07/03/2014 Newsround

will be talking all things World Cup. If you cannot wait, go to the

website where there is a sneak preview of the clip. Hi, Leah here

and on today's show: The lasso stunt that is all down to maths. Serious

cute alert. Because it is Friday we bring you a baby hippo. This is

Newsround. We will start with the continuing crisis in Ukraine where

Russian forces remain in the Crimea region in the south of the country

which is causing a big argument between the world's major countries.

The American president, Barack Obama, has spent an hour on the

phone to Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, trying to persuade him to

find a peaceful solution to the problems in Ukraine. It is the

second time in a week the two leaders have spoken. Russia sent

troops to take over the Crimea region over a week ago, an action

that world leaders say is wrong and against international law. These

decisions continue our efforts to impose a cost on Russia and those

responsible for the situation in Crimea. They give us the flexibility

to adjust our response going forward based on Russia's actions. So how

might the tensions between Russia and the rest of the world affect the

Winter Paralympics which start today in Sochi? Just a few weeks after

Team GB's record equalling medal haul at the Winter Olympics now the

country's best Paralympian's will take to the slopes. The opening

ceremony kicks things off this evening, so here is Ricky with a

preview of what to expect. Hurling, downhill skiing and ice hockey. Just

two weeks after the Winter Olympics all your favourites boys are back.

Team GB have sent a team of 15 athletes to Sochi. At 15 years old

Millie Knight is the youngest member of the squad and has been chosen as

the flag bearer. I was not expecting it at all. I was in the meeting and

they said, as you might be aware, the opening ceremony is tomorrow and

we would like you to be the flag bearer. But David Cameron will not

be dead tonight. He has told his Government ministers to stay away

from Sochi because of the tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Prince

Edward has also pulled out, as have a delegation from President Obama's

White House. But all of Team GB's athletes are taking part and so far

none of the other 43 countries have withdrawn. But that is not the only

problem. A lack of snow on the slopes has led to British downhill

skier Mike Brennan pulling out of the event. Who might win the medals?

The British wheelchair curling team have a great chance of getting on

the podium and partially sighted skier Kelly Gallagher will try to

follow in the footsteps of Lizzie Yarnold. Back here and we describe

the UK weather in three words, wet, windy and rainy. But there is some

good news ahead because the Met Office, the people who monitor the

weather, say temperatures this weekend are on the up. By Sunday the

Southeast could reach 17 Celsius and be warmer than parts of Greece and

Turkey. In Scotland and the North West of England it will be cooler,

but bright skies for most of the weekend. A French physicist has

worked out how to perform the perfect cowboy rope lasso stunt

using a maths equation. Dr Pierre, who has been studying trick roping

says anyone can teach themselves the famous flat loop trick simply by

following some basic maths. Apparently it is all to do with the

size of the loop and how fast you rotate your wrist. It looks pretty

impressive. Head to the website if you want to find out more about the

story and if you want to try and teach yourself the trick. That is

where you will also find our story about a dinosaur that has been

unearthed in Portugal, far older and far bigger than the mighty T-Rex

itself. A quick bit of sport and England fans face an anxious wait to

see whether Jack Wilshere will be fit in time for the summer's World

Cup in Brazil. The Arsenal ace fractured his left foot in the

friendly against Denmark on Wednesday night. He actually played

on through the injury for nearly an hour before being substituted. He

will be out of action for at least six weeks. It is Friday morning and

that means it must be time for a baby hippo. This is a tiny baby Nile

hippopotamus who was born just over a week ago at a zoo in Mexico City.

Even though it is only a baby it weighed in at a beefy 35 kilograms

and likes to stay so close to its mum that its keepers have not been

able to tell yet whether it is a boy or a girl. The zoo is letting the

public choose a name in an online vote. I could look at those pictures

all day long. Newsround is back right here in half an hour.