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Health News

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

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.

News Technology

Apple Launches Eagerly-Anticipated New iPhone

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.

News Politics

Many Ontario Teachers Withdraw From After-School Sports, Clubs

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.

Breaking News News Politics

U.S. Embassy In Libya Attacked

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.

Sports

Andy Murray’s Golden Year

Andy Murray is having a good year—a very good year.

All of his career, the 25-year-old tennis player has been plagued by the fact that he has never won a major tennis tournament.

On the weekend, he put that doubt to rest by winning the US Open.

The US Open is one of the big four, “Grand Slam” tennis tournaments.

The others are the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.

Britain has been waiting 76 years for a male player to win a Grand Slam singles event.

Murray had been waiting all his life.

Sports

Amazing Kids: Anything Is Possible

Some amazing kids have been been in the news recently. Here are two who have made big achievements in the sports world.

Lydia Ko recently won the Canadian Women’s Open golf tournament. It’s a tournament for female golfers–adult golfers. Ko, however, is just 15 years old.

Ko lives in Auckland, New Zealand (where she has lived since she moved from South Korea when she was six years old). Last month she travelled to British Columbia, where she faced professional golfers at the Canadian Women’s Open.

News

Earthquake Damage In Costa Rica Less Than Feared

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.

Health Kids News

Gloomy Underpass Transformed Into Awesome Kids’ Park

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.

News Politics

PQ Forms New Government In Quebec

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.

Environment News Science

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

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.