From: Barnes
The new coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. Hundreds of people in China have died from the virus, mostly in Hubei, with many thousands of cases nationally. This outbreak needs to be neutralized. China has said it will send charter plans to bring back Hubei province residents who are overseas "as soon as possible". A foreign ministry spokesman said this was because of the "practical difficulties" Chinese citizens have faced abroad. Hubei is where the virus emerged in a fish market in the city of  Wuhan. The WHO said there had been dozens of cases in 18 other countries, but only a small number of deaths. Most international cases are in people who had been to Wuhan in Hubei. However in a few cases - in the UK, Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the United States - patients were infected by people who had traveled to China. This is the main reason China has shut its borders down.
From: St Osmunds
Breaking News : British Airways has just suspended all its flights to and from mainland China today as a new deadly virus from China goes global. Coronavirus has so far caused more than 130 deaths, spreading fast across China and to at least 16 other countries.  Although there are no confirmed cases in England yet, 4 cases have been confirmed in Germany, making it the second European country to report cases, after France. Authorities in China have confirmed that the deadly virus has already infected over 6000 people and killed 132 as of Wednesday 29th January, with cases being reported in Japan, Thailand, the USA, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Nepal, Singapore and South Korea so far. Any people leaving China will be screened for the symptoms of the virus (a cough or a fever). The Chinese government have instructed no one to leave Wuhan, the city where the virus started.  And no one is allowed to enter. This is called a quarantine. Eleven million people live in Wuhan.  The UK government is arranging to evacuate Britons from Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province, with up to 300 British people thought to be in the area.   Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), which is caused by a type of coronavirus, killed 774 of the 8,098 people infected in an outbreak that started in China in 2002. Only 2.2 percent of confirmed cases have seen deaths at the moment, but this could be changing rapidly if the disease spreads and mutates. So far, there have been methods of treatment but no cure.  By - Charlie (Photo Credit : ACHMAD IBRAHIM – ASSOCIATED PRESS)
From: St Osmunds
Over 2.8 million people across 9 African countries have been deeply affected by catastrophic rainfalls over the last few weeks.  Dozens of people have been killed across central and eastern Africa after heavy rains triggered landslides and caused rivers to burst their banks. Kenya has most casualties: 130 people have died there and 250 across the region. On the other side of the Congo river at least 50,000 people were affected by the downpours, prompting the Congo-Brazzaville government to declare a state of emergency. Heavy rains and landslides have also killed dozens across the wider east African region during weeks of downpours, with 29 buried by landslides in Kenya and 10 people drowned in a river in Tanzania, officials have said. In Uganda it's also really bad with many villages flushed away. While there can still be some rain falling in January and February, the next rainy season is March to May. In Kenya typically the short rains occur in late October early November, but this amount of water is highly unusual and a consequence of Climate Change. in 2016 and 2017 the "long rains" of March - May failed entirely and the whole region suffered a massive drought. Weather experts from the UK Environment Agency said: “The rains this season have been enhanced by a phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole which, when positive, can cause a rise in water temperatures in the Indian Ocean of up to 2C. This leads to higher evaporation rates off the East African coastline and this water then falls inland.” A relief worker from CARE International said: "Many of the people affected by this flooding are also the same that were affected by the terrible droughts earlier this year that left over 3 million people in food insecurity". It's important we do remember how real the changes of weather patters are. Scientists even say that extreme weather events will be the new normal if warming continues at its present rate. Floods: tips to remember (Source : The UK Environment Agency) 15cm (6in) of fast-flowing water can knock over an adult and about 60cm (2ft) of water can move a car Avoid walking or driving through flood water Move your family upstairs or to a high place with a means of escape Do not touch sources of electricity when standing in flood water Put plugs in sinks and baths Weigh belongings down with a sandbag or a heavy object Flood water can contain sewage, chemicals and animal waste so wash your hands thoroughly if you touch it. By Lara  
From: St Osmunds
180 children are currently held in the prisons of Madagascar accused of stealing vanilla. They are often held in appalling conditions for years without a proper trial. Many children around the world suffer a similar fate. In Madagascar, selling vanilla is a trading policy, it sells for at least $150 in exporting markets . Stealing vanilla is a highly common crime there. It is a big business for the African island, an expensive commodity and people will try to get hold of it and sell it to make some more money for their often very poor families. Children are suffering a great deal in Madagascar just for stealing something as small as vanilla. The prison conditions there are abysmal. All these children have are concrete beds without mattresses and all are confined to tiny cells, cramped together. They are prisoners alongside 2000 other adults, many of whom have committed really big crimes and the prisons are only meant to hold 280 prisoners. Some haven't seen their mums in years because their families are very poor and can't travel to the prison. A BBC investigation dated 1st October 2019, found out that many of these children can spend more than 3 years in prison for that theft without even a trial. And when they go to trial, most of them don't even get a lawyer to defend them. In prison, they are miserable, dirty and only get one meal a day and no-one to care for them when they fall ill. Those are only some of the many children being held in prisons across the globe, children in Iraq are being punished because of things their parents did , Palestinian children have been captured and are being put into Iran's prisons for doing nothing more than protesting against grown up politics.  Innocent children everywhere are suffering in terrible conditions, they only have each other to rely on. According to the latest figures from Human Rights Watch and the UN's Child Fund, UNICEF, an estimated 1 million children are behind bars around the world today. In my eyes, it's  wrong to send children to jail at such young ages, in such poor living spaces. Human wrights groups are protesting against this but people in power just won't listen ! By Zandile Photo Cred : Getty Images
UK
From: St Osmunds
With a general election coming up on 12th December, here's some information about the main parties and their pledges. Conservatives: The conservative party are split into two main groups: pro-brexit, and anti-brexit. Boris Johnson is part of the pro-brexit section, despite writing a huge article on why he thought brexit was a bad idea the day before the brexit referendum. In other words, he's going along with the public. Right now, Boris is claiming to add more police to the streets and more money to schools and hospitals. " only way of getting brexit done." Said Johnson after the Brexit deadline was delayed. Labour: Labour claim that their manifesto is to tackle climate emergency, end food banks in Britain and to rewrite the rules of economy so that it works for everyone - not just billionaires. They pledge to deliver a million genuinely affordable homes and a million climate jobs across every region and nation in the UK. Under certain conditions, Labour will hold a second referendum on Brexit. Liberal Democrats: The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.
From: Barnes
Unfortunately, within the next 15 years, 2 million Horse Chestnut trees could be wiped out in the UK, destroying the entire population of this tree in the UK. This is due to ravaging of moths and a tree disease spreading throughout Europe. Research shows that many Chestnut trees are filled with pests and diseases and many forest fires have wiped out a large number of them. The moths came to Southern England around 13 years ago and they have been wrecking the UK's population of Chestnuts since 2006.  Researchers tested the Chestnut trees survival skills and planted some trees that had been germinated and within three years the majority had died and by year five all of them had been wiped out. It turned out that the majority of the trees had been destroyed by moths and caterpillars. In addition, if chestnut trees were to be wiped out, then the UK Conker Championships would be destroyed, which means the amazing prize of £400,000 wouldn't be on offer. “It’s a bit of a concern but I think one of the biggest concerns is the human reaction to it. We’re quite keen to cut the trees down because they represent a bit of a danger to people with branches dropping off once the trees become ill," says John Burkett, one of the conker championship's organisers.
From: St Osmunds
When have you last seen a hedgehog? According to the People's Trust for Endangered Species and the British Trust for Ornithology, hedgehog numbers have dropped. It's thought that the number of hedgehogs decreases by five percent each year. In another recent survey (December 2019), The UK hedgehog population, which stood at an estimated 30 million in the 1950s, is now down to about 1 million, with much of the decline in the past two decades, according to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS). WHY ? An increase in badgers; they are the only animals that can unroll, kill and eat hedgehogs. Their numbers have extended by more than 85% since around 1985. An increase in roads and traffic; collision with vehicles is one of the most common forms of mortality in hedgehog population.   HOW CAN I HELP ? Make a hole in your fence (it doesn't have to be big) so any local hedgehog can get through. Leave food and water so it can eat and drink. Don't cut any hedgerows and let your garden grow wild. Other animals in our British countryside that are endangered are The Scottish wildcat The skylark The small blue butterfly The red squirrel. We hope the government will ensure they get extra attention - and all of us - will make sure they continue to survive and thrive.   By Milena                                                                                                                                                              
From: St Osmunds
Californian singer Billie Eilish just won the 2020 International Female Solo Artist Award at just 18. She is the youngest ever author-songwriter to create a song for the James Bond theme song. The theme tune is called ' No Time to Die ' and has become a great hit. In a carpool karaoke, Billie told TV host James Corden that since the age of 13, she and her brother (Finneas) created their songs in his tiny bedroom. She still lives there with her parents and has a pet tarantula. The BRITS awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally called ' Britannia', but it was shortened to 'BRITS'. It subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trusts Show.  The rap artist Stormzy also won (Best Male artist) and performed with 200 artists and dancers. Mabel, daughter of renowned singer Neneh Cherry, was the only UK female musician nominated in the gender neutral categories, and won Best Female Solo Artist, while losing Best New Artist to Lewis Capaldi. Foals won best group. -by Lara
From: Barnes
The death of a Chinese doctor who tried to warn about the coronavirus outbreak has sparked an unprecedented level of public anger and grief in China. Li Wenliang died after contracting the virus while treating patients in Wuhan. Last December he sent a message to fellow medics warning of a virus he thought looked like Sars - another deadly coronavrius. But he was told by police to "stop making false comments" and was investigated for "spreading rumours". News of his death was met with an intense outpouring of grief on Chinese social media site Weibo - but this quickly turned into anger. There had already been accusations against the government of downplaying the severity of the virus - and initially trying to keep it secret. Dr Li's death has fuelled this further and triggered a conversation about the lack of freedom of speech in China. The country's anti-corruption body has now said it will open an investigation into "issues involving Dr Li".  
From: Barnes
The Coronavirus is spreading quickly around the world. The Chinese health organisation says it has reached every region in mainland China. Although the number of deaths is relatively small, a huge number of cases have been reported worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) met in Geneva and declared this situation a global health emergency. Many more people will be infected by this coronavirus, which is suspected to have come from snakes, than the SARS pandemic. Coronavirus cases are not rising dramatically inside China now although it has now been confirmed in many other countries, including the UK. The coronavirus has not been known to kill young, healthy people but already frail elderly men and women are at risk.          
From: St Osmunds
Newfoundland in Canada was gripped by another freak winter storm this Friday 29th February 2020. This was its 22nd blizzard of the winter season. Previously,  over 70cm of snow had fallen in Newfoundland and Labrador in 48 hours whilst winds of up to 140 m/ph raged outside. Powerful blizzards ripped through these eastern Canadian provinces, developing into what's known as a 'bomb cyclone'. People were trapped inside because 76.2cm fell and blocked their front door and all exits. Here are the 5 craziest things to come out of Newsfoundland's Stormaggedon: Cars have literally been drowned by the snow, and people could simply not dig them out. People took ice-baths as a way of celebrating just how cold it was The wind was so powerful that it rang doorbells all over the region! Imagine opening your front door and instead of a friendly face ups are faced by an icy snow wall! One poor journalist who braved the battering snow storm to give us all an update actually got literally blown away ! And on the positive side, shovellers who got tired of digging made themselves some chilly furniture; and when snow buried roads are buried in snow, people went sliding and many took up snowboarding in the streets. Image copyright : Leona Rockwood Article by : Rosaria.  
From: Barnes
Have you ever wished that the pesky mosquito would just go away? Well, in the space of just two years, scientists have been able to wipe out the annoying bugs from two Chinese islands. This is an amazing achievement. However could it be done globally and what would be the effect on our ecosystem? Mosquitos are serious killers in the animal kingdom; rated one of the most dangerous animals by scientists and are the main source of deadly diseases such malaria or ebola. Wiping out this entire species would save billions of lives today and in the future. But on the other hand, trillions of mosquitos would die. This would not be the first time our species had eliminated an other - Dodos, Pyrenean Ibexes, Baiji White Dolphins, and West African Black Rhinoceros' are all good examples of animals that are now extinct due to our selfish need for money, food and enjoyment. However, there's a catch with the idea of wiping out mosquitos... the ecosystem is at risk if we proceed. Although we know that we would be unable to survive without bees, no one is sure what might happen if the population of mosquitos was wiped out. Our Fragile  ecosystem is already failing due to climate change and another major upheaval like that might just be beginning of the end for our fragile planet.  
From: Barnes
Do you know Marvel's newest movies? Well I do. In 2020 the new ‘Black Widow’ film The Origin of Natasha is coming out. Due to the unfortunate death in Endgame, fans have wanted to know her back-story so Marvel has decided to tell everyone. What will happen? It will tell you her past of being born in Stalingrad, now called Volgograd. She was first known as Natalia Alianova  but more recently known as Natasha Romanova. She will be played by Scarlet Johansson. The creators of this amazing character are this trio Stan Lee, Don Heck and Don Rico. I can't wait. What do you think the next movie will be?
From: Barnes
By Athena and Millie New emojis are soon to be released in 2020. Some of these are: polar bear, a transgender flag, gender neutral Santa Claus, a smiling face with a tear, disguised face, pinched fingers, anatomical heart, ninja, person in Tuxedo, woman in Tuxedo, people hugging, black cat and much more. There are even going to be emoji's of extinct animals such as Dodos and Mammoths. In addition, there is also going to be a tea pot and bubble tea emoji, for people who enjoy the Taiwanese drink. Guess what? A polar bear and placard emoji's are going to be included because of climate activists and climate chaos. Lastly, if you are a fan of food and animals, you will be excited to scroll through these fun emojis and match your true identity.
From: Barnes
Billie Eilish - the teenage pop star- has been chosen to sing the theme song for the new James Bond film; No Time To Die. The singer said, "It feels crazy to be a part of this in every way. James Bond is the coolest film franchise ever to exist. I'm still in shock.'' Adele's Skyfall and Sam Smith's Writing on the Wall  have both won Oscars. The star wrote the song with her brother, Finneas O'Connell, who also helped writing the album When we fall asleep, Where do we go? which was Grammy nominated. Viewers think the song will come out a month before the movie's premier, No Time to Die premiers on April 3rd. Producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli described her new song as "incredibly powerful and moving", and "impeccably crafted to work within the emotional story of the film.'' The film's director, Cary Joji Fukunaga, said: "There are a chosen few who record a Bond theme. I am a huge fan of Billie and Finneas. Their creative integrity and talent are second to none and I cannot wait for audiences to hear what they've brought - a fresh new perspective whose vocals will echo for generations to come." Several artists were thought to be in the frame for recording the title song, including Dua Lipa and Beyoncé - who hinted at it after posing with a glass of vodka martini (shaken not stirred) on social media last week. Eilish also dropped hints on her Instagram, sharing a series of images from Bond movies over the last 24 hours. Fans also noticed that Fukunaga had subscribed to her feed - making her one of just 81 people he follows on the platform. Billie Eilish is most famous for her whispery songs and creepy music videos. Some of her most famous songs include Bad Guy, When the Party's over and Bury a Friend.
From: Barnes
Everyone should be able to pursue their dreams. If they want to be a footballer, they should be allowed to do so. Unfortunately, girls are only just beginning to be treated equally, some aren't even allowed to play on the same pitch as boys. Some club coaches split girls and boys into different teams. Why can't they play together? This year, since the Women's World Cup, lots of girls and women have been inspired to take up football. One of those girls is thirteen-year-old Olivia Hancock. Ever since the age of 7, Olivia has been campaigning for gender equality in football. In May, she was a guest speaker for UEFA before the Women's Champions League final where she spoke about her goal to make sure girls are treated the same as boys when they're playing football. Her story caught the eye of Millie Bright (English professional footballer) and the two decided to meet up to discuss the future of women's football. Olivia told Millie about her tough experiences in her favourite sport - football. Unfortunately, she also spoke about a time where she was punched by a boy when she was playing in a football match. Millie told her that she thinks boys need to be educated that both genders should both be allowed to play, and both be treated equally. "That's someone's career, someone's dream and it could be their job for a very long time," Millie said. "For me to say that I wouldn't want to play at Stamford Bridge every week would be a lie. That's something all clubs should be trying to enable women to do, playing at the big stadiums." When Millie asked Olivia what she'd like to see happen to encourage the women's game, Olivia said: "I think it has to start at primary schools. Set teams up there so they can start at an early age and work their way up in the game." The Football Association is halfway through a plan to make football the number one sport for girls in the UK. More than 12 million people played football in England last year. A quarter of those were female. That's almost 10% more than the previous year.
From: St Osmunds
The American singer Billie Eilish has won four Grammy awards and as the youngest singer at 18, she has accomplished quite an awesome feat. She was given best new artist, best song, best album and best record. She has gotten alot of critisism for her new song "No Time To Die" the new James Bond theme tune. And yet when she and her brother Phinyus (who is co-writer on all her work) sung this song on stage at the Brit Awards, she got a wild applause from the crowd. -By Eve
From: St Osmunds
On the 26th January 2020, 41 year old champion basketball player Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash. The Lakers legend was on his way to a basketball match when the helicopter crashed into a mountain near Calabasas in California and fell more than 20,000 feet per minute. The crash killed 9 people including the NBA star and his daughter Gianna who was only 13 years old and a great future basket player in the making. During the Oscars awards show on Sunday 10th February, Bryant was included in the Academy’s In Memoriam video montage, dedicated to those in Hollywood who passed away in the last year. The giant will be missed for years to come. By Elise and Maria
From: Barnes
On Tuesday 4th February, News Nuggets went on a memorable trip. We all had to get up at 6 o'clock in the morning! We all had the chance to meet Sir David  Attenborough and Boris Johnson. The two groups did three workshops. We talked about landfill with some friendly people, we made mini sand models, we made 'earth dumplings' and we saw a projected globe that showed us what it would be like in the future if we didn't do something about climate change soon. Also, my group got to plant a tree with Sir David Attenborough! All of this was amazing and I feel very privileged to have gone on this memorable trip, which happened at the Science Museum in London. Boris Johnson has promised that this year is the year that we do something to help our planet. Can he be trusted to keep his word? We are all hoping that he can. A big conference is due to occur this coming November to discuss the matter; the politicians need to do something.
From: Barnes
Usain Bolt, the world's fastest human, has a record of being able to travel 6.2 times his body length in one second. While this is amazing, it is nothing compared to the speeds of the Saharan Silver Ant. The ant can travel at 33.66 inches per second, which, though it may sound like a very minimal amount to us, considering the ant's body length, is actually an immense distance. This length is the ant's body length 108 times over. Though it may just seem like a cool skill, there are other reasons why the Saharan Silver Ant needs to run at this speed. The main one is the heat of the sand. In the Saharan desert (the ant's natural habitat) the temperatures of the sands can soar to heats of over 40 degrees celsius. If the insect were to stay still on the ground, its feet would be burned. Another reason why the ant needs to run at such a speed is because of its predators. The main predator of the Saharan Silver Ant is the Dumérils fringe-fingered lizard. This reptile builds its burrows near Saharan Silver Ant colonies and when they come out to gather food, it hunts and eats them. To prevent this from happening, one ant will stay outside of the colony's nest and when the lizard returns to its burrow, the ant will alert the rest of the colony and they go out to gather food. When a Saharan Silver Ant runs, at times all six of its feet are off the ground. This makes the ant one of the only insects in the world which is able to gallop! Its speed is also the equivalent of a house cat running at 120 mph. As well as a record breaker, this ant is one of the world's most amazing creatures.    
From: Barnes
Judith Kerr, the author and illustrator whose original story The Tiger Who Came to Tea introduced generations of pre-school children to reading and  enjoying books, has died at home at the age of 95. Her publisher said she'd had a short illness. Kerr, who dreamed up the tiger to amuse her two children, only started publishing in her 40s, and lived to see the book reach its millionth sale as she turned 94. Over a 50-year career she published more than 30 further books, immortalising a succession of family cats through the naughty but lovable Mog, and bringing to life her family’s flight across Europe as the Nazis came to power in the novel When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. 
From: Barnes
England thrashed Montenegro to secure a place in the 2020 Euros. They won 7-0. While the team had something to be proud of, the fans don't. They booed an innocent Joe Gomez for getting into an argument, in training, with Raheem Stirling. They booed at poor Joe because Stirling was dropped from the squad after he started the argument. After the match,Raheem Stirling defended his team mate by saying, ' to all the @England fans, I wanted to leave things as it was but tonight I have to speak again: it was hard for me to see my teammate get booed for something that was my fault'. Stirling played on Sunday in England's 4-0 victory against Kosovo. Let's hope the England fans never do it again!
From: Barnes
On the 24 of October Arsenal avoided a shock defeat to the Portugese team Vitoria Guimaraes. After ten minutes of domination Vitoria scored through old Tottenham Academy prospect, Marcus Edwards. 22 minutes later Arsenal equilised through Martinelli! 4 minutes later guess which team scored? It was Vitoria. So at half time the score was 2-1 to Vitoria! As the clock ticked, chances were coming and both teams had been lacking their shooting boots until Nicolas Pepe was brought on for Maitland Niles. And in the 80th minute Pepe scored a screamer of a free kick so it was 2-2. It was the last minute of stopage time and Dani Cellabos had just been fouled and then Pepe got ready to take, he started his run up and curled into the top corner which made it 3-2.
From: Barnes
Is it not awesome that the 22 year old, Simone Biles has won another gold medal at the World Gymnastics Championship? She is now creating history for herself! The 22-year-old says it means the world to her knowing that she has officially become famous, winning the 5th womens all around title in Stuttgart in Germany. This means she has become the first women to win the finals on the beam and floor; Is that not really amazing? Not only has the amazing gymnast won her 5th womens title, she also broke the world medal record. This means she has got the most medals ever, winning over 25 of them! Although Simone got off to a bad start at the Rio Olympics loosing her balance and falling off the beam, she still won Bronze medals and did not come down from having the worlds medal record. Never mind! Simone still won with the best bar routine ever, scoring a massive 15.066 on the beam. You may think that is not much but actually it is a great success! As well as all of this, Simone - to show off her talent even more - has just performed an incredible move on a tennis pitch before starting the game... she performed a triple back flip!