s d more than two million readers...the only weekly newspaper for young people issue 505 £1.50 19...

The only weekly newspaper for young people Issue 505 £1.50 19 – 25 February 2016

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The 2012 Newspaper Awards: Best weekly national newspaper and best niche market newspaper. Also, Plain English Campaign: Best national newspaper.

* First News weekly readership is 2,042,199. Source: Opinion Matters 2014. First News supports children’s charities – see page 18. *

MORE THAN TWO MILLION READERS*The dog who can read (yes, really!)

A pause to the fighting?

A DOG called Fernie is top of the class aft er learning to read!

The two-year-old chocolate Labrador has been taught to read words like ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘spin’ by his owner, head teacher Nik Gardner.

Since Fernie was just fi ve months old, he’s been going into Winford Primary School, near Bristol, as an educati onal assistance dog. One of Fernie’s jobs is sitti ng with children while they read, which helps to build their confi dence, but now the clever pooch has learned to read a few words himself!

Mr Gardner trained Fernie by showing him simple commands on fl ashcards while giving him each spoken command. When Fernie learned to recognise the shape of the words, Mr Gardner could stop speaking the commands and just show Fernie the cards. He thinks Fernie could learn up to 20 more words this way.

Pet behaviour expert Rosie Barclay says that rather than ‘reading’, Fernie could be picking up small clues from Mr Gardner’s body language, but added that either way “the children are gaining a great deal of moti vati on by having him around. Well done, Fernie!”

life in 2116Will you be living under water and taking

your house on holiday?

BY the year 2116, there could be whole citi es in massive bubbles under the sea and 25-storey earth-scrapers that go deep underground!

A group of futurologists (people who study what might happen in the future) have made these predicti ons as part of a big study into what life might be like 100 years from now.

One of the predicti ons is that huge drones will be able to carry whole buildings anywhere, which means you could take your enti re house on holiday with you! Another is that 3D-printed food, which is already possible, will become so advanced that it’ll take just a few minutes to download a meal by your favourite chef. Printers will also be able to print out buildings, along with all the furniture to go in them. The SmartThings Future Living Report also predicts that people will be able to book a fl ight to the moon or to Mars the way we book fl ights to France or Spain today.

Space scienti st Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, who co-wrote the report, said we are sure to see big changes over the next 100 years as “our lives today are almost unrecognisable from those a century ago.” Some of these things may even come true in your lifeti me! Tell us what you think at fi rstnews.co.uk.

by Keilly Swift

Will robots replace humans at work? Page 8

SWN

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syria update page 4

How a ‘bubble

city’ under the sea might

look

10 YEARS OF AWARD

WINNING NEWS!*

FOR INTERNAL SCHOOL USE ONLY. For use on projectors and IWBs. Not to be uploaded to school websites.

In VERY exciti ng theatrical news, a stage version of Disney’s Frozen is set to open on New York’s Broadway next year. Songwriters are said to be working on “around a dozen” new songs to add to the hits from the fi lm, which include Let It Go and Love Is An Open Door. There’s been no word yet on who will play Anna, Elsa or Olaf.

Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence has donated £1.4 million to the Kosair Children’s Hospital in her home town of Louisville, Kentucky. J.Law’s money will be used to set up the Jennifer Lawrence Foundati on Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. The Hunger Games star said the brave pati ents were her inspirati on to help. What a lovely lady!

generous jennifer

2. quick news FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

This Easter, a new 4D LEGO Movie att racti on is arriving at LEGOLAND. The att racti on will feature the characters from the original movie, but with an all-new and exciti ng plot. Wind, water, smoke and special lighti ng eff ects are set to bring the story to life for audiences. The LEGO Movie 4D A New Adventure will open in the UK on Friday 11 March at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester.

Four Briti sh rowers who were att empti ng to cross the Atlanti c have been safely rescued aft er their boat capsized several ti mes. The women became stranded off the west coast of Africa, en route to Barbados, aft er losing their GPS and oars, but a passing ship came to their rescue.

Rap star Kanye West has surprisingly revealed that he is £36 million in debt (owing money to someone). He tweeted the news to his 18.8 million followers, then sent a message to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg that seemed to be a request for fi nancial help. “You love hip hop, you love my art… I am your favorite arti st,” he wrote.

Romanti c James Greig from west Wales made the most of Valenti ne’s Day by proposing to his girlfriend… on the cover of a magazine! He appeared on bended knee, ring in hand on the front page of The Observer Magazine with the headline: “Will you marry me, Kati e?” He later tweeted that his girlfriend Kati e Moore said yes. Phew!

Congratulati ons to Radio 1 DJ Greg James, who has completed his fi ve triathlon challenge for Sport Relief, so far raising an awesome £750,000.

The isolated town of Norman Wells in Canada, which has a populati on of 800, is in desperate need of a hairdresser, as residents have had to cut their own hair for the past two years. Due to the remote locati on and -50°C climate, not many people want the job.

Last week we asked you: Do you have an adult to talk to you at school if you’re having a diffi cult ti me? 87% of you said YES, while 13% of you said NO.

The UK’s Independent and Independent on Sunday newspapers have announced plans to become digital-only publicati ons from March.

According to reports, Daniel Craig plans to step down as James Bond due to TV fi lming commitments in the US. The actor, who has played the spy in four Bond movies, hinted in an interview last year that it was ti me to move on. Idris Elba, James Norton and Tom Hardy are three of the names in the frame to take over the role.

The Dragons’ Den star, businesswoman Sarah Willingham, has said that children should earn their pocket money, rather than just expecti ng hand-outs from their parents or guardians. She says it will teach them important lessons about the value of money and help them make bett er fi nancial decisions later in life.

Experts at the Florida Museum of Natural History have revealed there were a record 98 shark att acks in 2015, with surfers the most common targets.

TV series Glee, which ended last year, may be forced to change its name in the UK following a legal batt le with a Briti sh comedy club that has the same name.

New attraction Flood alert

ocean rescue

Kanye needs cash

pocket money

nice one, greg

frozen on stage

hair today...

Poll Results

Going digital

a new bond?

marry me!

shark attacks rise

food-cooling forks

1 6

2

8

7

9

16

17

A group of young inventors have come up with some ingenious new ideas, 20 of which are being turned into reality. Ideas submitt ed for the Inventors! project include an umbrella for ladybirds, a self-hovering skipping rope and even a food-cooling fork.

no more glee13

Over 250,000 people have signed a peti ti on calling for a vote of no confi dence in Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. This follows his decision to force a new contract on junior doctors, which they say is unfair.

junior docs say “no”14

A new survey by WWF-UK reveals that 85% of parents would change their family diet to help protect the planet.

planet aid20

18

3

4

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Two Australian innovators have taken their love of chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella to the extreme. At their Tella Ball Cafe in Sydney, you can order Tella ball doughnuts and even Nutella lasagne!

nutty idea11

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15The River Thames burst its banks last week, when the Thames Barrier was shut to protect London following Storm Imogen. The barrier is one of the world’s largest moveable fl ood defences and has been protecti ng the city from fl ooding since 1982.

Quick news to read yourself and share WITH FRIENDS...

THINGS TO KNOW AND TELL

20

quote Daisy S, age 10, on having

an adult to talk to at school: “There ARE counsellors, but

they want to employ someone you actually WANT

to talk to.”

A new book claims that William Shakespeare may have had a secret son. Author Simon Andrew Sti rling claims that the Bard’s Sonnet 126, addressed to ‘My lovely boy’, was writt en for William Davenant, who went on to become Poet Laureate.

shakespeare’s secret son?

5

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FOR INTERNAL SCHOOL USE ONLY. For use on projectors and IWBs. Not to be uploaded to school websites. FOR INTERNAL SCHOOL USE ONLY. For use on projectors and IWBs. Not to be uploaded to school websites.

3. big news FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

John Boyega THE Star Wars actor won the EE Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs last weekend. The London-born star had very litt le ti me to celebrate, though, as he began working on the next Star Wars fi lm the very next day! Star Wars: Episode VIII will be in cinemas from December 2017.

Good week for SUBSCRIBE for home

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Nicky Cox MBE

IT’S great to see mental health being given a platf orm recently.

Soon aft er we reported the news that the Duchess of Cambridge was backing Children’s Mental Health Week, the NHS pledged £1 billion to mental health care in England.

I look at all this recent positi ve news and I see a step forward in ensuring that those suff ering with mental health issues get exactly what they need to cope and heal. I said it last week and I’ll say it again – if you ever feel really anxious or sad, tell someone. Support is out there.

19 – 25 February 2016

Editor’s comment

MENTAL health care in England is to receive an extra £1 billion a year in funding, it was announced this week.

Harder GCSEs?ENGLISH GCSEs could be made harder thanks to a set of proposals from the exam regulator, Ofqual.

The proposals aim to ensure fewer students get top marks. Under the current plans, those taking part in subjects seen as “easier” to pass, such as English and art, would fi nd it more diffi cult to get top marks.

The people grading exams would base your fi nal results on the country’s grades as a whole. Under one possible model, the percentage of pupils passing their English GCSE (C-A*) would fall from 64% to 46%. “Severe” subjects, like physics, would see passes rise from 74% to 88%. Jenny Stevens, a former head of English, said “grading needs to be tackled, but this would have a devastati ng eff ect.” Ofqual is expected to make a decision on the proposals by September.

chocolate loversTRY not to panic, but the world may be running out of chocolate! This is because the processes of making it rely on small producers, using the same techniques that haven’t changed for hundreds of years. So there is simply not enough to meet the demand!

Bad week for

Mental illnesses, like depression, anxiety and bipolar, can really aff ect people’s lives in a negati ve way. Unfortunately, they don’t always get the att enti on they deserve because they are illnesses you can’t always see straight away. Think of it this way: you noti ce problems with injured arms or legs very easily; you’ll see bandages, casts and/or crutches – the symptoms are clear and right in front of you. It’s more diffi cult to see a problem in the brain, because it’s hidden inside our heads. But just because you can’t see the problem, it doesn’t mean it’s not as important or serious.

A recent study has shown that only 15% of those who need mental health care across England are getti ng it.

However, this week’s NHS announcement has off ered a new glimmer of hope and change for the future.

Under the new plans, NHS England will aim to provide seven-day access for pati ents who need to visit hospitals. It will also aim to increase the levels of care and staff across the country.

In the new proposals, there are 58 new recommendati ons for improving care. These include initi ati ves to provide psychological therapy for an extra 600,000 people and a promise of higher-quality care for 70,000 more children and young people.

improving mental health care

YOUNG people in Norfolk affected by bereavement (suffering the loss of a loved one) have been involved in designing an app that will help other grieving young people. The Smiles & Tears app, created by the Youth Panel at Nelson’s Journey, is being funded by BBC Children In Need. The app simulates some of the proven therapies available at Nelson’s Journey, including a virtual balloon release and memory jar, while also giving users the option to send gifts to someone they’ve lost in the form of virtual flowers, birthday cards and even aftershave. The easy-to-use app also includes a virtual diary and emojis to help users identify how they’re feeling, when words might be difficult to find.

Wee break! A TEACHER from Somerset has had to write a lett er to parents asking them to stop their children from weeing in the playground.

Mrs Church, executi ve head teacher at Hannah More Infant School and Grove Junior School has called the behaviour “totally unacceptable”.

Although Mrs Church made it clear that only a “small number of pupils” were involved, she wanted to remind parents and students that all families know where the toilets are in the school. Mrs Church is not the only teacher who has recently had to write a strongly-worded lett er to parents; Ms Chisholm of Skerne Park Academy in County Durham also wrote to parents asking them not to wear pyjamas and slippers on the school run last month. St Michael’s Academy in Yeovil, Somerset also had to write to parents about children arriving to school “dirty and unkempt [messy]”.


JUST days aft er several world leaders agreed to work towards a “pause” in fi ghti ng in the war-torn country of Syria, airstrikes on hospitals and schools in northern Syria resulted in the deaths of around 50 people.

Last week, world leaders agreed to put a stop to acts of warfare in Syria as quickly as possible. The “breakthrough” has been described as a “pause” to the fi ghti ng and a major “fi rst step” to ending the chaos in Syria.

Fighti ng in Syria has killed around 250,000 people. As a result, millions have fl ed the region, sparking the recent refugee crisis.

The decision was made at a meeti ng of the Internati onal Syria Support Group, which is made up 17 diff erent countries (including the UK), as well as the Arab League, the European Union and the United Nati ons (UN).

Islamic State and other terrorist groups will not be involved in the plan. In additi on, Russia has confi rmed that it will not stop bombing the region.

A few days aft er this announcement, several airstrikes hit hospitals and schools in northern Syria, killing around 50 people and leaving thousands without medical care, according to the UN. It is not yet known who is responsible for these recent att acks. Although some suspected Russia, as First News went to press, the Russian government was denying responsibility.

4. big news FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

SYRIA FIGHTING TO PAUSE?

Lots of you will have learned about historical fi gures like King Harold, William the Conqueror and Edith of Wessex in history lessons, but now you can follow them all on Twitt er.

The Batt le of Hasti ngs took place on 14 October 1066 and is one of the most famous events in Briti sh history. 2016 marks 950 years since the batt le between the Norman army of Duke William of Normandy and an English army under King Harold.

The goal is to explore the people of 1066 “in just 140 characters”. English Heritage have set up Twitt er accounts for eight diff erent characters, “each representi ng diff erent areas of medieval society”. The accounts are King Harold (@King_Harold66), Duke William (@Duke_William66), Edith of Wessex

(@Edith_1066), Mati lda of Flanders (@Mati lda_1066), a Saxon Fyrdsman (@Fyrdsman_1066), a Norman knight (@Knight_1066), a Saxon farmer (@Farmer_1066) and a religious writer (@Chronicler_1066).

Christi an Bace, social media executi ve at English Heritage, said: “People are familiar with a lot of the names of 1066, but they’re oft en just names on a piece of paper, in something that happened a thousand years ago.” The aim of this campaign, named the People Of 1066 Campaign, is to bring these well-known fi gures into the present day.

The 1066 gang have been tweeti ng for a few weeks now, but it’s worth having a look at their feeds if you haven’t already. Now you can tweet and revise for that history test! #Win

ENGLISH Heritage has come up with a unique way of getti ng more of you talking about the 1066 Batt le of Hasti ngs in 2016, by giving all the major historical players their own Twitt er accounts!

BOY VS BULLYINGA TEENAGER’S anti -bullying fi lm has gone viral, turning him into a global internet sensati on and a hero to many who have been bullied online.

Luke Culhane’s short fi lm, ti tled Cyber Bullying: #CreateNoHate, has been viewed over 170,000 ti mes on YouTube and over 200,000 ti mes on Facebook. It provides a raw look at how damaging cyberbullying can be.

The 13-year-old from Limerick has since been interviewed by Sky News, Fox News and BBC News, RTE, TV3 and countless others about the fi lm he put together as a project for Safer Internet Day earlier this month.

Luke said: “I have been cyberbullied myself so that inspired me to make this video to help raise awareness for other people about how to handle cyberbullying. I wanted to show that it doesn’t have to be physical bullying to hurt someone, so that’s why I showed the likeness between the two types of bullying”.

Watch the video by hovering the Blippar app over the image of Luke to the right. Luke stars in his short fi lm Cyber Bullying: #CreateNoHate

#history lesson

A secti on of the Bayeux Tapestry, a famous embroidered cloth that shows the Norman conquest of England and the

Batt le of Hasti ngs in 1066

AN eighth instalment of Harry Pott er is set to hit bookshops this summer. But it’s not what you think…

The Muggle mother, JK Rowling, does keep us on our toes, doesn’t she?

We’d only just gott en over the news that a Harry Pott er play was hitti ng the West End this summer when, this week, it was announced that a new Harry Pott er book was on the way, too!

But calm down, Muggles. Despite what you may have read or heard, this is not the eighth Harry Pott er book. Repeat: this is not the next Harry Pott er book.

The new book will tell the same story as the play, Harry Pott er And The Cursed Child. It’s writt en by playwright Jack Thorne, although JK Rowling came up with the idea and story. Rowling took to Twitt er to confi rm that the new book was not the next “Harry Pott er book” and that instead, the “script will be in book form”.

Regardless, we’re sti ll doing backfl ips on our broomsti cks over the news. The hardback editi on of Harry Pott er and the Cursed Child will be released on 31

July, the day aft er the play has debuted on stage.

NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK (SORT OF)

JK Rowling working with the team behind the stage show, Harry Pott er And The Cursed Child

JK R

owlin

g

The ruins of a hospital in Syria


5. the week ahead FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

THE BRIT Awards are back! The biggest night in music takes place at London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday (24 February) and if the last 39 years are anything to go by, we can prett y much guarantee a night of mega superstars and mighty surprises. Hashtags at the ready…

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DID YOU KNOW?

TWITTER UK has turned Justi n Bieber, Litt le Mix, The Weeknd, Coldplay, Jess Glynne and James Bay into unoffi cial emojis ahead of this year’s

BRIT Awards. Check out litt le Justi n below!

@br

its v

ia T

witt

er

20 FEBRUARY 1962 The fi rst American astronaut to orbit the Earth landed in the Atlanti c Ocean. John Glenn circled the Earth three ti mes, at speeds of 17,000mph (27,400km/h).

21 February 2001The European Union banned all livestock, milk and meat from leaving Britain aft er an outbreak of an animal disease called foot-and-mouth. They wanted to stop the disease from spreading to other countries in Europe.

22 February 1997Scienti sts in Edinburgh announced that they had cloned (made a copy of) a sheep, by using DNA from the cell of an adult sheep. Dolly (above) the sheep was the fi rst animal to cloned from an adult cell.

24 FEBRUARY 1981 Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced that they were engaged to be married, aft er months of rumours.

Dolly, the fi rst ever animal to be cloned

What are the BRIT Awards?Right bang in the middle of awards season, the BRIT

Awards is the UK’s largest music awards show and, year aft er year, features a star-studded line-up of presenters and performers.

The BRITs have been running for almost forty years; the 2016 show is the 36th editi on of the world-famous awards night. The very fi rst BRIT Awards took place in October 1977 (where The Beatles were the big winners on the night!).

The following awards are handed out on the night: Briti sh Arti st Video Of The Year, Briti sh Breakthrough Act, Briti sh Male Solo Arti st, Briti sh Female Solo Arti st, Briti sh Group, Briti sh Producer Of The Year, Briti sh Single, Briti sh Album Of The Year, Internati onal Male Solo Arti st, Internati onal Solo Arti st and Internati onal Group.

What to expect this yearIf you ask us, this year’s bash might just be

epic enough to crash a social media site or two – there’s a lot to look forward to, so when we say hashtags at the ready, we mean it! Here’s what we know:

Rihanna, Justi n Bieber, Coldplay, Jess Glynne, James Bay, The Weeknd and Litt le Mix will all be performing live on the night.

Britain’s favourite double act, Ant and Dec, will be the hosts for the evening.

You’ll be able to stream and download live performances from the night via Google Play Music straight aft er the BRITs.

Adele, James Bay and Years And Years have all been nominated for four BRIT Awards this year.

the brit awards wednesday 24 february

the brit the brit awards awards wednesday 24 february

MUSIC’SBIG night Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran

all picked up BRIT Awards in 2015

This weekin history


6. the week’s best pictures

Use Blippar to watch the latest First News TV bulleti n from the team at Sky News. It features the week’s top stories, including all

the goss from the 58th Annual Grammy Music Awards in Los Angeles.

FirstNews

FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

EL TUPARRO NATURAL NATIONAL PARK, COLOMBIA: Twenty criti cally endangered Orinoco crocodiles have been reintroduced into their natural habitat. The group included twelve females and eight males, ranging from 85-110cm long. The repti les are carrying radio transmitt ers to track their movements.

SURREY, ENGLAND: Prince Charles meets pupils during a visit to Ashley Primary School in Walton on Thames. The Prince of Wales was “fascinated” to visit the school and see how they have embraced his sustainable ideas.

14 February

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: This is Alby, an extremely rare baby albino turtle who was among 122 hatchlings from a green turtle nest. Volunteers from Coolum and North Shore Coast Care were surveying the nest when they found it. Albino green turtle hatchlings occur at a rate of one in many hundreds of thousands.

Face

book

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lum

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rict C

oast

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LONDON, ENGLAND: London celebrates Chinese New Year, the Year Of The Monkey. The celebrati ons are the largest outside Asia.

10 February

LONDON, ENGLAND: Staff at Christi e’s aucti on house pose with one of the Aston Marti n DB10s used in the Bond fi lm Spectre. A new Spectre charity aucti on has 15 items from the fi lm and the DB10 is expected to sell for over £1 million.

Whenever you see the Blippar icon on a page, you will know we have added some digital content to it, like a video, picture gallery or poll. Go to iTunes or Google Play and download the free Blippar app onto a mobile phone or tablet (it needs a rear-facing camera on it). Then hover your phone or tablet over the Blippar icon and story. Magic!

FIRST NEWS AND BLIPPAR

15 February15 February

15 February

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7. home news FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

News in numbers

19 metres is the height of a medieval trebuchet that has gone on display at Warwick Castle aft er being restored. It is the largest working example of a medieval missile launcher in the world!

2.7 metres is the wingspan of Rex, a Steller’s sea eagle who has escaped from a birds of prey display in Kent.

1 mILLION pounds has been given to the Plunkett Foundati on by The Big Lott ery Fund. The money will be used for the Making Local Woods Work project, transforming rough woodland into areas for local communiti es to use.

219 pet rats have been handed to an animal charity in Cambridgeshire.

60 species of dragonfl y have been discovered in Africa. Experts believe only one fi ft h of all species of plant, animal and fungus have been discovered so far!

2 children were injured when a wall collapsed as they were walking to school during Storm Imogen.

19 trebuchet that has gone on display at Warwick Castle aft er being restored. It is the largest working example of a medieval missile launcher in the world!

2.7 Steller’s sea eagle who has escaped from a birds of prey display in Kent.

WiltshireBadger archaeologistsA Bronze Age burial site has been discovered by badgers in Wiltshire. A bronze saw, an archer’s wrist guard and a copper chisel are among the items uncovered by a badger while digging. Experts have said the items date back to 2,200-2,000BC.

oxfordLush heroesA homeless woman has been thanked for helping to prevent a burglary. Staff at Lush found they were missing a laptop and cosmeti cs one morning. The next day, Lotti e, who sleeps outside the store with her dog Marley, returned the items and explained how she had stopped the robbery. Staff are now trying to raise money for her and Marley to say thank you.

York Famous train One of the most famous trains in the world is due to travel to London this week, aft er a ten-year restorati on project by York’s Nati onal Railway Museum (NRM). The Flying Scotsman last ran on a mainline track 40 years ago. To celebrate its 93rd birthday, the NRM is asking people with memories or links with the train to get in touch. Why not ask your grandparents if they’ve ever travelled on it?

LondonLaser danger A Virgin Atlanti c fl ight heading for New York had to turn back to London Heathrow last week aft er a laser beam was shone into the cockpit. The 252 passengers on board were given free hotel accommodati on for the evening.Shining a laser anywhere can be an off ence. Police are now investi gati ng the incident. It is thought that the incident took place six to seven miles (10-11km) west of Heathrow.

Gett

y

Isles of ScillyRat freeTwo of the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall have been declared ‘rat free’ thanks to a scheme introduced to protect the seabirds that live there. In the last 25 years, the number of Manx shearwaters and storm petrels had dropped by 25%. Now, thanks to a rat cull, the birds’ populati ons are steadily increasing. The islands began the scheme two years ago to protect eggs and baby birds from being eaten by rats.HUddersfield Purr-fect employee

A train stati on’s cat has become famous worldwide aft er her adventures went viral on the internet. Felix has been living at Huddersfi eld stati on since 2011, aft er she was ‘employed’ to deal with the mice that were roaming the platf orms. The black and white moggy has her own catf lap and was given a promoti on to Senior Pest Controller recently. Good work, Felix!

WalesWalking winnerAsh Dykes from Colwyn Bay has become the fi rst person to walk the length of Madagascar. He climbed the country’s eight highest mountains as part of his adventure, which took 155 days. Ash said: “It’s been an incredible journey and I feel very privileged to experience the heart of Madagascar.”

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8. science news FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

For more pictures and videos, go to fi rstnews.co.uk

ROBOTS can do a lot of things bett er than humans, especially solving a Rubik’s cube.

The human record for completi ng the famous puzzle is 4.9secs, but two diff erent robots have done it in less than a second this year!

The offi cial Guinness world record belongs to a robot built by Paul Rose and Jay Flatland. It completed a Rubik’s cube in 0.9secs on 5 February, but a rival robot called Sub1 did it in 0.887secs. Although Sub1’s att empt was fi lmed, there were no Guinness offi cials there, so it can’t claim the world record at the moment.

DID YOU KNOW?

IT was revealed last week that the NGC 4889 galaxy has

one of the largest known black holes at its centre. The black

hole is thought to contain around 21 billion ti mes the

mass of our sun!

Robot rubik’s race

by Ian Eddy

A MAJOR science discovery last week will open a “new window to the cosmos”, say researchers.

Although there was a false alarm from a diff erent experiment in 2014, researchers at the LIGO observatories in the US say that they have defi nitely discovered gravitati onal waves. These ripples through space and ti me are incredibly hard to detect, even though Albert Einstein predicted their existence 100 years ago.

These parti cular waves are thought to have been made when two black holes spiralled into each other in a powerful collision that created a single black hole. The collision happened 1.3 billion years ago, but because it was so far away, the waves have only just reached us.

The discovery is important because gravitati onal waves carry unique informati on and could help us to understand more about how our universe was created. They could also teach us more about stars, black holes and many more objects in outer space.

Maybe this robot looks so angry because he can’t solve the puzzle? G

ett y

famousquotes

“Science cannot solve the ulti mate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery

that we are trying to solve”– famous German

physicist Max Planck

Helping heartsWE spoke to David Anderson – a specialist heart surgeon at Evelina London Children’s Hospital – about how 3D printi ng can help heart surgeons.

“3D-printi ng a heart before an operati on means I have ti me to get the concept of the pati ent’s blood-fi lled and pumping heart in my head. That way I can imagine it bett er when I’m actually performing the surgery.

“A major challenge with heart surgery is that when we stop and drain the blood from the heart, it collapses like a defl ated balloon. It’s very like dressmaking: you alter the dress on the fl at with the sewing machine, but all the ti me having to think how it will actually look when it’s 3D and being worn.”

You can see this 3D printed heart and fi nd out more in our ‘How to mend a broken heart’ display at the Science Museum unti l 30 April 2016.

Scie

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This report is from our friends at the Science Museum, part of the Science Museum Group.

Lazy days ahead?AS robots and arti fi cial intelligence improve, more and more humans could fi nd themselves without a job.

Having robots do our work bett er and faster will be a good thing in some ways, but computer scienti st Moshe Vardi says it may not all be good.

“If machines are capable of doing almost any work humans can do, what will humans do?” he says.

Some people might be happy to not have to go to work, but how will they get any money? Will the world’s economy be able to adapt so that lots of people don’t become poor?

“I do not fi nd this a promising future,” says Vardi. “I believe that work is essenti al to human wellbeing.”

Robots already do a wide range of jobs in factories

Use Blippar to watch a computer simulati on of two black holes colliding. The light from the stars gets stretched and squeezed because the black holes are so massive that they bend light

A 3D-printed heart on display in the Science Museum

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y

Making waves

POLLAre you scared about robots taking your jobs one day?Go to fi rstnews.co.uk


9. World News FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

The world’s

children Name: Adessy Age: 11 Lives: Zambia

ADESSY no longer walks 45 minutes for dirty water.

Adessy lives with her family in a remote rural community. Before Just a Drop’s help, it would take 30-45 minutes to collect unsafe water for her family to use each day.

Adessy says: “Water in the well was brown because of dead leaves, frogs and snakes. The well was not protected and some people were throwing old clothes and items like old plates and pots into the well.”

Now she has access to clean safe water from the borehole constructed in her village, and can concentrate on her studies.

Learn how Just a Drop supports other children just like Adessy

and how you or our school can get involved by visiti ng

www.justadrop.org.

VENEZUela

Lights out Shopping centres across Venezuela have had to cut their trading ti me by four hours because of electricity shortages. President Maduro has suggested that people grow their own food and keep chickens to survive a possible economic collapse (big money problems) in the country.

USA

$500 million ranchArsenal fans have oft en complained about their club not spending enough cash on players. As it turns out, owner Stan Kroenke has just spent over £345 million on the world’s most expensive ranch for personal use. Located in Texas, the 800 square mile (2,000km2)Waggoner Ranch dates back to 1849. So that’s where all the cash is going!

franceLoud and proudPresident Hollande’s government has sent out instructi ons for all schools in the country to learn the nati onal anthem, La Marseillaise. Pupils must be able to know all the words by June. The aim is to inspire patrioti sm and unite the country against terrorism. The government is printi ng a guide for teachers, called Get Singing, Young Students!

chinaCooking pearsLast week, a lorry fi re in China caused 30 tonnes of pears to cook! The accident happened in Liuzhou last Thursday. Footage of the incident shows the vehicle in fl ames on the road, with black smoke rising into the air. Fortunately no-one was injured, but it’s esti mated that the damage may cost the lorry owners more than £20,000.

swedenViola Beach crashAn investi gati on is under way aft er all the members of the band Viola Beach and their manager were killed in a car crash on Saturday. Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe, Jack Dakin and manager Craig Tarry fell from a bridge into a canal. The band only formed in May last year. They’re set to enter this week’s Offi cial Singles Chart Top 40, as fans pay tribute to their music. When First News went to press, their single, Swings And Waterslides, was already at number fi ve in the online chart.

australiaNew cubsAustralia Zoo’s Sumatran ti ger Kaitlyn gave birth to two cubs last week. The mother, from the criti cally-endangered ti ger species, delivered a female cub on Saturday morning and a male cub the following Monday. Kaitlyn and her two new cubs are bobbing along nicely!

new zealand

Scary earthquakeA strong earthquake hit New Zealand last week. The centre of the earthquake was just nine miles (14km) east of the city of Christchurch and measured 5.8 on the Richter scale. Beaches were busy with swimmers and surfers when rocks began falling into the sea at Whitewash Head. Fortunately, no serious damage or deaths were reported.

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10. animal news FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

THREE female Asian short-clawed ott ers have been welcomed to their new home at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo with a hamper of fi shy treats!

Blaze, Noodle and Drumsti ck have joined male ott ers Fatti e and Chopsti ck in their enclosure. The ott ers all originally lived at ZSL London Zoo, although the boys moved to Whipsnade in 2005.

The happy reunion included a hamper full of fi shy treats that the ott ers soon got their teeth into.

Asian short-clawed ott ers mostly eat fi sh and shellfi sh like prawns and mussels, but they also enjoy the occasional piece of broccoli or even a mouse. You can see the ott ers at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. For more informati on, visit www.zsl.org.

Otterly fun!

THE fi rst set of twin gorillas in 16 years have been born in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area in Central Africa.

The western lowland gorilla twins were captured on camera by WWF, who co-manage the protected area the gorillas live in. Twin births are rare for the species, which makes this news so exciti ng.

David Greer, WWF African Great Apes Programme Leader says: “Their birth is an incredible moment for everyone who has worked so hard to habituate [get used to] and conserve these gorillas over the past 16 years.”

Despite the good news, gorillas are sti ll under threat across Africa. Poaching for food, traditi onal medicines or the illegal pet trade are huge problems for the species, as well as the loss of their rainforest habitat.

DID YOU KNOW?

IT’S esti mated that only 1,300 western lowland gorillas are left

in protected areas in the wild. The exact number is unknown because

they live in some of the most remote rainforests in Africa.

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Tiny twin hope Take care of lambs SPRING is on the way, which means lots of ti ny lambs bouncing about in fi elds. Hurrah! However, two chariti es are urging dog walkers to keep their animals on leads around livestock this lambing season.

Every year, ewes and newborn lambs across the UK are chased, harassed and someti mes even att acked and killed by dogs that are roaming freely.

RSPCA inspector Tony Woodley says: “Many dogs, if given the opportunity, will chase or show interest in livestock. Even if your pet is normally calm, gentle, obedient and docile [easy to control], they can sti ll be a danger.”

The Nati onal Sheep Associati on (NSA) and RSPCA have teamed up to spread the message to help keep lambs and ewes safe. Make sure you do your part and keep your pet on a lead around farm animals.

A lift to forest school!

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y

THIS cute wheelbarrow full of orangutan babies are off to forest school, where they’ll learn the vital skills they need to survive in the wild.

The orphaned babies in Indonesia will learn how to make nests, forage for food and climb trees in the hope that they can be returned to the wild. The apes spend all day at the special “school” area of forest created by Internati onal Animal Rescue (IAR) and even get to spend the night! They’re encouraged to experience the same things wild orangutans would do if they were growing up in the forest.

There are 102 orangutans living at the sanctuary. Many of them were taken from their mothers, orphaned or rescued from homes where they were being kept as pets.

Wild animals are not suitable to be kept as pets, no matt er how cute they may seem. As well as the illegal pet trade, orangutans are under threat from loss of habitat and illegal poaching.


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OUT OF THIS WORLDJoin us for a trip back through the highs and lows of 2015 in our review of the year

The only weekly newspaper for young people Issue 497 £1.50 25 – 31 December 2015

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Amy is one of 700,000 young carers in Britain today. Here she tells us her story...

Amy with her mum, brother and sister

I’M LIKE A LITTLE MUM

AMY, 12, is a young carer for three members of her family – her auti sti c older brother, her mother who is in severe pain from illness, and her litt le sister who has epilepsy and is parti ally deaf.

Unti l now, Amy, from Ayrshire, has kept her home life a complete secret from school because she doesn’t want to be treated diff erently from other children.

Amy is a young carer for several hours every day. This means she can’t take part in aft er-school acti viti es and has to rush home every night to look aft er her family, as well as trying to squeeze in her homework.

She says: “If I don’t get home straightaway, I won’t have ti me to help mum make tea for everyone, ti dy up and help with jobs – then do my homework. I miss out on lots of things but don’t mind spending ti me with my family.

“I’m doing something every minute at home to help. When I’m not at home I’m worrying about my family. Since nine years old I’ve been helping plan the family budget with my mum and now I sti ll conti nue to help organise my family.

“Since my litt le sister was one year old, I’ve had to take care of her – changing her nappies, feeding her, getti ng her washed and dressed, every day. I’m like a litt le mother because my mother is too ill a lot of the ti me.”

Turn to page 5 to fi nd out more about young carers.

YOUNG CARERS

AWARENESS DAY28 JANUARY

TOP TEN NAMES FOR SMART PEOPLE (apparently)!

WANT to grow up clever? It’s more likely if you have one of these names, says a new study.Genealogy website MooseRoots looked at their database

of 14,750 names of mathemati cians, writers, arti sts, philosophers, poets and Nobel Prize winners – and came up with the most common names for geniuses.

The most common name for men is John and, for women, it’s Mary.

Check to see if your name is on the list. (I’ve checked three ti mes and Nicky doesn’t appear – surely some mistake!)

by editor Nicky Cox

PA BOYS1. John2. Robert

3. William4. Charles5. David6. James

7. Richard8. Johann9. George10. Paul

GIRLS1. Mary2. Elizabeth

3. Maria4. Anne5. Margaret 6. Susan

7. Ruth8. Anna9. Alice10. Dorothy

THE CAT WHO LOVES TAKING SELFIES!(YES, REALLY!) 16

@In

stag

ram

/yor

emah

m

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Karting crossover

12. game zone FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

modern meetsmedieval

IF you liked Tearaway and Litt leBigPlanet, one of the people who worked on them is behind an interesti ng-looking new game called Knights And Bikes.

Rex Crowle has got together with Moo Yu, who worked on Ratchet And Clank: Tools Of Destructi on, to form a company called Foam Sword. Their fi rst game is a co-op acti on adventure that looks like it has the same spirit of originality and quirkiness that made us such big fans of Tearaway and LBP. It’s a mix of ancient legends and modern life, with the chance to “fi ght like kids” and splash enemies with mud or hit them with Frisbees!

At the moment, Foam Sword are asking for backers on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, where anyone can help to bring a project to life. As long as it gets enough backers, the game will be out on PS4, PC and Mac, hopefully later this year.

THREE talented YouTubers have put together an amazing fake trailer for a game that we wish was real!

Casen Sperry, Mike Brown and Landon Sperry go by the name of Dark Pixel and

they uploaded the unbelievably cool Star Kart last week. It’s an awesome mix of Star Wars and Mario Kart and they say it took them a year to make. But it was ti me well spent, guys – we love it! Use Blippar to check it out!

Mario in an X-wing – it doesn’t get much cooler than that!


13. special report FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016 by Schools & Youth Team, Comic Relief

Did you know?More than £260 million has been raised

since Sport Relief launched back in 2002. In the past two years alone, money raised through Sport Relief has helped more than 11.5 million people.

Half of all the money raised makes a diff erence right here in the UK. The other half is used to transform lives across the world’s poorest communiti es, including in Bangladesh where cash raised through Sport Relief is helping children like Champa and Russell.

Champa’s storyChampa, ten, is one of more than 7.4 million children in Bangladesh who have to

work to survive. Children from as young as four earn money to help support their families, helping to cover costs including food, rent and bills. In fact, a quarter of an average family’s income in Bangladesh is earned by children like Champa.

She and her litt le brother Shwaon, eight, scour the streets for plasti c bott les and pieces of metal to sell and support their mum’s income. The siblings collect scraps from the sides of busy roads, dart between buses at the dangerous transport terminal and rummage on rubbish dumps. From three hours of dangerous work, Champa can earn just 100 taka (82p).

But thanks to cash raised through Sport Relief, Champa has been going to a drop-in centre where she att ends lessons, has made friends and has ti me to play. The bright and eager student has been so successful that that she now leads sessions about child rights and has joined a school. Getti ng an educati on

will help Champa to achieve her dream of opening her own centre to help other children like herself.

You can fi nd out more about Champa by watching a short fi lm at sportrelief.com/Champa.

Russell’s storyRussell, 13, is one of more than a million children

who are fending for themselves on the streets of Bangladesh’s citi es. He sleeps on rooft ops or shelters in shop doorways when it rains.

To make money to buy food, Russell walks the streets for up to seven hours a day to fi nd plasti c and metal that he can sell. It is a constant struggle and earns him just a pound a day.

But Russell and his friends have a safe place to go thanks to cash raised through Sport Relief. A drop-in centre provides showers, food, educati on and rest rooms where Russell can catch up on his sleep.

The centre also provides children like Russell with the chance to gain an educati on, to help them break out of the cycle of living on the street. And the centre’s courses can help equip Russell with the skills he needs to achieve his dream of being a mechanic.

To fi nd out more about Russell, watch a short fi lm at sportrelief.com/Russell.

will help Champa to

Sport relief 2016: RAISING MONEY, CHANGING LIVESSPORT Relief is back! From Friday 18 unti l Sunday 20 March the nati on will get acti ve and have fun while raising millions of pounds to help people living incredibly tough lives here in the UK and in the world’s poorest communiti es.

Find out more about how you can get involved in Sport Relief at sportrelief.com/kids

Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

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Facts and figures: Bangladesh Tiny Bangladesh is one of the

most closely-packed countries in the world, with 156 million people.

67.3 million people in Bangladesh live on less than $1.25 (85p) a day.i

An esti mated 1.1 million children live on the streets in Bangladesh’s citi es.ii

20.2 million people do not have access to clean drinking water in Bangladesh.iii

The basics £1 could buy a hot nutriti ous meal for fi ve children living on the

streets of Bangladesh. £5 could buy textbooks for a child living in a Bangladeshi slum, so they

can get an educati on.

i UNICEF (2015) STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN: STATISTICAL TABLES. ii UNICEF BANGLADESH (2009) PROTECTION OF CHILDREN LIVING ON THE STREETS. iii WHO/UNICEF JOINT MONITORING PROGRAMME (JMP) FOR WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION (2015)


.1514. lego® Adverti sement feature

The much-anticipated LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS™ sets are now available at all good toy retailers. Begin your adventure at www.LEGO.com/NEXOKNIGHTS

R

A BATTLE of good versus evil took place in the Traff ord Centre, Manchester as LEGO® fans batt led against an evil Jester.

RLEGO FANS HELP NEXO KNIGHTS FIGHT JESTRO THE EVIL JESTER

Join the battle...

The much-anticipated LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS™ sets are now available at all good toy retailers. Begin your adventure at

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Brave children helped the NEXO KNIGHTS™ fi ght against the evil Jestro the Jester as he unleashed mayhem across Knighton using his magical Book of Monsters. Throughout the day over 450 children joined the NEXO KNIGHTS™ Clay, Macy, Lance, Aaron and Axl as they were transported into the magical world of Knighton through futuristi c gaming portals.

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Brave children helped the NEXO KNIGHTS™ fi ght against the evil Jestro the Jester as he unleashed mayhem across Knighton using his magical Book of Monsters. Throughout the day over 450 children joined the NEXO KNIGHTS™ Clay, Macy, Lance, Aaron and Axl as they were transported into the magical world of Knighton through futuristi c

The much-anticipated LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS™ sets are now available at all good toy retailers. Begin your adventure at The much-anticipated LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS™ sets are now available at all good toy retailers. Begin your adventure at




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Join the battle...Join the battle...Join the battle...


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The much-anticipated LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS™ sets are now available at all good toy retailers. Begin your adventure at The much-anticipated LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS™ sets are now available at all good toy retailers. Begin your adventure at The much-anticipated LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS™ sets are now available at all good toy retailers. Begin your adventure at RThe much-anticipated LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS™ sets are now available at all good toy retailers. Begin your adventure at

Clay’s Rumble Blade

RRP £29.99 (70315)



.15FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016


tmtmLEGO FANS HELP NEXO KNIGHTS FIGHT JESTRO THE EVIL JESTER


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NEXO KNIGHTS™ is the next big range from LEGO® which launched this year. It’s a new way to play that incorporates a television show airing on Cartoon Network, LEGO® playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital characters to help defend Knighton.

NEXO KNIGHTS™ is the next big range from LEGO® which launched this year. It’s a new way to play that incorporates a television show airing on Cartoon Network, LEGO® playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital characters to help defend Knighton. playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital


NEXO KNIGHTS™ is the next big range from LEGO® which launched this year. It’s a new way to play that incorporates a television show airing on Cartoon Network, LEGO® playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital characters to help defend Knighton. playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital characters to help defend Knighton. playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital playsets and a digital gaming app. You can collect your favourite LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™ characters and weapons, scan the shields with the app and power your digital

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the vamps go kung fu!

6’

16. entertainment

5’

4’

3’

2’

IS there no end to The Vamps’ talent?Band members Connor Ball and James

McVey have landed cameo voice roles in upcoming animated blockbuster Kung Fu Panda 3, where they play a couple of geese in a scene alongside Jack Black’s character, Po. What’s more, The Vamps have recorded a brand-new version of the song Kung Fu Fighti ng especially for the end credits of the fi lm, which also features the voices of actors Angelina Jolie and Dusti n Hoff man. “We had so much fun voicing the geese,” say Connor and James. “It was an honour to be part of such an incredible cast. We can’t wait for everyone to see the fi lm!”

• Kung Fu Panda 3 is released on 11 March, certi fi cate PG.

there’s still time to get writing!

ENTRIES for this year’s BBC Radio 2 500 Words competi ti on need to be in by 7pm on 25 February, so there’s sti ll plenty of ti me for you to get writi ng!

To help inspire you, fi ve 500 Words Story Starter fi lms have been added to the competi ti on website. With HRH the Duchess of Cornwall as honorary judge, plus superb prizes to be given out at a posh ceremony at Shakespeare’s Globe hosted by DJ Chris Evans, what are you waiti ng for?

• Enter now at bbc.co.uk/500words

6’

5’

44’’

33’’

22’’jennifer

lawrence1.75m

(5ft 9in)

ant1.73m

(5ft 8in)

dec1.68m

(5ft 6in)

ritaora

1.66m (5ft 5in)

hrhthe queen

1.63m (5ft 4in)

arianagrande

1.53m(5ft )

hoW TALL ARE THE STARS ?! IF like us you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to stand next to Harry Styles or

Ariana Grande, our handy chart will help work out how you measure up!


.13.17FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

two minutes with ross lynch

ps it doesn’t really matter if you’re short or tall – you’re all lovely! :-)

How did you get involved in voicing the character of Piers?The producers of Cleo approached my manager and agents with the idea, and I thought it sounded like fun. I’ve always been interested in animati on, and I hope to do more in the future.

How would you describe the fi lm to First News readers?It’s a classic story about friends that have a massive snowball fi ght with an elaborate fort, my character’s dog, and a bunch of snow!

Are you more of a snow or beach person?I grew up in Colorado, and we used to build crazy snow forts when we were younger. But I’ve also spent a lot of ti me in California. You have to love the beach. Who doesn’t?!

Is it a complicated voicing a character?For this parti cular project it was a bit diffi cult because I had to match the animati on. Usually, you will record all the scenes and the animators match your voice. The process was very smooth, though, and I had a great ti me working with the Cleo team.

Do you prefer being on screen in Austi n & Ally or behind an animated character like Piers?I like changing it up. Animati on is cool, but I’ll probably do more live-acti on projects than voice-overs.

You’re nominated at this year’s Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards – how would you feel about getti ng slimed on stage? I wouldn’t mind. As long as there’s a shower somewhere, but arenas usually have a lot of ’em!

THE Austi n & Ally star ditches being in front of the camera to voice animated character Piers in ace new DVD Cleo, which is out now.

19 – 25 February 2016

ps it doesn’t really matter if you’re short or tall –ps it doesn’t really matter if you’re short or tall – you’re all lovely! :-) you’re all lovely! :-)ps it doesn’t really matter if you’re short or tall –ps it doesn’t really matter if you’re short or tall – you’re all lovely! :-) you’re all lovely! :-) you’re all lovely! :-) you’re all lovely! :-)

justinbieber1.75m

(5ft 9in)

adele1.75m

(5ft 9in)

tomdaley1.77m

(5ft 10in)

taylorswift1.78m

(5ft 10in)harrystyles

1.8m (5ft 11in)

shawnmendes

1.85m (6ft 1in)


18. big interview FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

Charities supported by First News

Matt hew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty is touring the UK. See

new-adventures.net/sleeping-beauty Matt hew chats about Mary

Poppins, Strictly and much more at fi rstnews.co.uk

Your ballet Edward Scissorhands (bott om) is based on a fi lm. Would you ever consider turning Harry Pott er, Star Wars or The Hunger Games into dance?

The music in those fi lms is great, so absolutely. Why not? The story of Harry Pott er may be a litt le too complex to tell through dance, though – I don’t know where I would start! It’s got to be a story that’s simple enough to interpret in a diff erent way.

How did it feel being made a ‘Sir’ in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list?

I was thrilled! When I received the lett er, I spent the whole aft ernoon grinning to myself. I don’t expect people to start calling me Sir Matt hew, though! I’ve met the Queen a few ti mes before and have always been on my best behaviour, but she is very good at making you feel relaxed. The palace is one of the most welcoming, non-snooty places you can go to. You can actually get more atti tude at a top restaurant!

Were you very creati ve when you were growing up?

When I was about four or fi ve, I started putti ng on shows in our spare room, with a few friends from down my street. I remember my parents would take me to see Disney fi lms and I would recreate them from memory – with songs and everything – when I got home.

Why did you choose Tom Daley, David Walliams and Darcey Bussell as patrons of your charity?

I felt they were all good role models for young people. A lot of young people can identi fy with Tom, which is great. He actually trains in ballet to improve the symmetry of his diving. David loves our shows and he does actually dance a bit too!

Matt hew Bourne’s Swan Lake famously features male dancers instead of girls as the swans

quickfire! Tea or Coff ee?

Coff ee, but I do like both. Dogs or cats?

Dogs [Matt hew has a Russian toy terrier called Ferdinand].

The X Factor or The Voice?The Voice, defi nitely.the swans

How would you describe your version of Sleeping Beauty?

It’s kind of a love story across ti me. We’ve given it a sort of vampire twist, but it is sti ll a fairy tale. It starts in 1890, moves to 1911, and then forward to virtually the modern day. The dance changes throughout – from what you expect ballet to be like, right up to contemporary movement. It’s a very exciti ng journey.

We hear you’re a big Strictly fan?I am! I just love the fact that

dancing is on prime-ti me TV and is one of the top shows in Britain. It’s amazing watching the celebs discover the joy of dance. Some people in the dance world are snobby about Strictly, but I choose to promote it quite acti vely. I’ve even got into live tweeti ng when the show is on.

Tell us about your charity Re:Bourne…I wanted to do something a litt le bit diff erent to inspire young people to dance. My dance company embraces ballet, but also hip-hop, street dance and much more, and the charity has enabled us to work on amazing projects like Lord Of The Flies and hold workshops all over the country.

18. big interview

The show includes puppetry… It does! Aurora is the lead character, but she’s not really in the fi rst act because she is a baby, in a cot. I thought: “Let’s give her a personality,” so we created this fairly lifelike baby that crawls and climbs up things and cries. She’s a bit naughty actually; she’s a wild one!

Hello! Was it always your plan to turn audiences’ expectati ons of ballet on their head?

I wouldn’t say it was intenti onal, but as ballet is so full of traditi onal fairy tales and stories, I felt if I was going to take on some of these pieces, I needed to do something diff erent with them. Most ballet companies do ballets [such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty] in a traditi onal way, and that got me thinking about how I could do them diff erently, which is actually a really fun thing.

Diver Tom also learns ballet. Who knew?!

and hold workshops all diff erent way.

CHOREOGRAPHER and dance supremo Matt hew Bourne tells Jeremy Mark about his dazzling touring version of Sleeping Beauty, meeti ng the Queen and how he’s working with Tom Daley and David Walliams…

bourneto dance!


19. special report by Ben Pulsford FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

NOTREAL REAL

A fi lm sti ll of Hotel Transylvania

from the Hotel Transylvania fi lms

Forget werewolves and

vampire bats; these are the real creatures lurking in the

forests of Transylvania and other areas of Romania.

TRANSYLVANIA: the real story Here at First News we oft en say that books and fi lms have the power to transport

us to other worlds beyond our imaginati ons; worlds of mystery and wonder. For most of us, our limited knowledge of the region of Transylvania in central

Romania has come from books and fi lms; from the imagined, the dramati sed and the fantasised. In other words, most of us have a very fi cti onal view of what is actually a

very real (and beauti ful) corner of the world. The story of the vampire Dracula,

writt en by a man named Bram Stoker, put Transylvania on the map when it was fi rst published in 1897, over 100 years ago. As countless authors and fi lm directors have drawn inspirati on from the tale of Dracula and the land of Transylvania, some would argue that since then, the real Transylvania has lost its place on the map. So much so, that some people today would argue over whether or not Transylvania is even a real place (over one third of First News readers didn’t think it existed in a recent poll).

The truth is, Transylvania doesn’t just exist in books and fi lms; it’s a real region in central Romania made up of

several medieval towns, towering mountains, snowy landscapes (at least at this ti me of year) and historic castles, off ering spectacular nature-watching and several ski resorts (plus a Dracula tour or two).

Thanks to the Romanian Tourist Board and ROLANDIA, First News fl ew out to this beauti ful area of the world (via Tarom Airlines) recently to get a taste of the real Transylvania and to celebrate the DVD/Blu-ray release of Hotel Transylvania 2.

THE REAL HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA The Hotel Transylvania fi lms are just two examples of Hollywood drawing inspirati on

from the Transylvanian landscapes and buildings. A number of the beauti ful Gothic castles scatt ered across this area of the world inspired the look of Drac’s hotel, Hotel Transylvania, especially the famous Bran Castle near Brașov. Just look at the fang-tasti c (sorry) pictures at the top of this page side by side. One is the fi cti onal Hotel Transylvania, the other is the real castle that infl uenced it. What similariti es/diff erences can you see?

Bran Castle also goes by the name ‘Dracula’s castle’ as Dracula fans from all over the world fl ock to it, year aft er year, for a chill or two. In reality, it’s a place of rich history; not a vampire’s lair. Bran Castle, complete with secret passageways and spectacular views of the Romanian landscape, dates back to the early 14th century and has been loosely linked to the vampire from Bram Stoker’s novel. It’s believed that Vlad III of Wallachia, the historical fi gure from the 15th century who inspired the character of Dracula, was linked to the castle.

DID YOU KNOW?

BIKING, camping, caving, climbing, fi shing, hiking, nature walks, raft ing,

skiing and birdwatching are all popular acti viti es in Transylvania

So here’s what we learned from Transylvania – the tale of Dracula is the beati ng heart of the legend of the region, a legend that lots of people living there are proud of. But there’s much more to this

region than this one legend – and that’s all the truth out there just waiti ng to be discovered. You can learn more about Transylvania and other areas of Romania at www.romaniatourism.com.

the real transylvaniaTRANSYLVANIA: home of vampires, werewolves, eerie forests, spooky castles and even a hotel for monsters run by Dracula himself. Right? Not quite…

THE REAL ‘BEASTS’

vampire bats; these are

Forget Forget werewolves and

vampire bats; these are

THE RE EASTS’

OF TRANSYLVANIA

red squirrelelk

red deerlynx

wolfbearDid you know that half the

bear populati on of Europe is in

Romania?

With thanks to the Romanian Tourist Board (www.romaniatourism.com), ROLANDIA (www.rolandia.eu) and Tarom Airlines (fares start at £50, plus taxes, for a return fl ight from Heathrow and Luton – www.tarom.ro/en).

Hotel Transylvania 2 is out now on Blu-ray and DVD.

) and

A photo of Bran Castle (Dracula’s castle) in Transylvania

Bram Stoker’s character, Dracula, has been used in countless fi lms (in lots of diff erent ways) over the decades

Sighișoara, a city in historic Transylvania


20. family fun FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

FirstNews QuizHAVE a go at our First News Challenge! Why not set yourself and your friends or family a ti me challenge First News Challenge! Why not set yourself and your friends or family a ti me challenge First Newsand see who can get the highest score in the quickest ti me? Good luck! See how well you did by using the answers at the bott om.

1 What are the people of Norman Wells in Canada looking to recruit?

2 In 1997 scienti sts cloned a sheep. What was her name?

3 Which American TV show has been told to fi nd a new name in the UK, aft er a comedy club went to court to protect the name?

5 When did the very fi rst BRIT Awards take place?

6 Who are the patrons of the charity Re:Bourne? 7 What is so special about

Fernie the Labrador?

8 In which year was Sport Relief fi rst launched?

What is so special about

1) hairdresser 2) Dolly 3) Glee 4) La Marseillaise 5) October 1977 6) Tom Daley, David Walliams & Darcey Bussell 7) he Can read 8) 2002

4 What is the French nati onal anthem called?

Challenge! Why not set yourself and your friends or family a ti me challenge and see who can get the highest score in the quickest ti me? Good luck! See how well you did by using the

Which American TV show has been told to fi nd a new name in the UK, aft er a

4 What is the French nati onal anthem called?

WHAT CAN

YOU REMEMBER?


21. crazy but true FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

The wave runnerMEET The Wave Runner – otherwise known as Blue Peter’s Lindsey Russell!

The 25-year-old presenter is att empti ng to cross the North Channel in a three-metre infl atable ball. Why, you ask? Well, for this year’s Sport Relief, of course!

Lindsey will start at Donaghadee in Northern Ireland and head for the fi nish line at Portpatrick harbour in Scotland, but there’s more than 20 miles (32km) of open water between the two! The challenge will need a lot of energy because it could take up to 14 hours to complete, so Lindsey is currently training with Professor Greg Whyte.

Viewers can follow Lindsey’s progress from 26 February every Thursday on Blue Peter, with the Wave Runner challenge airing on 17 March.

Unusual rescueSEAWORLD California were called out to a rescue mission like no other recently…

Diners at a restaurant in La Jolla, San Diego got rather a shock when they spott ed a sea lion seated in a booth!

No-one knows how the eight-month-old pup got there, but the sleepy cuti e was very hungry and thirsty.

Staff rang SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue Centre, who took her back with them and are now trying to get her back to good health. It’s hoped that she will one day be able to return to the wild.

Written and illustrated by Paul Palmer

Share your jokes with us at newsdesk@fi rstnews.co.uk

quick chuckles

HA!HA!

record of the weekMost hot dogs eaten in three minutes

The most hot dogs eaten in three minutes was six, achieved by Takeru Kobayashi (Japan) for Bikkuri Chojin 100 Special #2 (Fuji TV) at Kashiwanohakoen Sogokyogijo, Kashiwa, on 25 August 2009.

For info on this record and hundreds more, go to guinnessworldrecords.com

Q: What did 0 say to 8?A: Nice belt!

Q: Where do pencils go on holiday?A: Pencil-vania!

IMAGINE the nib of a pencil. It’s prett y small, right? Now imagine creati ng a miniature Darth Vader out of one of them!

That’s exactly what arti st Salavat Fidai has done – in fact, he’s created three! His project, Carved Pencils, sees him create a range of amazing items enti rely from pencils. There are these Star Wars pieces, New York landmarks, guitars, monkeys and the Simpsons, to name just a few.

Salavat told First News: “The concept for my painti ngs or sculptures starts to take form while I’m asleep. The next day, I look for photos and video material, and then I make sketches or layouts.”

Darth Vader is probably our favourite, but we also had to share this amazing banana creati on… how cool is this?!

Starry art Cool!

it’s minion madness!

BBC


22. puzzle time FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

Crossword1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8

9 10 11

12 13 14

15

16 17 18

19

Across1 - The absence of light (8)

6 - A continent (4)

7 - A state of mental strain or tension (6)

9 - A female relation (5)

11 - Ice and snow sculptures were recently displayed inthis country whose capital is Tokyo (5)

12 - ___ Imogen: this weather system recently hit partsof England and Wales (5)

13 - A strong mixture of iron and carbon (5)

16 - Liquid that keeps your mouth moist (6)

18 - A slowly cooked dish of meat and vegetables (4)

19 - Large extinct animal such as tyrannosaurus rex (8)

Down1 - The identification of an illness (9)

2 - Lift or move to a higher position (5)

3 - A point of the compass (4)

4 - A type of household helper (7)

5 - Public transport vehicle: one was blown up in London recentlyas part of a film shoot (3)

8 - A large plant with yellow petals (9)

10 - Ride car (anag) (7)

14 - More than usual (5)

15 - ___ Malik: singer whose first solo single has topped thecharts (4)

17 - Measure of how old you are (3)

3 48 2 1 7

4 1 7 2 6 83 7 8 5 9

9 72 4 3 8 1

3 9 1 8 7 54 5 9 8

8 2

JUST for fun this week. can you complete our crossword? win!

Batman V Superman figures

Solve the riddles

puzzle time

Batman V Superman

CAN you solve these riddles?

What has hands but doesn’t clap?

.............................................................................................

What word looks the same when it’s both backwards and upside down?.............................................................................................

What never asks questi ons but is oft en answered?

.............................................................................................

CAN you complete the usual grid and fi ll in the numbers one to nine? Send in your answers and three lucky winners will each win a Batman v Superman Scenery Pack. The day will come when the two greatest heroes of the DC Universe face off against each other: Superman versus Batman. No-one can predict how this fi ght will turn out… See www.schleich-s.com/en.

Across1 The absence of light (8)6 A conti nent (4)7 A state of mental strain or tension (6)9 A female relati on (5)11 Ice and snow sculptures were recently displayed in this country whose capital is Tokyo (5)12 ___ Imogen: this weather system recently hit parts of England and Wales (5)13 A strong mixture of iron and carbon (5)16 Liquid that keeps your mouth moist (6)18 A slowly cooked dish of meat and vegetables (4)

19 Large exti nct animal such as Tyrannosaurus rex (8)

Down1 The identi fi cati on of an illness (9)2 Lift or move to a higher positi on (5)3 A point of the compass (4)4 A type of household helper (7)5 Public transport vehicle: one was blown up in London recently as part of a fi lm shoot (3)8 A large plant with yellow petals (9)10 Ride car (anag) (7)14 More than usual (5)15 ___ Malik: singer whose fi rst solo single has topped the charts (4)17 Measure of how old you are (3)

what on earth?ALL of these can be found in the sky. Can you guess what they are?

what on

A

c

e

b

d

f


23. puzzle time HOW TOENTER:

Send your fi nished puzzles to Puzzles 505, First News, First fl oor, 58 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0AS. The closing date for puzzle entries is Thursday 25 February 2016.

CrosswordCrossword

COMPETITIONS: You can enter First News competi ti ons in one of two ways. 1. Go to fi rstnews.co.uk/competi ti ons and follow the instructi ons. 2. Write to us at ‘competi ti on name’ (e.g. Holiday), First News, First fl oor, 58 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0AS. Please note: First News will not share your personal details with third parti es. First News will only use your details to contact the competi ti on winners. First News competi ti ons are open to those aged 16-and-under residents of the UK & Republic of Ireland, except employees of First News, First News (UK) Ltd, Trinity Mirror and any associated companies and their families. Winners will be the fi rst correct entries drawn aft er 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 noti fi ed accordingly and their names and addresses will be available on request. No cash alternati ve for any prizes will be off ered. The winner may be required to partake in media acti vity relati ng to the competi ti on.

SEE if you can get from the top of the ladder to the bott om by changing one lett er at a ti me to make a new word.

word ladder

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: Spot the Diff erence: extra raspberry has been added, lett er A on top has been added, writi ng on bott le missing, plate in background is missing, cup has been removed. Word Ladder: bulk, bull, bell, fell, feel, feed. Solve the Riddle: name, footprints, candle.

D E C E M B E RA A R I

T I G E R A D D E DR L N Z G RO P E N C I N E M AU K L IB A R B I E J O H NL O T I N EE X A C T T H I R D

D E C OS U N S H I N E 6 3 5 9 7 8 1 2 4

8 4 7 6 1 2 5 9 31 9 2 4 3 5 8 6 72 1 9 5 8 3 4 7 63 6 8 7 4 9 2 1 55 7 4 2 6 1 9 3 87 8 3 1 2 4 6 5 94 5 1 3 9 6 7 8 29 2 6 8 5 7 3 4 1

PUSH

BIKE

CAN you spot the fi ve changes we’ve made to this picture from LEGO FRIENDS: GIRLZ 4 LIFE? Send in your answers and fi ve lucky winners will each win a copy of LEGO FRIENDS: GIRLZ 4 LIFE on DVD. Watch as Olivia, Stephanie, Emma, Mia and Andrea’s friendships are tested when mega popstar Livi arrives in Heartlake City. LEGO FRIENDS: GIRLZ 4 LIFE is out now on DVD.

HERE’S TOKEN 4 FOR YOUR FREE POSTCARDS

Don’t forget, you need to collect three of the coupons in the newspaper and one that can be found at www.fi rstnews.co.uk, which will need to be printed out.

Once you have collected the tokens, send them all with the completed form, found in issue 502, to:

HARRY POTTER COUPONS, First News, 58 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0ASOriginals only, photocopies will not be accepted. Subject to availability.

win!

TOKEN 4

wordsearchCAN you fi nd the words below in our sports wordsearch? Remember that the words can be horizontal, verti cal or diagonal.

Tennis

Rugby

Football

Swimming

Badminton

Cricket

Hockey

Surfi ng

Cycling

Karate

Netball

Water polo

Solve the riddles

LEGO Friends DVDs

© 2016 W

arner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

ba


24. focus on yoU FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

Wanting a petHAVE you ever thought about what life would be like with an animal in your house? Maybe a dog? Cat? Hamster? Rabbit? Elephant? Okay, maybe not an elephant, but the possibiliti es for the kinds of pets you can have are endless.

While pets bring a lot of joy to families, it’s important to remember they need a lot of looking aft er, too. There’s the feeding, cleaning out, walking and washing. You also have to make sure you feed your animals the right nutriti ous food and keep them entertained and happy. There are more responsibiliti es with some pets than others – for example, dogs need a lot of att enti on – so it is important to be aware of all of these things before you get a pet to ensure that you do have the ti me and money to look aft er them.

Another important thing to remember is that even though animals are not human, they do have feelings and needs. Pets are not able to meet their needs by themselves; they can’t supply their own food or clean their own cage. So it is your responsibility to take care of these.

If you want a pet that doesn’t need a cage, you have to make sure that there is enough room in your house and possibly a garden so they can run around and do their business.

If you do decide to get a pet, we hope that you have many happy ti mes together!

If you have any further concerns and want to speak to someone about this, you can always ring ChildLine.

This piece was writt en by NSPCC ambassador, Nikita.

I’m Esther Rantzen, President of ChildLine, which helps 2,500 children every week. If you ever need to talk, you can visit www.childline.org.uk or call them on 0800 11 11.

FIRST News reader Raees Patel has been raising money for our Cambodia 500 campaign. He’s writt en us a report to tell us how and why he wanted to get involved.

Firstly, I read the arti cle about Cambodia 500 in the newspaper. I felt sad because children in Cambodia don’t have luxury things like I do, and my mum and dad always tell me it’s important to give to charity.

I wrote a lett er to my school to see if they could help me raise some money, but unfortunately it was a bit too tricky as they already support lots of other chariti es.

So I asked my mum and dad about other ways to collect the money. I then decided to ask my family and friends to help with my collecti on.

I made a poster about Cambodia 500 and wrote a lett er to my dad’s work colleagues telling them what I was doing. I asked if they would buy some cakes to help me raise the money.

I then wrote a lett er to thank them for all the money they gave me. I told my mum to ask people at her work, but mum didn’t do what dad did because she is not allowed to have food in the area where she works. So, my mum showed people the First News website and explained what I was doing.

At jujitsu I asked my sensei if I could make an announcement telling my class about my campaigning.

The best part was when I counted the money and realised I had collected over £180! That was more than was needed to sponsor a child in Cambodia, so I’ve decided to sponsor two!

I would like to thank everyone for helping me raise so much money and I hope the children in Cambodia will have a bett er life!

Cambodia 500

The First News Team Editor In Chief: Nicky Cox MBE Managing Editor: Keilly Swift Entertainment Editor: Serena Lacey Acti ng Entertainment Editor: Jeremy Mark Sport/Science Editor: Ian Eddy News Reporter / Sub Editor: Ben Pulsford Reporter/ Producti on Co-ordinator: Hannah Greenfi eld Freelance Writer: Eddie de Oliveira Competi ti ons & Promoti ons Manager: Kirsty Macdonald Creati ve Director: Richard Robson Designer: Courtney Vizard Freelance Designer: Dan Jordan Marketi ng Executi ve: Sophie Austi n Marketi ng Executi ve: Meg Stephenson Editorial Assistant: Jenna Lomax Digital Manager: Simon Ward Financial Controller: Nii Hammond Finance Manager: Kelane Henderson Finance Assistant: Matt hew Hutt on Educati on Consultant: Nicolett e Smallshaw Adverti sing Manager: Samuel Eads Adverti sing Executi ves: Nina Chaudhry, Ella Roberts CRM Manager: Matt Nash Circulati on and Producti on Manager: Rachel Evenden Head of Subscripti ons: Natasha Litt leton Head of Development for schools: Sarah Atkinson Head of Strategy: Marie Oldham Joint Publishers: Emma Robson, Kelly Matcham Managing Director: Charlott e le Butt Chief Executi ve: Amanda Hills Founders: Nicky Cox MBE, Sarah and Steve Thomson Email: fi rstname.surname@fi rstnews.co.uk Tel: (020) 3195 2000 Subscripti ons: (01795) 592 946 Web: www.fi rstnews.co.ukAll material in this newspaper is © 2016 First News and Newsbridge Limited and cannot be used without writt en permission. First News is published by First News (UK) Ltd, First Floor 58 Southwark Bridge Road London, SE1 0AS. Printed by Trinity Mirror Printi ng, St Albans Road, Watf ord, Hertf ordshire, WD24 7RG. Distributed by Seymour Distributi on Ltd, 2 East Poultry Ave, London, EC1A 9PT, Tel: (020) 7429 4000.

What is our Cambodia 500 campaign?First News is trying to help 500 of the world’s poorest children. We’re appealing

for 500 schools or families to sponsor a child to get them food, healthcare and a place in school.

If you’d like to get involved or fi nd out more, visitfi rstnews.co.uk/go/cambodia-500.


25. book corner FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

Wilfred The Unwise by Cas Lester

Wilfred is a very bad wizard’s apprenti ce. As in very bad! One day, while sneakily using his master’s spell book, he accidentally teleports himself 1,000 years into the future, where he meets Bel, a young street magician. Together they have to try and get back to the past. This is a great book fi lled with hilarity, fun and a whole load of magic!

Review by Noah Robson, age 11

To read Sue’s full interview, visit www.wordsforlife.org.uk/author-interviews. For book recommendati ons, acti viti es and games, go to wordsforlife.org.uk.

Wordsfor life

Review of the week

SUE Hendra writes and illustrates with Paul Linnet. Their book Supertato: Hap-pea Ever Aft er is one of this year’s World Book Day £1 books. Here she tells us what the best thing about reading is:

QWIRKLE Argos £17.99While Qwirkle seems as simple as matching colours

and shapes, it also requires a tacti cal, well-planned strategy. The game includes 108 wooden ti les with six shapes in six colours. Using the ti les, you score points by building lines that share either colour or shape.

KANOODLE EXTREME Tesco Direct £13.64This great brain-teaser includes two brain-

twisti ng games in one. Using combinati ons of coloured beads, you have to construct designs in two ways: tricky 2D puzzles and twisted 3D

pyramids. Pick a design from the puzzle book, place some of the puzzle pieces into positi on, then fi ll the empty spaces with the remaining pieces. Hundreds of possible combinati ons, but only one completes the puzzle!

QUADRILLION happypuzzle.co.uk £18.99

Quadrillion off ers countless challenges and thousands of soluti ons, but can you fi nd even one? Play Quadrillion by simply clicking the four magneti c grids together in any order to create your personal game board. The object of the game is to fi t the 12 puzzle pieces on the game board you’ve just created.

What’s in the shops?

“Reading takes me to worlds that are not my own. You can live diff erent lives within your own when you escape into a book.”


26. your news FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

Coding 4 KidsA FEW weeks ago, I took part in a fun event at Norwich City Football Club’s stadium that taught 50 children between the ages of 11 and 14 how much you can do with code.

Coding 4 Kids was organised by the creators of mobile game Best Fiends and Finnish programmers Mehackit. It was an eye-opening experience because I’ve always known I wanted a job in computer science but wasn’t exactly sure what was out there.

A team fl ew in from the US and Finland and taught us to write a piece of music with code, which we then played to the other

parti cipati ng schools. If we wanted, the team even uploaded the songs to SoundCloud! Some Norwich City players then came in to meet us and hear the results.

The experience has left me intrigued to learn more and with an idea of what my future may look like – hopefully it’ll involve some form of programming! Millie

WE WANT TOHEAR WHATYOU/YOURSCHOOL IS UP TOARE you doing something sponsored for charity? Starti ng your own school newspaper? Putti ng on a show? Are you off on an amazing holiday or did you have a great day out? Why not share your experiences with First News readers?

Email your report (including pictures) toyournews@fi rstnews.co.uk

Don’t forget to include your name and age (and your school’s name and address for school news reports). By writing in, you give consent to First News printing details and photographs of those involved in the report.

Theatre workshop

From seeing them in acti on, it’s clear to see why they had won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2015 for their The Play That Goes Wrong.

The workshop was led by playwright and actor Jonathan Sayer, and actors Laurence Pears and Ellie Morris. They ran two improvisati on workshops on the wards, working with us on the core

skills of improvised comedy through games and storylines, teaching us new skills and making us laugh.

I really enjoyed the acti vity – it helped me forget where I was for a bit and allowed me to have fun. It gets so boring in hospital. I wish they would do things like this at the hospital more oft en.

by Jasmine Dhaliwal

SUBSCRIBE FOR SCHOOLTerm-ti me only subscripti ons from £60 per year(P&P included).

Call: 01795 592946Quote: SSA13firstnews.co.uk/forschools

TOP PEOPLEAWARDS

by the Mini Festi val Makers

by Millie Fisher DO you have the best teacher ever? Or is your mum, dad or carer just the best? Or perhaps you have a good friend who deserves an award?

Send your nominati ons to newsdesk@fi rstnews.co.uk putti ng Top Person in the subject box. The best nominati ons will get a special First News certi fi cate, which we’ll send you to give them (for Top Teachers, your headteacher could give out the certi fi cate in assembly).

Here the Mini Festi val Makers who help to plan the Imagine festi val tell First News how they’re getti ng on with the planning.

Nathan said: “We have been writi ng descripti ons of the events that we think our baby sister, brothers and parents will like.”

Peter said: “Our job is to try to persuade and communicate with people to try and get as many people to Imagine Festi val. I want to make sure everyone has an amazing ti me. For this project we also had to pick our favourite events happening in Imagine and say who it would be suitable for and why.”

Sami said: “There are lots of events like the Yummy Competi ti on where you get to make disgusti ng-looking cakes but they taste nice! My favourite event in Imagine Festi val is the sing-a-long Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory.”

Sabrina says: “I have really enjoyed being a Mini Festi val Maker and being in the communicati on team. Hope you come to the Imagine festi val!”

The Imagine Children’s Festi val is on unti l 21 February.

A GREY February morning at University College Hospital in London was brightened with a visit organised by children’s hospital entertainment charity Spread A Smile, with four talented comedy actors from the appropriately-named Mischief Theatre Company.

CHILDREN run the show at London’s Southbank Centre as it’s taken over for the Imagine Children’s Festi val. Transformed by children for children, the festi val features acti viti es from dance and theatre to books and art.

Mini Festi val Makers

SCHOOLNEWSImagine Children’s

Festival

Jasmine

juniorjournalist

SCHOOLNEWS


visit www.firstnews.co.uk/kiosk

Relive his life, 400 years on with In Focus: Shakespeare

27. In focus

Relive his life, 400 years on with In Focus: Shakespeare. Beauti fully presented with photographs, stories, ti melines and fascinati ng facts, this glossy collector’s editi on takes you on an incredible journey of discovery.

In Focus: Shakespeare explores what we know about Shakespeare (his birth, death, marriage and creati ve writi ng) while putti ng his life into context by looking at Tudor society and big news stories that broke throughout his lifeti me – from the plague to the Gunpowder Plot and everything in between.

grab your copy today!

FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

shakespeare week 2016 is REMEMBERING 400 YEARS OF SHAKESPEARE

shakespeare week 14 - 20 March

PLAY SPORT I LIVE SPORT I LOVE SPORT I #SHARESPORT@SportsShowUK /sportshowuk @SportsShowUK

BUY TICKETS Now visit sports-show.co.uk for more information

To enter this free prize draw, email your answer, full name and contact telephone number using the subject line ‘First News’ to [email protected] closes 5pm on Tuesday 15 March 2016. A winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries and will be notified by Friday 18 March 2016. Good luck!

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To enter this free prize draw, email your answer, full name and contact telephone number To enter this free prize draw, email your answer, full name and contact telephone number

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25-26 JUNE 2016NEC Birmingham

Q: What year was the last London Olympic Games held?

A: 2011 B: 2012 C: 2013

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IT’S COMPETITION TIMEIT’S COMPETITION TIMEIT’S COMPETITION TIMEIT’S COMPETITION TIMEIT’S COMPETITION TIMEIT’S COMPETITION TIMEIT’S COMPETITION TIMEIT’S COMPETITION TIME

Jonnie Peacock London 2012 Paralympic,

World & European Champion T44 100m

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28. sport FirstNews Issue 505 19 – 25 February 2016

2 is the number of times that Mark Cavendish has won the Tour of Qatar. The British cyclist won the � ve-stage race at the weekend (below), but dedicated his win to his team-mate Edvald Boasson Hagen, who was in the lead until he got two punctures.

2 countries are leading the way in the men’s and women’s Six Nations: France and England. Their men and women are the only teams to have maximum points after the � rst two weekends of the annual tournaments.

64 points were scored by Wasps as they thrashed Saracens 64-23 (below). It’s the most points that Saracens have ever conceded at home, and the most that Wasps have ever scored away from home in the Premiership.

sport innumbers

Madi Rowlands shows off her historic gold medal

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MADI Rowlands will go down in history as the fi rst Briti sh athlete to win a Youth Olympic medal on snow, aft er winning gold at the weekend.

The 15-year-old won the ski halfpipe event at the Winter Youth Olympic Games, which are being held in Norway.

“I was so stoked with that fi rst run,” said Rowlands. “To land it like I did meant I was able to relax more and not be so nervous in the second and third. I couldn’t be happier; it’s just so overwhelming.”

There was also good news for Britain’s adult winter sports stars. At the FIS World Cup Big Air in Canada, Kati e Ormerod won silver for her fi rst World Cup podium place. Then on the World Snowboard Tour, Aimee Fuller fi nished in second place at the Ale Invite Big Air competi ti on in Sweden.

DID YOU KNOW?

THIS is only the second ever Winter Youth Olympic Games.

The fi rst competi ti on was in Austria in 2012.

Picture of the week

DID YOU KNOW?

ARSENAL’S Mesut Özil has 17 assists in the Premier League

with 12 games to go. Only three players have had more in a

Premier League season: Frank Lampard and Cesc Fàbregas (18),

and Thierry Henry (20).

NBA

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etty

Orlando Magic star Aaron Gordon shows some outrageous fl air at the

NBA Slam Dunk Contest, with the help of Orlando’s mascot, Stuff the

magic dragon. Check out the amazing video using the Blippar app

Madi makes her mark


s d more than two million readers...the only weekly newspaper for young people issue 505 £1.50 19...

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