0:00:04 > 0:00:10Hi, I'm Martin, and this is your Wednesday afternoon Newsround.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Here's what we've got for you today...
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Big discoveries in the deep blue sea.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Plus...
0:00:14 > 0:00:17The fluffy twins who are getting ready for penguin preschool.
0:00:17 > 0:00:25Keep watching.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31First up, to Japan, and a big decision that's being made by kids.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34School children across the country are getting to choose a very
0:00:34 > 0:00:36important part of the next Olympic Games, that will be
0:00:36 > 0:00:38hosted in their country.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Here's more.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44What do most big sporting events have in common?
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Amazing athletes?
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Superb sports?
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Well, yes, but also mascots, of course.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Every primary school class in Japan is voting for the mascots they want
0:00:56 > 0:00:59for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic games, which is to be held
0:00:59 > 0:01:02in their home country.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05So who's in the running?
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Could these be the next Olympic and Paralympic mascots,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10representing tradition and the cutting-edge tech that
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Japan is famous for?
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Or perhaps this Olympic hopeful, based on a cat and a fox,
0:01:18 > 0:01:23partnered up with this Paralympic hopeful, based on a dog.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And last but not least this fox and raccoon.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Red and white, just like the Japanese flag.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31TRANSLATION:I like the character's energetic pose
0:01:31 > 0:01:34and its clenched fist.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36TRANSLATION:I like the smiling face of the character,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38which I think is cute.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40TRANSLATION:His chubby cheeks are so cute.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Schools across Japan have got until mid-February
0:01:42 > 0:01:44to cast their votes.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48The Olympics and Paralympics are amongst the biggest sporting
0:01:48 > 0:01:53events in the world - so choose carefully, please.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Next, if you look up to the sky when you're out
0:01:55 > 0:02:00and about you could spot a few birds, maybe even a plane.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02If you're in Colombia, though, you might have been lucky
0:02:02 > 0:02:04enough to spot this.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08These beautiful pictures show the Paragliding World Cup.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Competitors fly in a special harness hanging from a fabric wing.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14They had to race an 81.2 kilometre course over stunning
0:02:14 > 0:02:17mountains and valleys.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Looks like a breeze to me!
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Now, from high in the sky to deep in the ocean.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24Fancy a dip?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Well, you might need to get your flippers
0:02:26 > 0:02:29on for this next one, and you'll definitely need to be
0:02:29 > 0:02:32able to hold your breath for a really long time,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35because divers have made an exciting discover in the sea off
0:02:35 > 0:02:37the coast of Mexico.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Here's more.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43This isn't just any old underwater cave.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Oh, no!
0:02:45 > 0:02:50This is the longest underwater cave in the world.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52A group of divers discovered it in Mexico, and it's
0:02:52 > 0:02:55over 200 miles long.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59That's the same distance from London to Paris.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03At the bottom of the cave, they found pots and relics belonging
0:03:03 > 0:03:05to the Mayan people, who lived in Mexico
0:03:05 > 0:03:07over 1000 years ago.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10They hope this discovery will help them to understand
0:03:10 > 0:03:15more about what life was like for the Mayans.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Now, more on the wintry weather that's been causing
0:03:17 > 0:03:19disruption in the UK.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Heavy snowfall last night caused problems on the roads and left many
0:03:22 > 0:03:24schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland and some parts
0:03:24 > 0:03:29of northern England closed.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31We asked for your snowy snaps, and it looks like you've
0:03:31 > 0:03:33been having great fun.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36The kids at Our Lady's RC Primary in West Lothian did make
0:03:36 > 0:03:38it into school today, and they discovered their science
0:03:38 > 0:03:43garden had a whopping 14.5 centimetres of snow!
0:03:43 > 0:03:44Wow!
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And just down the road at Head of Muir Primary,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49class four and five have been having fun.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Looks like they've been building a snow fortress.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Amazing!
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Thanks for all your photos.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Remember you can visit Newsround online anytime to keep up
0:03:58 > 0:04:00with what's going on.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Why not head over there right now to find out how some important
0:04:04 > 0:04:07memories from around the world are being looked after in a way
0:04:07 > 0:04:10you might not expect?
0:04:10 > 0:04:15And while you're there you've got to try our quiz Peng-Win or Lose.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16Get it?!
0:04:16 > 0:04:20And on the subject of penguins, check out these cuties!
0:04:20 > 0:04:22The penguin pair are three-month-old twins.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25They're the first of their kind to be born at the aquarium
0:04:25 > 0:04:28where they live in north-east China.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30They're known as chinstrap penguins and they get their name
0:04:30 > 0:04:36from the mark they have under their chin which looks
0:04:36 > 0:04:40like a strap - obvz!
0:04:40 > 0:04:42That's all we've got time for today.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Have a great evening.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48If you want to check out the rest of the day's stories, heads to
0:04:48 > 0:04:54newsround online. There is something about big cats which is really cool.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59Goodbye!