ABC Listen.
Hello there.
My name's Emily and you're listening to Newstime.
Hi, Emily.
Something feels different around here.
Did you lot get a new haircut?
Nope.
Did someone replace the air freshener?
No.
No.
Oh, I know.
It's Monday.
This is the first time we're releasing Newstime on a Monday, and you'll hear from me every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from now on.
I've got three juicy news stories today, so let's get started.
Let's hear the news.
There are lots of interesting things to look at in a museum.
Dinosaur bones.
Old sculptures.
The statues of Ramses II.
Ancient Egypt kings, maybe.
Mummies in boxes.
Yep, there's bones from old animals, precious gems, ancient artworks and tools, and sometimes even human remains.
Just like how you can see an Egyptian mummy at the museum.
Over 100 years ago, some Europeans were exploring a place called Rapa Nui, also called Easter Island.
The European explorers visited a burial site at Rapa Nui and took some of the people that were buried there and bits of their hair.
Oh, yikes!
The human remains have been kept at the Australian Museum ever since.
But now, after more than 100 years, the remains are being sent back home to Rapa Nui.
Because it's rightfully theirs.
They belong to it.
Maybe it's because they wanted them back.
Maybe they took them without asking and they want them back.
There was a ceremony to celebrate the remains making the long journey home.
Custodians signed a formal document while people played the ukulele and sang traditional farewell songs.
The Australian Museum are very happy to give the remains back to the people of Rapa Nui, and they said a big sorry too.
Um, they stole it instead of asking.
I think it's great that they made a very quick comeback.
Maybe they could put clay models of it.
Maybe pictures of it instead.
Oh, I like that idea.
There isn't a rule at the moment that says museums have to give things back to the traditional owners.
The Australian Museum made this choice themselves after being asked by the people of Rapa Nui.
There are 36 tribes on Rapa Nui still waiting for some of their artefacts to be returned by museums around the world.
We'll have to wait and see what makes it home.
Another story, please!
Almost 20 years ago, some scientists were exploring the Lomami National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo when they accidentally took a blurry photo of a strange sort of monkey.
They weren't quite sure what it was, but they had a feeling it was a monkey that no other professional scientist had seen.
Now, finally, they've managed to get a better look at the peculiar primate.
Because it has peaches on its lips.
Maybe he ate too many orange and...
Orange food.
I reckon in mating season, a girl monkey put lipstick on.
The newly described species of monkey has impressive orange lips.
And you're right, it does look a little bit like lipstick.
I think he just found a crayon on the floor and then...
Drawed on his teeth and lips.
Maybe he banged into a tree and so many ants stung it and instead of turning it red, it turned orange.
Such great theories!
Because scientists only recently discovered this monkey, we're not totally sure why they have such impressive orange lips.
Even though this is an exciting scientific discovery, the fact is that for years the Belunga ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of Congo have known about this orange-lipped monkey.
They call it Likweli.
Because only a few locals had ever spotted one, and because it took so long for scientists to take a proper photo of one, scientists think that the orange-lipped monkey is an endangered species.
Their number is decreasing and soon they will become extinct.
Endangered means there's not a lot of them left.
That's right.
If a species is endangered, that means there aren't many of them left in the wild and we need to take action to protect their homes.
Put them in a sanctuary where they can be well fed.
You can give them their own type of home.
More and more of the Lomami National Park is being added to a special buffer zone where the plants and animals that live there are protected from threats like deforestation.
This discovery is a reminder that there's so much out there to discover and that it's everyone's job to take care of our environment.
You never know what strange creatures might be hiding in the trees.
This is News Time.
Have you ever seen a penny farthing?
What does that mean?
A penny farthing is a bicycle with a ginormous front wheel.
You might have seen one in an old movie or in a cartoon.
A few hundred years ago, they were much more popular than they are today.
The back wheel is tiny and the front wheel is huge.
And that's where the bike seat is, so a penny-farthing rider is very high up indeed.
It'd be fun because the seat will be on the high wheel.
I think I would be scared because it is a long way up.
If you're afraid of heights, this is not for you.
It'll be very weird.
They do look a bit tricky to ride.
Since they became less popular, there have been fewer people with the skills to make them.
Dan Bolwell is probably the last penny-farthing maker in Australia.
He builds the bizarre bikes in his workshop just outside of Melbourne, Victoria.
Dan loves what he does.
He loves building the bikes and meeting the enthusiastic people that buy them and ride them around town, bringing smiles to passers-by everywhere they pedal.
Dan has sent penny farthings around Australia and around the world.
You'll find his creations in places like Belgium, Nepal and Puerto Rico.
And the people that ride the magnificent machines love the attention they get.
I would say, wow, that's a big bicycle.
And you'd be right to say that.
It takes Dan about a week to make each penny farthing and he customises the colours and designs to suit his customers.
Yes, he had like five trillion customers because then you really want to rush there, get to the front of the line and buy it.
Dan says his creations are a way of showing that it's normal to look for adventures in life and that it's a great quality to be keen to try new things.
Alrighty.
I hope you've been listening very carefully because it's time for today's quiz.
Question one.
Where are the human artefacts being sent back to?
Where they came from, Rapa Nui or Easter Island?
Question two.
What colour lips does this newly described monkey have?
They're orange.
Question three.
What's the name for the bike with a big front wheel?
A penny farthing.
And your news noodler, a question with no right or wrong answer that you can just chat about with the people around you.
Are there any modes of transport around today that you think might be unpopular or perhaps not even exist in 100 years?
And why?
And that's it.
Thanks for all your help today.
If you'd like to see a picture of the orange-lipped monkey or of a penny farthing, ask your grown-ups to head to the ABC Kids Listen website.
Bye, Emily.
Thanks, Emily.
You're welcome.
Catch you Wednesday.
Newstime is an ABC Kids Listen podcast.
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