New Zealand
Brilliantbreedingseason forparakeets
Rareorange-fronted parakeets in NewZealand arehaving
their best breeding season in decades. Theboostcould
double the population and save the birds, known askaka riki
karaka,fromextinction. Itwasestimated that only between
100 and 300 of them werestill alive in the wild, but at least
150 chickshave been born this year.Rahat,Israel
1,200-year-old mosque ruinsdiscovered
The 1,200-year-oldremains of an ancient mosque (a place
of worship used by Muslims) have been found in Israel’s
Negev Desert. Archaeologists (people who study past human
activity from evidenceleft in the ground) have said it is one of
the oldest mosques ever discovered. The building would have
been open-air and, likeall mosques, it hadaprayer room
facing towards the holy city of Mecca.Germany
Concerns overMerkel’shealth
Concerns have beenraised over the health of
the leader of Germany,Angela Merkel, after she
wasseen shaking in public three times. The first
incidentwasinJ une, when Merkel, the head of
the German government, welcomed Ukraine’s
president to the Germancapital of Berlin. She
has sincebeen seen shaking twicemoreduring
public appearances with other politicians.
Merkel has insisted that she is fine.Around the world
Moscow,Russia
Moon experimentcomes to an end
Six crew members have emerged fromafour-month
experiment in Moscow to test how humanscope during long
spacemissions.Four Russians and two Americans took part
in the Sirius-19 study,living inafakespacecraft similar in
shape and sizetoacraft thatcould travel to the Moon. They
had to grow vegetables and they ate porridge andcanned
food. Next year,therewill be another study lasting eight
months beforeaye ins.EyrePeninsula,
Australia
Message foundafter50years
Anine-year-old boy has found a
message inabottle, 50 years after it
wasdropped fromaship off thecoast
of Australia. Jyah Elliott made the
discovery at the bottom of sand dunes
while his dadwasfishing. They broke
open the bottle andread the message,
which had been written by the then
13-year-oldPaul Gilmorefromthe UK.
Gilmorehad been moving to Australia
with hisfamily when he wrote the
message. He now lives inYorkshirein
the UK and said itwasa“realsurprise”
that his note had been found.
Angela Merkel Theinternationalcrew.
Thesiteof
themosque.Elliottwiththe message
andbroke nbottle.