Reading

Children think reading is "uncool", and would rather spend time online than looking at a classic book, teachers say.

More than 400 English teachers were questioned about how much they think pupils enjoy reading.
The majority said they think children prefer to spend time online and two out of three think reading isn't seen as cool.
The man in charge of schools for the government, Nick Gibb, says he's not surprised by the results.
He wants kids to master the basics of reading early so that then they can explore books like Harry Potter and eventually get onto classic authors like Charles Dickins. (CBBC Newsround)

Your Comments:

"I always read during the evening as it helps me to relax, but during the day I play computer games."

Lewis, London, England

"Reading is not uncool- it takes your imagination to loads of magical places! You can't just take a bus to Hogwarts can you!"

Will, Oxfordshire, England

"I think it's important to read, but does it really matter where you read? If it's on the web it's still reading."

Matt, Reading, England

"I think reading can be fun but I find other things better and would rather be outside or on the computer."
Victoria, Portsmouth, England

"I think reading is good but the internet is also fun. I would rather spend time reading a good book than going on the computer, although sometimes I like using the computer."

Katie, Essex, England

"We disagree that reading is seen as uncool. Our class would choose to read over other activities. Reading helps in all areas of children's learning including writing and history."

Class 8, Barnsley, England

"I love reading. I try to read at least two chapters a day, at weekends and during the holidays. I enjoy going on the internet as well. I think it's good to do both!"

Mary-Jane, Buckinghamshire, England

Emperor penguins

Emperor penguins numbers are falling because of melting ice caps in the Antarctica, scientists have warned.

They say breeding pairs of the famous bird may fall by about 80 per cent by the year 2100.
Unlike other sea birds, Emperor penguins breed and raise their young on sea ice.
That means if the ice breaks up and disappears, they will have nowhere to look after their babies.
Scientists also warn disappearing ice may affect the fish, squid and krill that the penguins eat.
This will cause problems all the way up the food chain and many species of marine life may end up starving to death.
The study said that another penguin population, the Dion Islets penguin colony close to the West Antarctic Peninsula, has already disappeared completely, possibly because of a decline in Antarctic sea ice. (CBBC Newsround)

Spain banks to get up to 100bn euros in aid

Spain is to get a multi-billion euro aid package to help out its troubled banks.
The Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said the country was looking for support not a rescue, and the aid would only be for the financial sector.
The deal was agreed during an emergency two-and-a-half hour conference call of eurozone finance ministers.
The eurogroup says the aid could be worth up to 100 billion euros, though the exact amount will be determined after independent audits are completed.
“The ambitious reform programme put in place by the Spanish government has received the support of our European colleagues and we are convinced that these reforms, together with the fiscal adjustment which is taking place, are establishing the basis for economic recovery and job creation,” Luis de Guindos told a news conference.
Madrid will now make a formal request for assistance.
The government is stressing that this is no bailout like those received by Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
The aid is only for the banking sector, said the economy minister, not the whole economy.
No austerity plan is being asked for in return.
“Of course it (this aid) is subject to a restructuring plan, there are financial conditions, what there are not are any kind of macroeconomic conditions. There are no conditions for fiscal or economic reforms outside the sphere of the financial sector,” Luis de Guindos said.
Spain has been under pressure to act before next weekend’s highly unpredictable Greek elections. If the result prompts another crisis in the eurozone, Spain could be next in the firing line. (Euronews)

Old People Smell Nicer Than Young People

"Old-person smell" is for real, according to a new study into body odour. And what's more, it's not as bad as the smell of younger people. Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in the USA tested people's perceptions of the body odour emitted by people aged 20 to 30, 45 to 55, and 77 to 95. Volunteers in each age group wore a T-shirt containing underarm pads to bed for five nights. Samples from the pads were then tested on 41 "sniffers," who had the task of evaluating each armpit smell. The evaluators were able to distinguish between the different age groups and said the smell from the older age group was less intense and less unpleasant than the others.
 The study is part of wider research into how our brain interprets different human smells and how we react to them. Lead researcher Dr Johan Lundstrom said: "Similar to other animals, humans can extract signals from body odours that allow us to identify biological age, avoid sick individuals, pick a suitable partner, and distinguish kin from non-kin." He said of his test results: "Elderly people have a discernible underarm odour that younger people consider to be fairly neutral and not very unpleasant. This was surprising given the popular conception of old age odour as disagreeable." He said other bodily smells other than B.O. might also differ with age, especially that of our breath. (Breaking News)

Euro 2012 kicks-off in Poland and Ukraine

After months of waiting, Euro 2012 has finally kicked-off with co-hosts Poland taking on Greece.

Over the next three weeks, 16 of Europe's best national football sides will fight it out to be crowned Euro 2012 champion.
Spain currently hold the trophy after winning the tournament four years ago.
Spain and Germany are the favourites to win this year's competition, with Netherlands and France also thought to be title contenders.
Eight stadiums across Poland and Ukraine are being used for the matches.
England are the only team from the UK to qualify for the tournament.
They've never won the European Championship, their best result was a semi-final defeat by Germany at Wembley in 1996.
The run-up to the tournament this time hasn't been great for England with the side's top players being hit by a string of injuries and suspensions. (CBBC Newsround)

Olympic Games in Añora, Cordoba, Spain

Different, but amazing!
It is worth visiting Añora in July.

Salmorejo cordobés

Salmorejo is a cold, creamy tomato soup, originating in Córdoba, Spain. It is a simple pink-orange, summer soup made with tomatoes, bread, oil, garlic and vinegar, similar to gazpacho. Then, it is garnished with diced Spanish Serrano ham and hard-boiled eggs.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 oz Serrano ham (substitute prosciutto)
• 1 (8 oz) baguette, stale
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 lbs (1 kg) ripe tomatoes
• 8 oz (250 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 oz (60 ml) red wine vinegar
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Hard boil the eggs. Place in ice cold water to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cut off hard crust from baguette, then cut into slices approximately 1/2-inch thick. Pour about a 1/4-inch water into a large glass baking dish. Add bread slices and allow bread to soak for 30 minutes. Squeeze excess water out of slices and place in a blender or food processor.
Peel and mince garlic and place in food processor. Peel tomatoes and remove seeds. Add to the food processor and pour in vinegar. Process.
Slowly pour in oil while processing. Continue to process until smooth. If mixture is too thick, pour in a bit of cold water while processing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve: Dice Serrano ham. Peel and quarter hard boiled eggs. Pour soup into four bowls. Sprinkle ham over bowls. Add two egg quarters to each bowl. (About.com)

Our galaxy is heading for a big collision

Here's the bad news - our galaxy is on a collision course and is set to crash into a neighbouring one!

The good news is that it won't happen for four BILLION years!
Astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to work out when our Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy will smash into each other.
They are being pulled together by gravity, and two billion years after colliding they will exist as one single galaxy.
They are 2.5 million light years apart at the moment and travelling together at 250,000 miles-per-hour.
Scientists reckon that it's unlikely the Earth will be destroyed when it finally happens. (CBBC Newsround)