Search Results for "italy"

Environment News Science

Europe In The Grip Of A Cold Snap

by

Some countries in Europe are experiencing a bitterly cold winter.

Ukraine, in eastern Europe, has been especially hard hit. More than 100 people have died there in the last week, as temperatures dropped as low as -30C. Many of the people who froze to death were homeless people living in the city’s capital, Kiev.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, there have been avalanches and strong winds. The country declared a state of emergency.

One woman in Croatia had to have neighbours help her give birth to her baby after the ambulance could not reach her because of a blizzard. She later named her baby Snjezana, which is Snow White in Croatian.

Continue Reading →
News

New Facts Emerging About Italian Cruise Ship Disaster

by

Since the Italian cruise ship sank off the coast of Tuscany on Jan. 13, many new facts have come out.

As you may recall from TKN’s article about the disaster, the captain of the 13-deck Costa Concordia cruise ship steered the boat too close to an island. Rocks tore a hole in the hull and the ship sank.

There were more than 4,200 people on board; some said that while they were scrambling to leave the ship, they saw the captain already in a lifeboat.

Since TKN reported on the story on Jan. 15 there have been many accusations against the captain, Francesco Schettino, who is currently under house arrest.*

He is accused of manslaughter (unintentional murder), causing a shipwreck and leave the ship when there are passengers and crew still on board.

Continue Reading →
News Politics

The Euro’s Tenth Birthday Not A Happy One

by

This year, the “euro” celebrates its tenth anniversary.

The euro is a unit of money (or “currency”) that is used by 17 countries in Europe.

It wasn’t always that way.

Before the euro, every country had its own currency.

For instance, France had the franc, Italy had the lira, Germany had the Deutschmark and so on.

The euro was created in 2002 when a group of European politicians and financial leaders decided it would be helpful if they had the same type of money.

The idea of the euro was to make it easier for countries to buy and sell more easily between themselves, because they would all be using the same currency.

Continue Reading →
News

The Small Horse With The Heart Of Gold

by

Hickstead, the stallion, was not Eric Lamaze’s pet.

In fact, Lamaze wasn’t even Hickstead’s owner. But he was Lamaze’s work partner and best friend.

So after a race last week in Italy, when Hickstead began to fall over with Lamaze on his back, the horse turned to make sure his rider was clear before he fell all the way down. He didn’t want to hurt his best friend.

The gold medal-winning Hickstead died instantly of heart failure, without pain.

Hickstead and Lamaze were a good match. Both came from troubled backgrounds. Horse experts said Hickstead was too small for international competition and had a temper that no one could tame. Many said he would never be a winner.

Continue Reading →
News Politics

What’s Happening In Europe?

by

A number of countries in Europe are having problems with their finances and their leaders.

This year, four prime ministers in Europe have quit their jobs or been forced out of office.

That’s because their countries have spent more money than they make and now they can’t pay their debts.

Some of the countries are making deals with other countries in Europe and the International Monetary Fund for a “bailout.”

A bailout is a loan to a country to keep it from going bankrupt.

The richer countries agree to put in more money to save the poorer countries.

Continue Reading →
Science Technology

Faster Than The Speed Of Light

by

How fast does light travel? Scientists have known for a long time that light always travels at the same speed: 299,792,458 metres per second.

The speed of light is the fastest speed that all energy, matter and information in the universe can travel.

The speed of light is very important in science. Because it is always the same – it is a known constant – it defines many things, including the length of a metre.

Using the speed of light scientists calculate many things. The speed of light is part of Einstein’s famous theory of relativity, E=mc2.

That is why there was such a shock within the scientific community this week when it was announced that a group of scientists has been recording some particles going faster than the speed of light.

Continue Reading →
Arts

Mona Lisa’s Burial Site Discovered

by

Arguably, the most famous painting in the world is Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. There is a lot that is mysterious about the painting, from her hint of a smile (what was she thinking about?) to the relationship between Mona Lisa and DaVinci (were they ever dating?) to her real name (is it Lisa Gherardini or Lisa Giocondo?).

One of the unsolved mysteries has always been where she was buried. Well, experts now think they know.

An art expert in Italy, Giuseppe Pallanti, poured over thousands of ancient documents. He said they showed that Mona Lisa was buried in the Convent of St. Orsula in Florence, Italy.

Continue Reading →
1 2 3 4