News

News Politics

A Plan To Help Eurozone Countries In Debt

by

Europe’s central bank thinks it has a good plan to help countries like Greece, Spain and Italy. Those countries are struggling because they took on too much debt.

The idea is that the European Central Bank will agree to buy some of the debt.

In return, the troubled countries must agree to spend less money and to put their finances in order.

When countries lend money to other countries, they receive small payments called interest.

When a country borrows too much money, some of the people who lent the money begin to worry that they won’t get their money back. So they demand higher and higher interest payments.

This puts pressure on countries that are already having trouble paying back all the money they borrowed.

It pushes their debt even higher.

Continue Reading →
Health News

McDonald’s Posting Calorie Counts In U.S. Restaurants

by

A typical, active kid should probably eat about 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day to stay healthy. (The exact number depends on a person’s gender, age and daily exercise level.)

But let’s say, 1,900.

Now let’s say that kid decides to buy her lunch at McDonald’s; maybe have a Big Mac and large fries.

Starting this week in the U.S., McDonald’s restaurants will show the calorie counts of each of their menu items—right up on the big menu board at the front of the restaurant.

Continue Reading →
News Technology

Apple Launches Eagerly-Anticipated New iPhone

by

Apple launched its new cell phone last week—the iPhone5.

Although the iPhone5 has some new features, it’s essentially the same phone with a longer screen (see the picture that accompanies this article).

The new phone is thinner, lighter and faster than its predecessors.

It’s less than 8 mm thick.

The screen is now a bit longer, at 4” (measured diagonally), or 10.2 cms. The iPhone4 screen is 3.5” (8.9 cms).

The new iPhone is also faster than the other iPhones.

Continue Reading →
News Politics

Many Ontario Teachers Withdraw From After-School Sports, Clubs

by

The kids at many elementary and high schools in Ontario may not be participating in after-school sports or clubs for awhile.

That’s because the teachers who run the programs have been asked by their union to consider stop running them and to stop coaching.

Teachers in Ontario are part of a “labour union.” A union is a group of workers who band together for a common goal.

Continue Reading →
Breaking News News Politics

U.S. Embassy In Libya Attacked

by

An “ambassador” is a person who represents one country—in another one.

For instance, Canada has ambassadors in many countries around the world. They are high ranking diplomats who represent their country. They typically work from offices called embassies.

The U.S. has many ambassadors stationed around the world, representing the United States.

The U.S. has an embassy in Libya, in Northern Africa.

Libya has been in the news this year because it was part of the Arab Spring, in which some countries’ people protested against corrupt governments.

On Wednesday, the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three embassy staff were killed.

Facts are still emerging about the incident—about why it happened and what the U.S. reaction to it will be.

Continue Reading →
News

Earthquake Damage In Costa Rica Less Than Feared

by

Thank goodness for Costa Rica’s strict building codes.

They ensure that its buildings are extremely sturdy and well built. That helps account for the relatively small amount of damage the Central American country suffered after a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake last Wednesday.

The earthquake took place about 140 kms west of the country’s capital, San Jose.

In 1991, another 7.6-magnitude earthquake shook the country but it caused a lot of damage. This time, Costa Rica was saved by its new and updated building standards.

Continue Reading →
Health Kids News

Gloomy Underpass Transformed Into Awesome Kids’ Park

by

An “underpass” is a road or a tunnel that goes beneath another road. Toronto has some dark and gloomy underpasses.

Dark and gloomy, that is, until this summer.

That’s when an organization called Waterfront Toronto built something incredible.

Where there used to be garbage and weeds, there is now a fun playground with a safe, rubbery floor, a skateboard and scooter park and a basketball court.

There are also swings, climbers, a teeter-totter and benches for people to relax on.

Underpass Park covers 2.5 acres underneath three on- and off-ramps that lead to the DVP in East Toronto.

Before the park was built, Toronto’s Mayor Rob Ford said he wasn’t sure the space could be transformed.

But when he came to open the park on Aug. 2, he loved it.

Continue Reading →
News Politics

PQ Forms New Government In Quebec

by

There has been a significant change in government in the province of Quebec.

On Sept. 4, the PQ party won the provincial election.

They will take over from the Liberals, who have been in power there for nine years.

The PQ leader is Pauline Marois. She will become Quebec’s first female premier.

The PQ or Parti Quebecois advocates “sovereignty” for Quebec. That means they believe Quebec should be a separate country from the rest of Canada because it is unique in terms of culture and language. Most people in Quebec speak French.

Continue Reading →
Environment News Science

Neil Armstrong, First Man On The Moon, Will Long Be Remembered

by

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has died. He was 82 years old.

Armstrong was an American astronaut and the commander of the Apollo 11 spacecraft on its mission to put men on the moon.

Apollo 11 was launched on July 16, 1969, and began orbiting the moon three days later. On July 20, Armstrong and his co-pilot, astronaut Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, took off from Apollo 11 in a small landing craft called Eagle. A third astronaut, Michael Collins, remained in the main ship, orbiting the moon until they returned.

Hundreds of millions of people around the world watched on TV as the Eagle landed on the moon. When Armstrong stepped out of the ship and onto the moon’s surface, he said, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”*

Armstrong and Aldrin explored the moon for more than two hours and collected about 50 pounds of moon rocks. They left behind a plaque which said: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

The Eagle remained on the moon for about 21 hours and then rejoined Apollo 11 for the return trip to Earth. Once the astronauts were back on Earth, they spent 16 days in quarantine to make sure they had not brought back any germs from space.

Continue Reading →
News Sports

Highlights From The 2012 Summer Olympics

by

Here’s a look at some of the highlights from the spectacular 2012 Summer Olympics.

• U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps now holds the most Olympic medals of any athlete in history. He has 22 Olympic medals, four more than the next highest Olympic medal holder (gymnast Larisa Latynina, from the Soviet Union, who has 18).

Not only that, but he has 18 gold medals—twice as many as any other Olympian.

Phelps won six medals in the 2012 Olympics.

• Four of the world’s top badminton women’s doubles teams were kicked out of the Olympics for throwing their matches.

The women deliberately tried to lose by serving wildly and hitting shots into the net or out of the court. Why?

If they had won their first matches, they would have had to play more difficult opponents. By losing their first matches, they would have been able to play easier, more beatable teams.

However, you’re not allowed to “throw” a match by losing on purpose so they were eliminated from the Olympics.

Continue Reading →
1 … 62 63 64 65 66 … 87