Kid News This Week: Tech and social media get ticked-off by authorities worldwide, never mind dead-butt syndrome

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… But just what that might look like in the southern half of the world might surprise you? Never fear, we have special reports from our teams of Australian and New Zealand correspondents on how they spend December 25. Hint: there are no roasting chestnuts! It’s cold and cozy up in Germany though – where they take their advent calendars to new heights – like human-sized heights, in fact. The world has a new chess champ, and India is over the moon… why? He’s Indian, of course. And the youngest to boot! We’ll go to his hometown of Chennai for that one. And finally, well, there’s a new fashion for…  killer whales. Salmon, anyone? Confused? Well, listen to the end to hear this fishy tale!

World news in this episode… Well, it’s official. The Australian government bans its teenagers from using social media – sparking relief in some, anger in others. We’ll have not one – but two – reports from teens down under. In nature news, conservationists are worried giraffes are going bye-bye – yes, we mean endangered. Hear the details in this week’s episode. Also, good news in Paris where the Notre Dame cathedral reopens five years after a major fire. In entertainment news – it’s a tidal wave of sales for Moana 2. And, finally, hamsters don’t run amok but FLY amok in a plane over Portugal. What on earth am I talking about? Well, you gotta listen to the end to find out!

This episode's world news for kids… Donald “trumped” Harris in the race for the US White House – we give you the lowdown and look forward to what the next four years might have in store for us. Elsewhere, Spain is rocked by a crazy torrent of rain that led to deadly floods – we’ll have a special report on the clean-up from Barcelona. Plus, conservationists to the rescue in New Zealand where their beloved kiwi bird is under threat. And you won’t believe what some very dumb art thieves did to four Andy Warhol paintings they stole from a gallery in the Netherlands. 

Special festival episode as we look at the dark side of autumn with a dive into Halloween, the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)and the Hungry Ghost Festival which give off those skeleton and ghoul vibes… But over in India it’s a totally different story with festivals of light and hope. Which one do you prefer? Have a listen – it will help you decide. That’s not all, we also have seasonal news as crops of pumpkins and cocoa aren’t in good shape. Plus, ever heard of “ghost poop?” Apparently, it’s a thing. Tune in to find out more. 

In world news for kids this episode we take a deep dive into the charged-up world of batteries, we’re talking about mammoth batteries the size of skyscrapers – or is that skyscrapers that double up as batteries – a re-look at using wood to make batteries, plus solar strips – not panels – that could charge us all up. Oh, and did we mention the “powerful” deep sea rocks and the fool’s gold that might not be so foolish but in fact pretty precious – all that and more this episode!

In kids news this week we’re talking tech and social media which are getting a ticking off – all over the world – yes, we’re talking restrictions, limitations and outright bans being placed on social media and tech. Never mind the ill effects of too much tech on your rearend… that’s right, ever heard of dead-butt-syndrome? Stay tuned and you will!

We get spacey this week… Well, I mean there is a LOT of space news this week. Like those two NASA astronauts who are... stuck in space! Find out WHY and when they’re coming back home to Earth! Plus, Space X’s Dragon Capsule makes history. In entertainment news, Taylor Swift gets political – saying who’s she’s gonna vote for and why she’s announcing it, but that’s not all… She also has a big “hit” for getting out the vote. Plus, it’s time to talk about book-banning – find out what censorship means and why it’s such an important issue this week. That’s not all… the planet Saturn is going to lose something iconic – but is it all just an illusion of grandeur? No idea what that means or has to do with space news? Well, you gotta listen till the end to find out!

In wacky world news for kids this episode, the US election and the debate over THE debate, Paris Olympic wow continues, Harry Potter back-to-school “boo” in London and “leaf” it to the Fins to take tree-loving to new heights – all that and more in this packed episode!

Yes, we’re back. Our summer travels are over – five countries in two months (we love this wacky world of ours!) and we’re back in the news pool! First up, yes, it might have been a week ago (or, uhhh, a little more – sorry we also got sick last week, further delaying us), but we give you the highlights of the wonderous 2024 Olympics – the highs, the lows and many little fabulous factoids we bet you didn’t even know. Also, New Zealand races to make the WHOLE country rodent-free. But just why might surprise you. In entertainment news, the world’s biggest pop star is under threat – well, her concerts were. We’ll tell you more about the latest Taylor Swift concert saga. And the spooky story of a little girl who was afraid of the dark – because of the monsters in her room. She wasn’t all wrong either… You gotta listen to the whole episode to get the buzz on this crazy story and more!

Hello there Newsies! Yep, we're still on our summer break... But we have another episode swap for you with another podcast from the fab Kids Listen Community. That’s a group of producers making audio content for kids. Check out their website kidslisten.org to hear a ton of great podcasts – from factual, like ours, to fictional stories that spark the imagination and some that are a mix of both fact and fiction. This episode swap is with Storypillar where Sneak, Bean and Meg tackle the sticky situations kids face as they grow and change, like this episode, The Bunny and the Crow, set in The Yukon and about siblings driving each other crazy. Enjoy - and see you in mid-August!