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25th June 2015

British English edition
Issue Number 252
In this issue
Another mass extinction?
The Confederate flag
Electric scooters for hire in
Paris
Flash flood in Georgia
Magna Carta at 800
Okinawa anniversary
Tuna crab mass stranding
Denmark’s general election
result
Bilderberg Group meeting
Month of Ramadan
Pepper robot on sale
Refugees reach record
Naming an octopus
Men dressed as Wellington’s soldiers at the site of the Battle of Waterloo, in Belgium
Philae reawakes
Left-handed kangaroos
WATERLOO REMEMBERED Air strike on Libya
The Ancient One returns
On 18th June 1815, two large armies Many historians believe that Napo- Copying owl wings
faced each other not far from the city leon was one of the best military com- First International Yoga Day
of Brussels. At about 11 o’clock in the manders ever to have lived. He led his Glossary Crossword and
morning, large guns began to fire. The armies to unlikely victories in several Wordsearch Puzzle
Battle of Waterloo had begun. European countries. In 1812 Napoleon
Thousands of people visited the Wa- invaded Russia. At first he was success-
terloo battlefield, in Belgium, on 17th ful. Yet after occupying Moscow, the
and 18th June. There, they watched, or Russian capital city, Napoleon and his Learning
took part in, special events. All were or- soldiers were forced to withdraw. English as a
ganised to mark the bicentenary of one of The following year armies from
history’s most famous battles. Russia, Prussia (a German kingdom in foreign
Two hundred years ago, contemporar- northern Europe), Sweden, and several language?
ies led the two armies. Napoleon Bona- German states defeated Napoleon at the
parte and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Battle of Leipzig (also known as the Bat-
Wellington, were both 45 years of age. tle of Nations). In 1814 Napoleon was Newsademic.com
They had never met in battle before. forced to stand down as leader of France.
Napoleon (1769 – 1821) was a mili- He was sent to live on a small island in Recommended
tary and political leader. He ruled France the Mediterranean Sea, called Elba.
from 1804 to 1814, and again for around However, within 12 months Napo- reading
three months in 1815. When he took over leon had escaped and returned to France. for
in 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Em- He immediately raised a new powerful
peror of France. army. On hearing the news, the leaders of
EFL and ESL
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
Austria, Prussia, Russia, and the
United Kingdom, declared Napo-
leon to be an outlaw. Each of these
countries agreed to raise an army of
150,000 men to defeat him.
Wellington (1769 – 1852) joined
the army as a young man. He took
part in battles in the Netherlands
and India. Wellington became a
general during the Peninsular War
(1807 – 1814). This conflict was
between France and Spain on one
side, and the UK and Portugal on
the other. Most of the fighting took
place in Portugal and Spain. In 1813
Wellington defeated a French army
at the Battle of Vitoria, in Spain.
Napoleon’s older brother, Joseph
Bonaparte, jointly led this army.
Because of his success in Portu-
gal and Spain, Wellington was made
the commander of an allied army.
This was the army that he would
lead at Waterloo. It was made up
of soldiers from the UK, the Neth-
erlands and parts of Germany. By
the beginning of June 1815, Wel-
lington’s army had assembled in
Belgium (then, this was part of the
Netherlands). A Prussian army, led
by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
(1742 – 1819), was on its way to
meet him. Austria and Russia were
slow to arrange their forces.
Napoleon decided to attack. He
wanted to separate the armies of
Wellington and Blücher. He be-
lieved he could defeat both, but one
at a time. Napoleon thought that if he
beat these two armies the Austrians
and Russians would be willing to
make peace. Napoleon’s army was
about 100,000 strong. He ordered it
to march to Charleroi. Napoleon’s
two senior commanders were Mar-
shal Ney and Marshal Grouchy.
Napoleon ordered part of his
army, under Ney, to attack Wel-
lington’s soldiers at Quatre-Bras.
Another part of the French army, led
by Grouchy, attacked the Prussians
at Ligny. Napoleon was therefore
fighting two battles at the same time.
The Prussians were defeated. Yet,
instead of withdrawing to the east, or
where they had come from, the Prus-
sian army moved northwards to the
town of Wavre. This meant that they
remained close to Wellington’s army.
Brussels
Waterloo
Wavre
Quatre-Bras
Ligny
Charleroi
Allied Army French Prussians
Retreat Battle, French win Retreat
Battle, Allied win
Wellington decided to withdraw
from Quatre-Bras. He ordered his
soldiers to moved north, back to-
wards Brussels. Wellington then
set out a defensive position along
the top of a ridge, close to a village
called Waterloo. That night there
was a very heavy thunderstorm.
The soldiers had little sleep and the
ground became very muddy.
Grouchy, with 30,000 men, was
ordered to follow the Prussians.
At first, he moved eastwards. This
was because he did not realise that
the Prussians were at Wavre. Na-
poleon then ordered the rest of his
soldiers to face Wellington’s allied
army. Wellington sent a message to
Blücher. He said that he would let
the French attack him, but Blücher
must bring his army to the battle-
field as soon as possible.
The Battle of Waterloo began with
the firing of the French guns. For the
next eight hours the French soldiers
tried to break through Wellington’s
line. In many parts of the battlefield
the fighting was very fierce. Tens of
page 2
thousands of men and horses were
killed. By this time, Grouchy had
reached Wavre. Part of the Prus-
sian army stayed in the town to fight
against the French. The remainder,
under Blücher, set off towards the
sound of the guns at Waterloo.
Napoleon believed that Welling-
ton’s army was weakening. He or-
dered his best soldiers, the Imperial
Guard, to attack. As they reached
the top of the hill, Wellington or-
dered hundreds of soldiers who had
been told to lie down, so they could
not be seen, to stand up and fight.
The Imperial Guard stopped. Some
began to turn back. Once the Guard
started to withdraw other French
soldiers followed. Around the same
time, Blücher and his Prussian sol-
diers arrived.
The French army was beaten. Its
retreat became disorganised. The
outcome of the battle finally ended
Europe’s Napoleonic wars. They
lasted for 25 years.
About three weeks later, Napo-
leon surrendered to the captain of a
British navy ship. As punishment,
he was exiled to Saint Helena. This
small, remote island is in the Atlan-
tic Ocean, off the west coast of Af-
rica. Napoleon died on Saint Helena
in 1821, aged 51. Wellington retired
from the army. Later, he became the
UK’s prime minister.
As part of the bicentenary,
three men, who did not know each
other, met on the battlefield. They
were Prince Blücher (the Prussian
army commander’s great-great-
great-grandson), Charles Bonaparte
(Napoleon’s great-great-great neph-
ew) and the 9th Duke of Wellington.
Today, people use the phrase ‘to
meet your Waterloo’. It does not
mean being successful. Those who
‘have met their Waterloo’ have been
well beaten and humiliated. 
25th June 2015
SIXTH MASS EXTINCTION?
The Earth is believed to be 4.5
billion years old. Throughout the
planet’s long history there have
been at least five mass extinctions,
or extinction events. A group of re-
searchers from universities in the
USA and Mexico believe that hu-
man activity is now causing a sixth
extinction event.
Scientists say that extinctions
happen all the time. Some species
will always die out naturally. This
is known as the ‘background rate’
or ‘background rate of extinctions’.
The researchers believe that the
background rate for mammal ex-
tinctions is about two species per
10,000 years.
Artist’s impression of dinosaur species
An extinction event is when
there is a sudden, or rapid, decrease
in the amount of life on the Earth.
This can happen over thousands or
even millions of years. Scientists
suspect that volcanic activity, or
large asteroids or comets hitting
the Earth, caused the five previous
mass extinctions.
The first took place about 443
million years ago. Then, about 83%
of all sea life died out. (The first
land animals did not appear until
370 million years ago.) The next
extinction event occurred roughly
360 million years ago. At that time,
about 75% of all life became ex-
tinct. The next one is known as the
Permian mass extinction. It is also
Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
called the ‘Great Dying’. It occurred
about 252 million years ago. During
the Great Dying, 96% of all life in
the sea and 70% of life on the land
died out. Even the insects disap-
peared. This is the only extinction
event that affected insects.
Model of what a dodo may have looked like
The fourth mass extinction hap-
pened around 200 million years
ago. Then, around 50% of all spe-
cies were wiped out. Perhaps the
best-known extinction took place
66 million years ago. This was
when the dinosaurs died out. Even
though the dinosaurs died off, other
species such as mammals and birds
managed to survive. After an ex-
tinction event, it can be many mil-
lions of years before the diversity of
life recovers.
The researchers believe that ani-
mals are now dying out 100 times
quicker than the background rate.
They say this is the biggest species
loss since the dinosaurs disappeared.
The researchers claim that 26% of
all mammal species are now in dan-
ger of dying out. They believe that
this sixth mass extinction is being
caused by pollution, loss of habitat
and climate change. Humans, the
researchers say, are the cause of all
these problems.
page 3
Over the last 500 years at least
140 types of bird, 34 amphibians
and 77 mammal species have died
out. The birds include the dodo.
This flightless bird lived on the
island of Mauritius, in the Indian
Ocean. The dodo had a large body
and beak, small wings and short
legs. The birds fed on fruit that fell
to the ground. Europeans first ar-
rived on Mauritius in the late 1500s.
Then, the island was uninhabited.
As the dodo had no predators, it was
not scared of humans. In less than
100 years all the dodos had gone.
In their study the researchers did
not mention invasive species as a
cause of extinctions. This is when
animals are taken (by humans) to
places where they are not native.
If there are no natural predators,
these animals can multiply very
quickly. This can easily happen on
islands. The dodo extinction is an
example. Dodos laid their eggs on
the ground. They died out because
dogs, cats and monkeys, which
were taken to Mauritius, ate the
birds’ eggs.
The researchers believe that a
sixth mass extinction could be pre-
vented. Yet to do this, they say, gov-
ernments must work together to re-
duce pollution, halt climate change
and stop further habitat loss. 
CONFEDERATE FLAG
On the evening of 17th June
a 21-year-old man named Dy-
lann Roof entered a church in
Charleston. This American city is
in the state of South Carolina.
Roof pulled out a gun and start-
ed shooting. Nine people were
killed. All were black or African
Americans. The murders shocked
many people.
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition page 4

Police officers arrested Roof the plantations. Crops such as sugar, this monument. On 22nd June, Nikki
following day. Reports say that he cotton and tobacco were grown on Haley, the governor of South Caroli-
shouted racist slogans as he fired his these plantations. na, made an announcement. She said
gun. After his arrest, Roof admitted Fighting then broke out between that the flag near the State House
that he had carried out the shoot- the northern and southern states. would be removed. Governors of
ing. He said that he wanted to start a At that time, the USA was made up other southern states are expected to
‘race war’. Roof had set up several of 34 states. (Today there are 50.) make similar decisions.
websites. One displayed a picture of The 11 that seceded were: Ala- Since the shooting, some flag
him with a handgun and a Confeder- bama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, companies in America have decided
ate flag. Roof’s car also had a Con- Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, to stop making Confederate flags.
federate badge or decoration fixed Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennes- Well-known shops, or retailers,
to the bumper. see, and Virginia. have also said that they will not sell
Many flags were used by the items that feature the flag. 
Confederacy during the war. The
design that is now usually called
the Confederate flag was one of the ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN PARIS
southern army’s battle flags. Nowa-
days, this flag is also known as the Eight years ago a bicycle-sharing
rebel flag or Dixie flag. Dixie is a rental scheme began in Paris, the
historical nickname for the southern capital of France. Several years
part of the USA. later, other big cities such as Lon-
It’s thought that around 750,000 don, the UK’s capital city, and New
South Carolina State House, in the city of soldiers died in the war. Eventually, York started similar bicycle hire op-
Colombia, with Confederate Monument in front
after many battles, the commander erations. Now Paris has launched a
The Confederate flag (or Con- of the southern army agreed to sur- new electric scooter rental scheme.
federate battle flag) dates back render. The war ended slavery in the It’s called Cityscoot.
to the American Civil War (1861 whole of the USA.
– 1865). This war began after the Today, many people believe that
southern states of Amer- the Confederate flag is a
ica declared that they racist symbol. This, they
had withdrawn, or se- say, is because it is asso-
ceded, from the ‘United ciated with slavery. The
States’. They formed the Confederate flag is flown
Confederate States of on government buildings
America (CSA). These in some southern Ameri-
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, with one of
states were then called can states. After the the new electric scooters (paris.fr)
the ‘Confederacy’ or Battle flag of the Confederate shooting in Charleston,
States of America
the ‘South’. The other many people demanded Anne Hidalgo is the mayor of
American states became known as that these flags be taken down. Paris. She helped to set up the
the ‘Union’ or the ‘North’. Some argue that the Confederate new scooter hire operation. A pri-
One of the main arguments be- flag should be banned. Others disa- vate company is running the rental
tween the North and South was gree. They say the flag is part of the scheme. So the government or city
about slavery. President Abraham culture and heritage of the American officials are not in charge. The or-
Lincoln (1809 – 1865) and his southern states. ganisers of Cityscoot now have 70
supporters in the Union wanted to South Carolina’s capital city is electric scooters in Paris. These first
make slavery unlawful. Yet the big Colombia. There is a large Confed- scooters are part of a four-month tri-
landowners in the Confederacy in- erate Monument in the city. It is close al. If successful, there will be 1,000
sisted that they needed black slaves to the State House. For many years a electric scooters for hire in Paris
to work on their large farms, or Confederate flag has flown next to next year.
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
A German company called
GOVECS makes the scooters. They
have a top speed of 45 miles (28
miles) per hour. If driven slowly,
the scooters can travel for 100 kilo-
metres (62 miles). Then the batter-
ies need to be recharged. This takes
around five hours.
Paris’ bicycle-sharing scheme is
called Vélib’. (This is short for vélo
libre or vélo liberté, which means free
bicycle or bicycle freedom.) The city
also has an electric car hire opera-
tion. This is known as Autolib’. Peo-
ple who use the electric cars have to
pay an annual €120 (£85) fee. They
then pay €5.50 (£4) per 30 minutes
when driving one of the cars. There
are over 2,500 Autolib’ cars in Paris.
The cars have their own charging
points, or stations. These can now
be used to recharge the new electric
scooters as well.
Cityscoot scooters have no keys.
People who want to use them down-
load an app to their mobile phones.
This tells them where the nearest
free, or available, scooters are. It
also shows for how much longer
their batteries will last. Users are
sent a code via a text message. This
code is used to start the scooter. A
helmet is stored under the seat, or
saddle. The cost for using the scoot-
ers is €3 (£2) for every 15 minutes.
The scooter hire ends when the hel-
met is put back under the saddle.
In recent years there has been
bad air pollution in Paris. Much of
this is caused by emissions from
cars, trucks, coaches, and buses. Ms
Hidalgo wants to reduce the amount
of traffic in the city. In future she
plans to ban vehicles that use petrol
or diesel from some areas of Paris.
Only electric vehicles will be al-
lowed in these places.
This summer trucks and coaches
made before 2001 will be banned
from the city. These older vehicles
create more pollution. This ban
may be extended to cars made be-
fore 1997. Many people who live in
the centre of Paris do not own cars.
Most approve of this vehicle ban.
However, those who drive into the
city from the suburbs are unhappy
about Ms Hidalgo’s plans.
Autolib’ charging station in Paris (Mario Ortiz)
The Cityscoot organisers plan
to talk with officials from other big
cities, such as London. If their Paris
trial is successful, they believe that
these cities will want similar electric
scooter operations. 
TBILISI FLOOD
A serious flood hit part of Tbilisi on
the night of 13th June and early the
following day. Tbilisi is the capital
of Georgia. The city and surround-
ing area is home to 1.5 million
people. Tbilisi’s zoo was badly af-
fected. The floodwaters poured into
many of its buildings and enclo-
sures. About half of the zoo’s 600
animals died.
The River Mtkvari flows through
Tbilisi. (This river is also known
as the Kura.) One of its tributar-
ies is called the River Vere. This
river joins the Mtkvari in Tbilisi.
The River Vere flows down from
the mountains. It is fed by melting
snow, rain and underground water.
Heavy rainfall caused a landslide
about 20 kilometres (12.5 miles)
page 5
from Tbilisi. The landslide blocked
the River Vere. It acted like a dam.
The river water quickly rose be-
hind it. Eventually, the water broke
through the mud and rock of the
landslide. A flash flood, or powerful
torrent of mud and water, then raced
towards Tbilisi. Flash floods are
when floodwaters rise very quickly.
The flash flood destroyed more
than 40 houses and several main
roads in the city. Floodwaters cov-
ered large parts of the zoo. Many
animals were killed but others
escaped. They included a hippo-
potamus, a crocodile, tigers, lions,
jackals, jaguars, wolves, bears, and
hyenas. Many of these animals are
dangerous. People were told to stay
in their homes.
Police officers were sent to
search for the missing animals.
Some were marksmen, or expert
shots. Others flew above the city in
helicopters. The hippopotamus was
found walking along a street. A tran-
quilliser dart was fired into the back
of its head. These darts can knock
an animal out, or make it sleepy and
less aggressive. After the dart hit the
hippo, several people led the animal
back to the zoo. The crocodile was
also captured and returned.
River Vere in Tbilisi after the flood
The police shot many of the ani-
mals that escaped. Six wolves were
killed near a children’s hospital. The
lions and tigers were also shot dead.
One of the zoo’s bosses was angry
about what happened. He said the
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
police were wrong to kill so many
of the animals. The animals, he
complained, should only have been
killed if they were endangering peo-
ple. One of the zoo animals shot by a
police marksman was a young white
lion called Shumba. This lion was
very popular with the zoo’s visitors.
Soldiers, rescue workers and vol-
unteers assisted many people who
were trapped by the floods. They
also cleared the thick mud away
from the zoo and nearby streets. City
officials said that at least 20 people
died in the flood. The Czech Repub-
lic and Israel sent teams of animal
doctors, or vets, to help at the zoo.
Giorgi Margvelashvili is Geor-
gia’s president. He declared a na-
tional day of mourning on 15th June.
This was to remember all those who
had lost their lives. 
MAGNA CARTA 800
On 15th June an important commem-
oration was held at a place called
Runnymede, in the UK. It marked
the 800th anniversary of Magna Car-
ta. This is one of the world’s most fa-
mous documents. Magna Carta is a
Latin phrase. It means ‘Great Char-
ter’. King John of England put his
seal on this document at Runnymede
on 15th June 1215.
Many historians say the charter
is the basis for the modern idea of
a country’s constitution. This is the
set of rules by which a country is
governed. Magna Carta also sets out
the rule of law. Runnymede is there-
fore described as ‘the birthplace of
modern democracy’. Others say it is
where ‘the rule of law was created,
or established’.
Eight hundred years ago kings
and queens had far more power than
they do today. Then, the monarch
governed the country and decided
on new laws. King John (1166 –
1216) ruled England in a way that
annoyed the English barons. The
barons were wealthy land owners.
The king frequently demanded that
they and other people in the coun-
try pay higher taxes. Much of this
money was then spent on fighting
wars against France.
King John putting his seal on the Magna Carta
The barons became more and
more angry with the king. A group of
them decided to force him to agree
to certain rules. They had them writ-
ten down in a charter. Magna Carta
was the first docu-
ment to state that eve-
rybody, including the
king, must obey the
law. It also set out a
proper legal system,
parts of which are still
used today.
Runnymede is not
a town or city. It is a
water meadow that
is close to the River
Thames. Runnymede
is about 32 kilometres (20 miles)
from the centre of London, the
UK’s capital city. Today, the
meadow is similar to how it
looked 800 years ago. King John
agreed to meet the barons at Run-
nymede. This was because it was an
open area. This meant the barons
would not be able to imprison him.
page 6
Magna Carta was written in
Medieval Latin. Once it had been
agreed, scribes hand-wrote numer-
ous copies on parchment. This is
a type of paper made from animal
skin. These copies were then sent to
different parts of the country. There-
fore, everyone knew what the new
rules were. Only four original cop-
ies of Magna Carta still exist.
Some people say that Magna
Carta did not affect the ordinary
citizens. Most of the new rules
were for wealthy people who
owned land. King John was not
interested in Magna Carta. He
put his seal on the charter only
to stop the barons removing him
from the throne. In later years,
many of the charter’s rules were
updated or rewritten.
The UK’s monarch, Queen Eliz-
abeth the Second, is a descendant
of King John. She joined hun-
dreds of other people at the com-
memoration event. David Cam-
eron, the prime minister of the
UK, spoke. One of
the country’s senior
judges also made a
speech. He said that
the barons would be
surprised to learn
what had become of
their charter. Magna
Carta, the judge ex-
plained, is now a
symbol of democ-
racy, justice, human
rights, and the rule
of law for the whole world.
In later years some of Magna
Carta’s rules, or principles, were
used for other important docu-
ments. These include: the United
States Bill of Rights (1791),
the Declaration of Human Rights
(1948) and the European Conven-
tion on Human Rights (1950). 
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
OKINAWA ANNIVERSARY
A special ceremony took place
on Okinawa on 23rd June. This
island is part of Japan. The cer-
emony was held to remember all
those who died during the Battle
of Okinawa. It marked the 70th
anniversary of the end of the battle
in 1945. As part of the commemo-
ration, Shinzō Abe, Japan’s prime
minister, spoke.
Okinawa is about 550 kilome-
tres (340 miles) from the Japanese
mainland. It is one of the Ryukyu
Islands. These are a chain of vol-
canic islands that stretch from Japan
to Taiwan. In Japan they are known
as the Nansei Islands (Southwest
Islands). Okinawa is the largest. To-
day, the island is home to about 1.3
million people.
CHINA
NORTH
KOREA
SOUTH
KOREA JAPAN
PACIFIC
OCEAN
ds n
Is
la
yu
uk Okinawa
Ry Iwo Jima
In 1910 Japan seized control of
what is now both North and South
Korea. Then, in the early 1930s, it
occupied the northern part of China
(known as Manchuria). Soon after-
wards, Japan’s army began to take
over other large areas of China. In
1941 the country’s military leaders
organised a surprise attack on the
USA’s naval base at Pearl Harbor,
in Hawaii. This attack marked the
start of the Second World War in
the Pacific.
During the next four years, Japa-
nese forces occupied several other
Asian countries such as Malaysia,
Burma (now also known as My-
anmar) and the Philippines. There
were several large battles between
Japanese and American navy ships.
Some of the biggest land battles
took place on Pacific islands.
By 1944 Japan was losing the
war. Yet American military leaders
did not expect the country to sur-
render. They therefore began to plan
an invasion of Japan. First, they
decided to capture several Japanese
islands. These would be used as
bases for the invasion. American air
force planes would also be able to
land and take off from the islands’
airstrips, or runways. After fierce
fighting, American forces captured
Iwo Jima. This island has an area of
about 21 square kilometres (eight
square miles).
The Battle of Okinawa began
on 1st April 1945. It lasted for
83 days. Okinawa was one of the
bloodiest battles of the Pacific war.
Around 100,000 Japanese soldiers
died during the fighting. Rather
than be captured, many Japanese
soldiers decided to kill themselves.
At least 110,000 local civilians
were also killed or committed
suicide. About 14,000 American
soldiers, sailors and airmen died.
Over 40,000 were wounded.
After capturing Okinawa,
American leaders realised that an
invasion of Japan would be very
difficult. Many American troops,
Japanese soldiers and civilians
would be killed. The leaders then
decided to use atomic bombs.
These weapons had been devel-
oped in secret. Two months after
the fighting ended on Okinawa,
American planes dropped atomic
bombs on the cities of Hiroshima
page 7
and Nagasaki. A few days later, the
Japanese government admitted de-
feat and agreed to surrender.
In 1995 (the 50th anniversary of
the battle) a special memorial was
built in Itoman. This city is where the
final part of the Battle of Okinawa
took place. The memorial is called
the Cornerstone of Peace. The names
of 240,000 people who died during
the fighting are inscribed on it. The
names include Japanese and Ameri-
can soldiers and all the civilians.
Shinzō Abe, Japan’s prime minister, speaking
at the memorial ceremony in Okinawa
The USA occupied Okinawa
until 1972. Then, the island was
officially handed back to the Japa-
nese government. The two coun-
tries agreed that several American
military bases would remain on
Okinawa. Today, there are about
26,000 American troops on the is-
land. Most local people want the
American bases to close and the
troops to move elsewhere.
During his speech Mr Abe spoke
about the number of people who
died. He said it was important to
remember them, their families and
what happened on Okinawa 70
years ago. 
MASS STRANDING
Millions of small marine creatures
have washed up on the beaches of
southern California, in the USA.
When this happens it is called a
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
mass stranding. The creatures’ sci-
entific name is Pleuroncodes plan-
ipes. They are also known as tuna
crabs or red crabs. Even though
they are called crabs, they are a type
of lobster.
The small creatures, which are
bright red, are normally found far-
ther to the south. The ones that
washed up on the Californian beach-
es are about five centimetres (two
inches) long. The creatures’ abdo-
mens, or main parts of their bodies,
are much shorter than those of larger
lobster species. For this reason they
are sometimes called squat lobsters.
Tuna crabs do not live near the
seashore. Normally, they are found
in the eastern Pacific off the coast of
the Baja California Peninsula. This
long peninsula is a part of Mexico.
The crabs live on the continental
shelf. This is a shallower area of
sea. Thousands of years ago, dur-
ing ice ages, these areas were dry
land. There are continental shelves
around most coasts. Many are nar-
row. Yet some extend for hundreds
of kilometres.
Tuna crab
Tuna crabs either drift in the
ocean or use ocean currents. They
move up and down to a depth of
about 200 metres (656 feet). The
crabs feed on plankton, or very tiny
sea organisms. These are caught in
the hairs on the crabs’ legs. Some-
times the crabs go down to the sea-
bed. There, they will hide in holes
that they make in the sand. Tuna
crabs swim backwards. They do this
by moving their tails up and down.
As they swim, the crabs streamline
their legs and claws, or fold them
close to their bodies.
Sometimes there is a sudden in-
crease in the number of tuna crabs.
When this happens the crabs may
swarm, or gather together in very
large numbers. It is not known
why they do this. A large swarm
on, or near, the ocean’s surface
will make the sea look red. If the
winds and tides work in a certain
way, the swarms can be washed up
on the shore.
Tuna crab mass stranding
The mass stranding in south-
ern California was expected. Days
before, fishermen reported seeing
many millions of the crabs in the
sea off the coast. Some crabs on
the beach were washed back out to
sea. Yet most died. Marine scientists
say tuna crab swarms are a sign that
ocean temperatures are warmer than
usual. This warm water has prob-
ably moved northwards. This may
explain why the crabs were washed
up in southern California.
In the Pacific Ocean there is a
warm water event that on average,
happens every five years. It is called
an El Niño. During an El Niño the
seawater off the north west coast
of South America becomes much
page 8
warmer. Researchers who check
sea temperatures predict that there
will be an El Niño later this year.
So the tuna crab mass stranding
may mean it has already begun. El
Niños are known to have an effect
on the weather on both sides of the
Pacific Ocean.
Red crabs are a source of food
for many other creatures. Tuna fish
eat many of them. (This is why they
are called tuna crabs.) Rays, sea li-
ons and sea turtles also feed on the
crabs. They are even eaten by the
blue whale, the world’s largest ani-
mal. When red crabs swarm, some
sea birds eat so many they are un-
able to fly. 
DENMARK’S ELECTION
People in Denmark voted for the
179 members of their country’s par-
liament on 18th June. In Denmark,
the prime minister can decide when
these elections for parliament are
held. However, an election has to
be held within four years of the
last one.
Denmark is a constitutional mon-
archy. With this system of govern-
ment the king or queen is the head
of the country. Yet they have few
powers. The elected government,
led by the prime minister, makes all
the important decisions.
Denmark’s population is 5.7
million. Margrethe the Second has
been the country’s queen for 43
years. Denmark’s parliament (or the
Folketing) meets in the Christians-
borg Palace. This building is on a
small island, or islet, in Copenha-
gen, the capital of Denmark. The is-
land forms part of the city’s harbour.
There are many political parties
in Denmark. Most are divided into
two main political groups, or blocs.
25th June 2015
The parties within these blocs agree
to work together. To have a major-
ity (or to be able to out vote all the
other parties) a group needs to have
at least 90 seats in the parliament.
Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark’s prime minister
Politicians and political parties
are often described as being from
the left, right or centre. Left, or left
wing, politicians believe that the
government is responsible for pub-
lic welfare. They also want every-
one to have a more equal share of
their country’s wealth. Right wing
politicians, or those from the right,
think that it’s not the government’s
job to make sure there is equality.
They believe people are responsible
for creating their own wealth and
spending their own money. Politi-
cians in the ‘centre’ believe in a mix
of both ‘left’ and ‘right’ ideas.
The two political groups in Den-
mark are often called the ‘red bloc’
and the ‘blue bloc’. The red bloc
is described as ‘centre left’ and the
blue bloc ‘centre right’.
The last election was held in
September 2011. Then, the red
bloc won the most seats. With 44
seats, the Social Democrats party
was the largest in this group. Its
leader, Helle Thorning-Schmidt,
then became Denmark’s first wom-
an prime minister.
The next election did not have
to take place until September this
year. Yet, Ms Thorning-Schmidt
decided that it should be held three
months early. The result was ex-
Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
pected to be close. Greenland and
the Faroe Islands are a part of
Denmark. Even though both are
self-governing, they are a part of
the Danish Realm, or Kingdom of
Denmark. Each elects two people
to the country’s parliament.
Some people predicted that Ms
Thorning-Schmidt would lose the
election in Denmark. Yet, if most
people in Greenland and the Far-
oe Islands voted for her bloc, she
could still win. After all the votes
had been counted, it was announced
that the centre right bloc won 90
seats. Ms Thorning-Schmidt’s cen-
tre left group got 89. These seats
included the four from Greenland
and the Faroe Islands.
Christiansborg Palace, in Copenhagen
Within the blue bloc, the Dan-
ish People’s Party (DPP) got the
most seats. It won 37. This is 15
more than four years ago. Kristian
Thulesen Dahl leads the DPP. His
party is more ‘right wing’ than the
blue bloc’s other parties. The DPP
wants to reduce the number of im-
migrants coming to Denmark. Last
year 15,000 refugees were given
permission to live in the country.
Most came from countries in the
Middle East and Africa.
Of the blue bloc, the Venstre
party was second. It got 34 seats.
This is 13 fewer than four years ago.
However, its leader, Lars Løkke
Rasmussen, is expected to become
the prime minister. Other blue bloc
members would not accept Mr Dahl
page 9
as their leader. Instead, he plans to
get the blue bloc to accept more of
the DPP’s ideas, or policies. Mr Ras-
mussen has been Denmark’s prime
minister before. He led the country
between 2009 and 2011.
Ms Thorning-Schmidt’s Social
Democrats party increased its num-
ber of seats. Yet other members
of the red bloc did not do so well.
After the election results were an-
nounced, Ms Thorning-Schmidt de-
clared that she would stand down as
her party’s leader. 
BILDERBERG MEETING
Each year the Bilderberg Group or-
ganises a three-day meeting, or con-
ference. This year the group’s an-
nual meeting was held between 11th
and 14th June. It took place at the
Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol, in Austria.
In the past the names of people
invited to Bilderberg meetings, and
what they talked about, was kept
secret. This has changed in recent
years. Yet, because of its secrecy,
some people are suspicious of what
happens at Bilderberg meetings.
Several political and business
leaders from Western Europe set
up the Bilderberg Group in 1954.
Then, they were worried that the
countries of Western Europe and
North America (or the USA and
Canada) were beginning to distrust
each other. They believed that there
should be more cooperation be-
tween nations in these two parts of
the world.
Today, this idea, or philosophy,
of cooperation between these coun-
tries is often called Atlanticism. This
name comes from the Atlantic, or the
ocean that separates North America
and Western Europe. The group gets
its name from the Bilderberg Hotel,
25th June 2015
in the Netherlands. This is where its
first meeting was held in 1954.
Between 120 and 140 people
attend the annual meetings. Only
a few people run the organisa-
tion. They decide who to invite.
People who receive invitations are
mainly senior politicians, govern-
ment advisers and important busi-
ness, banking and military leaders
from Europe and North America.
Sometimes the guest list includes
members of royal families. For
example, Prince Charles, the heir
to the UK throne, Queen Sofia of
Spain, Queen Beatrix, the former
monarch of the Netherlands, are
all known to have been to previous
Bilderberg meetings.
Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol, in Austria
Recently the group’s organisers
have agreed to talk about the meet-
ings. They explain that they are a
place where world leaders and im-
portant people can have informal
conversations and discussions. The
annual meetings, the organisers
claim, can help to solve some of the
world’s problems.
The people who attend Bilderberg
meetings agree to what’s known as
‘the Chatham House Rule’. This rule
was invented in the UK about 90
years ago. The rule means that peo-
ple can talk about what was said in a
meeting. Yet they must not say who
said it. This rule is meant to encour-
age more open talks. Written, sound,
or film recordings are not made of
Bilderberg meeting discussions.
Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
No interviews are given to news re-
porters about what was said.
The Bilderberg Group has led
to many conspiracy theories. When
someone comes up with a conspira-
cy theory, he or she tries to convince
others that a current or historical
event is part of a secret plan. One
conspiracy theory about the Bilder-
berg Group says it’s organised by
very wealthy bankers. They want
to gain power and ‘take over the
world’. Another says it is a secret
organisation that makes important
decisions about how many countries
are governed.
Nowadays, a list of what is to be
discussed at the meeting is posted
on the Bilderberg Group’s website.
Some topics that were talked about
at the latest meeting were: terror-
ism, the Middle East, cybersecu-
rity, and chemical weapons threats.
Those invited to the meeting are
also listed on the website. This year
they included: the former American
secretary of state, Henry Kissinger,
the head of NATO (North Atlan-
tic Treaty Organization), the prime
minister of the Netherlands, a past
leader of the CIA (Central Intel-
ligence Agency), and the bosses of
the Google and Shell companies. 
RAMADAN FAST BEGINS
People who follow the Islamic faith
marked the beginning of Ramadan
on 18th June. Ramadan lasts for
29 or 30 days. For most Muslims,
Ramadan is a very important time
of the year. The world’s population
is just over seven billion. About 1.5
billion are Muslims.
Ramadan is the Islamic calen-
dar’s ninth month. This is a lunar
calendar. It is based on the cycles
of the Moon. Traditionally, the
page 10
beginning and end of Ramadan de-
pend on the sighting of a crescent
moon. This marks the end of one
lunar month and the start of the
next. During the month of Ramadan
Muslims fast, or do not eat or drink,
during daylight hours.
Iftar meal
Nowadays, most countries use
the Gregorian calendar. (This is also
known as the international calen-
dar.) Lunar calendars also have 12
months. However, the lunar year is
about 11 days shorter than the inter-
national calendar year. So (in the in-
ternational calendar) the beginning
and end of Ramadan changes from
one year to the next. For example,
in 2014 Ramadan was between 29th
June and 27th July.
The Five Pillars of Islam are
beliefs or acts that Muslims are
supposed to follow. Muslims are
expected to believe in one God, to
pray and to give to charity. They
are also expected to make a pil-
grimage to Mecca at least once
in their lifetime. This should be
done if they have good health and
enough money. Mecca is in Saudi
Arabia. It is the holiest city in the
Islamic religion. Mecca was the
birthplace of the Prophet Muham-
mad. Muslims believe that he was
God’s messenger. The Fifth Pillar
of Islam is to fast during the month
of Ramadan.
Muslims who are healthy do
not eat or drink from sunrise to
sunset during Ramadan. They also
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
say prayers five times a day. These
things are meant to give Muslims the
time to think about their faith and
to practise discipline and patience.
Muslims believe that the Koran, the
holy book of Islam, was revealed to
Muhammad in the month of Rama-
dan. For this reason, many read the
Koran during the month of fasting.
Some people can eat and drink
during the day if their health might be
affected by not doing so. Examples
are: young children, the elderly, peo-
ple who are ill, pregnant women, and
women who are breastfeeding a baby.
People who don’t fast use the month
of Ramadan as a time to think of those
who do not have enough to eat.
There are two main daily meals
during Ramadan. These are usually
eaten with other family members.
One, called ‘suhoor’, is served just
before dawn. The other, which is
eaten just after sunset, is known
as ‘iftar’. Many types of food are
eaten, but as part of iftar dates are
very popular.
At the end of Ramadan there is
a celebration called Eid-ul-Fitr. This
means the ‘Festival of Breaking the
Fast’. At this time, a big meal, or
feast, is organised to which family
members and friends are invited.
During a Muslim’s lifetime the
month of Ramadan will occur in
both winter and summer. This is be-
cause Ramadan ‘moves’ by roughly
11 days each year. In parts of the
world far from the Equator, winter
days are much shorter than summer
days. In these places Muslims must
fast for longer in summer months.
This year’s Ramadan included 21st
June. This is the longest day in the
northern hemisphere and the short-
est day in the southern hemisphere.
Many Muslims live in the UK,
where, in June, there are only about
six hours of darkness.
Barack Obama, the president of
the USA, hosted an ‘Iftar dinner’ on
22nd June. Held at the White House,
this has become an annual tradition.
The White House, in Washington
DC, is the home of the American
president. About 150 people were
invited. Many were senior diplo-
mats from Muslim countries who
work in the USA. 
PEPPER ROBOT
A company in Japan has started
selling humanoid, or human-like,
robots. On 21st June company of-
ficials announced that 1,000 robots
would be available. Later the same
day, the officials said that they sold
out within the first few minutes.
SoftBank’s boss, Masayoshi Son speaking
with one of his company’s Pepper robots
The SoftBank Company has de-
veloped the robots. They are called
‘Pepper’. SoftBank is a large and
successful international mobile
phone and internet firm. The com-
pany owns 80% of Sprint, one of
the largest wireless operators in the
USA. Masayoshi Son set up Soft-
Bank in 1981. He is now one of the
richest people in Japan. In the past,
Mr Son has said that his dream was
to create a business that sells hu-
man-like robots.
Pepper is 120 centimetres (47
inches) tall. It weighs 29 kilograms
(64 pounds). The robot has no hair
and looks like a large doll. Pepper
page 11
has human-like arms but no legs. It
has a triangular-shaped base with
wheels. So Pepper can move, but it
does not walk like a person.
Pepper robot
The robot has a flat, tablet-like,
screen on its chest. It has many in-
built sensors. These are in its hands,
on its head and in the base. The
ones in the base stop the robot from
bumping into other objects. Pepper
has 20 separate motors. Many are
used to move the robot’s arms and
hands. The head contains two cam-
eras and four microphones. Pepper
can also connect to the internet.
The robot is able to dance and tell
jokes. It contains specially designed
software. This helps Pepper to work
out people’s emotions. It does this
by recognising the sound of a per-
son’s voice and the expressions on
their face. Pepper therefore knows
if people are happy or sad. Mr Son
says the robot has been programmed
to make people happy. Pepper can
also remember people’s faces.
The robot costs ¥198,000
(£1,000) plus a monthly payment
of ¥24,600 (£126). This is for data
downloads, software updates and
insurance. Those who buy a robot
have to agree to a three-year con-
tract. SoftBank plans to sell 1,000
robots each month in Japan. They
are being sold at a loss. This means
it costs SoftBank more to make each
robot than the price they sell for. The
company hopes to make extra money
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
by selling ‘Pepper apps’. Currently,
there are about 200 apps. Pepper can
speak English, French, Japanese,
and Spanish. More language apps
are now being developed.
Some people claim that Pep-
per is a toy and not a robot. This
is because it is not able to do any
physical tasks. For example, Pep-
per is not able to clean the floor or
do other household chores. Mr Son
says that Pepper has been designed
to be a friend. Japan’s population
is now ageing quickly. Today, 25%
of the 128 million people who live
in Japan are over 65 years of age.
This number is expected to increase.
Many worry that older people in Ja-
pan, who live on their own, are be-
coming lonely. In future Pepper-like
robots could be used as companions.
Mr Son says SoftBank will start
to sell the robots in other parts of the
world, such as the USA, next year.
Within the next few months the
company plans to launch a ‘Pepper
for Biz’. (Biz stands for ‘business’.)
Companies, such as restaurants and
hotels, could use the robots to attract
extra customers. In Japan, Pepper
robots have already been used to
sell a type of coffee machine in sev-
eral of Japan’s larger shops. 
REFUGEE RECORD
World Refugee Day is on 20th June.
The United Nations (UN) first des-
ignated this date as World Refugee
Day in 2000. Each year, as part of
World Refugee Day, the UNHCR
publishes a report. It contains infor-
mation about refugees such as total
numbers and which countries they
come from. The title of this year’s
UNCHR report is ‘World at War’.
An international organisation
that helped refugees was first set
up in 1944. Its job was to take care
of the millions of people in Europe
who were displaced during the Sec-
ond World War (1939 – 1945). After
the war, this organisation became
part of the UN. This then became
the UNHCR (United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees) a few
years later.
Syrian refugee camp in northern Iraq (UNHCR)
Nowadays, the UNHCR oper-
ates in most countries where there
are large numbers of refugees. It
helps by providing shelter (mainly
tents), food, water, and medical
treatment. In the past, the UNHCR
has been awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize twice. The first time was
in 1954 and the second in 1981.
Currently, the UNHCR is led by
António Guterres. He is a former
prime minister of Portugal. The
UNHCR’s headquarters
is in the city of Geneva,
in Switzerland.
Refugees are people
who have had to leave
their homes because it
is too dangerous to stay.
They may be in danger of
persecution or physical harm. This
could be for several reasons. Exam-
ples are: race, nationality, religion,
or for being part of a particular so-
cial or political group. Today, the
main reasons for people becoming
refugees are wars and violence. The
UNHCR says that, eventually, refu-
gees should be able to return to their
homes. Yet the organisation believes
page 12
that no one should be forced to re-
turn until it is safe to do so.
People often become refugees
when they try to get away from
fighting near their homes. Many
cross borders and move to nearby
countries. Most then have to live in
tents in large camps. Many of these
camps are organised and run by the
UNHCR. Other refugees are people
who are forced to move to different
parts of their country. These refu-
gees are known as ‘internally dis-
placed’ people.
Asylum-seekers are another
type of refugee. These are people
who have applied to go and live in
a different country. Another type
of asylum-seeker is someone who
tries to enter another country ille-
gally. Many do this because they
are seeking a better life in a more
wealthy, or developed, country.
These refugees are also called ‘eco-
nomic migrants’. Many of the peo-
ple who are now trying to get from
North Africa to Southern Europe,
by crossing the Mediterranean Sea,
are economic migrants.
On 20th June Mr Guterres was
in Turkey. This was because Turkey
now has more refugees
than any other country.
Now there are 1.7 mil-
lion Syrian refugees in
Turkey. They live in
camps not far from Tur-
key’s border with Syria.
All have travelled to
Turkey to get away from the fight-
ing in Syria. This conflict began
over four years ago. Other countries
with high numbers of refugees are
Pakistan and Lebanon.
The UNHCR’s World at War
report says the number of people
who have been forced to flee from
violence, war and persecution has
reached 60 million. This is a record.
25th June 2015
About 20 million are refugees, 38.2
million are internally displaced and
1.8 million are asylum-seekers.
Half of all these people are children.
The fighting in Syria and Iraq has
forced 15 million people to leave
their homes.
The report says that one out of
every 122 people in the world is now
a refugee, an internally displaced
person or someone seeking asylum.
If these 60 million people all lived
in one nation, it would be the 24th
largest country in the world. 
FLAPJACK OCTOPUSES
A marine researcher in the USA has
found a new type of octopus. It can
be a long time before a newly dis-
covered species is given an official
scientific name. Before this hap-
pens, specimens need to be studied
USA
Baja
California
Peninsula MEXICO
Hawaii
This map shows countries to which news stories refer in this issue. Visit www.newsademic.com for more detailed world maps.
Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
closely. Once this work has been
done, the researcher will be able
to suggest a name for the octopus.
She says she is thinking of using the
word ‘adorable’ in its name. This,
she explains, is because the octopus
looks so cute.
New flapjack octopus swimming in an aquarium
Scientists have known about
these octopuses for many years.
They are found in deep sea along the
coast of California. For a long time
scientists thought that they were a
species called Opisthoteuthis cali-
forniana. As part of an exhibition,
Greenland
THE NETHERLANDS
Faroe
Islands
UK
GERMANY
BELGIUM
AUSTRIA
FRANCE SWITZERLAND
MOROCCO
page 13
some of the octopuses have been
kept in a large tank, or aquarium.
After studying the octopuses more
closely, the researcher realised that
they were a different species.
Scientists classify living things.
All are put into large groups called
phyla, then classes, orders, and
families. Next comes the genus, and
within that the species. When a new
species is named it means that sci-
entists have spent time studying and
describing it. They decide which
other species it is related to and its
genus. They also study the organ-
ism’s physical characteristics and
behaviour. This includes how and
what it eats, how it reproduces and
the places in which it lives.
Octopuses belong to the phylum
mollusca. Other creatures in this
phylum include clams, snails and
slugs. Octopuses are in the class
Cephalopoda. This is why they are
DENMARK
GEORGIA
TURKEY PAKISTAN
LEBANON JAPAN
IRAQ
LIBYA
INDIA
MAURITIUS
AUSTRALIA
25th June 2015
often called cephalopods. Squid are
in the same class. Octopuses are
found in oceans and seas all around
the world. There are at least 300 oc-
topus species. They do not live for
very long. Most octopuses have a
lifespan of less than five years.
The new octopus is in the ge-
nus Opisthoteuthis. This genus has
over ten separate species. One is
Opisthoteuthis californiana. All of
these species are known as flapjack
octopuses or flapjack (or pancake)
devilfishes. This is because their
bodies can turn into a very flat, or
compressed, shape.
New flapjack octopus (MBARI)
The new flapjack octopus’ body,
or mantle, is jelly-like. It measures
about 18 centimetres (seven inches)
across. Like other flapjack octopus-
es, its tentacles are joined together,
or webbed. When spread out they
resemble an open umbrella. It looks
like the octopus has ears on either
side of its mantle. These are fins.
For the size of its body, the octopus
has very large eyes.
Flapjack octopuses swim by
opening and closing their umbrella-
like tentacles. Like other octopuses,
they can take water into their man-
tles. This can then be suddenly
pushed out through an opening
called a funnel. This is like a type
of jet propulsion. The octopuses
use their fins to steer. The creatures
Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
often ‘hover’ just above the seabed.
They seem to do this when search-
ing for food. Flapjack octopuses
feed on small marine creatures.
If the researcher does decide to
include ‘adorable’ in the new flap-
jack octopus’ name, it would be
called Opisthoteuthis adorabilis. 
PHILAE AWAKES
Last November a small unmanned
spacecraft landed on a speeding
comet. This had never been done
before. Called Philae, the space-
craft, or lander, is about the size of
a washing machine. Philae sent in-
formation about the comet back to
space scientists in Germany. Then,
as expected, it ran out of power two
and a half days later.
On 14th June the space scien-
tists were surprised to receive a
message from the lander. It lasted
for about 80 seconds. This was the
first contact with the spacecraft for
seven months. Another short mes-
sage was picked up several days
later. Scientists are now hopeful
that the lander will send back more
information, as the comet speeds
towards the Sun.
The project to land Philae on the
comet is known as the Rosetta space
mission. Organised by the ESA (Eu-
ropean Space Agency), it is one of
the most complicated space mis-
sions ever attempted. The Rosetta
spacecraft was launched in 2004. It
was carrying the Philae lander. Be-
fore its rendezvous with the comet,
Rosetta travelled more than six bil-
lion kilometres (3.73 billion miles).
The comet’s official name is
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Two Russian astronomers discov-
ered it in 1969. The comet is about
4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles) across.
page 14
The figure ‘67’ is the comet’s list
number. Like the planets in our So-
lar System, comets go around the
Sun. They are made of ice and dust.
Comets are often described as large
‘dirty snowballs’.
Artist’s impression of Philae as it should have
landed on the surface of comet 67P (DLR)
67P is what’s known as a pe-
riodic, or short-period, comet.
(The ‘P’ stands for periodic.) It
takes about six and a half years
to complete one orbit of the Sun.
The comet travels at about 135,000
kilometres (84,000 miles) per hour.
Short-period comets are thought
to come from a part of the Solar
System called the Kuiper belt. This
is beyond the orbit of Neptune and
the dwarf planet Pluto.
Comets such as 67P are very old.
They date back to the beginning of
the Solar System, or around 4.6 bil-
lion years ago. This was when plan-
ets such as the Earth were just start-
ing to form. Researchers say comets
are like time capsules. Studying
them is like being able to look far
back in time.
As Rosetta got closer to 67P, it began
to send back pictures. These showed
that the comet was an unusual shape.
Some space scientists joked that
it looks like a ‘giant rubber duck’.
What’s more, the comet’s surface
is covered in steep ‘cliffs’ and deep
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
hollows, or depressions. Therefore
trying to find a flat place where
Philae could land was difficult.
Eventually, Rosetta began to or-
bit, or circle, the comet. About three
months later it released Philae. The
landing on 67P didn’t go to plan.
The comet’s gravity is very weak.
As part of its design, the lander
had several harpoons, or spear-like
hooks. These were to be fired into
the comet’s surface. The hooks
would make sure that Philae stayed
attached to the comet. When Philae
landed, its harpoons did not work.
The lander ‘bounced’ several times.
It finally came to rest near a cliff-
like wall. Only two of Philae’s three
legs are on the comet’s surface.
Comet 67P
Rosetta has large solar panels. So
it generates the electricity it needs
from the Sun. Philae had enough
power for about 64 hours. It was de-
signed to do all its experiments and
recordings very quickly. This infor-
mation was sent to Rosetta and then
transmitted to the Earth. Philae also
has some small solar panels. It was
hoped that these could make about
one hour of power from sunlight eve-
ry two days. Yet Philae landed in the
shade. As it was not able to recharge
its batteries, the lander shut down.
As Philae has just ‘woken up’,
some sunlight must now be shin-
ning on its solar panels. The amount
of sunlight is expected to increase.
This is because the comet is mov-
ing closer to the Sun. If the lander
had worked as originally planned it
would probably have died by now.
If it can make more electricity, ESA
scientists hope to receive extra in-
formation from Philae.
In August the comet will be the
closes it gets to the Sun. It will give
off jets of gas and water vapour.
Some expect the comet to separate
into two or more pieces. Philae
landed next to a cliff wall. It might
therefore be in a protected, or safe,
place. If so the lander should be able
to send back pictures as parts of the
comet’s surface break up.
Last November the scientists
said that Philae’s shutdown was dis-
appointing. Now it seems that what
happened seven months ago may
have been fortunate. 
LEFT-HANDED KANGAROOS
Russian researchers working in
Australia have made an interest-
ing discovery. After spending many
hours watching, or observing, kan-
garoos, they say that most of the
animals are left-handed. Until now
it was thought that only humans
had a preference for which hand
they use.
Preferring to use the left or right
hand is known as handedness.
Right-handedness is most com-
mon. Right-handed people are more
skilful with their right hands. The
majority of people in the world are
right-handed. They naturally use
their right hand when writing or
holding a knife, racquet or bat. Sci-
entists do not know why most peo-
ple are right-handers. It’s thought
that between seven and ten percent
of the world’s population are left-
handed. A few people are able to do
page 15
most things with either hand. Those
who can do this are described as be-
ing ambidextrous.
Kangaroos are only found in Aus-
tralia. There are several different
species. They include the red kanga-
roo, the eastern grey kangaroo and
the western grey kangaroo. All kan-
garoos are marsupials. A few types
of marsupials are found in North and
South America. Yet most live in Aus-
tralia. Kangaroos, possums, wom-
bats, wallabies, and koalas are other
examples of Australian marsupials.
Red kangaroos
When born, marsupials are un-
derdeveloped. They crawl from
their mother’s birth canal to a pouch
on her stomach, or belly. Here they
can feed on their mother’s milk.
Baby marsupials do not come out
of the pouch until they are fully
developed. This is the main differ-
ence between marsupials and most
mammal species. Red kangaroos are
the world’s largest marsupials. They
can be 1.6 metres (5.25 feet) long.
Kangaroos have very big pow-
erful back legs. They move with a
jumping, or hopping, motion. The
animals push themselves forward
with both back legs at the same time.
Kangaroos’ forelimbs are much
smaller than their back legs. Their
forelimbs end in a ‘five-fingered
paw’. This looks a bit like a human
hand. Yet a kangaroo has long claws
instead of fingernails.
The researchers say that all the
kangaroo species seem to prefer to use
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
their left forelimbs. Tasks that they
nearly always do with their left paws
include grooming their noses, taking
a leaf from a tree, feeding, bending
branches, and propping themselves
up, or standing on ‘three legs’. The
researchers do not know why the ani-
mals prefer their left to their right.
Nowadays, it is known that human
handedness can be associated with
the way in which the brain works.
The researchers say it would be inter-
esting to find out if something similar
happened with a kangaroo’s brain.
One of the researchers joked. He
said that we now know we are not
alone in the Universe. In terms of
handedness there are two of us: hu-
mans and kangaroos. 
AIR STRIKE ON LIBYA
On 15th June, in the early hours of
the morning, two American war-
planes attacked a house in Ajdabiya.
The city is in Libya. Soon afterwards
officials from one of Libya’s govern-
ments said that Mokhtar Belmokhtar
had been killed in the air strike.
Mr Belmokhtar is from Algeria.
He is a well-known militant leader.
In the past he fought in Afghanistan.
He has also led Islamic militant
groups in Algeria and Mali. In 2013
Mr Belmokhtar organised an attack
on a large gas plant in Algeria. The
attackers held hundreds of local
workers and foreigners as hostages.
When Algerian forces arrived to res-
cue them, many were killed.
Mr Belmokhtar has links to al-
Qaeda. This is the Islamic militant
group that attacked the USA in 2001.
Several similar militant groups are
now operating in Libya. As well as
al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (IS) has
a growing number of supporters in
the country.
For many years Muammar
Gaddafi (better known as Colonel
Gaddafi) ruled Libya. He controlled
the country under very strict laws
for over 40 years. At the beginning
of 2011 anti-government protests
began. Those taking part demanded
that Colonel Gaddafi and his family
leave the country. They wanted to
elect their own leaders.
ITALY
GREECE
TUNISIA
Mediterranean Sea
Tripoli
Tobruk
Ajdabiya
ALGERIA
LIBYA
NIGER
CHAD
Anti-Gaddafi groups, or rebels,
fought against the Libyan army.
Several other countries such as
France, the UK, Qatar, the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), and the USA
decided to intervene. At first the
leaders of these countries said they
only wanted to protect civilians in
Libya. However, their air strikes
on the Libyan army’s bases and its
military equipment helped the re-
bels. The rebels eventually captured
Tripoli, the country’s capital city. A
few months later Colonel Gaddafi
was caught and killed.
Since the fall of Gaddafi, several
elections have been held in Libya. Yet
these have no solved the country’s
many problems. During the war the
rebels captured most of the army’s
weapons. Many people in the country
still have guns. Armed groups now
control different parts of Libya.
When Colonel Gaddafi was in
charge, Libya made a lot of money
from its oil. Most was sold to other
countries. Much of the oil produc-
ing equipment has been badly dam-
aged or destroyed.
page 16
Currently Libya has two rival
groups or factions. Both claim to be
the country’s official government.
One is based in Tripoli, the country’s
capital. The other is in Tobruk, a city
in eastern Libya. There are large ar-
eas of the country that are not con-
trolled by either group. Countries
such as the USA, France, the UK,
and Egypt support the group that is
based in Tobruk.
TURKEY
Most people expect Libya to re-
CYPRUS main a lawless country until it has
a single unified government. The
United Nations (UN) has been try-
EGYPT ing to get the leaders of the two fac-
tions to speak with each other. New
talks began on 25th June. They are
being held in Morocco.
The American air strike on
Libya was unusual. American mili-
tary officials admitted that it had
taken place. They also said that
they had targeted Mr Belmokhtar.
Four days after the air strike an
al-Qaeda member said that Mr
Belmokhtar was still alive. Seven
men had been killed, the person
said, but Mr Belmokhtar was not
one of them. 
THE ANCIENT ONE
In the USA there has been a lengthy
argument about an ancient human
skeleton. Native Americans claim
that it is one of their ancestors. Yet a
group of scientists said that the per-
son was unlikely to have been a Na-
tive American. This was because the
shape of the skull looked different.
In the USA there is a special law. It
is called the Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA). The law says that any
‘cultural items’ that belonged to the
ancestors of Native American tribes
must be returned to them. Cultural
25th June 2015
items include ancient artefacts, sa-
cred objects and human bones.
In 1996 two men found part of
a human skull. It was on the side
of a river. Thinking it belonged to
somebody who recently died, they
gave the skull to local officials. A
researcher saw the skull and real-
ised it was very old. He went back to
where the men found it. Eventually,
he managed to recover nearly all the
bones of the skeleton. Tests showed
that it belonged to a man who was
about 40 years old. Surprisingly, he
lived about 9,000 years ago. This
means the bones are one of the old-
est (almost) complete human skel-
etons ever found in the USA.
Scientists call the skeleton Ken-
newick Man. This name comes from
Kennewick, a city in Washington
state. This city is close to where the
bones were found. When local Na-
tive Americans heard about the dis-
covery, they said the skeleton should
be given to them. These Native
Americans believe that their tribe
has lived in this part of the world for
over 10,000 years. They called the
skeleton the ‘Ancient One’. They
also said that scientists should not
be allowed to study the bones.
Reconstruction of Kennewick Man (StudioEIS)
Most scientists believe that the
first humans in North America
came from Asia. They crossed from
what is now the far east of Russia,
or Siberia, into Alaska. This human
migration is thought to have be-
gun sometime between 26,000 and
Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
18,000 years ago. Very few bone
remains of the early human arrivals
in North America have been found.
Scientists call these people Paleo-
americans, or Paleoindians.
The remains of some Paleoamer-
icans seem to suggest that they were
different from Native Americans.
For example, their skulls are longer
and narrower. As they looked differ-
ent, some believe these Paleoameri-
cans might have come to America
from Europe or Australia. The sci-
entists claimed that Kennewick Man
was one of these Paleoamericans.
While the arguments continued,
some studies on the skeleton were
completed. These showed that the
man had many injuries. He had
broken six of his ribs. He also had
a five-centimetre (two inch) stone
blade in his hipbone. The man must
have been struck with a type of
stone weapon. However, the bone
had grown around the stone blade,
so he must have survived.
In recent years getting good DNA
samples from ancient bones has be-
come easier. Tests on Kennewick
Man were done in Denmark. The
Danish scientists said that the tests
showed that the Native Americans
are right. He is one of their ances-
tors. The bones will now be returned
to them. They say a special ceremo-
ny will be organised to rebury the
Ancient One. 
SILENT WINGS
Nowadays, the governments of
many countries are encouraging the
construction of wind farms. When
the wind blows these huge wind-
mill-like structures generate ‘clean’
electricity. Unlike power stations
that burn oil, gas or coal, wind farms
do not produce any carbon dioxide.
page 17
However, wind farms do create
a different type of problem: noise.
Some wind farm blades are more than
30 metres (100 feet) long. In a strong
wind they can rotate very quickly.
When they do this, the blades make
a loud noise. People who live near
wind farms often complain about
this sound. Some even say that it has
a bad effect on their health.
Barn owl
Sometimes companies that op-
erate wind farms deliberately slow
the blades down. This decreases the
noise. Yet it also reduces the amount
of electricity produced. Many wind
turbines have been built out at sea.
Some scientists suspect that the
noise of these blades affects the
sonar-like hearing of dolphins and
porpoises.
Now scientists from the UK may
have found a solution to this noise
problem. They have been studying
the wings of owls. These birds feed
on small creatures such as mice and
voles. Owls usually hunt at night.
They are known to have very good
eyesight. However, unlike all other
birds, they are able to fly silently. They
make no sound when they flap their
wings. Owls are able to swoop down,
or descend, on their prey in silence.
Wind turbine blades and aircraft
wings have what’s known as a lead-
ing and trailing edge. Birds’ wings
are the same. The leading edge is the
front part of their wings and the trail-
ing edge the back part. The scientists
have discovered that the structure of
owls’ wings is not the same as other
birds. Their larger, or flight, feathers
have a soft and fluffy covering. There
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition
is a flexible line of bristles along the
leading edge of their wings. The
feathers on the trailing edge contain
small holes. This means that air can
easily pass through them.
These different feathers all work
together. They ‘smooth out’ the air
as it passes over the owls’ wings.
This scatters, or deadens, the noise.
Using a 3D (three-dimensional)
printer, the scientists copied the
structure of an owl’s wing. They
created a plastic coating that can
be fixed or stuck onto wind turbine
blades. In tests, the plastic coating
made the blades much quieter. Wind
turbines with this plastic coating,
the scientists say, could make more
electricity. They can turn faster but
not make any extra noise.
Wind turbines
The scientists believe that their
plastic coating could be used on
several other things. These include
fans, propellers and even the wings
of large aircraft. Copying designs
found in the natural world like
this is often called ‘biomimicry’ or
‘bioinspiration’. 
INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY
People, all around the world, cel-
ebrated the first International Yoga
Day on 21st June. Special yoga
events were organised in more than
190 countries. Last year the United
Nations (UN) agreed to a sugges-
tion made by Narendra Modi, the
prime minister of India. He said that
it would be a good idea to have a
designated International Yoga Day.
Nobody knows exactly when or
how yoga started. It’s thought that
it began in India about 5,000 years
ago. Yoga is a discipline, or a type
of training, teaching or instruction.
It includes breathing control, medi-
tation and moving the body into
certain postures, or positions. Many
people use yoga as a way to relax
and to improve their health. Some
claim that it is a type of spirituality.
Even though it is closely associated
with Hinduism, the discipline is not
a religious belief. People from many
different faiths practice yoga.
The word yoga has several mean-
ings. It comes from a word that
means to yoke, harness or unite.
Traditionally, in India oxen are used
to pull wagons. When two oxen
pull the same wagon they are yoked
together. A harness is then used to
control them. Many people believe
that this is a metaphor for yoga.
Yoga, they say, is a way of uniting
the mind, body and spirit. Today, at
least 30 million people in the world
regularly practice yoga.
Mr Modi, who is 64 years old,
has been India’s prime minister for
just over a year. He is a very popu-
lar leader. Mr Modi is a vegetarian
and does not drink alcohol. It’s said
that he gets up at five o’clock every
morning to meditate and do yoga.
Mr Modi is a member of the BJP
(Bharatiya Janata Party, or Indian
People’s Party). The BJP is often de-
scribed as a Hindu nationalist party.
Nationalists are people who have
very strong feelings for their country.
When speaking at the UN, Mr
Modi said that 21st June would be his
preferred date for International Yoga
Day. This, he explained, was because
it is the longest day of the year in the
page 18
northern hemisphere. (In the south-
ern hemisphere, 21st June is the
shortest day.) The longest day, which
is also known as Midsummer’s day,
is a special date for many people who
live to the north of the Equator.
International Yoga Day in New Delhi, in India
New Delhi is the capital of India.
A special event was organised in the
city for the first International Yoga
Day. Part of the Rajpath, or King’s
Avenue, was closed to traffic. This
is a long straight road that leads to
the president’s palace. Part of the
Rajpath was covered in different
coloured yoga mats.
In the early morning of 21st June,
over 35,000 people gathered to take
part in a mass yoga session. Most were
schoolchildren, government workers
and soldiers. Earlier, government of-
ficials had said that Mr Modi would
attend the event, make a speech, but
not do any yoga. However, the prime
minister surprised everyone by join-
ing in with all the bending, stretching
and breathing exercises. 
Newsademic.com
Editor: Rebecca Watson
Acknowledgements:
News story photographs by gettyimages
For further details about Newsademic
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© Newsademic 2015
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition page 19

ISSUE 252 INSTRUCTIONS:  Complete the crossword. The answers are

highlighted in orange in the news stories. There are 25

GLOSSARY PUZZLE
words highlighted and you need 20 of them to complete the
crossword.  Once you have solved the crossword go to
the word search on the next page 
1 2 3 4

6 7

9 10 11

12

13 14 15

16

17

18

ACROSS
4 Noun Man-made gases that cause air pollution
5 Verb Plural The looks on people’s faces
6 Adjective Distrustful or suspect that something
is wrong
8 Noun Force that pushes or drives something
in a certain direction
9 Noun A secret plot by a group of people
13 Verb Given an official name, title or purpose
16 Noun Training to improve self-control
17 Adjective Name given to European history
from about AD600 to 1500
18 Noun Plural Easily remembered and
frequently repeated phrases, often ones that
represent a set of beliefs, a group or a political
party
DOWN
1 Noun Word or phrase that are not literately true but are a way of
explaining or symbolising something
2 Noun A meeting at an agreed time and place
3 Noun Plural People who are living, or lived, at the same time as
one another
4 Verb Set up, started or created
7 Verb Written, carved or engraved
8 Noun Treating a group or race of people cruelly or unfairly
10 Noun Plural People who often spend time with one another
11 Verb Felt ashamed or stupid
12 Noun The study of the nature of knowledge, reality, and existence
14 Verb To intentionally become involved in a difficult situation to
stop it from getting worse
15 Noun Plural People employed by governments to speak and
negotiate with officials of other countries
25th June 2015 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition page 20

ISSUE 252 INSTRUCTIONS:  Find 19 of the 20

crossword answers in the word search.

GLOSSARY PUZZLE CONTINUED

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diagonally and back to front.  After
finding the 19 words write down the
20th (or missing) word under the puzzle.

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