3.
HEADLINES
A PAINFUL CHOICE:
HEATING OR
EATING £
MANY ˠˢ˥˘ˣ˘ˢˣ˟˘˪˜˟˟˕˘˙˔˖˜ˡ˚˔˖˛ˢ˜˖˘˕˘˧˪˘˘ˡ˞˘˘ˣ˜ˡ˚˪˔˥ˠˢ˥ˣ˨˧˧˜ˡ˚
food on the table when energy bills increase a lot in April.
Ofgem, which looks after power supplies in
the UK, said that typical bills will increase
from £1,277 to £1,971 – a rise of 54%. This is
mostly due to a worldwide increase in the
price of gas.
Although it depends how you measure it,
there are around 4.3 million children already
living in poverty in the UK. The energy
price rise is expected to push millions
more children and families into poverty.
Any families who are struggling to pay their
energy bills are being advised to contact
their supplier as soon as possible. Chancellor
LOVE FOR LENSES
Mirabel, the glasses-
wearing star of Encanto
WOW!
ENCANTO˛˔˦˔˟˦ˢ˦˘˧˔ˡ˘˪˥˘˖ˢ˥˗ʟ˔˦˧˛˘Ѓ˥˦˧Ѓ˟ˠ˧ˢ˘˩˘˥
˛˔˩˘˧˛˥˘˘˦ˢˡ˚˦˜ˡ˧˛˘˧ˢˣ˧˘ˡˢ˙˧˛˘ˈʾϠ˦˂˙Ѓ˖˜˔˟ˆ˜ˡ˚˟˘˦ʶ˛˔˥˧ʔ
We Don’t Talk About Bruno has had a few weeks at No 1, with Surface
Pressure and The Family Madrigal following close behind.
AN END TO THE CAKE
WAR (…OR IS IT?)
SUPERMARKET Aldi has lost a battle with
rival M&S over its caterpillar cake.
Aldi had been accused of copying M&S’s
popular Colin the Caterpillar cake. When Aldi
refused to stop selling its similar Cuthbert the
Caterpillar, M&S called in the lawyers.
The two sides reached an agreement last
week, which means that Aldi can’t continue to
sell Cuthbert how he is right now. However, the
cheeky Aldi Twitter account has promised that
people should “keep an eye out for Cuthy B this
spring”, which suggests that he might get some
FirstNews
New
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£
£
Getty
Rishi Sunak announced a support
scheme to help people pay their bills,
but many people have said it isn’t
enough and won’t reach all who need it.
On Monday (7 February), the Food
Foundation said that a million adults or
someone in their home has gone a whole
day without eating in the last month. It added
that 2m children now live in households that
don’t have a healthy and affordable diet,
“which puts them at high risk of suffering
from diet-related diseases, poor growth and
shorter lives”.
£ People protesting about energy bills outside
ʷˢ˪ˡ˜ˡ˚ˆ˧˥˘˘˧ʟ˧˛˘˛ˢˠ˘ˢ˙˧˛˘ˣ˥˜ˠ˘ˠ˜ˡ˜˦˧˘˥
THE˛˨˚˘˦˨˖˖˘˦˦ˢ˙ʷ˜˦ˡ˘ˬϠ˦Ѓ˟ˠ
CLIMATE CHANGE
LEADS TO EARLIER
Encanto has been a huge boost to a
˚˜˥˟˪˛ˢ˔˦˞˘˗˧˛˘˖ˢˠˣ˔ˡˬ˧ˢ˖˥˘˔˧˘
FLOWERING
Disney
a character who wears glasses.
Lowri, 12, from Chilwell, Nottinghamshire,
wrote to Disney three years ago, after
saying that she “felt alone” because
no-one else in her family wore glasses. ʸ˔˥˟˜˘˥Єˢ˪˘˥˜ˡ˚
˧˜ˠ˘˦˔˥˘ˠˢ˦˧
Getty
Film director Jared Bush said on Twitter
˘˫˧˥˘ˠ˘˜ˡ˛˘˥˕˦
that at the time he “couldn’t say that her
wish was already coming true!” PLANTS˜ˡ˧˛˘ˈʾ˔˥˘Єˢ˪˘˥˜ˡ˚˔˥ˢ˨ˡ˗˔ˠˢˡ˧˛˘˔˥˟˜˘˥
ˁˢ˪˧˛˘Ѓ˟ˠ˜˦ˢ˨˧˔ˡ˗ʿˢ˪˥˜Ϡ˦˕˘˘ˡ˔˕˟˘ ˕˘˖˔˨˦˘ˢ˙˖˟˜ˠ˔˧˘˖˛˔ˡ˚˘ʟ˔˦˧˨˗ˬ˛˔˦˙ˢ˨ˡ˗ʡ
to see it, she says she’s happy that “young
ˆ˖˜˘ˡ˧˜˦˧˦˟ˢˢ˞˘˗˔˧ʧʤʬʟʦʨʧ˥˘˖ˢ˥˗˜ˡ˚˦ˢ˙˧˛˘Ѓ˥˦˧Єˢ˪˘˥˜ˡ˚
girls and boys now have a role model to
date from 406 plant species in the UK between 1753 and
look up to”.
2019. Comparing results before and after 1986, they saw
˧˛˔˧Єˢ˪˘˥˜ˡ˚˧˜ˠ˘˦˔˥˘ˡˢ˪˔ˠˢˡ˧˛˘˔˥˟˜˘˥ʡ
ˇ˛˘˥˘˦˘˔˥˖˛˘˥˦˔˟˦ˢ˙ˢ˨ˡ˗˧˛˔˧Єˢ˪˘˥˜ˡ˚˧˜ˠ˘˜˦˔˥ˢ˨ˡ˗
˦˜˫˗˔ˬ˦˘˔˥˟˜˘˥˜ˡ˧˛˘˦ˢ˨˧˛˧˛˔ˡ˜ˡ˧˛˘ˡˢ˥˧˛ʟ˔ˡ˗Ѓ˩˘˗˔ˬ˦
earlier in cities and towns compared to the countryside.
ˇ˛˘˥˘ˣˢ˥˧˦˔ˬ˦˧˛˔˧˜˙Єˢ˪˘˥˜ˡ˚˧˜ˠ˘˦˞˘˘ˣ˚˘˧˧˜ˡ˚˘˔˥˟˜˘˥
and the climate gets more extreme, it could lead to serious
trouble for lots of ecosystems and agriculture in the UK.
BITE-SIZED
Down High School
NEWS
Aldi
Down High School
has its own beehives!
Aldi once sent
Cuthbert into MORE than 1,000 schools across the UK have now
space to raise pledged to be zero carbon by the year 2030.
ˠˢˡ˘ˬ˙ˢ˥ They’ve all signed up to the Let’s Go Zero campaign,
the Teenage led by climate charity Ashden. The pledge means that
Cancer Trust everything the schools do, including travel, dinners, and
everything they buy, will add up to zero overall carbon
kind of makeover in an attempt to keep his fans emissions. See letsgozero.org for more.
(and the M&S lawyers) happy!
 8. HOME NEWS by Hannah Timson FirstNews Issue 817 11 – 17 February 2022

NORTHERN IRELAND UK

Getty
Getty
First Minister resigns Bigger forests needed
Paul Givan has quit as Northern Ireland’s Campaigners are calling for bigger forests
First Minister, calling the job the “privilege of with different types of trees to be planted in
my lifetime”. The DUP leader stepped down the UK. The Soil Association says that more
as part of his party’s protests against the tree species will help to provide better habitats
Northern Ireland Protocol. The protocol is for wildlife and support people’s wellbeing.
part of the Brexit deal that was put in place A report by the charity found that 99% of
between the UK and the EU. It means checks plantation forests (those planted by humans
are required on goods coming into Northern for timber) and 93% of native woodland is “not
Ireland from the rest of the UK, but it has in good ecological condition”. The charity is
caused a lot of upset. As Mr Givan hs stepped urging the Government to do more. Forests
down from the job, the Deputy First Minister cover around 13% of the UK at the moment,
Michelle O’Neill from the Sinn Féin party also but the Climate Change Committee, which
loses her position, as the two parties had advises the Government, says that needs
formed a government together. There are to rise to at least 17% by 2050 to help tackle
now calls for an early election to take place. greenhouse gas emissions.

MORECAMBE DEVON
Ice Age remains
Eden Project North

discovered
The remains of several Ice Age
creatures have been found in a
cave in Devon. The bones belong
to a woolly mammoth, rhinoceros,
wolf and hyena, and are thought to
date back around 30,000-60,000
years. Archaeologists made the
“exceptional” discovery during
The project, pictured in an building work on a new town near
illustration above, will be similar Plymouth. The remains are being
to the Eden Project in Cornwall studied to help experts better
understand what life was like during
the Ice Age period. They are then
New Eden Project expected to be given to Plymouth’s
given go-ahead new museum, The Box.

Planning permission has been

AC Archaeology
given to build a new £125 million
Eden Project in the seaside town
of Morecambe. Eden Project
North would be made up of three
seafront shell-shaped domes,
each featuring different plant
species, environments and
educational activities. There would
also be exhibitions, live music and
restaurants. The charity behind the
project says it could attract up to
one million tourists every year and
create hundreds of new jobs in the
area. If it gets enough funding, Eden
Project North is set to open in 2024.
A wolf skull

LIVERPOOL LONDON
Art installation in Students sell soup
Liverpool Cathedral for charity
Liverpool Cathedral/Gareth Jones

An immersive art installation called Space,
The Universe and Everything will take over
Liverpool Cathedral from 18-27 February.
Visitors will be taken on a journey through
˦ˣ˔˖˘ϝ˙˥ˢˠ˧˛˘Ѓ˥˦˧˦˧˘ˣˢˡ˧˛˘ˠˢˢˡ˧ˢ
the edge of the universe – with the help of
light displays, projections and sounds. It all
takes place in the cathedral after dark. You
˖˔ˡЃˡ˗ˢ˨˧ˠˢ˥˘˔ˡ˗˕ˢˢ˞˧˜˖˞˘˧˦˔˧
www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk.
Students from four London secondary schools
took over stalls at Borough Market last week for
the Young Marketeers Winter Sale. The students
created winter soup recipes that they made and
sold alongside freshly baked bread. The Young
Marketeers programme is run with the charity
School Food Matters and helps to raise money for
The Felix Project food charity. The schools raised
£482 from their soup sales, which will provide 2,892
meals for vulnerable families across London.