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Greta named Person of the Year for 2019
humanitiesSwedish schoolgirl activist Greta Thunberg who became a household name after encouraging 4 million people to strike over climate change is named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year
World’s best wildlife photos of 2019
animalsOne of these incredible photos will be the winning entry in the 2019 Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. Which would you vote for?
Banksy’s touching Christmas reindeer mural
humanitiesWorld-famous artist Banksy has painted reindeer pulling a street-bench sleigh, aiming to highlight the plight of people sleeping rough. The public’s reaction was heartwarming
Latest
Volunteers rescue stranded baby minke whale
A baby minke whale beached in South Australia has been saved by volunteers and rangers. Kids News investigates what is known about why whales become stranded on beaches
Worms and mice at International Space Station
Astronauts on the International Space Station have taken delivery of super-muscled mice, pest-killing worms and a robot that can sense how the astronauts are feeling
Woman trapped in mountain of ‘cornflake’ algae
Seaweed piled high on Queensland beaches has trapped at least one runner, who had to be rescued from the algae. While seaweed is not unusual, people have never seen so much at once
Piece of Jesus’ manger home for Christmas
A tiny piece of wood that some Christians believe to be part of the baby Jesus’ manger has returned to Bethlehem just in time for Christmas after 1400 years in Rome
A long line of reasons to leave halftime alone
In our weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight considers the downsides to a reduced halftime break at AFL matches — and they quickly started to line up
50 fun activities on the history of Christmas
Our feature series and 50-activity workbook will help students understand the history and evolution of Christmas, the religious and cultural aspects of its celebration and how traditions vary across the world
‘Tis the season for customs and traditions
PART 1: It’s an exciting time of year — school’s almost over, holidays are about to begin and kids around the world are preparing to celebrate Christmas or other cultural festivals
The history behind our decorations
PART 2: The reasons why we hang tinsel, stars and baubles on our trees at Christmas stem back hundreds of years. Discover the stories behind our favourite decorations, characters and traditions
Festive foods and where they come from
PART 3: Ham, plum pudding and prawns on the BBQ are all traditional Christmas foods in Australia, but how did these festive delicacies originally make their way to the Christmas table?
Interesting tales behind our popular carols
PART 4: Do you hear what I hear? It’s the sounds of Christmas in song. There are many interesting stories behind some of our most popular carols — one is even written in code!
Santa films you can watch over and over
PART: 5: Here’s our guide to the best Christmas movies for children. But watch out, their storylines offer a mix of laughs, wishes, hope and most feature the jolly man in the red suit
How to have a greener and cleaner Christmas
PART 6: This time of year shouldn't be about buying things we don’t need and sending rubbish and unwanted gifts to landfill. Here are 10 tips on how to have a sustainable Christmas
Anyway you say it, it’s a merry greeting
PART 7: Learn how to say Merry Christmas in 20 different languages and discover 10 amazing festive facts and some of the strangest yuletide world records
World map of most common last names
A fascinating new map has plotted out the most common surnames in every country in the world. Can you guess the most common last name in Australia?
World No. 1 Barty’s precious gift
As Ash Barty accepted the Newcombe Medal for the third year in a row, she admitted she’d given away all her racquets to force herself to take a break before a big summer of tennis
Student uses art in fight for peace on Earth
After reading about the experiences of child soldiers in Africa, student Elijah Lewis created a unique art piece to highlight that war is wrong and all children should be able to grow up in peace
Read the Top 50 stories from our finalists
With 1900 entries received in our short story writing competition it was a tough task for the judges to pick our winners and the top 50 finalists. See if your story was a winner here.
Drones deliver baby coral to save Reef
Scientists with an army of robotic drones and a fleet of backpack-sized inflatable pools are working to save the Great Barrier Reef as part of the world’s largest science and tourism group project
Farewell good boy, Sergeant Ridgleigh Blue III
The Australian Army has said goodbye to their much-loved retiring blue heeler mascot, who makes way for two-month-old pup Private Ridgley Blue IV
10 and under winner: Emily to the Rescue
Rose Pullinger. of Hobart, has won the 10 and under prize in the Kids News short story writing competition for her story about a daring rescue that threatens to ruin a family celebration
11 and over winner: A New Beginning
Amaeh Reed of Cairns has won the 11 and over prize in the Kids News short story writing competition for her tale about a refugee’s risky journey to flee and find a new life in Australia
Row, row, row your boat to a better world
In our weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight explains why he drew young climate change activist Greta Thunberg rowing rock band Coldplay to their next world gig
Getting to know the mysterious blue whale
Using a bright orange heart rate machine attached with suction cups, scientists have achieved the incredible feat of measuring, in the wild, the heart rate of the world’s biggest animal
Treasure trove of Ancient Egyptian animal mummies
Mummified crocodiles, a mongoose, birds, cats and lion cubs are among an incredible discovery uncovered by archaeologists at Egypt’s “City of the Dead”
15 amazing sculptures around the world
Earth is so big and so filled with things to see it’s hard to know where to start looking. To help you out, we’ve compiled this collection of incredible sculptures to look at and learn about
Boy’s smart helmet wins invention award
A 9-year-old Australian inventor is heading to NASA after his Hero Helmet – designed to lock the wheels of a bike, scooter or skateboard if not worn – won a national innovation award
Frozen II will melt most kids’ hearts again
If you are worried that Frozen II won’t live up to the hype of the original movie five years ago, you’ll be pleased to learn it is a confident and funny movie that will melt most children’s hearts
Aussie boys dancing onto global stage
Two Australian teenagers have danced their way into the finals of the world’s largest ballet competition, the famous Youth America Grand Prix in New York
Banning dogs makes Aussies barking mad
In our weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight explains why banning dogs in Aussie pubs and bars is a backward step and a chance to draw a bar full of dogs to make his point
Australia on high fire alert
A Code Red fire danger day has been declared in Victoria for the first time in 10 years as the entire country swelters through heatwave conditions and fires continue to burn
Get ready for a jellyfish boom!
Jellyfish populations are booming and blooming all over the world. We asked a jellyfish expert to share 10 fascinating facts to know before you head to the beach or aquarium this summer
Posties using whistles to keep dogs away
As posties get busy delivering millions of presents for Christmas, Australia Post is considering giving out hi-tech whistles to help keep staff safe from overly enthusiastic and unsafe dogs
Bushfires: Sydney’s hazardous air quality
As people in Sydney are being warned to stay inside due to “hazardous” air quality from bushfire smoke blanketing the city, we look at why it’s bad for your health to breathe in smoke
Same old Vegemite goes global
Vegemite’s recipe and flavour has not changed, according to the makers of the famous Aussie spread, keen to reassure worried local customers ahead of its historic global launch
Meet the hologram you can see, hear, feel
Researchers have invented a way to create characters that could talk to and interact with us, using speakers that whiz a tiny bead around faster than our brains can track
Narwhal the Little Magical Furry Unicorn
UPDATE An abandoned puppy with a tail on his head is being called a “magical unicorn”. He will continue to live with the rescue group and he’s not having the tail removed any time soon as being different is okay
Play-Doh’s sticky situation solved
By the 1950s, no one wanted to buy a special sort of dough to clean wallpaper. But some creative thinking saved the failing dough company and we all got to play with Play-Doh
Hell on earth as weather giants collide
In our weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight captures the helplessness of drought-affected Australian communities now caught in the path of catastrophic bushfires
Koala Anwen’s lucky-unlucky day
With bandaged paws, singed ears and scorched fur, Anwen is one very lucky koala, receiving good care and on the mend after her home was burned in bushfires
Alive! Creature thought extinct found
A tiny, deer-like creature that “seemingly only existed as part of our imagination” has been found in a forest almost 30 years after the last official sighting
Revealed: Invisible ink invention
Scientists have discovered a new kind of invisible ink that we all use every day that’s virtually free. Unfortunately, to get it to work, you also need a super-hi-tech piece of coated paper
Ice eggs cover beach in rare weather event
Ice eggs the size of footballs have engulfed an entire beach in Finland in a rare weather event that requires ice, wind, water and freezing temperatures
Perry says dream big and believe in yourself
Ellyse Perry is one of Australia’s greatest female cricketers. Here she talks about how having dreams as a kid, being resilient and how always believing in yourself can help you reach the top
An Aussie Cup win … I’ll drink to that!
In our weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight explains why he added an Aussie tradition to his Melbourne Cup drawing after local horse Vow and Declare finished first past the post
Australia’s most incredible weather photos
Rainbows, aurora australis and massive, fluffy clouds that make you want to bounce on them star in the year’s best weather photos, as judged by the Bureau of Meteorology
Aussie Vow and Declare wins 2019 Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is coming home to Australia after local horse Vow and Declare, ridden by jockey Craig Williams, finishes first in a tight contest at Flemington Racecourse
How Archer won the first Melbourne Cup
Archer was a big horse with a funny running style and a habit of hanging his tongue out. But in 1861, no horse was better than the NSW import when he took home the very first Melbourne Cup
Macca’s burger still ‘fresh’ after 10 years
There’s a story that McDonald’s burgers last forever, so one fan kept a burger and fries from 2009 to see if it was true. Today, they still look fine to eat, with no sign of mould or decay
Baking choc-chip cookies in space
Astronauts on the International Space Station are getting a special delivery: an oven for baking choc-chip cookies. The dough is already up there waiting to be cooked and eaten
Mountaineer smashes world record by seven years
A Nepalese mountaineer has climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in just 189 days, his incredible feat smashing the previous record by more than seven years
Australia’s knight in shining armour
Phil Leitch lives in a castle, wears a suit of armour and is the current World Jousting Champion. He’s also a real, professional, full-time knight known as Sir Reynard. True story!
Dreaming of an Uluru without climbers
In our weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight explains why he drew Uluru as an indigenous character dreaming of a life without interference on spiritual land
Found: exact location of first humans’ home
An Australian-led team of scientists has identified the exact place in northern Botswana that was the home of the earliest ancestors of everyone alive today
Mars rover sends selfie back to Earth
NASA’s Curiosity robot is hard at work on the surface of Mars, taking selfies and conducting chemistry experiments in the portable lab inside its belly
Love animals? Here’s what a zookeeper does in a day
Danielle Ridgway has only been a zookeeper for just over a year but she has already coached a lazy, cheating cheetah to sprint and worked towards saving critically endangered native species
Need for world-record speed runs in family
Daredevil Australian Dave Warby is preparing to break the world water speed record of 511kmh. If he succeeds, there will be no one prouder than his dad, current record holder Ken
Swim and survive with virtual reality
A new water-safety program designed to prevent drownings uses 360 degree, lifelike, interactive videos to place kids inside virtual rips and teach them how to escape and survive
Small town strikes it lucky in big dry
Tenterfield — battling drought and, recently, bushfires — has struck it lucky with the discovery of underground water only 126 days before the town’s supply was due to run dry
Six clever rules to help you write a top short story
With the Kids News short story writing competition closing on October 31, we asked children’s author Jackie French for tips on adding colour and imagination into stories. So … get writing!
Too many dirty hands to be healthy
New research has exposed the “gross” hygiene habits of some Australians, with some admitting they don’t always wash their hands after going to the toilet or before touching food
Little mistakes could make you big money
Check your change and empty your money box! You may be the owner of coins that contain minting mistakes or imperfections that makes them worth thousands of dollars
Meteor shower lights up the night sky
Fireballs from Halley’s comet are lighting up the Australian night sky this week as the Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak, putting on a show we can see without a telescope
Quick steps for world’s fastest ant
Scientists have found the fastest ant in the world — the Saharan silver — which takes 47 steps a second to cover about 90cm, the equivalent of a human running 579kmh
Mysterious creature called The Blob unveiled
A Paris zoo has unveiled a mysterious new organism, nicknamed The Blob, that looks like a fungus, acts like an animal, eats porridge, can move and can heal itself if cut in half
Female astronauts make “herstory” on a spacewalk
NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir have completed a seven-hour spacewalk to do important repairs, leaving the four male astronauts back in the ISS
The most amazing wildlife photos of the year
A gripping action shot that captures “the perfect moment” between a Tibetan fox and a marmot has won its photographer the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Swapping footballers is a game for all ages
In our weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight remembers the joys of footy swap cards in the schoolyard and how it mirrors the competitiveness of AFL trade week
Wanted: a real human face for robots
A technology company has begun a global search for a real face to replicate on its personal assistant robots, offering the chosen human a payment of $190,000
Banish mould lurking in lunch boxes
A child health specialist is urging parents and kids to properly clean and inspect lunch boxes, drink bottles and toys for hidden mould after the revolting results of a parent survey
Meet Australia’s real Willy Wonka
Australia had its own Willy Wonka long before Roald Dahl wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the real one every bit as eccentric and a genius as the fictional version
Mystery of the 7m python skin in the park
Wildlife officials believe a giant python skin may have been smuggled into Australia after it was found in a Queensland park, while in NSW the search is on for a boa constrictor on the loose
Astronomers find 20 new Saturn moons
Scientists have found 20 new moons around Saturn, giving the ringed planet a total of 82. The finds put Saturn ahead of Jupiter’s 79 moons — though none as massive as Ganymede
Space burgers coming right up!
Astronauts have grown beef in a laboratory up on the International Space Station by 3D printing meat from cells harvested on Earth and sent up into orbit on a rocket
The mystery of the human belly button
There are more than 7.7 billion human belly buttons on Earth, yet few of us know much at all about this funny-looking squiggle on the middle of our middle. Kids News explains belly buttons
Gender-neutral friends for Barbie and Ken
Barbie and Ken have new friends, but, unlike feminine Barbie and masculine Ken, these dolls are gender neutral and are “designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in”
Rare orange monkey born at Australian zoo
One of the world’s rarest and most endangered monkeys has been born in Australia. The baby’s distinctive bright orange hair is making him a standout at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo
Hunt for $1 coins with pies, footy and boomerangs
The biggest release of $1 coins will feature 26 Australian animals, food and cultural items including meat pies, didgeridoos, Weet-Bix and thongs. Can you find them all in the Great Aussie Coin Hunt?
Fossilised ‘Iron Dragon’ found in the outback
The fossilised bones of a winged reptile — nicknamed the Iron Dragon — which flew above Queensland during the age of dinosaurs has been uncovered in the outback
Roosters win back-to-back NRL premierships
The Sydney Roosters have held off an attacking Canberra Raiders to win historic back-to-back NRL titles, but the referees are copping criticism over a mistake just before the winning try
Colourful dreams of a sleeping octopus
Filmmakers have recorded the dramatic colour changes of a sleeping octopus, suggesting it is dreaming about preying on a crab, catching it and then settling down to eat it
Grab some popcorn, it’s school holiday movie time
It’s school holiday time which means Kids News is taking a short break. But you should grab some popcorn and see one of the great movies on the big screen. Here’s our guide to the best
Harriet the monkey visits the Queen
A toy monkey from an Australian kindergarten has had an unexpected big adventure at Buckingham Palace, getting lost, then found, then going to work with palace staff
How long do Aussie banknotes last?
What is the lifespan of Australian banknotes? Like most things, our polymer money has a use-by date and the answers for how long each note lasts might surprise you
Teens guzzling too much soft drink
One in six Australian teenagers consumes at least 5.2kg of sugar each year from sugary drinks, according to a new health survey. Though that’s an improvement, it’s still too much sugar
Ancient stories brought to life in 3D
There were once at least 250 indigenous Australian languages — now, there are just a few. A project combining cutting-edge technology with ancient stories aims to stop the decline
Nat Fyfe wins second Brownlow Medal
Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe has become the 15th player to win multiple Brownlow Medals after taking home the AFL’s best and fairest award
Dr Seuss’s top-secret Aussie book revealed
In an incredible, top-secret adventure like something out of a storybook, an Australian illustrator was picked from all the illustrators in the world to complete an unfinished Dr Seuss book
Rare polka-dot zebra foal spotted
There’s a saying that a tiger never changes its stripes but it seems zebras can — a dotted zebra foal has been photographed for the first time at Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya
Meet the honourable Hugh or is it Wolverine?
In our weekly series, award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight shows some sharp wit when deciding how to draw Hugh Jackman receiving his Order of Australia medal
Where have all the Bogong moths gone?
Critically endangered mountain pygmy-possums need your help to solve the mystery of the missing Bogong moths that have disappeared somewhere between Queensland and Victoria
Pick up a book for Australian Reading Hour today
Australian Reading Hour is today, so get involved! Pick up a book or check out one of six great book extracts in this article. Or watch our video with four top authors reading their books aloud
School visit inspires reporters of the future
When Kids News recently visited Derinya Primary School in Victoria to talk about the media, fake news and how to become a reporter, it had an inspirational effect on the students
Wise words from a circus star
Jillibalu Riley does incredible acrobatics as a performer with Circus Oz, tricks he started practising as a little daredevil kid mucking around with his cousins
First robotic shop open for business
Robots served ice cream to excited kids on day one at Australia’s first robotic shop, in a move said to be about enhancing the customer experience rather than taking humans’ jobs
Hide and seek with giggling rats
If you see a rat disappearing around a corner one day, try not to freak out — scientists have discovered it may just want to play and could even be laughing at the fun of it all
Eels smash Broncos 58-0 and NRL finals record
The Eels have smashed the Broncos 58-0 and broken a 75-year-old NRL finals record as two AFL stars sweat on tribunal results and the Boomers finished fourth in the basketball world cup
Shock find: superpowered Amazon eel
For more than 250 years, we thought there was only one species of electric eel on Earth. Scientists have discovered two more species, one of which can shock its prey with 860 volts
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