Kid News This Month: Iran war explained, Meta fined, China’s flying windmill, Spain’s therians, Japan mystery pipe

In world news this month, we decode the who, what, when, where and – most importantly – why there’s another major war – this one between the US, Israel and Iran. Plus, social media giant, Meta, formally known as Facebook, is told to pay $375million dollars for misleading users over child safety. Speaking of social media, a viral “therian” craze in Spain turns out to be… fake. No idea what therians are – well, you’ll know once you hear the story. And, ever heard of flying windmills? Yep, it’s a thing. Find out WHAT they are and why ELEVEN of them are flying above China... Finally, stay tuned for Japan’s curious incident of the mystery pipe that popped up in the middle of the night.

Hello, hello newsies!! Yes, we’ve taken quite the long Christmas, New Year, errrr, January break! Yes, work, school and life took over a bit (which happens more and more that Leela is a TEENAGER now, can you believe?!). But, we’re back in time for the… new Chinese New Year, yay! Or should we say, neeeehaaaay! Because, yes, it’s the Year of the Horse for 2026. We’ll give you the low-down on what that represents and, as ever, what the zodiac calendar means. 

As we gear up for the new year (yes, we’re still on break!), we thought you might like to hear a debut episode from a new series out made by kids for kids on the Hidden History of Mumbai, one of India’s biggest cities. Two Indian cities take you on a journey of this fascinating city that not only used to be called something else but has history mysteries and neat nuggets of fab facts to keep you enthralled. 

As we take a break for the holiday season, why not dip into the wonderful new series, “Big Emotions,” from the Kid’s Listen Community. It’s a new podcast series that helps children (and adults!) understand and navigate big feelings – from fear and jealousy to love and sadness – all through connected stories and clips from various Kid’s Listen podcasts (like ours!). Enjoy and do check out the rest at the Kid’s Listen website. 

Howdy, Newsies!  In wacky world news this month, we dive deep into the high-tech efforts being used to save the world’s coral reefs – from water robots to underwater speakers. But that’s not all. In nature news… what started as a small national prize is now a global beauty pageant for birds. Find out what country and what bird has taken the crown. In Europe a centuries‑old tradition meets modern city life, as thousands of animals march straight through a bustling street in Spain. Here’s a clue: baaaahhh. Heard the one about the stolen skull being returned? Oh, you will if you hear this episode. And as if those two previous stories aren’t odd enough, you gotta hear the one about spiders in a stinky cave – thousands and thousands of them! 

This month in wild world news… Israel and Hamas militants agree to a major ceasefire, though it’s hanging by a thread… So, will it help Donald Trump in his ambitions to get a Nobel Peace Prize? In India festival season is on– but have you heard of the 75-day festival that is the longest-lasting in the world? We have a special on-site report. In science news the world’s leading primatologist (as in a person who studies primates!) passes away – we’ll tell you why Jane Goodall was known as the “chimp whisperer.” And with winter fast approaching in the northern hemisphere, bears in the US are fattening up for hibernation – but which cuddly creature will win the Fat Bear Competition? Lastly, forget about the Nobel prizes – the other ones are perhaps more interesting, or, at least more odd! Confused – well, listen to the end and you’ll be all the wiser.  

Now that we’re a monthly news pod for kids – boy, do we have a doozy of an episode for y’all! First up, we'll explain why people in Denmark are offering their ailing pets as food (!) at zoos - yes, we'll dive deep into the Danish cycle – or circle – of life belief. Staying with nature, move over Nemo - there's a shark that's been spotted off the coast of Costa Rica, lighting up the ocean. In tech news is it the end of batteries for our tech devices? If so, then how? And the search is BACK on for Amelia Earhart's plane that famously went down in the Pacific Ocean way back in 1937. In entertainment news Taylor Swift is finally getting hitched. In sports find out who takes the crown in The Little League World Series. (Clue – it’s actually a worldly team!) And, why, oh, why do the Spanish like to toss tomatoes? At each other? Yes, we'll have a special report from one of the craziest, or do we mean tastiest, festivals around. All that and more in this monthly episode. 

This is our 200th episode, folks. Yes, indeed. And not just that – we also just completed FIVE YEARS of this world news pod for kids! Yep, Newsy Pooloozi turns 5! And coming back after a long summer break, we have a doozy of an episode for you – from a wrap of all the conflicts brewing around the world to AI education in schools, chess at the E-Sports World Cup, Taylor Swift announces her latest album, New Zealand’s former PM shares her secret power, chimps put hair in their orifices (yes!), orcas act strange and a toddler fights a snake (and the snake is the loser – you won’t believe how!). All that and more this episode!

In wacky world news this week… It’s summer in the northern hemisphere and that means prime tourist season in many places, but in Spain – we have a special report – about people who are so sick of tourists, they’re taking to the streets in protests. Speaking of demonstrations, after Paris wins a big football championship celebrations turns nasty. We have the story from the French capital.  In the UK, a piano prodigy is invited to the Royal Academy of Music – you’ll never guess how he learned to play the keys. And talk about weird – in Panama monkeys are acting beyond odd, abducting other… well, you gotta listen to find out. That’s not the only oddball either, in Japan, businessmen give professional cheerleading a new meaning. All that and more!

In this episode of world news… We give you the dope on the pope with special reports from BOTH Rome and Chicago, where the world’s first US pontiff comes from. We’ll also try to explain India and Pakistan’s conflict – the aerial dogfight (which is not at all as cute as it sounds) and ceasefire. China and the US agree on some new, cheaper tariffs. The Australian dog lost on Kangaroo Island is trapped and found – confused? Don’t worry, we’ll tell you all. And we’ll also tell you why those kooky Kiwis love the ugly blobfish.