LATEST NEWS

Explainers
Mark Knight cartoon on the long tentacles of Iranian terrorism

Slippery tentacles of terror snipped

Australia’s security agency ASIO prefers operating under the radar but this week’s big reveal that Iran’s reach extends to our shores put Mark Knight in mind of one many-tentacled creature

News
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged. Swift posted five photos to her Instagram for the announcement, with the caption saying:

Tay Tay confirms start of new ‘era’

The hit singer and star footballer’s announcement on social media broke the internet on Wednesday – can you guess just how many fans around the world liked their happy news within an hour?

Health
Frank Green, the online brand behind the cult water bottles, is launching  a store in Melbourne.

How gross is your water bottle?

Many schools are already plastic free and reusable drink bottles are much better for the planet, but health experts say there’s a nasty surprise inside if we don’t keep our cool keepers clean

Animals
Scientists described the ichthyosaur as a reptile version of a dolphin. Dearcmhara shawcrossi. Artist: Todd Marshall/ PA

Ancient sea monster found in Qld

Australia’s most complete ichthyosaur fossil has been unearthed in outback Queensland, with the seven-metre long skeleton set to reveal new secrets about the ancient marine predators

Environment
FILE PHOTO: UN launches initiative: 2025 International Year of Glaciers' Preservation KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND - JULY 11: In this aerial view rivulets of meltwater snake across the surface of the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier of the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024 near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. A team of scientists has observed that increasing amounts of meltwater on the surface of the glacier making their way to the glacial flows underneath are leading to a rising output of methane from Isunnguata Sermia. Earlier this year other scientists published a study in which they concluded that Greenland’s glaciers, which all stem from the Greenland Ice Sheet, have retreated about 20% more than previously estimated. Of the 200 glaciers included in the study, only one has grown since 1985. Overall, the amount of glacial ice melting globally has increased markedly over the past 30 years as global warming continues to intensify. According to the European Space Agency, the Earth lost 28 trillion tons of ice between 1994 and 2017, enough to cover the entire United Kingdom with an ice sheet 100 meters thick. Since 2017 the rate of ice loss has increased to 1.3 trillion tons annually, up from 0.8 trillion tons in the 1990s. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the Greenland Ice Sheet has been losing mass continuously since 1996, with an accumulated loss since 1986 approaching 6,000 metric gigatons, or six trillion tons. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Arctic ice loss slows dramatically

New research shows the loss of Arctic sea ice over the past 20 years has significantly slowed despite global warming. So why do some experts say the data doesn’t mean things have improved?

Explainers
Mark Knight toon August 17

Putin rides away from Alaska talks

Cartoonist Mark Knight had a lot more fun than Trump with the much-hyped Alaska summit with President Putin – but days later it was the sharp suit on Ukraine’s President Zelensky for the win

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SPECIAL FEATURES

The newshound hub

The newshound hub

Find facts sheets, classroom activities, How To videos, AI updates and related news HERE!

The Bee is ON NOW

The Bee is ON NOW

Teachers have been notified of students in next week’s State and Territory Finals – good luck, Bees!

Continuous culture

Continuous culture

Welcome to our dedicated page for news and current affairs relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Ask Healthy Harold

Ask Healthy Harold

Healthy Harold has been educating Australian students about health and wellbeing for 40 years – he’s also a monthly contributor here at Kids News!

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EDITOR'S PICKS

VIDEOSpelling Bee
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 24 2025

UNDER EMBARGO for print and Kids News for Sunday papers on 27/7/25 - please check with pic desk or Kids News editor Di Jenkins.
 
Supercars legend Mark Winterbottom with son Austin (front) and his Keilor Thunder basketball team members Nathan, Jalen, Matteo, Elliott, Henry, Luca, Leon, Oliver and Jackson

Picture: Brendan Beckett

Spelling skills rev kids’ engines

Racing legend Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom spells out the secret to his success, as the father of three encourages Aussie kids to turbo charge their literacy skills in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee

VIDEOSpelling Bee

Albo celebrates Bee’s big birthday

DAILY TELEGRAPH JULY 4, 2025. EMBARGOED UNTILL SUNDAY 20 JULY FOR THE 5TH ANNUAL PRIME MINISTER’S SPELLING BEE.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Rockdale Public School year 3-6 students from left Roneyo Sherchan, 12, Katelyn Huynh, 11, Narayan Skene, 12, and Addison O’Docherty, 10, who were finalists in the NSW Premier’s Spelling Bee. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Anthony Albanese launched the fifth annual Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee with the help of Rockdale Public School students. Get your free Years 3-8 activity poster for class and home HERE

VIDEOSpelling Bee

Where are our Bee champs now?

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL MAY 17, 2025, Do not use unless cleared by Kids News editor Di Jenkins and Sat Mags national editor Laura Chalmers. PMs Spelling Bee 5th birthday national feature for the Sat mags - Look back with the 11 national champions. Victorias three national champions - 2021 Green level (Years 3-4) champion: Arielle Wong 13 now year 8, 
2022 and 2023 Red Level champion Zachary Cheng, now in Year 10, and 2021 Year 5-6 (orange) winner Theekshitha Karthik, then 12 now 15 year 10. 
Picture: David Caird

With over 200,000 registered students since 2021, the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee turns five in Term 3 when the fun, online Kids News comp opens. Meet our champions and TRY THE BEE

News

Take the Kids News reader poll!

KIDS NEWS 2025: reader survey artwork, 4:3 thumbnail plus subs. Picture: Darren Gover

Welcome back – Term 2, here we come! Here’s a reader poll to help us make Kids News an even better free literacy resource for your classrooms. Tell us what you think by taking the poll HERE!

ANIMALS

Explainers
Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, close up, at Guadalupe Island, Mexico, East Pacific Ocean...Großer Weißer Hai, Carcharodon carcharias, in Nahdistanz, Guadalupe Island, Mexiko, Ost Pazifischer Ozean.

Stay safe from sharks this season

It’s scary when there’s a shark attack on the news – but these are very rare. The best way to stay safe is arming yourself with the facts. Here are some top tips to reduce risk when ocean swimming

Animals
KIDS NEWS 2025: Eland calf Tshepo (pronounced: seh-poh), is a new arrival at Werribee Open Range Zoo and his savannah keepers have big plans for his future. Picture: supplied

Clickety-clack calf who will be king

At just 160kg, this baby antelope has big hooves to fill as Werribee Zoo’s future breeding bull, where adults tip the scales at more than a tonne – what secret sound is the key to his success?

Environment
Images of the health of the Great Barrier Reef, coinciding with the release of the 2024 Reef Long-Term Monitoring Program. MUST CREDIT - Australian Institute of Marine Science,

Reef resilience tested amid decline

Nearly 30 per cent of coral cover between Proserpine and Cape York has vanished in a single year, but scientists remain buoyed by reef’s proven resilience as annual findings are released

VIDEOAnimals
KIDS NEWS ONLY, please do not use. Part of Reuters Connect deal. Panda captivated by singing at ZooParc de Beauval in France. Picture: screengrab/@plumesofficiel/Newsflare via Reuters Connect

Panda sways to French serenade

A lone musician’s impromptu performance at ZooParc de Beauval drew an unexpected fan, as a panda watched spellbound – should more zoo animals be treated to the sound of music? Take the poll

SPORT

VIDEOSpelling Bee
KIDS NEWS/2025 PM'S SPELLING BEE- please do not use until after the Bee story publishes SUN 17 AUG, 2025.

Australian Cricket Captain and UNICEF Australia Ambassador Pat Cummins visits a government school in Lucknow, India to see how UNICEF is working with communities and government to make sure that all children have access to quality education and has lent his support to the PM's Spelling Bee. Picture: UNICEF/supplied

Pat Cummins bowled over by Bee

More than 74,500 students have registered for the fifth annual Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee as cricket legend and father of two Pat Cummins shares why childhood literacy hits so close to home

Explainers
Mark Knight cartoon for Herald Sun, August 11, 2025

From Colliwobbles to Crows woes

Saturday’s battle of the birds dealt a further blow to the ‘Pies and their supporters as Mark Knight’s cartoon foreshadowed, as the Adelaide Crows broke the back of their own Collingwood hoodoo

Sport
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 05: Back Row (L-R) Deanna Berry of the Bulldogs, Jasmine Garner of the Kangaroos, Katie Brennan of the Tigers, Hannah Priest of the Saints, Justine Mules-Robinson of the Power, Sarah Allan of the Crows, Stephanie Cain of the Bombers, Abbie McKay of the Blues, Kate Hore of the Demons, Charlotte Thomas of the Eagles, Front Row (L-R) Emily Bates of the Hawks, Ruby Schleicher of the Magpies, Angelique Stannett of the Dockers, Rebecca Beeson of the Giants, Breanna Koenen of the Lions, Lucy Single of the Suns, Meghan McDonald of the Cats and Chloe Molloy of the Swans pose during the 2025 AFLW Captains Day at Marvel Stadium on August 05, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Garner and Marinoff top AFLW list

Ebony Marinoff? Jasmine Garner? Mon Conti? Lauren Wood took on the challenging task of splitting the AFLW’s best to name her Top 10 ahead of season 10 – do you agree? Take our poll

Sport
Meg Harris celebrates after winning the 50m freestyle.

World’s fastest female swimmer

Australia now has the fastest man and woman in the world after Meg Harris claimed the 50m freestyle at the world titles. Find out how she went from underdog to swimming world champion

SOCIETY & CULTURE

VIDEOMoney
2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3. Picture:  RM Sotheby's

Far out, Ferrari! Jaw-drop paint job

In what might be the world’s most expensive case of auto FOMO, one car-lover has spent a staggering sum on a Ferrari with a one-of-a-kind paint job – would you drop this kind of coin on a car?

UpdatedEnvironment
Forecast accumulated rain over the next 7 days to August 25 2025. Source: Weatherzone.

Millions wet and miserable in rain

Rain, rain, go away … or not? Aussies are braced for more downpours as yet another huge rain system looms over the east coast, with the big wet hitting one state – is your region affected?