Today: Americans in space, the NASA STORY

Next month, the space shuttle Endeavour will take off from Cape Canaveral to carry the final element of the International space Station up into orbit. When it returns to Earth, it will be prepared for its next destination: a museum.çIt will be 30 years since the first space shuttle, Columbia, took off on April 12, 1981. This was an event that was supposed to herald a new era when space travel would become routine, with 50 launches a year. Instead, the shuttle will be retired and, in future, US astronauts will have to use Russian rockets to reach the International Space Station. It is an ironic ending to the space rivalry of the Cold War years.
So, what went wrong with America's dreams of space travel, and what's next for Nasa, the space agency that has no spacecraft?

Today: News USA

Texting danger

Even lifeguards can't resist the temptation to text. Bernard J. Fisher II of the American Lifeguard Association says he received a big increase in complaints about guards texting while at work. Lives are being endangered, if not already lost, he told The New York Times. Indeed, a 45-year-old Illinois man drowned last summer at a beach where the guard was said to have been texting. the Times partly blames the rise of students working as guards.

Pizza burger

Pizza or burger? Fast-food fans in New York will no longer have to make a choice. Instead they can order the new "Pizza Burger" from Burger King's Times Square restaurant. Beside the beef and a 24 cm burn, the Pizza Burger is topped with mozzarella, pepperoni, pesto and marinara sauce. However, with 144 grams of fat and 2,420 calories, it would take a four-hour jog to work it off!

Zombie school

Finally, a class to die for! Zombie studies is now being offered at the University of Baltimore. The course, which promises to "get you ready for a zombie apocalypse", invites students to devour classic zombie films such as Shaun of the Dead (above) and comics. Instead of essays, they write horror scripts for their ideal monster movie. The course is titled English 333, exactly half of 666, the number associated with Satan!

Obama's book for children

Barack Obama has written a children's book. Of Thee I Sing: a Letter to My Daughters is described as a "moving tribute to 13 groundbraking Americans and the ideas that have shaped our nation." Included are ex-president George Washington, artist Georgia O'Keffe and baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Obama wrote the book before becoming president in January 2009.

Today: 10 reasons to love New York

YELLOW CABS:

New York is known as the city that never sleeps, and one of the reasons why is the cacophony of honking car horns, day and night.Takis make getting around quick and easy. To get one simply go to the curb, raise you hand yell "Taxi"! as loud as you can. This is called "hailing".

TIMES SQUARE:

Times Square calls istelf the "crossroads of the world" and for good reason. On any given day it seems like a sea of humanity is passig through this bustling area of colorful billboards, animated neon signs aand giant video screens called "jumbotrons". Home to many restaurants, shops and more than 30 Broaway theaters, there ar emany reasons to come to Times Square. And on New Year's Eve, it turns into the biggest party in the world as more than one million people come to watch the famous ball drop from the top of the old New York times building at midnight.

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING:

New Yorkers believe that their city is the grandest in the world, and point to their skycrapers as proof. The most famous is the Empire State Builing, a 102-story Art Deco marvel that was the tallest building in the world for 40 years. A veritable movie star, the structure has featured in more than 90 Hollywood films, King kong being the most memorable. A must for any visitor is a trip up the highspeed elevator to the 86th floor observation deck, where you feel as if you are standing in the heavens looking down upon the spectacular city.

HOT DOG STANDS:

Hot dog stands and their colorful umbrellas dominate the Manhattan landscape, offering busy new Yorkers and tourists alike a cheap and quick bite to eat. if you can't see a stand, no worries, you'll quickly smell one; the delcicious aroma of steaming-hot hot dogs offersa pleasant conuterbalance to the nastier smells of the city. There are a few things you must know before ordering one, however. first ask for a "dog" like the locals do.
Second an most importantly, New York-style hot dogs are topped with mustard and either sauerkraut of sauéed onions. So don't even think about asking for ketchup or mayonnaise!

STEAMY STREETS:

When waling the streets of New York you can't help but notice the steam that rises out of the manhole covers. Some people bleive that this is from the subway system. others belive that dragons live in the sewers. In fact, subterranean new York is home to the biggest steam distribution system in the world, heating and cooling 100,000 of the city'es buildings. The steam that rises out of streets is not, actually, from the steam system itself, but results when condenstation or water leaks reach the 105 miles of underground steam pipes.

GUGGENHEM MUSEUM:

The guggenheim is New York's most distinctive museum. An architectural landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the corkscrew-shaped structure is an experience in itself. The best way to visit is to stroll down the spiral ramp, taking in the eclectic collection of sculptures and modern paintings. And on the first Friday of the month the museum hosts Art After Dark, with coctails, DJ music and lots of beautiful people.

BAGELS:

The bagel is to New York what the croissant is to Paris, an essential alimentary accessory. Typically a breakfast food, the round bread wich the hole in the middle is a Sunday morning ritual. Eastern European Jewish immigrants brought bagels to the city at the turn of the 20th century and their Yiddish language remains very much a part of the bagel experience. In a bagel shop, for example, you order a bagel with lox (smoked salmon) and a schmeer (a spread of cream cheese). This is called having a nosh (a snack).

STATUE OF LIBERTY:

Since 1886, Lady Liberty has stood in New York's harbour, her torch lighting the way for millions of immigrants in search of freedom. A gift from France to celebrate America's 100th birthday, the 93-meter tall structure was a functioning lighthouse until 1902. A climb from the pedestal to the inside of the crown is a must, but make sure you're up for it: there are 146 narrow, winding steps to negative. Fortunately, if you do get sick or stuck in the staircase, the newly-devloped Crown Rescue Device, a sort of floating chair, will get you down in a New York minute.




BASKETBALL:

In New York you don't play basketball, you play streetball, a flashy offshoot of the game, played inside chain-link fences that resemble steel cages. There are more than 700 public outdoor courts in the city, and they always seem to be in use. The legendary summer leagues attract some of the world's top basketball talent, as ell as thousands of spectators. And if you want to play, make sure you have a good nickname- a streetballer's nickname describes his personality and style of play, so you could be playing against guys called Fly, Hot Sauce and Bone Collector.

CENTRAL PARK:

Since 1859, Central Park has given new Yorkers a much-needed oasis of green space, especially in the sweltering summers, when high temperature and humidity turn the city into a giant sweat box. the list of activities is long: jogging, bicycling, inline skating, horseback riding, boating, ice-skating, rock climbing, and, in summers, free concerts and plays. There is also the Central park Zoo, recently made famous in the Madagascar films. the park is also an excellent place for bird watching, with almost 200 bird species. So bring your binoculars.

I love English: Hello from London

Hi world

What's for lunch?

British school lunches at the canteen are often criticized for being unhelathy. That's why many teenagers prefer to take a packed lunch. But packed lunches are worse!
25% of lunches contain sweets, crisps and a sugary drink. Only 1% of packed lunches are helathy. Maybe parents should get a prize when they prepare a healthy lunch!

Money for learning:

Do you think school children should receive money to learn? Well, some 13-year-olds in the USA get almost 400 euros per year from the government for getting better grades. Prizes like money, cinema tickets and iPods motivate poor children to get good grades and go to university.

Jurassic watch:

This watch is very special-its face contains fragments of real Jurassic dinosaur bones. The only problem is the price. At 219,000 euros, you'll need to have lots of pocket money if you want to buy one!

Crazy about Robert:

Attention Robert Pattinson fans!!! You can now meet your idol at Madame Tussauds museum in London. With american actors Zac Efron and Johnny Deep, Robert is one of the most popular waxworks. He took four months to make and cost 170,000 euros. And now there's a big queue of fans who want to kiss him!

Fans will do anything for Robert Pattinson, the actor in the Twilight trilogy. one girl asked Pattinson what she could do to get his attention. As a joke, he said "Take your clothes off". But it wasn't funny when the girl really started to undress. Be careful what you say to fans in futur, Robert!

Teenagers love sleep:

Pupils ina aschool in the north of England can now stay in bed for one more hour a day. Lessons now start at 10am instead of 9am. And the results have been very positive: lateness has fallen by 8% and absence from school has fallen by 27%. Pupils also get better grades in English and Maths. Imagine if this was your school!

Internet

Stop the insects:

In this game, you can catch insects in bubbles. Click your mouse button to start making a bubble. Release the button to catch the insect! kids.yahoo.com/games/game/bubblebug

Cinema

The Karate Kid:

In this film, American boy Dre Parker (Jaden Smith, Will Simith's son) goes to live in Chine with his mother. He quickly falls in love with Mei Ying, a girl in his class. But the class bully, Cheng, is jealous of Dre and Mei. Dre knows very little karate, and Cheng and his frinds constantly attack him. Dre's new life is terrible until he meets school caretaker Mr Han (Jackie Chan). Mr Han teaches Dre how to survive in the land of kung Fu...