Starting 1 July 2025

Welcome to this week's news, all summarised with amazing AI. Join us as we explore exciting places, meet historical figures, discover amazing animals, and learn about cool science. Each article is packed with fun facts that will expand your knowledge and spark your curiosity.

πŸŽ† History

Time for Kids Β· 1.07.25The History of FireworksFireworks may seem like a very American tradition, especially on the 4th of July. But fireworks go back many years before the first American Independence Day celebration, which took place in 1777, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • πŸ“œ Fireworks have a long history! They were first made about 2,000 years ago in China, using bamboo that popped when heated.
  • πŸ’₯ The word Baozhu means exploding bamboo! People in China later added gunpowder and metal pieces to make the fireworks sparkle more during celebrations.
  • 🌍 Fireworks spread to Europe in the 1200s, and when people moved to North America, they brought fireworks with them!
  • πŸŽ‡ America's first big July 4th party was in 1777. People fired cannons and used fireworks to celebrate independence, just like Founding Father John Adams hoped!
  • 🚫 Fireworks can be dangerous! So it's safest to let experts handle them. You can still enjoy watching a cool fireworks show with your family!
National Geographic Β· 5.07.257 must-visit ancient sites everyone should seeFrom the pyramids of Egypt to the jungle-choked ruins of Angkor Wat, from the magical desert capital of the Nabateans in Jordan to the everyday Roman lives revealed by Pompeii, ancient sites are among the world's most inspiring destinations. Here are seven must-visits for your travel list.
  • πŸ›• Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Massive ancient structures built 4,000 years ago, with the iconic Sphinx nearby. An incredible glimpse into Egypt's storied past.
  • πŸŒ„ Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Largest temple in the world, hidden in the jungle. Magical at sunrise.
  • πŸ›οΈ Acropolis, Greece. Ancient city on a hill in Athens, birthplace of democracy.
  • πŸŒ‹ Pompeii, Italy. An entire Roman city was frozen in time by a volcano! You can walk through streets and see old houses, bread, and even people.
  • 🏜️ Petra, Jordan. A city carved into red rock cliffs! You walk through a canyon and suddenly there's a palace made of stone.

🧱 Fun Fact!

The Great Wall of China is so long that if you laid all its bricks end to end, they would circle the Earth's equator twice! It's over 13,000 miles long.

🎾 Sports

BBC Newsround Β· 5.07.25Wimbledon 2025: Emma Raducanu knocked out by world number one Aryna SabalenkaRaducanu put the three-time Grand Slam champion under huge pressure on Centre Court before eventually falling in two tight sets.
  • 🎾 She was beaten by the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, even though Emma tried her best and came close to winning both sets.
  • πŸ‘ Even though she lost, Emma said she gave it her all and was happy she made it so tough for her strong opponent.
  • πŸ’ͺ Sabalenka said Emma made her fight for every point and she thinks Emma will be back in the top 10 players!
  • 🎾 Sonay Kartal is still in the tournament! Sonay won her match and made it to the fourth round. She's the only British girl left playing in singles!
  • πŸŽ‰ There will be more matches with juniors, wheelchair players, and 14 and under competitions starting soon!
BBC Newsround Β· 4.07.25Diogo Jota: Tributes paid to Liverpool starFlowers and cards have been laid as fans joined players like Cristiano Ronaldo and clubs like Everton and Man City in remembering Diogo Jota, who has died in a car accident in Spain.
  • πŸ•ŠοΈ A sad thing happened. A famous football player named Diogo Jota, who played for Liverpool and Portugal, died in a car accident in Spain. His brother, who was also a footballer, passed away too.
  • 🌹 Fans are showing love. People have been bringing flowers, shirts, and cards to Liverpool's stadium to remember him and say goodbye.
  • ⚽ He was a football star. Diogo played for big teams like Wolverhampton and Liverpool. He scored lots of goals and helped Liverpool win trophies!
  • 🀝 His friends and teammates miss him. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk said he was a great friend and teammate. Everyone is very sad he's gone.
  • πŸ’¬ It's okay to feel upset. If this news makes you feel sad or confused, talk to a grown-up you trust. Sharing your feelings helps you feel better.

🎾 Fun Fact!

A tennis ball can bounce over 55 times before it stops bouncing high enough to be useful in a match, that's why players change balls so often at Wimbledon!

🦈 Animals

National Geographic Β· 3.07.25This was the best place on Earth to see great white sharks, then they vanishedA study based on 2 decades of data shows what happens in an ocean ecosystem without white sharks.
  • 🦈 Great white sharks used to live around Seal Island in South Africa, but now they're gone! No one knows for sure why, but scientists think it might be because of killer whales or because they were hunted with nets.
  • 🐟 When the sharks disappeared, other animals changed their behaviour. Seals became braver and swam in groups, and a new shark called the sevengill shark started showing up more often.
  • πŸ“‰ The animals that the seals and sevengill sharks eat started to disappear. This showed that without great whites for balance, the ocean ecosystem is different.
  • πŸ“· Scientists used cameras and watched the ocean for over 20 years! They saw how things changed before and after the sharks vanished like a sea mystery adventure.
  • 🌊 Some people are working on ways to protect sharks without hurting other sea creatures. They want to stop using harmful nets and try things like using drones or fake kelp forests to keep everyone safe.
BBC Newsround Β· 3.07.25New species of gecko discoveredThe rare species were found in a special geological area of Cambodia.
  • 🦎 Scientists found a new type of gecko called the Kamping Poi bent toed gecko in Cambodia!
  • πŸͺ¨ These geckos were hiding in limestone hills with caves and underground streams!
  • πŸ” Even though they all look similar, scientists think these geckos might actually be four different species!
  • πŸŒ™ They also found a leaf toed gecko that comes out at night and has little spots like a leopard!
  • ⚠️ These geckos are super rare and may disappear if we don't protect their homes from mining and too many tourists.

🦎 Fun Fact!

Geckos can run on water! The tiny lizards use a combination of surface tension, slapping motions, and air bubbles to perform this amazing trick.

πŸ₯— Food

National Geographic Β· 4.07.25The story behind Caesar saladCaesar salad celebrates its 101st birthday in July 2025. We look at the origins of the popular dish, surprisingly, it doesn't involve a certain Roman emperor.
  • πŸ₯— Even though it's called Caesar salad, it wasn't made by Julius Caesar! It was invented by a chef named Caesar Cardini in Mexico in 1924 on a very busy day when the restaurant was low on food!
  • πŸ‘¨β€πŸ³ Chef Caesar grabbed what he had left, lettuce, eggs, garlic, lemon, and cheese, and made a salad right in front of the guests. It was so fun and tasty, people loved it!
  • πŸŽ₯ Famous actors and even a food TV star came to try the salad. It became super popular in America and around the world!
  • πŸ‹ The real Caesar salad has romaine lettuce, crunchy garlic croutons, and a special dressing with egg yolks, anchovies, mustard, lemon, and parmesan cheese.
  • 🍴 Some restaurants still make it the old fashioned way in front of you! You can try special versions in Tijuana, San Diego, or LA with fun twists like spicy salt or grilled lemon!
National Geographic Β· 3.07.25Your favorite Fourth of July foods were invented by immigrantsFoods like hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato salad have become menu essentials at Independence Day cookouts across the country, but their origins actually hail from all around the world.
  • πŸ” Even though we love eating burgers on the Fourth of July, they actually started in Germany, and before that, ancient Rome made something similar with meat and nuts!
  • 🌭 German people brought sausages to the US, and one guy even put them in a bun so people didn't need plates! Now we eat millions of hot dogs every July 4th.
  • πŸ₯” Potatoes were first grown in Peru, but Germans made one of the first potato salads. Later, Americans added things like mayo, eggs, and pickles to make it even tastier!
  • 🍺 Beer has been around for thousands of years. Even George Washington made it! People drink it a lot during July 4th celebrations now.
  • πŸŽ† Even though we think burgers, hot dogs, and potato salad are American, they actually came from all over the world, but now they're part of our big party!

πŸ• Fun Fact!

The world's largest pizza was 13,580 square feet in size, that's bigger than three basketball courts! It was made in Rome, Italy in 2012.

πŸš€ Space

BBC Newsround Β· 3.07.25Comet 3I/Atlas: Astronomers spot object that's travelled from outside the Solar SystemIt's only the third time that experts have spotted an object in the Milky Way that's come from a different solar system.
  • 🌠 Astronomers found a super fast space object called 3I/ATLAS zooming through our Solar System!
  • 🧊 It's a big icy comet like a giant space snowball that's about 6 to 12 miles long!
  • πŸš€ It's not from our Solar System, it came from far, far away and is only the third visitor like this we've ever seen.
  • 🌞 3I/ATLAS will fly past Mars and the Sun, but don't worry, it won't come close to Earth!
  • πŸ”­ Scientists are excited because studying this comet might teach us more about deep space!
BBC Newsround Β· 4.07.25First Michelin-starred gourmet meal to be served in space in 2026French astronaut Sophie Adenot has teamed up with a top chef to come up with a list of very fancy starters, mains and desserts to look forward to on her mission on the International Space Station.
  • 🍲 Astronaut Sophie is going to space with fancy food! Instead of boring space meals, she's bringing yummy dishes made by a famous chef.
  • πŸ§‘β€πŸš€ She'll eat things like lobster soup and chocolate cream! That's way fancier than freeze dried space food.
  • 🍽️ Space food has to follow special rules. It can't be messy, heavy, or go bad quickly, it has to last for a long time!
  • 🫢 Sophie says sharing food helps astronauts become better friends. Everyone gets to taste each other's favourite meals and learn about their cultures.
  • ❓ What meal would you choose to eat in space? A cheesy pizza? Pancakes? Ice cream? Let your imagination blast off!

πŸš€ Fun Fact!

Astronauts grow about 2 inches taller in space! Without gravity compressing their spine, they temporarily stretch out but shrink back to normal when they return to Earth.

Amazing Fun Facts You Won't Believe!

Here are some incredible facts about the topics we covered that will blow your mind!

🧱 Ancient Wonders

The Great Wall of China is so long that if you laid all its bricks end to end, they would circle the Earth's equator twice! It's over 13,000 miles long.

🎾 Tennis Bounce

A tennis ball can bounce over 55 times before it stops bouncing high enough to be useful in a match, that's why players change balls so often at Wimbledon!

🦎 Animal Kingdom

Geckos can run on water! The tiny lizards use a combination of surface tension, slapping motions, and air bubbles to perform this amazing trick.

πŸ• Food Stories

The world's largest pizza was 13,580 square feet in size, that's bigger than three basketball courts! It was made in Rome, Italy in 2012.

πŸš€ Space Exploration Surprise!

Astronauts grow about 2 inches taller in space! Without gravity compressing their spine, they temporarily stretch out but shrink back to normal when they return to Earth.

πŸ“ Quiz Time! Test Your Knowledge

Let's see how much you remember from this week's news! Pick the correct answer for each question.

Question 1 / 6

πŸŽ† Where were fireworks first invented?

Thank You for Reading!

🧠 Stay Curious!

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