Exciting News from Asia 🌏: Birth Rates, Spacewalks, and Volcanoes!
Hey everyone! We’ve got some amazing stories from Asia to share with you. Let’s dive in!
South Korea’s Birth Rate Rises After 9 Years 👶
For the first time in nine years, South Korea’s birth rate is set to rise in 2024! That’s great news for the country, which had one of the world’s lowest birth rates. Between January and November 2024, there were 220,094 newborns, which is a 3% increase from the previous year. This happened as more couples got married in 2023, after postponing weddings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese Astronauts Complete Spacewalk 🚀
The Shenzhou-19 crew aboard the Chinese space station completed their second spacewalk! Astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze worked outside the space station for 8.5 hours. They installed devices to protect against space debris (that’s bits of old satellites and rockets floating in space) and did checks on the station. How cool is that?
Indonesian Volcano Erupts Over 1,000 Times 🌋
Mount Ibu, a volcano in Indonesia, erupted more than 1,000 times in January! That’s a lot of eruptions. The volcano sent ash and smoke up to 4 kilometers (that’s about 2.5 miles) into the sky. People living near the volcano are being moved to safer areas to keep them protected.
Nepal Raises Climbing Fees for Mount Qomolangma 🏔️
Thinking of climbing Mount Qomolangma (also known as Mount Everest)? Nepal has increased the permit fee by 36%. It will now cost $15,000 to get a permit to climb the world’s tallest mountain. The fee helps Nepal manage the mountain and keep it clean and safe for climbers.
Singapore Sets Screen Time Guidelines for Kids 📱
Singapore is introducing new guidelines about how much time children should spend using screens like TVs, computers, and tablets. For kids up to 18 months old, no screen time is allowed in preschools. For older kids up to six years old, screens can only be used for learning. This is to help kids have a healthy lifestyle!
That’s all for now! Stay curious and keep exploring the world around you! 🌟
Reference(s):
Asia News Wrap: South Korean birth rate set to rise, and more
cgtn.com
