Tag: Europe

Sports

Andy Murray’s Golden Year

Andy Murray is having a good year—a very good year.

All of his career, the 25-year-old tennis player has been plagued by the fact that he has never won a major tennis tournament.

On the weekend, he put that doubt to rest by winning the US Open.

The US Open is one of the big four, “Grand Slam” tennis tournaments.

The others are the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon.

Britain has been waiting 76 years for a male player to win a Grand Slam singles event.

Murray had been waiting all his life.

News Sports

Highlights From The 2012 Summer Olympics

Here’s a look at some of the highlights from the spectacular 2012 Summer Olympics.

• U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps now holds the most Olympic medals of any athlete in history. He has 22 Olympic medals, four more than the next highest Olympic medal holder (gymnast Larisa Latynina, from the Soviet Union, who has 18).

Not only that, but he has 18 gold medals—twice as many as any other Olympian.

Phelps won six medals in the 2012 Olympics.

• Four of the world’s top badminton women’s doubles teams were kicked out of the Olympics for throwing their matches.

The women deliberately tried to lose by serving wildly and hitting shots into the net or out of the court. Why?

If they had won their first matches, they would have had to play more difficult opponents. By losing their first matches, they would have been able to play easier, more beatable teams.

However, you’re not allowed to “throw” a match by losing on purpose so they were eliminated from the Olympics.

Kids Lighter News

Owner Of Mollie’s Candy Stores Is Just Six Years Old

“Mollie’s” is a chain of candy stores in England.

They sell British and American candy, as well as ice cream.

There are three stores in the chain, located in the British towns of Welshpool, Newtown and Shrewsbury.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about Mollie’s candy stores is the owner—Mollie Price.

You see, she’s six years old.

Price started the business because she liked those “pick and mix” (bulk food) stores, as her mother told Britain’s Mail Online news website.

That’s how most of the candy in Mollie’s stores is sold.

Her mother said Price noticed there was an opportunity for a bulk candy store, and “Mollie’s” was born.

News

Economists Applaud Conservative Win In Greece

The conservative party won the election in Greece last Sunday and around the world, economists and other people involved with the world’s money heaved a collective sigh of relief.

If another party had won the election, many people were predicting that Greece might stop using Euros as its currency.

That move would likely have affected many countries around the world including those in Europe and North America.

Breaking News News Politics

Spain Asks For Financial Bailout

Last week Spain’s Prime Minister asked for $125-billion to help the country’s failing economy.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the country needs the money to save its banks.

For months the country has tried to avoid seeking outside help.

There are 17 countries that use the Euro as their currency. Spain is the fourth of these countries to request a bailout. In this case a bailout is when other countries lend a country money to help prop up its economy.

Because its economy is so large, the need for a bailout is troubling for the European union. For instance, the Spanish economy is five times larger than that of Greece (another country that is suffering from economic problems).

Usually countries’ economies affect each other. That’s because they buy and sell things from and to each other. So if one country’s economy isn’t doing well, it affects other countries.

News

Flotilla A Highlight Of Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

When someone’s done the same job for 60 years, she deserves a party. And that’s what happened in London, England this week.

The party for Queen Elizabeth II lasted four days.

On the first day, she attended the Royal Derby, a big horserace held every year.

The second day, more than a million guests lined the River Thames and watched the Queen and members of her family float along in the royal barge, majestically surrounded by a flotilla of 1,000 boats. A flotilla is a group of small boats together on the water.

News

More Money Problems For Greece

The debt problem in Greece is causing problems for the country again. And, once again, there is fear these money problems could spread to other countries around the world.

This time, some people in Greece have begun taking all their money out of the country’s banks because they’re worried about what will happen to the value of their money if Greece stops using the euro.

The euro is a currency, like the dollar, and it is used in many countries in Europe.

But Greece has borrowed a lot of money that it is having trouble paying back, and there have been talks about whether Greece should be allowed to keep using the euro.

News Politics

Girls Rule

Queen Elizabeth II is the queen of 54 Commonwealth countries. 16 of these countries are called Commonwealth Realm countries and Canada is one of them.

When Elizabeth steps down or dies, her son, Prince Charles will become King. If he steps down or dies, his first-born son, Prince William will become King–even though Princess Anne is the Queen’s only daughter and is next in age to Prince Charles.

In other words, because she is female, the crown wouldn’t go to Princess Anne.

Since the beginning of the British monarchy, men have been chosen first to become the next ruler.

A woman can only be chosen when there are no men in the monarch’s direct line, (like a brother or a brother’s sons).

That is how Elizabeth became queen. Her father, King George VI, had two daughters and no sons.

News Politics

Europeans Say No To Spending Cuts

Two countries in Europe had important elections last weekend – France and Greece. Both elections went against the conservative parties in power.

Experts are saying this could be a sign that more countries in Europe will protest against spending cuts by voting out current governments.

In France a new party and a new president were elected.

Francois Hollande is the head of the Socialist Party, and he was elected president, over incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. (Incumbent means “currently in power.”)

Breaking News News Politics

Greece To Get New €130B Bailout

Greece was in trouble because it took on too much debt.

But other countries have agreed to help Greece by lending the country more than 130-billion euros. Euros (€) are the units of money used in 17 countries in Europe including Greece, France and Germany.

The countries that have agreed to bail Greece out of its money problems are demanding something in return. They are insisting that the government of Greece spend less.