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2021 Year in Review: Unusual News Stories

To recap 2021, NewsForKids.net is taking a look back at some of the most interesting stories we’ve covered this year.
Today we’re looking at some of the most unusual news stories from 2021.

News Roundup: Rare Art Finds Around the World

A picture of the auction of Hergé's original cover for The Blue Lotus.
In today’s news roundup, scientists discover the world’s oldest cave painting in Indonesia, Italian police find a 500-year-old painting hidden in an apartment closet, and an original cover drawing for a Tintin comic book sells for $3.2 million.


Scientists Create Spinach That Can Test For Bombs

An illustration of spinach leaves sending a wireless signal to a cell phone.
Scientists at MIT have managed to change ordinary spinach plants into natural sensors which can detect chemicals used in bombs. Using a cheap and small computer system, the spinach can even trigger a warning email.


Huge Container Ship Blocks Suez Canal

A boat attempting to tow the mega container ship Ever Given.
A massive container ship got stuck in the middle of the Suez Canal on Tuesday, blocking traffic in a very important shipping area. It’s not known how long it will take to free the ship and open the canal again.


World’s Largest Painting Sells For $62 Million

Sacha Jafri stands on his massive painting, The Journey of Humanity, in July of 2020.
British artist Sacha Jafri has had an incredible year. In September, he set the record for creating the world’s largest painting. Last week, the painting was sold for $62 million, which Mr. Jafri will give to charity.


Egypt Holds Eye-Catching Parade of Mummies

Spotlights in Cairo for the Golden Pharaoh Parade.
Last Saturday night, the streets of Cairo, Egypt were brightly lit with a very unusual celebration – a parade of mummies. Over 20 kings and queens of ancient Egypt were being moved to their new home in a new museum.


People Leave Cave After 40-Day Experiment

Deep Time campers in front of the Lombrives cave after the 40-day experiment.
Last Saturday, 15 people stepped out of a cave in France, blinking in the sunlight. As part of an experiment, they had spent the last 40 days underground with no sense of time other than their own sleep patterns.


The World’s Longest Hanging Bridge For Walkers

The 516 Arouca bridge in Portugal's Arouca Geopark. View from side, with people looking over the side in the foreground.
On Monday, a park in Arouca, Portugal opened a record-setting new bridge. Though it’s quite high, it’s the length of the bridge that has set a record. It’s the world’s longest hanging bridge for walkers – over five football fields long.


Paris’s Arc de Triomphe Gets Wrapped in Fabric

Aerial shot of L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, Paris, 1961-2021
People visiting the center of Paris, France now are being treated to a very unusual sight. One of the city’s most famous landmarks, the Arc de Triomphe, is completely wrapped up in silvery-blue fabric.


Sweden’s First Female Prime Minister Resigns in Just Hours

Magdalena Andersson is elected Sweden's first female Prime Minister on November 24, 2021.
Yesterday, Magdalena Andersson became Sweden’s first female prime minister ever. But only a few hours later, she resigned after an important party in her coalition government pulled out. Sweden is now searching for a new prime minister once more.

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