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Award-winning channel, C´óÏó´«Ã½, today announces a raft of new programmes opening British children's minds as it takes them on a global journey from the wild game reserves in South Africa to the wonder of Japan in the East.

The programmes, which aim to help children understand and be inspired by the world around them, include a journey to Japan with Hai! Karate – Journey To Japan, a new series which sees children taking on a challenge to learn karate; an expedition to Tanzania which traces the footsteps of the great 19th century explorer David Livingstone; eight children train to be game rangers in the world famous Kruger Game Reserve in South Africa and Gemma Hunt joins Barney Harwood as he continues his travels in Barney's South America.

Damian Kavanagh, Controller, C´óÏó´«Ã½, said: "Not only do we cover international events and news stories through programmes such as Blue Peter and Newsround, but we hope these brand new series will open the eyes of British children and inspire them to think about the world around them."

In Hai! Karate – Journey To Japan, five children from across the UK pair up with one of their parents to embark on a journey to Japan, the home of karate.

Each child wants to change something about their relationship with their parent, so can this experience make a difference? With the group training under a grandmaster who teaches them the key principles of karate – focus, skill, commitment and respect – they have just three weeks of intensive training to get a belt grading and earn the right to perform at the World Karate Championships in Okinawa.

This really will be a journey of discovery, as the group will not only be taught the art of karate, they will also be immersed in the culture and traditions of ancient and modern Japan. But by the end of the trip what will they have learnt about themselves and each other?

Hai! Karate – Journey To Japan is a 10-part series from C´óÏó´«Ã½, which will air next year, executive producers are Jamie Rea and Gillian Scothern.

Narrated by wildlife presenter Steve Backshall and C´óÏó´«Ã½'s own Barney Harwood, Natural Born Hunters, takes a fresh look at some of the most supreme predators in the animal kingdom.

Drawing from the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s stunning Natural History Unit's archive this 13-part series looks at how some of the most lethal creatures in the wild survive a typical day, relying on their instincts, speed, and tactics is often not enough, and luck can mean the difference between life and death.

Natural Born Hunters will be on screen in spring 2010, and the executive producer is Wendy Darke.

The multi-award-winning Serious adventure series returns next spring to take C´óÏó´«Ã½ viewers on an exciting expedition to Tanzania in East Africa.

Serious Explorers: Livingstone retraces the footsteps of the great 19th century explorer David Livingstone. The series will follow eight young adventurers as they journey through the heart of Africa, on a month-long adventure of a lifetime, living together, and learning from each other.

Serious Explorers: Livingstone is an 11-part series, executive produced by Gillian Scothern and airs in 2010.Ìý

Also returning to C´óÏó´«Ã½ screens is the innovative series, 8, which continues in the New Year with Safari 8.

This series sees eight children, four from the UK and four from South Africa, join forces as they train to become game rangers in the world famous Kruger Game Reserve in South Africa.

For a month the children will undertake intense ranger training, and they must work as a team as they try to develop the skills to track and care for some of the greatest animals in Africa.

Safari 8 is a 13-part series, executive produced by Elaine Bancroft which airs in January 2010.

Barney Harwood and Gemma Hunt are back for more adventures, and this time they head to South America to explore the continent.

Barney's South America is a 26-part series which takes a humorous approach to looking at the natural world.

The continent is home to the largest rainforest in the world and flanked by two oceans, making it a unique and rich environment.

The pair go on a journey of discovery, investigating where different species of wildlife live, how they eat and even how they defend themselves.

Barney's South America is a joint production with C´óÏó´«Ã½ and NHU, executive produced by Elaine Bancroft and Wendy Darke due to air in spring 2010.

LG