Articles by Jack
From: Barnes

Should we risk a collapse of the ecosystem?

By - 14/02/20 - Science and Nature, World
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

Amazon Rainforest burns away

By - 11/10/19 - World
The world is feeling outraged as the largest rainforest on the planet is ruthlessly burned away for the selfish reasons the country's president Jair Bolsonaro uses as excuses. "Brazil is one of the best countries in the world at protecting its own environment and fires are not destroying the Amazon rainforest" claims the controversial ruler of Brazil. However, according to the hundreds of thousands protesting in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, and all across the world, this decision is a world crisis. The fires were discovered when Brazil's space agency revealed that burning of the Amazon has raced up by 84% since 2018. The Basin of the Amazon (60% of which is in Brazil) is the most biodiverse place in the world, on land but also in the water. There are more than 3,000 fish species  living in the Amazon's unexplored waters and scientists predict that many more are yet to be discovered. If this unnatural disaster carries on, a collapse of the Amazon ecosystem may be to come. The fires are not only in Brazil though, these destructive flames are spreading all across South America in Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela and Paraguay. In fact, these fires are so large, leaders across the world are reaching out for support to encourage the Brazilian government to stop the terrible flames. Will you campaign to stop the world's largest rainforest burning?
From: Barnes

Visually impaired climber climbs to the top

By - 24/05/19 - World
Richard Slocock is legally blind and only has peripheral vision after losing his sight two years ago due to macular dystrophy. But this has not stopped him from becoming the number one paraclimber in the UK after winning many international and national competitions. Richard needs someone to guide him and advise were to place his feet and hands. But I think we can all agree that this climber is very talented to be able to climb even though he is visually impaired. The climber's achievements don't end there though; he has recently been rated  as one of the best climbers in the world. "I love climbing more than anything, if I could just give up work and climb every day and train every day I really would," said Richard. He is part of Team GB and came fourth in the world cup in France last year, in June. "It really comes down to not letting your disability define you, just push your way through it  and do what you love," he said.      
From: Barnes

Ukraine’s hysterical politics

By - 17/05/19 - World
By Aoibhe and Jack Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky is a Ukrainian politician, screenwriter, actor, comedian, and director who accidentally became the president of his country when he ran for the position as a joke. Volodymyr Zelensky played a president in an ongoing sitcom whose title is Servant of the People. This is ironic seeing as his new job is to be president. He didn't give many policies, however he did still get three quarters of the vote. He easily beat the incumbent, Petro Poroshenko. In office, he will face many challenges as the Ukrainian president, and this time without a team of scriptwriters to make sure he comes out on top in the end. Petro accepted the loss very quickly but he later commented that the result is certainly in Putin's favour. Some of Zelenskiy’s first words on Sunday night were. “As a citizen of Ukraine I can say to all post-Soviet countries: ‘Look at us. Everything is possible,” His victory capitalised on widespread discontent with Poroshenko’s rule, and he won a majority in all but one of Ukraine’s regions. In addition, he received many compliments from great world leaders, like Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. However, for all the alarm, nobody yet knows whether Zelensky will prove a better President than Kremlin or Poroshenko for the amazing country of Ukraine.  
From: Barnes

The Crimes Of Grindlewald (spoiler alert)

By - 22/03/19 - Culture
Many Harry Potter fans are elated that the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and where to find them "The Crimes of Grindlewald" has finally been released. The new film came out on 16 of November and as you can imagine, the tickets sold out extremely quickly. There are various new brilliant characters who star in the new fantastic (no pun intended) film. One of them is Nagini, the star of miraculously magical French circus. Nagini has a terrible blood curse on her that means at some point in her life she will turn into a murderous beast of some sort. Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) travels back to London to look after his many, many pets. One of the new additions to his collection of creatures is 6 baby nifflers! The babies are impossibly cute but twice as cheeky. 'An enchanting return visit to the Wizarding World with stunning set design, an engaging story, and masterful performances,' said one audience member. In all, this film is incredibly popular among the public so I recommend you go and see it.
From: Barnes

North Korea to say goodbye to nuclear weapons

By - 15/02/19 - World
North Korea officially agreed to get rid of all its nuclear weapons when Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, visited the country in October. The special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, stated that the country pledged to rid all nuclear material enrichment facilities. However he also noted that a complete list of all its nuclear assets will be needed before the deal is official. Experts believe the country has more than one unknown nuclear fuel enrichment site other than the declared facility at Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, and question how the destruction of all facilities could be fully verified. President Trump also recently reported there had been ' tremendous progress' in the two countries relationship. At the Oval Office, last Thursday, the controversial president stated he would soon be revealing the date of the next meet up with Kim Jong-un. After meeting up in Singapore for the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, they signed an optimistic but vague declaration of their commitment to denuclearisation. Since then little progress has been made.  
From: Barnes

Journalist brutally killed

By - 23/11/18 - World
Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian journalist, has been murdered. Jamal, was originally Saudi Arabian but moved to America. He wrote some things Saudi Arabia didn't like such as women should have the same opportunity as men. He was engaged to a Turkish woman and was just on his way to the Saudi Arabian consulate to get his marriage certificate. Khashoggi entered a Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018, but did not leave the building. As you can imagine, his wife became pretty distressed after 5 hours and Jamal had still not returned. Claims emerged that he had been killed inside. After an inspection of the consulate by Saudi Arabian and Turkish officials, it was found that he had been killed and body left in a forest. Initially the Saudi Arabian government denied the death, claiming Khashoggi had left the consulate alive, but on 20 October admitted that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, claiming he had been strangled to death after a fight had broken out. This was later contradicted when, on 25 October, Saudi Arabia's Attorney General stated that the murder was planned.
From: Barnes

Most debated drink?

By - 12/10/18 - People
Although a lot of us love the popular "energy drinks", they have caused a lot of trouble for the Government. Many people are arguing about the sugary refreshments and whether they should be banned or not because they are very unhealthy.                       Prime Minister Theresa May is making plans to ban teenagers from buying the popular energy drinks because of their high sugar levels. The plan would stop bars from selling Red Bull and its caffeinated counterparts to anyone under 16, and possibly 18, because of the effect it has on children and their health. Speaking during her trip to Africa, the Prime Minister said "With thousands of young people regularly consuming energy drinks, often because they are sold at cheaper prices than soft drinks, we will consult the ban of energy drinks to children". She also claimed, "it is vital that we do everything we can to do to make sure children have the best start in life possible." Recent studies show that three in five illnesses for children are because of sugary sweets and drinks. So next time you have a sweet treat or even a fizzy refreshment, bear in mind that you might end up in the hospital.
From: Barnes

Real Life Transformer!

By - 15/06/18 - Science and Nature, World
An amazing Japanese company called Brave Robotics has created a real life tranformer! J-deite RIDE can change from a car into a robot while carrying two passengers This amazing robot is powered by a lithium battery and the automobile has 49 folding joints. Although it looks cool, the robot's top speed is 37km per hour and its walking speed is 100 metres per hour. But that dosn't mean we don't love the transformer all the same. Asretec sensai technologies, and Brave Robotics say that once their prototypes are fully developed, they're intending to commercialise for a use at amusement and theme parks. Next time you go to one, look out for the incredible robot! It'll sure put a smile on a few people's faces. 
From: Barnes

Celebrating the Baguette

By - 23/03/18 - Culture
Emmanuel Macron, France's President, has made the baguette a cultural treasure shortly after  the same was done for  for pizza-making in Italy. "I know our bakers,'' claimed Macron after hosting a group of master bakers  and apprentice bread  and pastry makers at the Elyséé  Palace for the traditional sharing of ''gallete des rois'' cake to celebrate the new year. "They saw the Neapolitans had managed to get their pizza classed on UNESCO's world heritage list  and they said why can't we do the same for our  baguette? And they're right," he proudly announced.  "The baguette," he said "is envied around the world."
Featured
From: Barnes

Coronavirus declared global health emergency

By - 14/02/20 - World
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.
UK
From: St Osmunds

Hedgehogs Are Becoming Extinct

By - 03/03/20 - Science and Nature, UK
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

Billie Ellish Wins BRIT 2020 Award

By - 03/03/20 - Culture, People, UK
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: St Osmunds

Deadly Virus Outbreak goes Global

By - 29/01/20 - Science and Nature, UK, World
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)