 |
 |
 Thousands of stranded tourists will be able to leave Thailand after anti-government protesters agreed to end their airport demonstrations. The protesters, who where unhappy with the government in Thailand, took control of the airports in Bangkok more than a week ago. They said they wouldn't leave until the government resigned. But now a court has ruled the Prime Minister must step down, and his party must break up. The court found Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's People Power Party (PPP), and two other parties, guilty of buying votes, which meant the election wasn't fair.
They had vowed to continue their protests until the entire government stepped down. Passenger flights from the main international airport are expected to start from the 4 December. | ||
 The mum of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews has been found guilty of kidnapping her own daughter. Shannon disappeared after a school trip in February, but was found 24 days later, in a flat just a mile from her home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. After hearing all the evidence, a jury of 12 people has decided Karen Matthews is guilty of child cruelty, kidnapping her own daughter and imprisoning her. A 40-year-old man, Michael Donovan, has been found guilty of the same charges.
When Shannon was reported missing, thousands of police officers took part in what became one of the biggest searches for a missing person the UK has ever seen. Her mum went on TV appealing for Shannon to go home, even though she knew exactly where she was - at Michael Donovan's flat, down the road in Batley.
They also found an elastic cord in the attic, which police think may have been used to stop Shannon running away. Arrested After she was found, friends and neighbours had a massive party to celebrate, but just days later Shannon's mum was arrested. Now she's waiting to hear how she'll be punished for her crimes with Michael Donovan, but it's expected they'll be sent to jail for a very long time. | ||
 |
 |
 |
Hero by the X Factor finalists has rocketed to the top of the singles chart, jumping ahead of Girls Aloud.
Music experts say the track is already the fastest selling charity single of the decade.
An amazing 313,244 copies of the track were bought during its first week on sale, which is more than the rest of the top 10 singles added together.
Sales of Hero will raise money for two charities - the British Legion Poppy Appeal and Help for Heroes.
There is just one day left until voting starts in the American elections, and the two candidates are racing around the country to try to win more votes.
Both John McCain and Barack Obama are visiting loads of different places as they fight to become president.
McCain is going to speak in seven different states in a single day, while Obama is travelling to three.
It's expected that the winner will be named the 44th American president early on Wednesday morning in the UK. It's going to be so excited ~ haa ..John McCain's team have been posting videos criticising Barack Obama and his ideas.
 They're battling it out in cyberspace! |
They've also set up an Obama-themed social network for where his supporters can get organised and donate money towards his campaign.
It seems to be working, because he's already raised more than any other politician EVER.
But is the battling for the hearts and minds of Americans going too far?
ARTIFACT An X-ray, a photograph and a schematic drawing of a clay “bundle” filled with about 300 pieces of metal and a stone axe. The object dates to 1700 and differs from religious caches previously found in Maryland.
Over the years of exploring the old houses and streets of Annapolis, Md., archaeologists have uncovered a trove of artifacts of early American slave culture. Among them are humble remains connected with religious practices, which bear the stamp of the slaves’ West African heritage.
Early in the 18th century, as they were being baptized, African-Americans clung to “spirit practices” in rituals of healing and the invocation of ancestral and supernatural powers. Sometimes called black magic, these occult rites would persist in America in modified form, later, as voodoo and hoodoo.
University of Maryland archaeologists have discovered in Annapolis what they say is one of the earliest examples of traditional African religious artifacts in North America. It is a clay “bundle,” roughly the size and shape of a football, filled with about 300 pieces of metal and a stone axe, whose blade sticks out of the clay, pointing skyward.
Henry M. Paulson Jr., left; Ben S. Bernanke, center; and Timothy F. Geithner, of the New York Federal Reserve.
The Treasury Department will make substantial profits on its investments in banks under the bailout program announced Tuesday — if the banks return to health within a few years. If not, the government could end up breaking even, or perhaps even lose money.
In a number of ways, Washington’s proposal comes with fewer strings attached than the rescue plans in European countries. That would seem to place the American government at a disadvantage, but Washington could benefit if that relative leniency helps banks recover quickly and provides a big profit on the equity stake it is receiving.
Huge wildfires are causing chaos in California, in America.
So far, two people have died and about 12,000 others have had to leave their homes as the flames tear through neighbourhoods north of Los Angeles.
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to put out the blazes, but officials say strong winds are fanning the flames, making it really difficult.
The man in charge of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has declared a state of emergency in two of its counties.
Wildfires are a big problem in southern California between October and February.
That's because warm, desert winds blow into the area drying out plants and making it easier for fires to start and spread quickly.
When you're out shopping with your mates it's always good to bag a bargain.
But are you always getting the genuine article?
Across Europe there's been a big increase in the number of fake goods on the market.
Newsround's Ricky's been investigating.
Polly the African pancake tortoise is recovering at Bristol Zoo, after having an hour-long operation to save her life.
There are fresh fears that Europe's biggest glacier is melting fast, and could disappear within 100 years.
Vatnajokull in Iceland covers 8,000 square kilometres, and at its deepest point is more than 900 metres thick.
But experts say it's melting at a rate of a metre a year, because of rising temperatures and reduced snow fall.
They've warned that all of the country's glaciers are melting, and that rising sea levels could cause bad floods in other parts of the world.
A Championship footballer's been sent to jail for more than seven years after admitting causing the deaths of two young brothers in a motorway crash.
The court heard former Plymouth Argyle goalie Luke McCormick had been driving too fast and "like an idiot" before the accident in Staffordshire on 7 June.
His Range Rover crashed into another car, killing Arron Peak, 10, and his eight-year-old brother Ben.
The 25-year-old also admitted he'd been drinking alcohol before the crash.
There are 54 counties and around 831 million people live there - that's around 13% of the world's population.
Many different languages are spoken by the people of Africa, and there are also lots of different tribes.
Around 40% of Africans are Christians, 40% are Muslim and 20% follow other religions.
Africa is one of the world's poorest continents and over one in three Africans live on less than 55 pence a day.
| |
| | ||
|
| ||
| |
US elections | ||
That's because decisions the US government makes have an impact in lots of other countries like Iraq and in places like the Middle East. Every four years people in the US vote to elect their president. The four years between elections is called a term of office. The next presidential election is in 2008. Politicians can only serve two terms of office. If they win two elections they are not allowed to stand again in a third one. There are other elections halfway through each term of office called mid-terms. In mid-terms a president isn't elected but other US politicians are. | ||
There seems to be no stopping American rock band Kings Of Leon.
Not only have they held onto the top spot in the singles chart for the THIRD week running - they've shot straight to the top of the album charts too.
Beyonce will be the star of the show later this year, when the MTV Europe Awards come to Liverpool in November.
The American singer will perform at the show, and she could pick up an award too after being nominated in the Ultimate Urban category.
Britney Spears, Coldplay and Duffy are in line to grab the most prizes, with three nominations each.
More than 30 million people across Europe are expected to tune in to watch the show on 6 November.The mayor said the move, which would generate an additional $600 million in revenue next year and require City Council approval, would help the city weather a worsening fiscal situation.
"If I stay in this country I will read English Literature, and if I go to America I would do a Liberal Arts programme."
Children in Japan have been putting their robot building skills to the test as they battle to qualify for the World Robot Olympiad.
More than 80 teams took part in the contest in Tokyo, each building a robot that had to be able to work its own way around a course, and complete tasks.
One of the organisers of the event says one of the aims of the competition is to get children interested in science.
Now 24 teams will go on to take part in the world event in November.Hurricane Gustav has hit the state of Louisiana in America with torrential rains and strong winds.
Gusts of 110 mph are snapping power cables and huge waves are battering the Gulf coast.
The storm landed south-west of the city of New Orleans, which was really badly damaged by a hurricane called Katrina, three years ago.
Thousands of people left their homes for safety before Gustav hit, leaving the streets deserted.His perhaps-surprising conclusion: Government subsidies for the rural poor often make things worse.
Instead, Polak teaches families and farmers — many of whom live on a dollar a day and own perhaps an acre of land — how to increase crop yields with simple technologies, such as cheap, foot-operated water pumps and inexpensive drip hoses for irrigation.
And Polak argues that his approach can make a difference in impoverished communities in the U.S., as well as in developing economies.
Last year Polak's organization received a $13.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support its ongoing work. His new book is Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail.
from website,
Railway officials told reporters at the scene that the guard, responsible for lowering the railway crossing arm when trains approach, had fallen asleep on duty about 3 a.m.
