This week's UK news: 17 June 2016
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17 June 2016


Queen's 90th birthday celebrated in the rain

The Queen has a real birthday and an official birthday. This week she celebrated her official birthday with a huge display in the middle of London, the Royal Family appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace - and lots of street parties.

All over the country people closed streets to traffic and put out tables and chairs in the road to share food and drink. There was also a huge street party for 10,000 people on The Mall, which is just outside Buckingham Palace.

It rained very heavily at the weekend, and lots of people got very wet, but the parties carried on. "A bit of rain isn't going to stop us having a good time," said one man at a party just outside Manchester.

 

Tate Modern opens new building

One of the UK's most famous art galleries is the Tate Modern, which was built inside a huge old power station on the Thames and opened in 2000. Since then, Tate Modern has become more popular than anyone thought it would, partly because of the exhibitions in its enormous Turbine Hall.

Now the Tate has built an extension at the back, which looks like a twisted brick pyramid. It is called the Switch House. It has lots of very modern art and great views of London from the top, and it opens this weekend.

 

Wettest June on record

It is summer in the UK, but this is likely to be the wettest June ever.  So far there have been flash floods in some areas, including in South London where only the roof of some cars were above the water. Betting companies have stopped letting customers bet on whether or not it will end up as the wettest July, and weather forecasters are saying more rain is on the way. 

 

Prince William speaks out against bullying

Prince William has given an interview to a magazine called Attitude, about people being bullied because they are gay. The Prince invited the magazine to bring gay people to his London home to talk about bullying and how it can affect mental health. 

The Prince was "moved" by their stories and said that any young person who was being bullied because they were gay should talk to a trusted adult or an official service which could help them. 

The Prince is also first member of the Royal Family to be photographed for the cover of a gay magazine. 

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