Seven-year-old's paintings fetch £150,000 in Norfolk

An exhibition of paintings by a seven-year-old artist from Norfolk have sold out, fetching about £150,000 in half an hour.

Some of Kieron's paintings were sold to buyers from the US

Works by Kieron Williamson, from Holt, have sold to fans from as far away as Arizona in the USA.

The exhibition opened at the Picturecraft Gallery in Holt.

Gallery owner Adrian Hill said: "Kieron has probably become one of the most collectable artists currently exhibiting worldwide."

The paintings, which include landscapes and town scenes, fetched between £1,825 and £7,995.

This is one of his many works. High quality, isn't it?
He's already called the Mini Monet.

If you want to know everything about Kieron
Click on the link below

http://kieronwilliamson.com/

Gaza children 'break' kite flying record

Thousands of children in Gaza appear to have broken their own world record for the number of kites flown at the same time, the UN says.

Children gathered on the beach as thousands of kites took to the skies

More than 6,200 children taking part in a summer programme organised by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) gathered on a beach to fly a kite each.

UNRWA's Gaza director, John Ging, said the achievement had lifted the spirits of the entire population of Gaza.

The latest attempt still has to be confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quoteayed, 14

Last week more than 7,000 Gazan children bounced basketballs simultaneously for five minutes, doubling the previous world record.

"Surely two world records in a week would be another world record," Mr Ging said.

"Like children anywhere in the world, children here must have a sense of normality," he added.

"Despite the abnormality they face in their daily lives. Today's achievement has lifted the spirits of the entire population here in Gaza."

'Tough days'

One of those taking part was Rima Zayed, 14.

She said the kite flying had helped her to forget the "tough days" of Israel's January 2009 offensive, when her family was homeless for several months.

"At least today we can enjoy our freedom," she said.

Court says Dutch teenager Laura Dekker can set sail

A 14-year-old Dutch girl who wants to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world has won a court's permission to attempt the voyage.

The court in Middelburg lifted a guardianship order imposed last year, which placed Laura Dekker under the care of child protection services.
Laura must complete the two-year trip before she turns 17 in September 2012 to break the record.
Her mother has dropped her objections to the plan.Last December, a court ruled that Laura could remain with her father, despite his support for her plan to sail solo round the world.

Born at sea
Laura has been under state supervision since last October, when the Utrecht court blocked her bid to become the youngest person to sail the globe solo.
In December, she breached a court order and ran away to the Dutch Antilles, where she was found and returned home.

'Extinct' primate, slender loris, pictured in Sri Lanka

Some in Sri Lanka believe lorises can ward off the evil eye or help curse enemies

The first known photograph of a rare primate that was feared extinct has been captured by researchers in central Sri Lanka.

The Horton Plains slender loris, which has short, sturdy limbs and long fur, was tracked down in highland forest.

The photo shows an adult male sitting on a branch.

The elusive primate has been spotted only four times since 1937 and disappeared altogether from 1939 until 2002, when it was last glimpsed.

The mysterious creature was traced by a joint team from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Sri Lanka who conducted about 1,000 nocturnal searches in mountain forest.

The researchers were able to capture and physically examine one of the creatures, before releasing it back into the wild.

New ponds 'attract' rare wildlife

The creation of new freshwater ponds in Britian is having a positive impact on wildlife, the Environment Agency says.

The regulator is involved in charity Pond Conservation's plan to replace or restore the 500,000 ponds said to have been lost in the past century.

It says biodiversity has rapidly improved in the 234 ponds it has worked on so far this year.Some 80 threatened species of aquatic insects, amphibians and plants are said to rely on the ponds for survival.

Wildlife including water voles, natterjack toads and great crested newts have all been spotted in the new ponds, the Environment Agency saidThe toothed threadwort, tadpole shrimp and one-grooved diving beetle should all be among the species to benefit from the creation of so much habitat, it added.

As part of the scheme, the Environment Agency has this year created 184 ponds and restored a further 50 that were in poor condition.The work included the creation of more than 30 ponds in a previously contaminated landscape at the former Wheal Jane tin mine near Truro, Cornwall.

Lord Chris Smith, chairman of the Environment Agency, said: "Halting the loss of Britain's precious native species is a huge challenge, and an urgent one."

He added: "Ponds are incredibly important for hundreds of plants and animals, and also help absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Rare Giant Flower Blooms in Japan

The world's largest flower bloomed at a botanical garden in Tokyo's Koishikawa district on July 22 -- the sixth such success story in the country.

The titan arum is a rare species native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The tall stem in the center is surrounded by thousands of male and female flowers and wrapped by a red-purple bract leave, which looks like a flower petal. The shape of the plant became the origin of its Japanese name meaning a gigantic candleholder.

At the Koishikawa Botanical Gardens -- managed by the University of Tokyo -- the titan arum bloomed for the first time in 1991. The plant that flowered just recently was grown from a seed given by an American researcher in 1993.

On the afternoon of July 22, the leaves surrounding the 1.5-meter-tall stem began to open. The plant reached "full bloom" at around 7 p.m. the same day, with a diameter of about 80 centimeters.

Somerset Roman coin hoard declared treasure

About 53,000 coins were found buried in a field in Somerset

A hoard of more than 52,500 Roman coins discovered in a Somerset field has been declared treasure.

Dave Crisp, from Wiltshire, found the coins - dating from the 3rd Century AD - in April buried near Frome.

"I've been metal detecting since 1988 and it's the most exciting and important find I've made," he said.

A British Museum spokesman said the 160kg find was the largest single coin haul found in one pot and was probably intended as a religious offering.Most of the coins, which are made from debased silver or bronze, are currently at the British Museum in London and includes examples from 286 to 293AD during the reign of Carausius who was the first Roman emperor to strike coins in Britain.

A small selection has gone on display at Frome Library.

Famous People - Helen Keller Biography

June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968

Helen Keller Biography

Are you familiar with the amazing life of Helen Keller? At only 19 months old, Helen Keller was struck with a sudden illness that left her deaf and blind. For years, she lived in a world of darkness and silence without any way to express herself. With hopes of one day being able to communicate with their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Keller enrolled Helen in the Perkins Institute for the Blind where she met her teacher Annie Sullivan.

Helen was very eager to learn how to communicate with people and Annie Sullivan, who was also blind, helped her accomplish this. Helen’s big breakthrough in communication came one day when she made a connection between the word water and water itself. This was accomplished when Annie poured water into the palm of Helen’s hand while spelling out ‘w-a-t-e-r’ in her other hand. It wasn’t too long after this initial breakthrough that Helen began reading raised letters and eventually Braille (raised dots). Eventually Helen was able to read Braille in 5 different languages (English, French, German, Greek and Latin). She even learned to speak using the Tadoma method (a way to interpret speech by touching the lips and throat of others as they speak).

The fortunate kids-Brother and sister from Haiti found a home in Canada

Look how happy they were!

Johnny and Jael joined their new family in Canada last January soon after the earthquake

Carmen Lynne will never forget 12 January, the day the devastating earthquake struck Haiti.

Mrs Lynne, who lives near Edmonton in the Canadian province of Alberta, was hovering by the phone waiting for a call to tell her to fly to Haiti to pick up her newly adopted children when news of the quake broke.

"When I first found out that my kids were okay, then my second question was, if the paperwork is lost what does this mean for me?" Mrs Lynne said.

"I didn't want to have to start from scratch all over again. My new daughter is nine years old, I was thinking if we have to start again she could be a teenager before she gets home.

"Luckily for Mrs Lynne and her husband, Steve, their adoptive children were among 150 cases fast-tracked by the Canadian government because the adoption process was in the final stage when the earthquake happened.

It was a process that began three years ago to allow the Lynnes to adopt Jael, 9, and Johnny who is 6, from the Bresma orphanage in Port-au-Prince.

How far can human insensitivity go?

Flying donkey shocks beachgoers in Russia

Greedy advertisers became cruel! Poor innocent donkey!

Parasailing donkey stunt sparks police inquiry

Police in southern Russia are investigating allegations of animal cruelty after a donkey was made to parasail as part of an advertising stunt, Russian media report.

The donkey was sent up into the sky last week by entrepreneurs hoping to attract people to their private beach.

Witnesses near the beach on the Sea of Azov in the Krasnodar region said the animal had been screaming in fear.It landed in the water and was pulled onto the shore, said police."The donkey screamed and children cried," regional police spokeswoman Larisa Tuchkova told AFP news agency."No-one had the brains to call police."Instead, bystanders took photos and phoned newspapers, she said.

"It was put up so high into the sky that the children on the beach cried and asked their parents: 'Why did they tie a doggy to a parachute?'" Taman newspaper reported last week."The donkey landed in an atrocious manner: it was dragged several metres along the water, after which the animal was pulled out half-alive onto the shore," the paper reported.

Police began to investigate after the incident, which occurred at the coastal village of Golubitskaya, was aired on national news on Tuesday.The businessmen responsible may face criminal charges for animal cruelty, according to news agency RIA-Novosti.

IT'S SO EASY TO BE GREEN AT HOME!

IT'S EASY TO BE GREEN- CLICK HERE AND FIND OUT HOW

Highland Wildlife Park shows off wildcat kitten

A wildcat kitten, which was born in captivity in the Highlands, has been introduced to the public.

The wildcat kitten was shown to the public for the first time

The new arrival, who is yet to be named, was born in May at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore.The kitten's mother, Seasaidh, is one of the park's 12 wildcats. It is thought there may be as few as 400 of the animals in the wild. Douglas Richardson, the site's animal collection manager, said they face extinction in the wild.

He said: "Historically they were hunted for fur and killed as vermin but more recently disease and vehicle collisions have also taken their toll."Mr Richardson added: "Like any kitten they are incredibly cute.

"Only this one, when you get up close enough, is about as cute as a roll of barbed wire."

Toy Story 3

COMING SOON!

It will be released in Portugal on the 29th July 2010 

 Please, don't miss it!

Plot Summary :

Woody, Buzz and the whole gang are back. As their owner Andy prepares to depart for college, his loyal toys find themselves in daycare where untamed tots with their sticky little fingers do not play nice. So, it's all for one and one for all as they join Barbie's counterpart Ken, a thespian hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants and a pink, strawberry-scented teddy bear called Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear to plan their great escape. Written by Walt Disney Studios

Andy is now 17 and ready to head off to college, leaving Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the toy-box gang to ponder their uncertain futures. When the toys are accidentally donated to the Sunnyside Daycare center they're initially overjoyed to once again be played with, but their enthusiasm quickly gives way to horror as they discover the true nature of the establishment under the rule of the deceptively welcoming "Lotso" Bear. Now, all of the toys must band together in one final, crazy scheme to escape their confines and return home to Andy. Written by The Massie Twins

Badgers

Badgers are very common in the UK and also very popular

Badgers are nocturnal and elusive, but remain one of the UK's favourite mammals. Like humans, they are omnivorous, although unlike us, they eat several hundred earthworms every night. Badgers are social creatures and live together in large underground setts, comprised of a series of interlocking tunnels with nest chambers, toilets and several entrances. They inherit these setts from their parents, while always expanding and refining them. The resulting huge tunnel systems are, in some cases, centuries old.

Watch this video and see how cute they are!

Symbols of England

These are some of the most famous symbols of England


St. George's Red Cross                                                                                                         

      the Red Rose

 Tea and Scones

                                                                                                                                               

   Fish and Chips              

What do you know about the United Kingdom?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom (UK) consists of 4 countries:

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is sometimes called the Union Jack. This red, white, and blue flag was first used in 1801.

The flag of the UK is a combination of the flags of :

England (the cross of St. George),

Scotland (the cross of St. Andrew),

and Ireland (the cross of St. Patrick).

Why doesn't the Welsh dragon appear on the Union Flag?

The flag of Wales (The flag of St. David) does not integrate the Union Jack because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England from the 13th century. This meant that Wales is a Principality instead of a Kingdom and as such could not be included.

Young survivor - Israel's Young Landmine Campaigner

In February 2010, 11-year-old Daniel Yuval was walking with his family in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights when he stepped on a landmine.

The explosion blew off the lower part of his right leg and injured his left leg. His 12-year-old sister Amit was also wounded by shrapnel from the mine.

Daniel had to have an operation to amputate part of his leg. When he woke up from the operation, he immediately told his mother that he did not want anyone else to be hurt by landmines and said that he intended to do something about it.

Just a few months later he visited the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, and spoke to a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.Now, for the first time in Israel's history, 73 members of parliament have sponsored a bill that would establish a national authority for clearing mines 'that are not required for security purposes'.

Five go to demon's rocks

Here you have two videos of one of the many exciting adventures  of The Famous Five. Enjoy it and  maybe you'll decide to start reading the books. When I was your age I read the 21 adventures 4 or 5 times. I still like them because they made me dream a lot when I as a teenager and for  many times Enid Blyton's books were my most loyal friends.

Who doesn't know Enid Blyton?

Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer known as both Enid Blyton and Mary Pollock. She was one of the most successful children's storytellers of the twentieth century.

One of Blyton's most widely known characters is Noddy, intended for early years readers. However, her main forte is the young readers' novels, where children have their own adventures with minimal adult help. In this genre, particularly popular series include the Famous Five (consisting of 21 novels, 1942–1963, based on four children and their dog), the Five Find-Outers and Dog, (15 novels, 1943–1961, where five children regularly outwit the local police) as well as the Secret Seven (15 novels, 1949–1963, a society of seven children who solve various mysteries).

Her work involves children's adventure stories, and fantasy, sometimes involving magic. Her books were and still are enormously popular throughout the Commonwealth; as translations in the former Yugoslavia, Japan; as adaptations in Arabic; and across most of the globe. Her work has been translated into nearly 90 languages.

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Learning English is VERY important!

International Language of Communication

English is the fourth most widely spoken native language in the world, and in terms of sheer number of speakers, it is the most spoken official language in the world. It is the main language used in international affairs. The English language has official status even in nations where it is not the primary spoken language. English is indisputably the primary language of global trade and commerce. In many countries most tourism authorities and other officials in contact with the public speak English to interact and engage with tourists and immigrants.

Read more: The Importance of Learning English | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5249789_importance-learning-english.html#ixzz0tIJxKpxA