
and I used to watch Torville and Dean and
think how elegant they were and how easy
they made it look. I’ve skied since I was nine,
so ice skating for me was something I’d
never tried but always wanted to. Now I can’t
believe how lucky I am to be in this situation,
being taught by Torville and Dean.
What was it like the first time you skated?
I kind of went for it and thought I’d see what
happens. I think that showed because I was
a real mess. I had no technique at all. I just
got up there and pretended I was on some
rollerblades. Any rollerblading I’d done was
on four wheels so that wasn’t similar but it’s a
similar sort of balance.
Were you star struck by Torville and Dean?
I think I went a bit shy, which is very unlike
me as I can normally chat for England. I think
I was just a bit in awe of them. I stood there,
thinking: “Wow”. But, at the same time, you
don’t want to come across like an idiot.
How long have you been practising?
Everybody has been learning since October.
We all found out at around the same time
that we were in the show and then it all kicks
off. You live, breathe, eat, sleep, everything
skating. I wouldn’t change it, though. I am
doing my other filming stuff and fitting bits
and pieces in.
Do you find yourself practising your
routines around the house?
Oh yes, you do, you step it through wherever
you are. I record it on my phone and watch it
through. I lie in my bed at night and think to
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For more interviews and clips go to www.firstnews.co.uk/discover
a
myself: “Oh I could do that better”. Colin and indication of that. Colin and I were at the
uiLr
L a
I practise a lot off the ice as well. We practise top of the leader board but we were in the
the lifts and walk it through. The more you bottom three. It was so close to us going
practise and do it, the better it gets! home. I hope that anyone who watches
Ham ton
that has children will vote for me and I
We hear you used to work with Aston hope that people who don’t know me,
from JLS? will still vote for me for my skating.
Yes! I’ve been doing children’s presenting for really want to do that and I want to do it as
five years now and I used to be in Fun Song The lifts look pretty scary – are you soon as possible. My mum says she won’t be
able to watch me do that!
The costumes are quite glitzy. Is that fun?
It’s amazing. It’s every girl’s dream being
made to look glam and pretty and getting
covered in Swarovski crystals, wearing bright
colours and really fun make-up and hair. I’m
really up for going with different looks and
hair styles. I have told the hair department
they can do what they want!
Which of the judges do you most want to
impress?
I want to impress all of them. I was a little bit
scared of what Jason was going to say. But I
am really going to take on board everything
he says because, at the end of the day, what
he says is right most of the time.
What’s the best thing you’ve learned so
far from this show?
Factory on CiTV with Aston. He has been frightened you’ll get dropped? The best thing is how far I have come,
really sweet actually, texting and tweeting to No, I am not scared of the lifts at all. I’m from not being able to skate to now
get JLS fans to support me. I’m hoping he’ll scared of the blades now after taking a understanding what I am supposed to do.
come down and watch the show too, but it chunk out of my muscle. The lifts are fine, Whether I get it right or I don’t, I know what
depends on his schedule as they’re on tour. to be honest. I trust Colin 100% and it’s a I’m meant to be doing. And, also, becoming
It means a lot that he is supporting me and is 50/50 thing. He has to lift me but I also have close to Colin and making a new friend. We
there in spirit, if not in person. to lift myself and keep strong. I really want have so much fun on the ice.
to stay in the competition long enough
Does it worry you that you might not be to do the headbanger. I was watching a Catch Laura in Dancing On Ice, Sunday
as well known as the other contestants? video of Suzanne Shaw doing the twisted nights on ITV1 and see videos of her in
Yes, I think the first week was a good headbanger and it just looked amazing. I action online at www.firstnews.co.uk
the first news team
Editor Nicky Cox FirstNews
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FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011 19

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

Brian Cox
Repor
ter

Holiday hell…
ONE Saturday, last December we were on the way to Heathrow airport to BrIAN Cox is one of my heroes. Not only is he a world class physicist,
fly off on holiday. The only thing that worried us was the snow coming working on the Large Hadron Collider and as a Physics professor, but he
fast from the sky. is also a former rock star who was the keyboard player for the rock band
To get to the airport from our home by Holly Pattison Dare and Irish pop group D:ream.
normally takes about three hours but,
So it was with great excitement that by Ellie Thompson
because of the snow, it made the journey
five hours instead. I went to interview him at Jodrell Bank
Observatory during the production of his programmes will help to show that physics
When we finally got to the airport it is something for everyone to enjoy and
should have been our time to fly to the most recent BBC television programme,
Stargazing Live. demonstrate that the perception that all
Maldives for our holiday. We looked physicists are old men is simply not true.
at the board and almost all the flights were Brian has wanted to be a physicist for
as long as he can remember. He was born In fact, he says, most of the people involved
cancelled. in research are fairly young and anyone
We were told by a man at the airport that before the Apollo moon landings and
remembers watching them as a young interested in pursuing physics as a career
they were going to shut the airport for the should definitely go for it.
night. My mum said: “You are not going child. This interest was reinforced by
watching TV shows such as Cosmos with Before Brian’s own physics career began,
to put my children out in the snow”, so we he enjoyed several years as a pop star. I
had to sleep on the hard airport floor! Carl Sagan, whom he cites as his greatest
inspiration. He was also inspired by asked Brian whether he prefers being a
There were lots of noisy people in the scientist or a rock star. He didn’t need any
airport so it was hard to sleep. Christmas astronauts such as Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin, the first men to land on time to think about it: “I got fed up with
music was playing all day and it only being in a band after about five years,
stopped for a few hours before it seemed the moon.
Now that he is living the dream he had but I’ll never get fed up with exploring the
as a child, what is the best and worst universe.”
thing about being Brian Cox? He
Waiting for news says filming his TV shows gives
of our flight him the chance to travel and see
amazing places. However this
travelling is also hard work and
to start again in the early hours of the
takes him away from his family
morning.
and uses up time that could be
I only got two hours of sleep.They did,
spent doing research.
however, give out tinfoil blankets to help
Brian is involved in research at
keep us warm.
the Large Hadron Collider, a huge
We were hoping to fly on the Sunday
underground circular tunnel
but then all the flights were cancelled
through which tiny particles are
again. There is only so much you can do
fired at each other. The aim of this
in an airport. We played on the D.S., read,
is to “explore the forces which stick
ate, drank, played card games and drew.
the world together and find what
That night we decided that we were
it is made up of. We still don’t
going home if we did not fly the next
know what 96% of the universe
morning. We had to sleep on the floor
is made of”. Instead of trying to
again.
find out everything, he says, most
Some flights did go on Monday but not
scientists find an “interesting
ours. We gave up and finally went home
corner” of science to study.
on Monday night.
Brian says that he hopes his

WIN A HAVEN HOLIDAY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

LAST week we featured a report from 12-year-old Benjamin Lyons who was thrilled to land his dream job starring in the
Haven Holidays commercial and becoming the Face of Haven for 2011.
now, we are giving you the chance to fencing and giving the Water Walkerz in the weekend break at their choice of one of the
win a Haven Holiday. Ben’s cheeky grin was swimming pool go. These are just a handful 35 Haven Holiday parks around the UK. The
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Ben likes nothing better than a family To be in with a chance of winning, just
holiday near the seaside with UK favourite answer this question:
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was great fun for him. Lucky Ben’s ‘working Haven Holiday with their family and to try How many Haven Holiday parks
day’ involved cycling, adventure golf, games out some of the activities that Ben enjoyed are there in the UK?
on the beach and crabbing in rock pools, when he was filming. a) 35 b) 45 c) 25
trying out the climbing walls, having a go at The winner will win a three-night

ENTER NOW!
Prize excludes food/travel expenses; subject to availability
MARK YOuR eNTRY www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions or turn to and current brochure/online Terms and Conditions. Prize
HAVEN page 18. The closing date is 3 February 2011. cannot be exchanged, transferred, refunded or re-sold.
Bookings must be made by an individual aged 21 or over.
20 FirstNews IssUE 242 21 – 27 JAN 2011

FUn StUFF For more competitions news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions

wIn thUnDerBIrDS StamP

ColleCtIonS!
RoyAl Mail’s latest special stamp launch celebrates
the iconic work of Gerry Anderson, the creator of
the puppet characters from cult TV programmes
such as Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Stingray,
that have thrilled millions of people since the 1960s.
A miniature sheet of four ‘motion’ stamps has also been
wIn GUInneSS worlD reCorDS
2011 Gamer’S eDItIon!
THIS week we have the usual 3x3 grid and you need to fill in the
numbers one to nine. Send in your answers and you could win a
copy of Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer’s Edition. The Guinness
World Records 2011 Gamer’s Edition is out now! It’s packed with the
latest and greatest from the world of videogames.
For more information visit: guinnessworldrecords.com/gamers.

3 1 4
specially printed for the launch. When they are tilted back and
forth the iconic opening sequence of Thunderbirds is played
with each of the crafts launching: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
The latest stamps celebrate the 50th anniversary of these
ground-breaking programmes which began with Supercar
in 1961.
8 3 7 2 1
The programmes celebrated on the main issue of stamps
are Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, Fireball Xl5, 7 1 8 3
9 2 4
Supercar and Stingray.
The miniature sheet of ‘motion stamps’ features stamps
showing Thunderbirds 4, Thunderbirds 3, Thunderbirds 2

8 4 3 7
and Thunderbirds 1.
To celebrate the Royal mail stamps launch, we’re giving
away 10 presentation packs.

6 8 5
To be in with a chance of winning, just answer
this question.

In which year was Supercar created

a) 1960 b) 1961 c) 1962
1 7 2 8
6 8 5 1 7
enter MARK YOUR ENTRY STAMPS
www.firstnews.co.uk/competitions or turn 5 4 3
now! to page 18. The closing date is 3 February 2011.

Introducing wIn a wII

We are launching an amazing new web TV channel at www.firstnews.co.uk/tv. Check it
out for news bulletins, reviews, sports and celebrity interviews. And if that wasn’t a big
enough reason to click onto our website, check out these SIX great reasons below...
CarS wheel!
ComplETE our prize crossword using the clues below. Send in your
answers and one lucky winner could win their very own Wii Cars Wheel. It has a
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1 The wheel features two handy openings – one that lets you use the infrared pointer
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past (7) 13 Artist’s stand (5)
10 Belonging to him (3) 6 - Wash off (5) 14 Seizes (5) 3 - Happening (5)
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What are you waiting for? Go to www.firstnews.co.uk/tv today! 9 - Exciting experiences (7) 5 - Electronic messages (1-5)
12 - Least warm (7) 6 - ___ Adlington: Olympic swimm
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FirstNews IssUE 242 21 – 27 JAN 2011 21
how to
FUn StUFF enter
sENd your finished puzzles to Puzzles 242, First News, shand House, 14 - 20 shand street,
London, sE1 2Es. The closing date for puzzle entries is Friday 28 January 2011.

wIn JUnIor BraIn

traIner 2! FIrSt newS ChallenGe
Q1 How old was Ronnie o’Sullivan when
CAN you spot the five changes to this picture he got his first ever maximum 147 break in a
from Glee? Send in your answers and you tournament?
could win a copy of Junior Brain Trainer 2 on
Nintendo DS. Back with new exercises and Q2 Which breed of dog has amazed
puzzles, Junior Brain Trainer 2 puts your mind the world by appearing to learn over
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Complete five activities each day and unlock
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Q3 Who will be spending £200,000

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Q4 on which TV Show can laura Hamilton
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Q5 Whose scientific name is Drosophila
melanogaster?
Q6 How many awards did Glee win at the Q9 A recent survey has found what to be
Golden Globe awards in Hollywood? the top concern about the environment?

Q7 When will tickets for the london 2012 Q10 What flew out of Darco Sangermano’s
olympics go on sale? right nostril?

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B A R R O W M A N
LAsT WEEK’s ANsWERs: FIRST neWS ChAllenGe 1) macarena 7 3 8 5 6 9 2 1 4 I W U E
4 1 6 2 7 8 9 3 5
2) Rachel petladwala 3) marine Stewardship Council 4) cats 5) 17 2 5 9 4 1 3 7 8 6
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 22 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 JaN 2011

THE BOOK CORNER MY WAY CAMPAIGN

Book reviews The Ice AngeL

www. redhouse.co.uk

chArLoTTe hApTIe
reviewed by Sophie Grant, 13
FIrST nEWS has been running a campaign for a year called My Way! It’s
Zack and clovis are obsessed with the
about getting people to understand that everybody learns in their own
strange unexplained disappearance of their father. Every night he used
to drive his van, The Ice angel, from their home in the mountains down way. For some people school is easy but, for others, it might be harder.
to the city to sell flavoured ices to the rich and give clean drinking water The important thing we want everybody to understand is that the
to the poor. But that was the night before the Ice angel was found way you learn has nothing to do with how smart you are. Around six
abandoned and he was never seen again. Now, many years, later Zack children in each class have learning challenges but that doesn’t mean
and clovis revive the Ice angel and plan to carry on their dad’s legacy, that they won’t be fantastically successful in whatever they choose
using the family’s spring and old recipes to create the most imaginable ices.
to do. As My Way! ambassador Henry Winkler says: “Every child has
brilliance inside them. Their job is to dig it out and give it to the world.”
puT ouT The LIghT
THIS year, 2011, is the national year of Communication. The Hello campaign is
Terry DeAry aiming to help people understand how important it is for children and young
people to develop good communication skills. Penn School in Buckinghamshire
reviewed by Dominic Dennis, 11
is a secondary school for students with communication difficulties. As part of the
Hello campaign we have asked students from Penn school to write about what
SHEFFIELD 1940. at the start of World
it is like to have a communication disability. Each month a different student will
War Two, Billy and his sister, Sally, suspect
tell their story.
something is up when people start losing money – a pound here and a
pound there. There is no need for concern but it’s building up to be quite “My name is adam and I’m 17. I do lots
a sum of money and Billy and Sally want to catch the ‘Blackout Burglar’. of things. I go to school, I go to a weekly
Meanwhile over in Germany, best friends Hansl and Manfred intend to do youth club. But the one thing that sets
their bit for the war by putting England’s name on a bomb, quite literally. me apart from everyone is my autism.
When I was much younger, about two
For more book reviews and clips or three years old, I was diagnosed
with autism.
go to www.firstnews.co.uk/bored “around that age, I developed a love
of movies, especially kids’ movies such
as the Disney movies, etc. I would not
only watch movies, but I would also copy
them. I’d speak out the lines, mimic the
READING CHAMPIONS sound effects, the music and I would
even have this tendency to picture
something from a movie that would
make me laugh and I’d often play the
EvEryonE knows a reading Champion – they’re people who inspire scene in my head and maybe copy that
others to get reading. Each week one of our champions tells you a bit scene out loud.
about their favourite reads and what they think makes reading “I now go to Penn School where I have
so appealing. more friends. Well, I get on well with
more fellow students than at my last
name: Glenn Murphy school. I don’t really think of myself as
a good friend. There have been times
Glenn Murphy is the author of the World when I wish I wasn’t autistic. What really
Book Day £1 book Do Bugs Have Bottoms? frustrates me is that I can, perhaps, offend
or upset others without realising. and typewriter or computer. I also love
Favourite reads: “Iwas a big fan of sometimes, every now and then, I get writing stories and working on my own
The Secret Diary of adrian Mole, what looks like serious looks from other scripts for movies I’d really like to make
which was huge when I was a kid. people which could mean I may have after I finish school. I love acting, writing,
and I liked Lord of the Rings. I liked spy said or done something wrong. I also and also singing, although I never think
stories like The Bourne Identity and the do not like people shouting at me. I also I’m good as a singer.
James Bond books. have tendencies to get nervous, maybe “Basically I now have a good, happy,
“If I could be a storybook character even over-anxious. I used to become normal and healthy life. My autism and
I’d be aragorn from Lord of the Rings. very angry with a serious temper for a the problems that come with it are a real
He’s tough. He’s clever. and he’s the king. lot of years. Now I can find myself being pain emotionally but I’m seriously doing
Not bad. more meek, nervous and anxiety-ridden my best to overcome these problems. I
“The best thing about reading is at times. am having a lot of help from my teachers
imagination. Getting lost in the world of your mind’s eye, which is always so much “But there have been times when I’ve and, maybe, even some of my friends but,
more spectacular than anything they can do in movies. Take Jurassic Park, for example. felt more than proud to be me. My family mostly, it is up to me to go the extra mile
The dinosaurs in the movie were cool. But the dinosaurs in the book were alive, and are really good. They are always there and, hopefully, overcome anxiety.”
they were terrifying. You can’t beat a well-written book for pure excitement. for me, and my mum could probably
“My all-time favourite book is too hard to choose. certainly in my all-time top understand me more then the rest of
three would be The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, across the Nightingale Floor
and Twilight.
my family. I now have made a lot of
friends at school as well as my local CHECK IT OUT
“I believe reading is very important in life. Books feed your head. You can’t be church youth club. for more information go to
literate without literature. Everything I ever learned that was truly useful, I learned “My handwriting can be sometimes
from a book. Well, almost everything, anyway. My dad taught me how to drive and hard to read so I prefer to write on a
www.hello.org.uk
fix a flat tyre”.

Want to share your story? Find out

Do you think you would make a good reading Champion? how online at www.firstnews.co.uk
Ask your school to sign up today. www.readingchampions.org.uk and click on My Way!
FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jan 2011 23

SPORT NEWS For more sport news, pictures and videos go to www.firstnews.co.uk/news

It was just
silly snooker Did you
know ?
Ronnie got his first ever
maximum 147 break in a
tournament, but he was only
15 and was supposed to be at
Ronnie at the table during the recent school that day.
Masters tournament at Wembley

ronnie o’Sullivan is often called the world’s best ever snooker player, and holds the record for the most ever maximum breaks in professional
competition, as well as the fastest. The nationwide Future Stars competition means that one winner will be able to train with ronnie to get some tips
and take home £5,000 in prize money. The rocket told us what he’s looking for, and how he’s helped last year’s winner, Joel Walker.
What are the key things that show someone’s potential? competitions. They develop your mind and make you more of What advice would you give to new players?
First of all, potting ability. Can they pot balls, and how effortless a competitor, and to be successful you need to know how to just play as much as you can. If you want to become a great
is it? That was what stood out more about joel. Years ago, I compete. If you’re going to be a great player, you don’t need player, you’ve got to live and breathe snooker. That was all
never used to worry about position. I just used to think: “Well, coaching. You can just have a couple of little tips now and again. I ever did, play for hours. I was playing for seven or eight
the pockets are so big you can pot them from anywhere.” But hours a day, but it never felt like it because I enjoyed it.
when you get on the professional tables it’s a different game What kind of tips have you given Joel?
and you need tighter cue ball control. I asked joel to try a few His bridge hand was too far away from the cue ball, so I asked Could you ever beat your fastest 147 [5mins 20secs]?
things, and he went from making 20 breaks to 60 breaks. him to get in closer. That way he’ll judge the pace of the white never, that was just ridiculous. Sometimes I watch it back,
better and won’t have to feel like he’s hitting it so hard. Once and I’m just not the same player now that I was then. I used
When you’re coaching him, is a lot of it about the mental you get more control over the white, getting from red to colour to run round the table! It was just silly snooker, really.
approach rather than technique? and colour to red becomes a lot easier. It’s much better if you
It’s a bit of both. Sometimes you need experience playing in can make 60s and 70s without being out of position. To see ronnie’s speedy 147, see www.firstnews.co.uk.

Anyone 16 or under on 30 April can enter the Rileys Future stars competition. Go to www.rileys.co.uk/futurestars before 28 February to register.

ASK ESTHER With

thanks to Death of a pet…
our family dog has died. He was 14 and has always been a huge part of my life. i feel
i’m esther rantzen, President of ChildLine, which helps 2,500 children foolish for missing a pet so much, but i really do miss him. Please help. Ben
every week. if there’s something worrying you, please write to me at the It is normal to feel like this when a pet times you had together? maybe you could
address below. dies. Grief can make you feel lots of try to make a scrapbook of all the fun times
different things such as being angry, you had and add in any pictures you have.

Smoking fears… sad, lost and empty to only mention a

Some of my friends have started smoking when we
go out at the weekends. They keep asking me to
try it and so far i haven’t but i know they will keep
asking until i do. i hate smoking, but don’t want to
seem un-cool. Any ideas on what i should do?
I am glad that you feel that you do not want
to start smoking as smoking can seriously
damage your health. You have been very
brave to say ‘no’ up until this point. Well done.
maybe you could try to remind your friends
few. I wonder if you can think of ways to
remember your dog and some of the happy
If you feel you would like to talk about your
feelings more you could contact ChildLine
free on 0800 1111.
GETTING ACTIVE
WinTer can be a time when we all feel a bit sleepy and lacking in
of the damage that smoking can do? You can energy. The combination of dark nights and cold weather can mean
check the ChildLine website for information on that all we want to do is hide under the duvet!
smoking on www.childline.org.uk. However, many people feel that january is when can feel like everyone is pressuring you
in the meantime stay strong and don’t give in they are going to start exercising, often to keep fit sometimes. The good thing is
to your friends. Take care. as part of their ‘new Year resolutions’. you don’t have to be good at sport to stay
and being active can be a good way to active, even a small amount of exercise

Worried friend…
stay fit and healthy, alongside things like can make a difference.
getting your five-a-day helpings of fruit For example, just walking to and from
and vegetables. school or to the local shops, if your family
If you love playing sport or a gym class agree it’s safe, can be a great way to
my best friend was recently involved in a car crash. everyone was okay but she had to spend a few that’s great. maybe you get a chance to build exercise into the day. Or maybe
days in hospital and has a broken leg and arm. She keeps breaking down at school and crying. i play a favourite sport at school? If not you could get the whole family out in
want to help her but every time i try she tells me that i just wouldn’t understand. Worried, 13 then there could be opportunities in your the fresh air at the weekend, it could be
It sounds like your friend might not feel at the moment. Remember to let her know you local area, through a youth club or at the a great way to catch up with each other
ready to talk about how she is feeling yet. It are there for her. You could also suggest she local sports centre. You could have a chat after a busy week!
can be difficult to see someone you care about calls ChildLine to talk further on 0800 1111 if to your parents or teacher and ask them to and remember if you’re worried about
hurting. Yet, by standing by her, you are being you feel this would help, or you can go online help you check out what’s on offer. your health, or any other problem, just
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24 FirstNews Issue 242 21 – 27 jAN 2011

SPORT CRAZY BUT TRUE GREEN

with Get
Ian Eddy 23
Vulture spy! 15 walking 17

Shark attack
Did you
know ?
The London 2012 chairman
Seb Coe has plenty of
for the second year in a row,
the Sheffield Sharks have won
the BBL Cup.
The Sharks thrashed the Mersey
Tigers 93-66 at the National Indoor
Arena in Birmingham, becoming the
first team to ever retain the trophy.
Olympics experience himself
Sharks player Steve Dagostino was
– he won gold in the 1,500m
voted the game’s MVP (most valuable
and silver in the 800m at both
player) after breaking two records in
the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.
the final. His total of 35 points was
seven higher than the previous record
in the final, and it also included a
record eight three-pointers.

Rob McPherson
Getty
Steve Dagostino (left)
was on fire in the final

Record run
engLand’S Twenty20 cricket

On your marks
team has just set a new record,
after becoming the first team to
win eight games in a row.
A one-wicket victory over Australia
helped to give England the record.

for the Olympics

London 2012 mascots
Wenlock and Mandeville
Newcomer Chris Woakes gave England
the crucial runs, although the match
could have gone either way.
Twenty20 is known for being very
unpredictable, so the record may last
for a while. It certainly didn’t last long
for England – they lost their next game
to Australia just days later.
Getty

In less than two months, people around the UK will be able to start applying for tickets for events at the London
olympics in 2012.
For six weeks from 15 March, requests can be sent online for all of
by Ian eddy
the 650 different sports sessions that will make up the Olympics.
People can apply at any point from 15 March to 26 April because
Unfortunately, hugely popular events like the 100m finals will be
it won’t be a first come, first served process. Instead, once all
more expensive and are bound to attract most applications, so it will Chris Woakes jumps for joy
applications are in, a ballot will take place to dish out the tickets. You
be harder to get hold of tickets. after hitting the winning runs
can register at www.tickets.london2012.com to receive more details.
If you can’t make it, or can’t get the tickets you want, there will still
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime be some events that you can watch for free on the streets of London,
including the marathon, triathlon and road cycling. There are also
opportunity to see the world’s greatest 18 big screens in towns and cities around the UK, from Edinburgh to
athletes going for gold in the UK” Portsmouth, where events will be shown live throughout the Games.
Tickets for the Paralympics will go on sale later in the year, on Friday
– London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe 9 September.