This week's UK news: 3 August 2015
j0314269
3 August 2015


 

Top Gear back - on Amazon

The car show Top Gear has been one of the world's favourite TV programmes. It has not been shown since earlier this year, after one of the presenters hit a member of the show's staff. None of the programme's three star presenters renewed their contracts with our public service TV company the BBC after that.

The BBC has already said that it will carry on making Top Gear with a new presenter, who's called Chris Evans. We have just learned that the old Top Gear team of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond are going to make a new car show with the website Amazon, and it will be shown on Prime. Nobody has said yet what the new show will be called, or what will happen in it. Amazon is paying GBP 160m over three years for the new show.

 

New playhouse for Prince George and Princess Charlotte

The newspapers have been full of pictures of a new playhouse which Prince George and his sister will be able to use. 

The new toy has been given to Prince Charles, who is the children's grandfather. It is not just a playhouse - it is a shepherd's hut on wheels, with windows. Inside there is a special bed and a little stove. The shepherd's hut was given to the Prince by the company which makes them, because he helped the company to start up. 

 

British rocket motor invention may work

15 years ago a British inventor announced a new kind of rocket motor for space travel. People said it could not work because it broke the laws of physics. Now experimentation seems to show that the EM Drive could work - but nobody understands quite how. The new method would make it possible to get to the Moon in four hours, Mars in 70 days or Pluto in 18 months. NASA has said they believe the method may work, and a German professor has said this week that it produces thrust - which is how rockets fly. 

 

This week's UK news: 23 July 2

This week the Great British Bake Off starts a new series. This is a baking competition which has become one of the UK's favourite programmes. There are lots of reasons for this. One is that it is hosted by two comedians as well as the judges. 

The show takes place in a large tent in the gardens of a grand house, and continues over several weeks as contestants are eliminated. This year's bakers include a photographer, a nurse, and a bodybuilder who makes healthy cakes. 

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