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BBC School Report
BBC School News Report 2013
This year our Year 7 students endeavoured to create their own live news broadcasts for the BBC School News Report. The students organised themselves into news groups to ensure a variety of stories could be covered and had just 1 hour to find their story, gather their facts and write their reports. One team acted as the program controllers (quality control), making sure stories were newsworthy, checking the timings and organising the running order for the broadcast. Every student had a job role that would exist in a real news production team. The filming and editing was overseen by a keen team of Year 8 peer mentors and other students from Years 8, 9 and 10 who were selected for their excellence in ICT/digital media. They had 1 hour to record all of the news stories and edit the files that you can see below. Whilst the editing was taking place the Year 7 students made their news reports suitable for uploading. The students had a special assembly in the afternoon to view the “final cut” for each group and to see their work live on the school website – BBC School News Report Page. A lot of hard work and effort went in to making the broadcasts and an enjoyable day was had by many. I’m sure some are looking forward to being behind the camera next time. Well done and congratulations to all of the teams involved!
BBC School Report 7R
BBC School Report 7B
BBC School Report 7Q
BBC School Report 7C
Shocking or what?
Alain Robert is a climber from France and is known around the world as the 'French Spiderman' because of his crazy climbing skills! Alain is famous for climbing skyscrapers using no climbing equipment except for a small bag of chalk and a pair of climbing shoes. He has climbed some of the most dangerous and risky buildings such as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Sydney Opera house! Alain is climbing into fame as he will be appearing on a CBBC show called ‘Super Human Challenge’ which is coming to our screens on March 27th. Authorities will not normally give someone permission for such dangerous challenges , so Alain usually appears at dawn on the site of whichever giant place he has chosen to climb. As a consequence, Alain has been arrested many times, in various countries, but this has never stopped him from continuing his adventures.
This has been Keryn and Caroline reporting from Stretford Grammar School for BBC school news report 2013.
Stretford Grammar School supports Comic Relief 2013
So we all know that Jessie J, 1 Direction and Mr Bean all raised money for comic relief. Harry from 1 Direction was busy in the kitchen making cakes and selling them, and Niall from one direction was doing his bit as well, he completed a sponsor silence for a whole day. As For The singer Jessie J people probably know that she had shaved off all her hair, live, for Comic Relief raising over £500,000. Yet even though she is bald we think she still manages to look beautiful!! She also made a speech saying “I know Red Nose Day is only one night, but this is every day, every week, every month and every year that these people are suffering”. Stretford Grammar school did a smashing fund raising week with Red Noses selling like hot cakes, a penalty shoot out, a tombola, guess the sweets in a jar, Let’s Rock for Comic Relief, and on the fabulous Friday we did a Great Bake Off sale, a Pointless quiz and also all the students got to wear whatever they wanted on Friday. This has been 7R reporting from Stretford Grammar School for BBC School News Report 2013
Sacked For Shaking It
In the library at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford University 30 students took part in the famous ‘Harlem Shake’ on Sunday 17th March. This resulted in the Librarian, Calypso Nash, being sacked even though she didn’t contribute to the video or appear in the video. Up to five students have been fined for this misbehaviour, but was it fair that the librarian was sacked? Students certainly don’t think so, as they are asking for the Librarian to be given her job back. It has been posted on YouTube for fun, however, the students have realised that it has resulted in major consequences. The police have not been involved in this as it is not considered a serious criminal offence.
by Kiranjot, Nana, Valeria and Surriya
Horse Meat Scandal in schools and supermarkets
In schools across Europe parents, teachers and even students have been affected by the horsemeat scandal. UKAS Lab Services have proved that in Lancashire 47 schools have been sold horse meat products. All this has caused a 30% decrease in the amount of processed meat being used. It is not the fact that we have been consuming horse meat that has caused so much outrage but the fact the traders have deceived us. As part of our research we asked one student from Stretford Grammar School what is their reaction to this scandal is Sean said ‘It’s disgusting but it’s eaten all over Europe and it is actually healthier than most meats'. This has been Ella, Lucy, Sophie, Soria and Priya reporting from Stretford Grammar for BBC School News Report 2013.
Strongest evidence that the planet Mars may have supported life
For centuries people have wondered about the possibility of life on Mars being the same as our home, planet Earth. According to new research, minerals under the surface of Mars hold the strongest evidence that the planet may have supported life. “This is the strongest evidence NASA has found yet”, says the NASA team. In August, NASA's Curiosity (rover) landed on its surface of the planet with a mission to search for evidence of life on the planet. Scientists believe Mars is the only other planet that humans could actually live on in the future. If anything did happen such as the end of the world, we could have a sustainable home. The team, led by the Natural History Museum in London and the University of Aberdeen, said the ingredients for life could have been in an area up to 5km below the surface for much of the planet's history. However, the early geological record of Earth is poorly preserved so we may never know what led to life and early evolution.
First Day At School
I’m sure you’ve all heard of Malala Yousafzai, she’s the teenage girl who spoke out against the Government in Pakistan. Malala believed that girls should be able to go to school, but got shot in the head when she was campaigning for girls’ right of education. She had an operation in Pakistan, but was moved to a hospital where they had to reconstruct Malala’s skull. She has a titanium plate and cochlea implant, which was fitted at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham England. Malala has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Fortunately, Malala Yousafzai has made an excellent recovery in Birmingham, and left the Hospital last Thursday, the 14th of March. She had her first day back at school on Tuesday 19th March. The president of Pakistan said that she’s a remarkable girl, and a credit to Pakistan. This News report was created by Phoebe, Caitlin, Dionne and Rose for the BBC school news report day.
Languages dropped in the UK
Schools in England have been encouraging more teenagers to take up languages since the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (the league table that measures the ranks of results of GSCE students) Figures suggest that 50% of state-funded secondary school, half of older pupils are now taking a foreign language GCSE. In 2010, this was the case in 38% of schools. However, students have dropped languages such as French and German after GCSE. Just one in 10 of people taking a GCSE in French went on to take an AS-level in the subject (the first stage of an A-level). That compares with about a third of those taking biology GCSE who drop the subject for A Level. Teachers are saying that the students in the UK should study the languages in the primary school curriculum. “If we are to turn the situation around, we must capture the opportunity provided by the introduction of foreign languages into the primary curriculum, linked to the aspiration for improved standards in the reformed GCSE and A-levels.”
Rahber, Haseeb, Umer and Ahmed
Google Glass reaches the top of the technology world
A revolution in technology, Google glass are the latest craze in the technology world. Google have said ‘Durable and lightweight they feel nothing compared to normal glasses.’ This gadget is going to be released by the end of 2013 during the Christmas season in America. The cost of this amazing gadget will be $1500. Why would you want Google glass? Well the applications are endless. Google Glass was created to record memories and also translate your voice and take pictures. Google Glass is a hand-free computer. Controlled by your voice, it is available in black, white, grey, orange and blue. Google Glass is going to be a world-wide sensation.
Prawns ashore
Thousands of dead shellfish have been washed ashore in Chile. The dead red crustaceans (red shelled fish) were washed up on a beach in Coronel, Chile over last weekend. Local Fisherman say, “There’s never been an incident this big in over 60 years,”they think the problem is due to the power plants using sea water for cooling. A spokesperson from Endesa, said that they were aware of the problem, and will issue a statement of what to do later. Last February, there was an event like this on a much smaller scale with dolphins, sea lions, and sea turtles being involved. We interviewed a few students from Stretford Grammar school, here is what a student said “I think that there should not be powerplants so close to the beach, this needs changing!” But whilst some people blame pollution, others say that it is the result of the El Nino phenomenon which warms the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The environmentalists also think that this issue could be caused by pollution, and viruses as well as the above.
This is: Ava, Katie, and Emma, reporting for you at Stretford Grammar School, on behalf of the BBC School News Report 2013.
Librarian Sacked
A librarian at Oxford University has been sacked after students filmed a Harlem Shake video in the library. Around thirty students from St. Hilda’s College took part. The librarian lost her job and up to five students were fined. The college has still not commented on the incident. The students at St. Hilda’s college are petitioning to get their librarian back. The Harlem Shake is popular in today’s world. There’s more than one Harlem Shake video made every day. It consists of one person dancing, and then everyone joins in after the words ‘Do the Harlem Shake’ are heard.
BBC School News report from Drew, Charlie, James, Sam and Ali
Cover by One Direction, top of the charts
Do you remember that song by Blondie, One Way or Another? Well 1 Direction has revamped it to be a fun energetic song. As well as being top of the charts on iTunes it also raised a whopping amount of £11 000 for red nose day and is now number 1 in over 63 different countries. This money goes to help people in Africa and people right here in the UK. They did not want to waste money on an expensive music video so they decided to make their own and give all the money they saved to Comic Relief. They mentioned this at the beginning of the video to give it more effect. This is Oula reporting from Stretford Grammar School for the BBC school news report.
Deep Impact on Religion
We may think when snuggled up at home, in bed, movie disasters don’t happen. Think again. Russia recently was hit by a massive chunk of space rock, where our radar could not find it. In the nice town of Chelyabinsk an asteroid hit the ground, hard. Over 1,500 people were injured. NASA have made a statement, and they said is ground-breaking, when people are scared of these chunks of rock hurtling through space, that they should turn to religion and pray. Some say that they are denying the facts, turning into another religious cult, and in some ways they would be right. Around a sixth of the workforce of NASA is religious, making it a fairly religious place of work. Charles Baldman, CEO of NASA, is suggesting strongly that people turn to religion. Right as of now, we have no current data of any looming asteroid impacts on earth, but it seems NASA is just as unsure as any of us, about the situation the earth is currently in. Finn, Lucas, Ruairi, Josh, Yusef and Andrew-BBC School News Report, Stretford Grammar School.
Allypups
Hello, my name is Eloise. On the 7th of November, a woman called Mica Holcroft got a call from someone saying they had found a box of 6 puppies on the road side. Mica and her daughter Kayleigh drove down to South Wales to pick them up. After being checked by the vets they took them back to their house in Wigan, where they have been looked after since then. They were greeted with open arms by Mica’s 7 other Labradors, Fifi, Dalas, Maverick, Chyna, Morgan, Sophi and Milan. All of the puppies are male, which is very unusual for the same litter. Therefore they think that the puppies are probably from a puppy farm and that the owners didn’t want male offspring as they are more difficult to sell this is because people say that they are more aggressive than female dogs. As some of the dogs have features which aren’t of full Labradors they believe that some of them are blood related but some aren’t. Fortunately, all of the dogs but one have homes and will be going there soon.
This has been 7b reporting from Stretford Grammar School for BBC School News Report, 2013.
What If Everyone Had A Car?
There are over 7 billion people in the world, and there are at least 2-3 billion cars in the world, and is estimated to be 4 billion cars by 2050. Global warming is already on an all-time high, and just imagine how much global warming these cars make. So, what if we made cars environmentally friendly? At the moment plans are being made to make cars use less road space and make them smaller. The M.I.T CityCar is already in development and is meant to be the smallest car in the world. 3 of these cars can fit in a space where only 1 average sized car could. This will also save a lot of space on the road. Another idea is to make it thinner so that even though there is only 2 wheels, there are built in gyroscopes which makes the car have the stability of a four wheel car. This idea is significant mainly because it will lower global warming and it would use less space on the road.
Ismael, Wajeeh, Anas, Hudeyfa and Samiullah
BBC School Report , 2013
Update: Students from this school will be making the news for real on 21st March 2013 as they take part in BBC News School Report. We aim to publish the news by 1600 GMT on News Day, so please save this page as a favourite and return to it later
BBC School Report Stories, 2012
Interview with Mr. S. Mycock
Mr. Mycock discusses the events of the day.
Interview with Ian St. Clair Depeiaza
Jonathan Akinyemi
Jonathan came into school today to be interviewed about him and his job as an Olympic kayaker. We gave him a tour around the school and showed him some of the things we’d be involved in, in school today. We first did a run through of some of the things I’d be interviewing him about then we filmed the interview for the school web site. Here’s how it went:
So Jonathan after growing up in Britain why did you decide to become an athlete for Nigeria?
‘After being a junior kayaker for TEAM GB for a long time, I became more and more interested in my Nigerian heritage. Also after Britain took me off funding because I finished 14th I decided to move to the Nigerian team as I thought if Britain don’t need me I don’t need them. I have no regrets”
The next question was about how the Nigerian Olympic Committee achieved a great milestone in being granted 9 scholarships for Nigerian Olympic athletes. I asked him how important it was for him to receive one.
He replied "it was a great feeling to receive one, it gave me lots of confidence and made me feel like I could achieve great things.”
I then asked him about how, in 2011 he managed to beat bronze Olympian medalist Benjamin Boukpeti in the African Canoe Slalom Championships and claimed first place, and was awarded his Olympic ticket. I asked him if this gave him more confidence ahead of one of the biggest events of his career
” It definitely gives me an extra boost of confidence plus I earned a medal for myself, I have trained hard, I wasn’t surprised I beat him, but many were surprised because he is a strong canoer.”
The next question I asked was about, Lagos State rowing and Yatching Association officials commenting on Jonathon receiving his place at the African K1 canoeing event saying they had absolute belief in him performing at your very best. I asked how important is it to have that kind of support?
He replied “It’s very important to me because though I have belief in my skills, it just makes me that much more confident in what I’m attempting to do because really it is still quite daunting to me”
Do you feel you have an advantage over other athletes performing in the country you grew up in?
“Definitely, home advantages a lot of people will support me on the race on the 27th of July, it’s a big impact and hopefully it will improve my performance. I’m the first Nigerian to win a medal in canoeing “
Nigeria has never represented anyone at the Olympics canoe slalom competition before now what does it feel like to be the first?
“I’ve got a lot of support but also a lot more pressure than most athletes, but more people are now coming to trust in my abilities as I am now the first Nigerian to win a medal in water sports”
You live in London and have performed canoeing events for Britain what did it feel like telling them you wanted to represent Nigeria?
“When I left team Great Britain, I didn’t have any regrets, I never look back, they have some amazing athletes but it wasn’t the team for me. “Finally is there anything you’d like to try and say to try and help encourage young athletes like yourself to make it to the top like you have?
Interview with Nick Insley
Today we interviewed Nick Insley about the new piece of sport equipment, the Accelerator. The Accelerator was designed by sports medics. The accelerator measured the speed and time ran in 15 metres. They compared the result with Olympic running star, Usain Bolt. The average time measured was 2.90 seconds for the average 13-14 year old, but all star Usain Bolt did this under 0.9 seconds! Most adults would not even be able to do 2.7 seconds. Nick Insley commented “this is a fun and competitive way of helping improve our children’s health”. This also measured the amount of metres you were behind all star Usain Bolt.
This project has been taking place around other schools as well and all have been amazed. This was not just for the fun of it, but also used for scientific and physiological purposes. The project also funds medical projects. The Accelerator is a new piece of equipment, as it was finished in January 2012 for the Olympic workshop.
What Future?
Have you ever thought about what goes into your food? Not about the calories, but the effort, work and daily struggle. The binning of bread, a bruised apple, and last-night’s dinner, is a binning of all that has been put into it. The future is about sustainability. It affects everyone, everywhere. 15 million tonnes of food waste is produced in Britain each year, due to carelessness.
Ever heard the saying, “don’t take things for granted”? It’s true. Wasting food isn’t just about throwing it away; it’s about taking it for granted. 1.5bn people are overweight, whilst some places in the world home the 925 million people who don’t even have enough to eat.
British food imports are worth £33bn a year, but not much of this money actually goes to the people that produced it. Food prices rose 12% from 2007 and will double by 2030. When this happens, these people will not be able to afford to feed themselves. Even now, some struggle too much. The world’s population will go from 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050, increasing food prices and therefore increasing poverty in the future. Think of how the waste and the unnecessary intake of food from all these people will impact everyone’s lives.
7.2m tonnes of food waste come from households; however, this has dropped from 2006 when it was 8.3 tonnes. If we want to live in the future we need to carry on like this: buy what we need, not all we want.
By Husna, Megan, Shanza, Sadia and Ansia, Year 9
Lines for Play
The chief Ofsted inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, says that literacy progress has stalled; and that reading standards have not improved since 2005 in England, he also says that we are being overtaken by other nations. Reading targets for 11-year-olds should be raised, “our standards should be higher” he says.
We interviewed our English teacher Mrs. Nicholls, and she told us how students at Stretford grammar were progressing in English.... “So Mrs. Nicholls, how do you think the students here at Stretford Grammar are getting on in English?”
“Well, I think that’s a really interesting question and I believe that standards do need to be set higher and many children here at Stretford Grammar read but others don’t. The children who don’t just haven’t found their perfect inspiring book and when they find it they will believe in all the magic behind the pages of the book... We try very hard to encourage children to read some are better than others but that’s why we have the weaker readers do paired reading during form time to help them! Maybe they believe that science and maths are more important than English but actually they are equally important...”
“Thank you Mrs. Nicholls for your interesting opinion.”
Swiss bus crash brings sorrow
28 people have been killed when a bus from Belgium crashed inside a Swiss tunnel. Families of the killed victimes were taken to identify the dead bodies. The police said that all possible bodies will be shown to the families but police spokesman Jean-Marie Bornet said to the press “In some cases this is not possible because the bodies are too badly injured."
Swiss police say twenty one Belgians and seven Dutch people were killed overall twenty eight were killed. When the bus carrying 52 people hit a wall inside the Tunnel de Geronde less than an hour after heading home from a skiing vacation in the Swiss Alps. Twenty-four other children were hurt, some seriously. The 11-year-old daughter of a South African is among 24 survivors of Tuesday's Swiss bus tragedy in which 28 people died, according to a report on Thursday.
According to Beeld newspaper, Andrea has multiple fractures and serious concussion, and will undergo surgery. According to Andrea's grandfather, Professor Daan Pienaar, his granddaughter's favourite teacher was among the dead.
The people who had survived were airlifted to hospital by military helicopters.
Reported by Hamza and George
McFly are back!! Oh, dear!! – Keep Calm And Play Louder
After being around for nearly 10 years McFly are back with their new ‘Keep Calm & Play Louder’ tour. Their most recent album ‘Above The Noise’ was not a favourite of the fans but Tom Fletcher quoted “We just wanted to experiment with different types of music like we did with Shine A Light with Taio Cruz.”
The tour will be going from the 7th of March until April. McFly introduced their fans to their new songs ‘Red’ and ‘Touch The Rain’ which the ‘Galaxy Defenders’ (who are just like beliebers) went crazy about. The members of McFly; Dougie Poynter, Danny Jones, Tom Fletcher and Harry Judd have been in many reality TV shows before so we have all still been up to date with them; Dougie winning I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Harry winning Strictly Come Dancing and Danny going on Popstar To Opera Star.
They performed a few of their famous songs like Five Colours In Her Hair, Transylvania and Walk In The Sun (an acoustic version.) Dougie (The Bassist and singer), Danny (Lead singer and guitarist), Tom (Lead singer and guitarist) and Harry (Drummer) were causing all sorts of antics, putting on bras that were thrown on the stage, messing about and making people laugh as usual. The fire alarm in Portsmouth went off on their first day and they had to be dragged off stage, they were posting all over Twitter hoping that the same thing wouldn’t happen again! We all hope they’ll carry on their tour smoothly and we all can’t wait for their new album and book/biography to come out in the summer.
By Sophie and Amaani
Comenius project
Since 2011, Stretford Grammar School have been participants in the Comenius Project. The aim of the project is to allow students from various countries (such as France, Spain, Poland and Cyprus) to experience life here in England and to discover what it is like at Stretford Grammar. Furthermore students from Stretford Grammar will have the opportunity to travel to one of these countries.
We interviewed Mr Hornby,an ICT teacher, from Stretford Grammar on his view’s of the Comenius Project. He said “Any project that allows school students to travel to places abroad must be brilliant!” Also, Mr Hornby thinks that it’s an excellent opportunity because students can experience different cultures, food and architecture and also get to meet and hopefully make friends with people from different countries.
The benefits of this project are: it helps students become more globally aware and provides links with schools that can be used in the future.
All this will take place on the 28th of March and will spend time in England for 5 days at our school. Stretford Grammar pupils will have a chance to host these students from abroad. During this trip they will visit Blackpool Pleasure beach, and tour Salford Quays.
Johnny Roye
We were interviewing Johnny Roye the former British, European, Commonwealth and world kick boxing champion.
Johnny first started kick boxing when he was 11 years old. He started kick boxing when he found himself being bullied at school. He didn’t like school as a youngster and didn’t see the point and found it irrelevant. When he starting kick boxing it gave him the focus he needed to understand school and how important it actually was. He was happy to have something he could now express himself in.
At first he didn’t really like kick boxing and the training that went with it but enjoyed the end results of it. Training was twice a week, 6 days a week. When we asked him about his eating habits he told us it’s ok to have treats but when you’re on such a strict diet you can have some and get away with it. When he was world champion he had to measure his weight to strength ratio and try to make himself as light as possible, but as strong as possible.
Even as a champion he had to overcome nerves. He told us about his first experience and how shaky he was he said ‘I remember the nerves on my first competition. I couldn’t do small things but I couldn’t let fear control me’. He told us that it was a unbelievable experience fighting for his country and hearing the national anthem, He competed over 50 times for his country and travelled the world in the process.
As he got older he began to focus on the business part of his career. He told us the transition from fighter to businessman would have been easier if he focused at school. At first he didn’t see the point in training other people but soon realised as he got older than and not as fit as he was he needed to start another career. However this meant going back to university to study A level business, nutrition, sport, math and English. . A saying that stuck with him was ‘If you don’t learn now you’ll have to learn sometime’ He said if he could go back again he would of done it all when he was still in school. At the moment he owns JR gyms where he trains people and has over 200 people who come to his gym to train themselves. In the near future he’s hoping to gain a promoters license. A boxing promoter is in charge of setting up and paying for everything involved in a boxing match and making sure all legal requirements are met at every step along the way.
Our interview which Johnny provides insight into a world champion’s life and into how school can help you in your career.
By Reuben
Graffiti Master
Today we got an amazing opportunity to miss all lessons and meet and greet a professional graffiti artist and a former pupil, Jamie Rennie. During this interview we discovered that you can’t just pick up a spray can and produce amazing graffiti. It takes a lot of planning and practice to get it perfect.
The graffiti is being painted behind the atrium due to health and safety reasons, so no-one can accidently inhale the toxic paint. When we asked what it was like to be a graffiti artist, Jamie replied that over the past 27 years that he’s been an artist, he has loved every single minute of it.
One of the key things about being a graffiti artist is inspiration. Jamie’s inspiration is Cosmos and Space. But for today, he’s using our young people as inspiration for their ideas.
But one thing struck us about this interview; you will very rarely find any graffiti artist using freestyle. Hard to believe, right! It may look free styled, but in fact it has all been planned to perfection. For anyone looking to be a graffiti artist follow Jamie’s tips:
- · Art qualifications
- · Practise with a spray can
- · Practise pens with thick edges- calligraphy
- · You need amazing muscle memory
- · Degree in design to help you find a job
- · But the main thing is practise makes perfect!
By Atikah, Aaya and Mariam
Tesco refuses to give iPad 3 after computer glitch
Tesco has confirmed that its £50 iPad offer was in fact a computer glitch. Tesco Direct offered a £50 iPad, a glitch saw the gadgets sold online at more than 90 per cent discount. Shoppers crashed the Tesco website on Tuesday after the latest iPad 3 4G 64GB model was advertised at just £49.99.
Later on, the shoppers who ordered got an email saying the supermarket refused to honour the deal and it was just incorrectly priced. A spokesman at Tesco emailed the disappointed shoppers saying, “Unfortunately, there was an error in the price at the time that you place your order and as a result we have had to cancel your order but if you would like to re-order it will launch again on Friday the 16th of March, for the correct price of £659.”
Some shoppers thought that it was a fraud for Tesco to get the shoppers to massively plump their pre-orders and to just get customer’s contact details. Hundreds of furious customers have signed an online petition demanding that the retailer honours the deal.
By Wafa, Celeste, Aysha, Orla, Ella
Nazi Memorabilia banned by government....?
For sale is a tray formerly presented to Hitler for his 50thbirthday, going for £28000 in the UK. This tray contains items from Holocaust victims, auctioning of Nazi Memorabilia items have already been banned in France, Germany, Austria and Hungary. Most of the UK already refuses to sell such items, companies like Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Bonham and even EBay.
The tray was sold last week by Dreweatts Auction House in Bristol, it had been planned to sell for £1000 when in fact it sold for 28x that amount! The tray itself contains a German eagle crest and initials. It was made by chief architect Albert Speer. Some surgical equipment supposedly owned by Major Anton Burger, commandment of ‘Theresienstadt’ concentration camp during World War 2 was attempted to be sold last month.
However, the ongoing sale of these items is still available and ministers are being urged to “control and bring in immediate action."
By: Salman. Erfan, Hashim.
M1 northbound closed by five-lorry crash
Four people have been injured, including one seriously on the M1 near Junction 25 in Nottinghamshire. Two of the drivers had to be cut from their cabs by emergency services.
The crash is believed to have happened at about 3:20 this morning, outside Trowell services. The cause of the incident is unknown, but the main theory is thick fog. Sergeant Steve Warren from the Nottinghamshire Police said “"The fog is not helping, with visibility down to about 75m.” He also outlined another danger, which is people travelling south on the M1 looking at the accident, which he says is likely to cause accidents as well.
The motorway between Junctions 25 and 26 is closed while police investigate the cause of the crash. This is expected to take until after lunchtime. The police say there are serious delays on diversion rotes and going south.
Bus Crash Kills 28 People
At Least 28 people – including 22 children – were reported dead with a further 24 injured, after a coach crash in a tunnel in Switzerland.
The Bus was carrying 52 people to Belgium following a skiing trip in the Swiss Alps. Those on board on the bus that crashed were from a school called Stetske Primary in Lommel, Belgium close to the Dutch border. Ten of the children involved in the crash were Dutch. The Belgium foreign minister said the children were mainly aged 12 and the bus was hired alongside another two from the same company. The other two have reached Belgium safely.
Injured casualties were airlifted to a nearby hospital where two children are being treated for severe injuries; another child is in intensive care. 21 other children are in stable conditions, they will return with their parents back to Belgium after further checks.
The coach hit a concrete wall head- on in a tunnel where the speed limit is 62mph; the wall is part of an emergency access section. An investigation is currently under way. Over 200 people and eight helicopters are involved in the rescue operation. Melchior Walthelet, the Belgium Transport Minister, said the company that owned the coach (Toptours), had ‘’an excellent reputation’. It is reported that the driver had arrived the night before and rested during the day, observing the Swiss law on driving.
By Mussa, Nizar and Fasih
M1 Northbound closed due to Five Lorries Crashing
Today, 3 people have been taken to hospital due to a pile up of 5 lorries crashing near junction 25 of the M1 in Nottinghamshire. The driving conditions were very bad because of the fog which led to the lorries crashing. Drivers had to be cut out of their cars after emergency services were called just after 03:20am. The motorway is not expected to reopen before lunchtime because the police are investigating the case. Sgt Steve Warren of Nottinghamshire Police said, “The fog is not helping, with the visibility down to about 75m.” Unfortunately, there are serious delays on diversion routes and on the southbound carriageway.
Akber, Adam, Hassan
He was forever smiling
A well loved 12 year old boy was the victim of a terrible car crash late on Saturday evening. He was said to have been cycling on the junction of Devon Avenue and Brantingham Road, Whalley Range, and then suddenly was hit by a Suzuki Swift Car. Witnesses claimed that when he made contact with the car he flipped off his bike and did a somersault in the air and hit the ground. Junaid Khan, former member of Chorlton High School is now well remembered as the happy, popular guy he was. He was described by his family and friends as a beautiful, well mannered and religious boy who had respect for others. Unfortunately for him, his life was too short. His funeral was attended by members of Chorlton High at Monday afternoon , and also teachers from his Primary School, Manley Park. Mr Handforth, the headteacher of Manley Park, has now arranged a memorial assembly and lunch for all students to remember the energetic life of Junaid. There is now a floral remembrance on a lamppost at the corner he was hit.
By Aaya, Atikah, Zainab, Mariam and Arshi.
Big Ben charge defended by House of Commons Officials
The House of Commons Commission says charging members of the public to visit the Big Ben is an important part of cutting costs for Parliament. Around 10,000 members of the public go on tour to the Big Ben each year and it is not clear why the taxpayer should make them pay to do so. However, Tony Robert Halfon, one of the many MPs against the idea, thinks they should not be charged £15 to visit and see our ancient democracy. It is currently free to climb 334 steps of the clock tower to see the Big Ben, but from July visitors will have to pay £15.
A debate on this issue will be held on Thursday in the House of Commons.
The commission is trying to save 17% from the Parliamentary estates’ budget and says imposing a fee for tours will help balance the costs. It says charging a fee does not change the principle that citizens should have free access to their Parliament because there is a clear distinction between the clock tower and the rest of the Palace of Westminster. It says that tours to the clock tower are specialist tours and are separate and unrelated to the work of Parliament. The commission says it is just a fee to cover the cost of the tours and not to generate a profit, and without the move, more savings will have to be made elsewhere to meet the 17% target.
Aaleen, Tallulah, Callum and Zedan
London 2012 Olympics – Bad for Britain?
The 2012 Olympics are going to be held in London, this means that London must do a lot in the way of preparation for the world-wide event.
The Olympics, being a massive world-wide event, will attract lots of foreign tourists that will spend money on souvenirs and accommodation, which will mean that Britain will get money coming in, which should cover the costs of the new buildings and events. One of the long term benefits of this is that the 5,000 houses that have been provided for the Olympic athletes will become available for purchase by the public after the end of the event. In order to bring in the thousands of spectators to London, the transport links going to several major points in the city or getting a very large overhaul, these include things such as channel tunnel shuttle links and 45% capacity jubilee line. The Olympic Games will also help to help a large amount of unemployed citizen gain work, with the short-term jobs providing a big boost for the area.
However, the Olympic Games may also cause Britain quite a lot of harm, such a large amount of tourism may lead to a lot of city-wide congestion. The improved transports, as well as trains and aeroplanes coming into the country taking tourists to us will cause massive amounts of pollution. The total costs of the stadium and the games with add up to a devastating amount of £2.375bn, a cost which may not be covered by the money coming in from the increased amount of tourists, this could lead a massive £500million loss. The jobs generated will only be short-term, meaning that it solves the unemployment issue temporarily. The cost of housing is also estimated to be on the rise after The Games.
Former News of the World chief reporter arrested over witness intimidation claims
On Tuesday Rebecca Brooks, the former chief executive of the News of the World, became the first person to be rearrested. She was held with her husband Charlie. The couple and News International’s head of security, Mark Hanna, were arrested along with three other unnamed men. Two were security staff who previously worked under contract for News International. Mr Thurlbeck was one of the first journalists arrested following the launch of Operation Weeting, the Scotland Yard investigation into phone hacking. His arrest followed the discovery of an email marked “for Neville” which contained transcripts of voicemails which had been intercepted.
Mr. Thurlbeck has claimed he is innocent of any such allegations and says that he warned senior executives at the News of the World that hacking was widespread in 2009, but his protests were ignored. He has since claimed that he was offered potential immunity by Scotland Yard in exchange for providing evidence against his former colleagues. Mr. Thurlbeck says he rejected the offer as he believes the police investigation into hacking will clear him. His arrest came as Jeff Edwards, former News of the World crime correspondent, told the Leveson Inquiry that he was removed from the post after he refused to bribe police officers.
Mr Edwards said his manager, who was not named, became “angry” when he told him he did not think it was right to pay inducements to police officers. He said he was taken off the crime beat when his boss said words to the effect that: “If you will not do my bidding I will find someone who will.”Mr Edwards, who is now retired from Fleet Street, worked for the News of the World between 1981 and 1985 before a long career at the Daily Mirror. He said he felt the News of the World, which was closed last year after the phone-hacking scandal, “had a tendency to corrupt some people”.
In a statement to the inquiry, he said his line manager, the paper’s news editor, told him in 1983 or 1984 he was not producing enough stories. “I explained to him the job was difficult and his response was something to the effect that 'We have plenty of money available, let your contacts in the police know that we will reward them for good information’,” he said. He was told the following week he was being removed from his post and replaced by one of his colleagues.
Girl Killed.......by a Rugby Ball!
Leonie Nice, 12, died after being hit by a rugby ball while playing in a school PE lesson at Woodlands Comprehensive School in Basildon, Essex. After being hit, she immediately collapsed to the ground in a fit, her face turned blue as she stopped breathing. Headteacher Andy White said ‘Our trained first-aiders gave CPR at the scene and the ambulance arrived quickly.’ The pupils and parents have been informed of this sad event and students who require support are being looked after by our own staff and specialist staff from Essex County Council’s support team. The cause of death remained unclear as a post-mortem examination is due to be held. But news quickly spread to other schoolchildren, with one speculating online, that the blow had cracked one of Leonie’s ribs, which had punctured her heart and killed her. In rare cases, heavy blows can stop the heart. The schoolgirl may also have had a health condition. Leonie was taken by ambulance to Basildon Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
by Husam, Mujtaba & Hamza
The Voice vs. Britain's Got Talent
Jessie J, Will.i.am, Tom Jones and Danny O’Donoghue from The Script will be the judges for the brand new singing competition The Voice. The Voice is set to go head-to-head with Britain’s Got Talent when both shows hit our tellies on Saturday 24 March.
Britain’s Got Talent was one of the top-rate shows of 2011, so will The Voice be on song or hit a bum note?
On Britain’s Got Talent’s Panel, they have Alesha Dixon from Strictly Come Dancing and David Walliams, who sponsored Sports Relief by swimming the length of the River Thames. Also Mr Nasty, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden are on the panel of Britain’s Got Talent. Will the judges from both shows appeal young viewers or go downhill?
Will the show be a replacement for X factor or will it encourages more people to watch it?
The winner of Britain Got Talent Jai McDowell didn’t shine after he won. He only came 54th with his debut album. You can watch The Voice on BBC One and Britain's Got Talent on ITV1, from Saturday 24 March. Which one will you be watching?
By Fatima, Maymoona and Nasra.
Progress on food industry health deal 'slow'
There has been "inadequate" progress in getting the food industry to adopt healthier practices, campaigners say.
An investigation by the consumer group which found many of the major firms had not signed up to the government's responsibility deal.
The voluntary initiative was launched a year ago to encourage moves such as reducing salt and trans-fats in food, and improving information. But the criticisms have been rejected by ministers and the industry. Nonetheless, they mark another blow to the credibility of the partnership.
When it was launched in January 2010, a host of health groups, including the British Medical Association and Diabetes UK, refused to sign up, saying the government was not being tough enough with the industry.
Now a days you look left, right and any other direction and you can even a fat person (in America) fast food = slow people, you can get many disabilities from obesity and be separated from society with prejudice. Also it is harder to perform everyday tasks. And your body suffers because of YOU.
So, eat less and exercise more, then i might go to America and see a thin person.
The Middle East
Hello, my name is Imaad and I would like to talk to you about the two following countries Iran and Israel.
President Obama asked the Israelis to allow time for sanctions and diplomacy to work, while Israel stated that it had made no final decision on Iran but that it was an option that remained open whether to fight.
America and other countries against Iran are saying if we attack Iran, the price of oil is going to go up. This is because Iran controls Hormuz, which allows ships that carry oil to pass. According to research, the Hormuz controls 40% of the oil worldwide. The Chinese government reported whoever wants to attack Iran will fight with china, and this is the threat to the western countries.
New Titanic - What Happened and What's Next?
On Friday the 13th near the Italian island of Gigleo, the Concordia only set off a few hours ago and is performing a salute. However something is wrong, the ship is slightly slanting to the left after a loud thud which shakes the ship. The ship has hit a rock after coming to close to shore. The captain however is at dinner with a young, blonde haired woman. After the thud he doesn’t go to check if everything is okay, his first mistake, which leads to what witnesses describe as the Titanic.
The ship continues to carry on away from the island when suddenly there is a blackout. Passengers are now panicking and heading to the decks to board the lifeboats; but when they arrive they are greeted by a crew member who tells them to go back to their cabins and that everything is under control. Really the crew member only says this as the captain isn’t passing on crucial information which could have saved all the lifes lost........ Another mistake!
Passengers are panicking, calling family members, telling them they love them and they may never see them again. The coast guards are recieving calls from worried family members and decides to call the captain, who now admits too an engine failiure. What is really happening is that the ships hull is flooding with water, dragging the ship down. The ship is now returning back to Giglio but stops in the middle of the sea. Passengers are now boarding lifeboats which they shouldve been hours ago. It is very difficult as the ship is at an angle.
So what is next for the boat? Well the Captain, Francesco Shettino is under house arrest charged with man slaughter. The boat has to go through underwater inspections, then pump out the 2000 tonnes of fuel, after this they have to get the ship upright and remove whats inside. Then patch up the hull and get it towed and scrapped. This process could take up to 13 months.
By Aleena, Sophie and Ellie
Horrified Pupils watch as school girl is killed by a rugby ball
Leonie Nice, 12, appeared to have a fit after being hit in the chest by a rugby ball while playing ‘throw and catch’. Her friends and other pupils heard about her death on Blackberry Messenger and on Twitter. She was rushed to hospital following the freak accident, which happened shortly before midday, but doctors were unable to save her.
Fellow year seven pupil Jeswin Babu, 12, described the harrowing moment she slumped to the ground in front of her classmates. He said: 'The girls said she got hit by a rugby ball and fell over and hit her head and stopped breathing. Her face started to go blue’
Their headteacher said that this was the first time this has ever happened to someone at this school. Her mother also quoted that ‘You really don’t expect to send your kids to school and get that type of phone call’.
Swiss bus crash
My name is Mustafa and I am reporting about the Swiss bus crash. Two C-130 Hercules military planes are on standby. The Belgian cabinet is due to hold an urgent meeting shortly. The coach carrying 52 people back to Belgium following a skiing trip struck a wall head-on in a tunnel on Tuesday. Relatives of the victims were later flown to Switzerland, many still unsure about the fate of their children. Another 24 children were injured, some critically, in the late night accident near the town of Sierre, in the southern Swiss canton of Valais. It was the most serious traffic accident in Switzerland's history for decades.
BBC School Report News, March 2012
Update: 9th March 2012
Year 7 Students have been getting ready for the big day next week by practising their reporter skills in ICT. Here is a selection of what you might be able to find out more about when the reports are in!
Racism and Equality, Children and Charities, University Fees, The School Day, The Effect of VAT increases on Children, Young People and Politics, and many more relevant and topical stories to come next week.
Update: 8th March 2012
Staff from BBC Radio 5 Live came into School to meet with around 60 of our BBC School News Reporters today to find out more about what affects our students and help them to get ready for the report day next week. Inspiring and motivational for all involved
Update: 3rd February 2012
Staff from the Production team of Blue Peter came into School today to meet with 7O and work with the students to see if they could offer suggestions for improving the Blue Peter show. Students got to see clips from a recording of the live show and discuss their thoughts and opinions with the team in small groups.
Update 20th September 2012
'Listen' to be a legend, Sir Bobby Charlton tells Reporters. For more on this story please click here
Gordon Burns visits and every Stretford student becomes a School Reporter! For more on this story please click here
BBC School Report Stories 2011
March 2011
On Thursday 24th March 2011 a number of students broadcasted on the BBC Asian Network. Students also took part in a festival of events at BBC's Mediacity. They wrote and presented the news and reported on the National Census, the BBC School Survey that our school had taken a major part in.
Mediacity coverage began at 9.00 am and was watched live on BBC's Red Button News channel. Scroll down to view the the films made by our reporters.
For the results of our school survey please click here
For the Stretford Grammar School Report web page please click here
For the BBC School Report web page please click here
To access more reports via the sound cloud please click here
School Report: Stretford Grammar investigate the Survey
