Tag: grade 8

News Politics

The World Gets A New Country

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The most recent country to be formed in the world is called the Republic of South Sudan. It was formed on July 9, 2011.

Before July, South Sudan was part of Sudan, a country in the north-east of Africa. (Sudan itself used to be part of Egypt, but became independent in 1956.)

South Sudan was formed following two civil wars, one in the 1970s and—following an 11-year ceasefire—another which began in the 80s. The southern part of Sudan demanded independence.

When the new country’s independence was declared, its citizens took to the streets of Juba, the capital, to celebrate.

Salva Kiir Mayardit (pictured here) is the president of the new country, which has 10 states.

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Health Politics

We Are Turning Seven Billion Strong

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The population of the world is about to hit a new milestone.

As of Oct. 31, demographers say there will be seven billion people living on earth.

Back in 1804, we hit the one-billion mark. It took another 123 years to reach two billion.

By 2083, the population rate could be much faster or slower, depending a few factors including average life expectancy.

It is the poor who are always hit hardest by population increases, researcher John Bongaarts told The Globe and Mail newspaper.

There are more people drawing on the earth’s resources—food and energy, for instance.

More than 900 million people in the world don’t get adequate nourishment.

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Sports

Baseball’s Pujols Hits Three Homers In World Series Game

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Many people enjoy the Fall because of the beautiful colours of the leaves, but to baseball fans, the Fall is especially wonderful because it also means the beginning of the World Series.

This year, the two teams competing in the World Series are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers.

And while both teams are capable of winning the championship–the series is tied at 2-2–the Cardinals have shown they can score a ton of runs, thanks in large part to the play of their first baseman, Albert Pujols.

On Saturday, Pujols played one of the finest games of baseball ever played in the World Series.

Not only did he hit three home runs, he also collected six RBI (Runs Batted In), and hit two singles.

Pujols’ terrific day at the plate put him among baseball’s elite.

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Breaking News Politics

Former Libyan Dictator Moammar Gadhafi Is Dead

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The former leader of Libya is dead.

Moammar Gadhafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, had been forced to step down from office when Libyans took to the streets in protest of his brutal dictatorship.

For months, he and his followers fought off the rebels. He maintained to the end that he was still Libya’s ruler.

Then, he disappeared. No one could find him.

All that ended Thursday, when rebel forces shot him to death in his hometown, Sirte.

Gadhafi’s reign over Libya was at times colourful and brutal.

He often acted like an arrogant celebrity, having meetings with dignitaries in an enormous white tent which he set up wherever he went including large cities like Paris and New York.

He had female bodyguards who wore camouflage and high-heels and carried machine guns.

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Animals News

Cougars Spotted On Vancouver Island, BC

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Cougars are becoming a problem on Vancouver Island, BC.

Last September, four cougars were spotted prowling through Victoria (the capital of BC), on Vancouver Island.

Vancouver Island has a growing population of deer who look for food in city gardens and the cougars are following them into the city.

Cougars rarely attack humans, but in the cases where it has happened it is usually because the cougar is hurt or startled.

Dieter Gerhard is a long-time resident of Victoria. “We have a very fat cougar living on the property next door to us,” he said. The cougar is attracted to the deer who come to graze nearby.

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Breaking News Politics

Protesters Have The World’s Attention (Editorial)

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There is a park in downtown Toronto called St. James Park.

This week it is filled with “campers.”

Colourful, domed vinyl tents crowd next to each other in the mud.

The campers are cold because there is no heat at night, there is no electricity, and winter is coming. But they persist.

Why are they there? They are camping in St. James Park in Toronto for the same reason they are camping in Zuccotti Park in New York, or outside St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England.

For the same reason people are camping in 80 other cities around the globe.

It is a protest.

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Lighter News

Give Yourself Up – And Get A Mani-Pedi?

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If you turn yourself in to police and admit you were part of last year’s Stanley Cup riot, you could get a free manicure or pedicure.

Last June, there was a major riot in Vancouver after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to Boston. Crowds swarmed the streets, smashing store windows and stealing things.

So many people were involved that the police are still trying to identify who did what.

Vancouver’s Eccotique Salons has an unusual promotion to help the police identify and arrest the rioters. They are offering a $50 “Calm Down And De-Stress Gift Certificate” to any rioter who gives himself up to police.

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News Politics

Occupy Wall Street Heading To Toronto

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The “Occupy Wall Street” movement is heading for Toronto and 950 other cities around the world.

In September, a poster in Adbusters magazine called for people to gather in New York to protest against big companies that make a lot of profit.

Although the protest was rather vague and unfocussed, young people came – and they kept coming.

They met in the “financial district” in New York, NY. The financial district is where many big companies have their headquarters, and where many stockbrokers (people who trade stocks) work.

It’s where a lot of profit is made.

Wall Street is a famous street that defines New York’s financial district.

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Politics

First Female Premier For NL; Liberal Majority In PEI

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The province of Newfoundland and Labrador has its first female premier.

Kathy Dunderdale made history on Tuesday as she led her Progressive Conservative party to its third majority in a row.

A “majority” means the PCs have more seats in the legislature than the other parties combined.

A majority means that if there is a vote in the legislature, the PCs will win it (assuming all of them vote, and vote the same way) – even if everyone else in the legislature votes against it.

Having a majority often lets a government do more of the things it wants to do, because its projects won’t get voted down by the other parties.

Dunderdale has been Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador since Dec., 2010. She is only the sixth female premier in Canada’s history.

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News

Inventor, Innovator, Genius – Steve Jobs’ Legacy

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Steve Jobs changed forever the way the world views, and interacts with, technology.

Jobs passed away last week, at the age of 56, from cancer.

Jobs helped to invent many products including the Macintosh computer, the iPhone, the iPod and the iPad. Along with Steve Wozniak, he founded computer company Apple.

It may be difficult for young people, who may have never known computers and phones before Steve Jobs changed them, to understand the massive impact he made.

A 1984 video of Jobs unveiling a brand-new product called the Macintosh computer, gives some idea.

To us today, the technology seems horribly outdated, clunky and… can you believe it? the images on the tiny computer screen aren’t even in colour!

But listen to the audience in the video as Jobs walks over to a small bag and takes the computer out. It has a handle! It’s small enough to carry! It has graphics, not just text! The audience gasps, cheers and claps because no one has ever seen anything like it.

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