Our mission here at News Bites (a monthly children’s newspaper) is to Engage, Inform, and Inspire by bringing news, STEM, sport and entertainment to young people in a language they understand and in a manner they can easily relate to.
See this sign, listen online GATHERING INTERSTING NEWS THAT CONNECTS YOUNG READERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD Hi, everyone, and welcome to the November edition of News Bites! Having read in last month's issue about how super spiders really are, I hope that over the past few weeks you have looked with kindness and admiration on any eight-legged creature that crossed your path, This month, we're moving from spiders to soccer - as some people like to call it - as the FIFA World Cup gets underway. Now, before all you non-footie fans turn away, this month's feature is as much about the wacky, weird and wonderful side of football as it is about the World Cup tournament in Qatar. So, check it out and prepare to be amazed at just…
From buying food to heating our homes and driving our cars, the cost of living is rising hugely around the world. This year, everything is getting more expensive by the week. This is called inflation. The word inflation comes from inflate, which means 'to grow bigger'. For instance, we inflate balloons. In the case of money, inflation means the price of things is rising. These things can be goods like food or services like getting a haircut. Or 'utilities' (necessary useful things) like electricity, gas, water, telephones and fuel. When everyone suddenly wants the same thing, it becomes scarce and the price goes up because people will pay more to get it. In fact, inflation has been described as 'too much money chasing too few goods'. The main culprit The…
In January 2022, an underwater volcano erupted near the group of islands called Tonga, in the South Pacific Ocean. It caused dangerous tsunami waves, and the air filled with ash. Several people died in that disaster and thousands of residents from a wide area had to evacuate. Since that time, many people have returned to rebuild their lives. Tonga still has some active volcanoes. On September 10, the Home Reef underwater volcano erupted. It continues to erupt, but luckily poses no danger to people who live nearby. Surprisingly, these eruptions have formed a new island! And the ’baby' island continues to grow - satellite pictures show this collection of ash, pumice stone and steam measured about 24,000 square metres by the beginning of October. This new round island isn't sturdy,…
When a person is as famous as the tennis player Novak Djokovic is, all kinds of interesting things can happen. Scientists in western Serbia recently discovered a new species of beetle. Who should they name this cave predator after? Serbia's successful tennis star, of course! Why? Well, it seemed like a good fit because the beetle, like its namesake, is also fast, flexible, strong and resilient. The beetle is able to survive in challenging environments. The insect's full name is Duvalius Dokovici because it belongs to the genus Duvalius. In early October, Djokovic won the Tel Aviv Open. This was his third title win this season. In his career he has already earned 21 Grand Slam trophies, winning his 7th Wimbledon this past July. The scientists who chose the name…
Archaeologists in the country of Georgia (between Europe and Asia) recently found a very old human tooth. Actually, the word 'old' may not be quite strong enough here. This tooth - from an early human species - is believed to be 1.8 million years old! A research student working with a team from the Georgian National Museum found the tooth near the city of Orozmani. Other discoveries at this site include stone tools and fossils from animals like sabre-toothed cats. About 20 years ago, human skulls of approximately the same age as the human tooth were also found at nearby Dmanisi. These are exciting finds! They help scientists understand the evolution and migration of early humans from Africa to Europe. The oldest human fossils found so far date back at…
Easter Island sits about 3,500 km off the coast of Chile, in South America. This island is famous for its almost 1,000 statues carved in stone. Most stand about 4 m tall, although some are even larger. Their expressive, oversized heads make the figures very memorable. A Polynesian tribe carved the statutes over 500 years go. They represent important ancestors and were believed to hold their spirits. The statues face the middle of the island, forming a ring around it. In the beginning of October, someone purposely started a fire on Easter Island. The fire damaged some of the famous statues before crews were able to put out the flames. Specialists say the charring on some figures cannot be fixed. After being closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, this tourist spot…
