Scotland May Hold Independence Referendum

The Flag of Scotland. Image: KbolinoFor the first time in three centuries, the united part of the United Kingdom may be in trouble.The Scottish National Party (SNP), the party that runs Scotland day-to-day, is urging the Scottish people to support independence from Britain. However it still wants to keep the Queen as official leader.Last week, British Prime Minister Gordon Cameron went to Scotland to argue that Scotland should not separate from Great Britain.Scotland and England have...

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Syria’s “New Constitution” Ignites Further Conflict

Syria is a country in the Middle East.Many Syrians have been protesting against its government, which has been accused of doing terrible things to its own people. The leader of Syria is President Bashar al-Assad.The fighting between the Syrian government and its opponents this year has been intense and very violent.Many Syrians want al-Assad to step down as leader. They want to be able to elect a new leader. (Bashar al-Assad’s family has ruled Syria for more than 40 years.)On Feb....

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World’s Smallest Chameleon Discovered

Photo: Frank GlawScientists have discovered a chameleon so small it could sit on your little finger.The chameleon, which is about three centimetres long, lives on a small island called Nosy Hara, off the coast of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean.It is the smallest chameleon and possibly the smallest reptile ever discovered. It lives among rocks and leaves on the forest floor. At night it sleeps on plants, about five to 10 centimetres above the ground.It is mostly grey and brown with an...

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Pakistan begins demolishing bin Laden home - CBS News Article

Local residents walk past a wall with graffiti saying "Long live bin Laden" near the hideout of slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan in this May 6, 2011 file photo. (Credit: AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's army engineers on Saturday began demolishing the former home of Osama bin Laden, after authorities decided to end prospects of the location "becoming a monument" to the world's most hunted terrorist, a senior Pakistani government...

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Jeremy Lin - Basket Ball Player

Jeremy Lin has been a NBA sensation in 2012. Is he for real or is he just lucky? Image: Nikk LaOn Feb. 4, The New York Knicks basketball team played the New Jersey Nets at Madison Square Gardens in New York City.The Nets played hard, but they simply couldn’t beat this Knicks team. There was something special about them… and that was Jeremy Lin.Jeremy Lin turned heads during that game by scoring 25 points and adding seven assists.Good numbers for any player, but especially for an undrafted...

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Greece To Get New €130B Bailout

The Flag of Greece emblazoned across the nation.Greece was in trouble because it took on too much debt.But other countries have agreed to help Greece by lending the country more than 130-billion euros. Euros (€) are the units of money used in 17 countries in Europe including Greece, France and Germany.The countries that have agreed to bail Greece out of its money problems are demanding something in return. They are insisting that the government of Greece spend less.For example, Greece...

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Head Of TTC Fired; Toronto Council Divided About Transit

Toronto streets are known for being full with people, bikes, cars, and TTC streetcars. Image: Benson KuaThe head of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) was fired from his job this week. Most people think it’s because he disagreed with Toronto’s mayor’s plans for public transit.In this case, public transit refers to the city’s system of buses, subways and streetcars.Gary Webster has worked at the TTC since 1986; for nearly six years he has been the TTC’s Chief General Manager.As the head of...

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Is The Colosseum Crumbling? Is The Colosseum Crumbling?

The Colosseum in Rome is one of the most recognizable buildings in the planet, day or night. Image: DiliffThe Italian government is trying to figure out if there is any truth to reports that rock is falling from the Colosseum.The Colosseum is a world-famous landmark in Rome, Italy. It is the place where gladiators fought during the time of the Roman Empire (around 80 AD).It has been damaged over the years by earthquakes and stone robbers, but it remains one of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions.Last...

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Attawapiskat Residents Getting Some New Homes

A Map Showing the Location of Attawapiskat, a Community on Attawapiskat River in Northern Ontario, Canada. Image: NormanEinsteinSome Attawapiskat residents will soon be moving into new “modular” homes.Attawapiskat is a remote community in northern Ontario. Last year, the government there declared a state of emergency because residents were living in conditions that were very unsafe.Canada’s government promised to help fix the housing problems in Attawapiskat.The first modular home has reached the...

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12-Million-Year-Old Plant May Soon Be Extinct

Cycad at the royal palace grounds, Laung Prabang, Laos. Image: TiragreeneCycads, a very rare type of plant, are in danger of becoming extinct because of poachers.Poaching usually means to hunt animals illegally. In this case, trees are being taken from the wild. They are then secretly sold for a lot of money – up to $100,000 each - to people who collect unusual plants.The first cycads existed during the time of the dinosaurs, during the Jurassic period. The kinds of cycads that are alive...

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Super Bowl Commercials Don’t Disappoint

Old fashion TV in 1957. Many people like to fast-forward through commercials on TV.However, there is one time when many people want to watch the commercials. And that’s during the Super Bowl football game.The Super Bowl was played last Sunday.It has become a tradition that the commercials shown during the Super Bowl are particularly interesting to watch. Many of them are funny.For instance, in a Volkswagen ad, a dog sees a Volkswagen go by his house. He wants to chase it, but he’s too...

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Toronto Teens Send Legonaut Into (Near-) Space

Two teenagers in Toronto, Ontario.  Have taken a giant leap – for themselves, and for one little Lego man.The teens launched a Lego figure into near-space.They hooked a helium weather balloon, a home-sewn nylon parachute and four cameras to the figure. And then they went out to a soccer field and let their contraption go.The cameras were set to take pictures every 20 seconds.When their figure came back to Earth, they looked at the pictures the cameras had taken.They were shocked to see their...

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Europe In The Grip Of A Cold Snap

 Satellite image of January 26th 2012 SouthEast Europe snowstorm that brought over 100 cm of snow to some places. 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....

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The Giants Take The 2012 Super Bowl

Yesterday, The New York Giants and the New England Patriots faced off in the year’s most important football game — the Super Bowl. The game was played in Indianapolis, Indiana. The two teams had faced each other at the Super Bowl before, four years ago. And just like the game back in 2008, the Giants won.The final score this year was New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17.It was a terrific contest between two great football teams, two fantastic coaches, and it was also a rematch between...

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