0:00:04 > 0:00:06Hi guys, it's Newsround and I'm Ayshah.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Here are your Thursday big stories - coming up:
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Why Big Ben's bongs will be going quiet.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16And is this the slippiest contest ever?!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27First up, it should be silent from Monday, but there's bit
0:00:27 > 0:00:30of a ding dong over Big Ben's bongs.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Have a look at this.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33BIG BEN CHIMES.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34Have a listen to this.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35BIG BEN CHIMES.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37And another.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Because you might not hear the dongs of Big Ben for a very long time.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44That is because there is a row over some repair work
0:00:44 > 0:00:46happening on the famous bell.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50It's supposed to stop running on Monday for four years,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52except for special occasions, to protect the hearing
0:00:52 > 0:01:00of the people working on it.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01--Stop ringing
0:01:01 > 0:01:03But not everyone was happy about the plan -
0:01:03 > 0:01:04including the Prime Minister.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Of course we want to ensure people's safety at work.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10But it can't be right for Big Ben to be silent for four years.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Now, the plans are a bit up in the air while politicians
0:01:13 > 0:01:14figure out what to do.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17So while we've got a bit of time, here's all the things you might not
0:01:17 > 0:01:19know about Big Ben in 60 seconds.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20BIG BEN CHIMES.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Most people know Big Ben as the clock tower that's attached
0:01:23 > 0:01:25to the Palace of Westminster, which is where Parliament sits.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28But actually, Big Ben is the name of the giant bell inside it.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29BIG BEN CHIMES.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32The clock tower used to be called the, er, clocktower.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34But it was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of
0:01:34 > 0:01:38the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40BIG BEN CHIMES.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42No one knows exactly why it's called Big Ben.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45One idea is that it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48a politician who was around when it was built.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51But others think it could be named after a boxer called Ben Caunt.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53BIG BEN CHIMES.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Big Ben doesn't swing like normal bells.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Instead, it's fixed and struck by a hammer from outside.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03BIG BEN PEALS.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07The BBC first broadcast Big Ben's chimes to mark the New Year in 1923.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12The clock has seen every New Year since, apart from in 1962,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16when ice made it ten minutes late.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20BIG BEN CHIMES.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25There's a first for British Cricket happening right now in Birmingham -
0:02:25 > 0:02:28it's the first ever day-night test, and England are batting
0:02:28 > 0:02:33against the West Indies.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The match will play on late into the evening with a special pink
0:02:36 > 0:02:38ball being used which shows up better under the floodlights.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Next up, millions of people around the world are getting excited
0:02:41 > 0:02:42about Monday's solar eclipse.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Parts of America will see a total eclipse -
0:02:45 > 0:02:48that's where the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50And one group of UK scouts is travelling to get
0:02:50 > 0:02:57the best view possible.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58Meet the Salisbury scouts.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01They are off on a camping trip, but this year,
0:03:01 > 0:03:02it is a little bit special.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04We are going to America to see the solar eclipse.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06The Yellowstone National Park.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08The boys are on their way, making a mammoth journey
0:03:08 > 0:03:10all the way from the UK to Yellowstone National Park
0:03:10 > 0:03:16in the USA, where they will be able to witness this
0:03:16 > 0:03:17incredible moment first-hand.
0:03:17 > 0:03:23Excited for the solar eclipse, to see it and to be there in America.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25I'm feeling really excited, yeah.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27I'm really excited for it.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Now check out this parachute team from Norway.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37They set a new record for the most number of rings
0:03:37 > 0:03:39of skydivers in formation.
0:03:39 > 0:03:48They made five rings made up of 52 people.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50You know when you lose something and can't
0:03:50 > 0:03:51remember where you left it?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54This granny found a diamond ring she lost 13 years ago stuck
0:03:54 > 0:03:55on a carrot she dug up!
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Mary Grams, who's 84, lost the ring while weeding in this
0:03:58 > 0:04:02vegetable patch on her family farm.
0:04:02 > 0:04:09Wow - the ring still fits!
0:04:09 > 0:04:10How's this for a cool competition?
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Children in the Netherlands have been taking part in the annual log
0:04:13 > 0:04:14walking championships.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Here's Whitney.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20The aim of the game is to walk between two river banks on a tree
0:04:20 > 0:04:22trunk covered in soap without falling into the water.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25The first round is easier because the pole is dry,
0:04:25 > 0:04:34but then green soap is rubbed onto the log in the second round.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36TRANSLATION: Almost everybody makes it to the other side without soap,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38but now everyone is slipping.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40It's funny because you see everyone falling off and it's nice
0:04:40 > 0:04:42to try to get as far as you can.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45So far, many people have tried to get across the river,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49but only a few have succeeded.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Remember, guys, this is a safely organised event,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53so don't try this for yourself.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Better luck next year!
0:04:54 > 0:05:01That's all for now, but I'll be back at 07:40 tomorrow.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06My favourite shows are Horrible Histories...