Television icon, author, and natural history expert Desmond Morris has died at the age of 98.

He was perhaps best known for his book The Naked Ape and the television programme Zoo Time, which he hosted from 1956 to 1967.

He scripted and hosted 500 programs for the pioneering show, as well as 100 episodes of the show Life in the Animal World for the BBC.

Zoo Time was an institution in the 50s and 60s, creating several famous, much-discussed moments, such as when Morris was toppled by a giant tortoise or urinated on by a lion.

At another point, a lethal cobra escaped live on-air.

The icon died in Ireland this week, where he had lived since the passing of his wife, Ramona, in 2018.

Ahead of his time in many ways, Morris’ work reflected his philosophy that human beings are members of the animal kingdom as much as any other creature, and that we are inextricably enmeshed within the natural world.

He often succinctly captured this idea with the phrase: ‘Man is a risen ape and not a fallen angel.’

Born in Wiltshire in 1928, Morris joined the British Army in 1946 before studying zoology at university, eventually earning a doctorate in animal behaviour at Oxford University.

He soon became a respected academic, and in 1956 Morris was appointed head of the Granada Television and Film Unit at the Zoological Society of London.

He used this newfound power to curate an exhibition of paintings by chimpanzees at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1957, provoking much ridicule but also publicity, particularly when Pablo Picasso bought one of the primates’ artworks.

Morris published his first book The Biology of Art in 1963, around the same time he began presenting Zoo Time.

But it was the publication of The Naked Ape in 1967 that made Morris a star, with the book – which looks at humans as a species and compares them to other animals – becoming a massive bestseller.

The Human Zoo, a follow-up book by Morris that examined the behaviour of people in cities, was published in 1969.

Throughout his life, Morris was a great lover of art, and painted thousands of canvasses himself, most in the surrealist style.

Morris told The Sunday Telegraph when he was approaching 70: ‘I would like to be remembered as someone who kept his childlike curiosity throughout his entire life. I describe myself as a senile child. That about sums me up.’

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The scene has been recreated with toys to celebrate the launch of a new Steiff bear to mark the date of the late Queen’s birthday tomorrow, April 21.

It resembles the time the late Queen appeared in a comedy sketch with a digitally animated Paddington to mark the milestone in 2022, in which she revealed she kept marmalade sandwiches – Paddington’s favourite treat – in her handbag.

Newby Hall recreates special Queen Elizabeth II Steiff bear in the Bear House at Newby Halll. (Image: Owen Humphreys)

The stunt took place at Newby Hall, near Ripon, and saw a soft toy of Paddington positioned having tea with the special edition Queen Elizabeth II Steiff teddy bear, which wears one of the late Queen’s most recognisable outfits, a lime green coat with matching hat, pearl necklace and handbag.

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Ian Munro, Steiff’s director of international sales, told the Press Association: “We’re here today at the fantastic Tapestry Room at Newby Hall, and we are celebrating the fact that 100 years ago, on the 21st of April, 1926, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, was born.

“And what Her Majesty (stood) for in the last 100 years was really, as she said herself, dedication and pride, and service, and I think she has a very special place in all of our hearts.

“And all of us at Steiff, together with our key partner, Galerista, wanted to celebrate this event where we’re launching a superb collectible, limited edition-style teddy bear.”

The bears will be limited to just 4,996, a nod to the late Queen living to 96 years old, and are priced at £289 each.

They will be individually numbered and presented in a souvenir bag, with coloured embroidery on the soles of their feet to commemorate what would have been the late Queen’s 100th birthday.

Mr Munro described the moment Paddington met the late Queen as “one of the most cherished moments” and added that it was “one of the greatest secrets”.

When the late Queen died in 2022, mourners left Paddington cuddly toys and marmalade sandwiches outside Buckingham Palace in tribute.

Founded in the German city of Giengen in 1880 by Margarete Steiff, the company which takes her name claims to have invented the first ever teddy bear, and has gone on to create an array of bears to mark occasions such as the millennium and the sinking of the Titanic.

The incident happened on Darwen Street at around 11am on Sunday, just outside the Tyrrells and Embery Opticians. In footage, a man can be seen on the ground on the pavement with onlookers attempting to assist him.

The damage to the car and one section of the shop front (Image: WhatsApp)

The car, a white Lamborghini Huracan that costs more than £200,000, also caused damage to a street sign and the front of the opticians.

A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 10.59am. The pedestrian, an adult male, has been taken to hospital.”

The section of Darwen Street is one of the busiest roads in Blackburn and includes a number of takeaways and retailers.

Nasa is rushing to find a solution to prevent its first interstellar spacecraft from running out of power.

Voyager 1, which launched in 1977, suffered a drop in power levels that forced mission operators to shut down one of its instruments as a temporary fix.

The US space agency said it is now working on a “far-out plan” to extend the craft’s lifespan and restore it to full operation.

Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object in existence, having become the first ever probe to leave the Solar System in 2012.

It is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, which harvest electricity from decaying plutonium. This energy system means it loses 4 watts of power every year.

An unexpected low power issue was first detected during a planned roll maneuvre on 27 February, with mission engineers warning that any additional drop in power would trigger a protection system that would shut down components on the probe.

Nasa said it shut down an instrument aboard the Voyager 1 craft, which is currently more than 25 billion kilometres (15 billion miles) from Earth, in order to prevent further issues while it works on a more permanent solution.

“While shutting down a science instrument is not anybody’s preference, it is the best option available,” said Voyager mission manager Kareem Badaruddin.

“Voyager 1 still has two remaining operating science instruments – one that listens to plasma waves and one that measures magnetic fields. They are still working great, sending back data from a region of space no other human-made craft has ever explored.”

The instrument, called the Low-energy Charged Particles experiment, (LECP), has been operating almost continuously for 49 years, measuring low-energy charged particles like cosmic rays from the Milky Way.

“The nuclear-powered spacecraft is running low on power, and turning off the LECP is considered the best way to keep humanity’s first interstellar explorer going,” Nasa said in an update.

“The instrument has provided critical data about the structure of the interstellar medium, detecting pressure fronts and regions of varying particle density in the space beyond our heliosphere. The twin Voyagers are the only spacecraft that are far enough from Earth to provide this information.”

The IWM Duxford flying season is back for 2026.

If you are a history enthusiast or love historic aircraft, you probably already know about the Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford‘s yearly flying season. The museum’s flying season runs from May through to October every year and features a range of events.

The first event of the season will take place on Saturday, May 9, and will be dedicated to VE Day. Flying Days: VE Day will be celebrating “the role aviation made in the path to victory during the Second World War”.

The day will feature a flying display with plenty of historic aircraft taking part in the performance. If you already have tickets or are deciding whether to attend the event, here is the current line-up of aircraft taking part in Flying Days: VE Days.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk I

The Supermarine Spitfire Mk I is the IWM Duxford’s only airworthy aircraft and could have been called the Shrew or Scarab by its designer. The Spitfire had many roles throughout the war including as a fighter-bomber, an interceptor, and a trainer.

Hawker Hurricane Mk I

The Hurricane was “the RAF’s first monoplane fighter”, according to IWM Duxford. The Hurricane may have been overshadowed by the Supermarine Spitfire during the Battle or Britain in 1940 but it was essential to Britain’s victory during the Second World War.

The Hurricane P2902 was recovered in 1988 and has been restored using its original 245 Squadron markings.

Grumman Wildcat FM2

The Grumman Wildcat FM2 was flown by both the US Navy and the Fleet Air Arm. The aircraft was originally used by the British as a base-defence fighter but it was also used from escort carriers in the North Atlantic and from fleet carriers in later years.

Hispano HA‑112 MIL Buchón

This aircraft was developed by Spain during and after the Second World War and is a Merlin-powered version of the Bf 109. Buchóns are often used today to stand-in for wartime Luftwaffe Messerschmitt fighters. You may have seem them appear in a range of war films such as the 1969 film Battle of Britain or Dunkirk, which came out in 2017.

North American P‑51D Mustang

This aircraft was designed in 1940 by James H. Kindelberger and his team from North American Aviation. The Mustang is a long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber that was used in both the Second World War and the Korean War.

Lockheed 12A Electra

Described by the IWM Duxford as a “unique aircraft”, the Lockheed 12A Electra was used to secretly photograph German territory at the start of the war. They were also used to transport company executives and government official throughout the war as well as being used privately by those wealthy enough outside of wartime.

de Havilland Canada DHC‑1 Chipmunk Formation

This aircraft will be marking its 80th anniversary this year. The Chipmunk was developed after the end of World War II and was sold as a replacement for the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane.

The Chipmunk was served as the RAF’s primary trainer from 1950 to the start of the 1990s.

LeVier Cosmic Wind

The LeVier Cosmic Wind is a Formula One air racer rather than an aircraft used for war and it was designed in 1947. The “small, high-performance” aircraft marked a shift towards more “affordable, purpose-built racing” planes.

It never raced in the Us but did win the premier cross-country competition in the UK in 1964.

Bücker Bü 133 Jungmann

The Jungmann was mainly used for aerobatic and air combat training by various air forces. It was a favourite for aerobatics “thanks to its agility and enduring performance” and is described as being “nimble” by the IWM Duxford.

The full flying list of the aircraft that will be performing on the day is subject to weather conditions and serviceability. There are still tickets available for the event, which can be purchased through the IWM Duxford website.

Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Madrid Open, where he reached the final last year, and the Italian Open due to a knee tendon injury.

The Brit has not completed a clay-court match this season after retiring from his opening round match in Barcelona against Tomas Martin Etcheverry as a result of the issue.

He did not play in the Monte Carlo Masters and has now pulled out of the next two Masters 1000 events on the surface, in the Spanish capital this week and in Rome next month.

The 24-year-old remains hopeful of playing at Roland-Garros in the second grand slam of the season, saying: “An aggravated tendon in my knee means I am not able to play in Madrid and Rome.

“It’s frustrating for sure but I am thankful it isn’t anything more serious, recovery is going well and I feel good about my chances of being fit for Roland Garros. I am looking forward to building momentum from there.”

The British No 2 has endured a frustrating eight-month spell, only playing one singles match over the second half of last season due to a troubling bone bruising injury in his left serving arm.

He has played a reduced calendar in 2026 thus far to manage that injury only to now be laid low by a right knee issue, which required heavy strapping before the final set in Barcelona. He retired when 4-1 down in the decider.

The former US Open semi-finalist has significant ranking points to defend over this section of the clay-court swing, having finished runner-up to Casper Ruud in the Madrid final last year and following that up with a run to the quarter-finals in Rome.

Failing to defend those ranking points means he will lose 850 and is likely to plummet outside the top 70 in the world rankings from his current position of 28th as a result. He will be unseeded at the French Open, which begins on 24 May, and likely for Wimbledon too.

After missing the clay Masters events his last chance to get match-fit before Roland Garros will come at either the ATP 500 event in Hamburg or ATP 250 in Geneva, both held the week before play begins in Paris.

The Madrid Open has seen several high-profile withdrawals, with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz both withdrawing with injuries and Emma Raducanu, who is struggling to recover from a viral illness, also pulling out.

Draper’s counterpart as British No 2, Sonay Kartal, announced later on Monday that she would miss the entire clay-court season as a result of a recurring back injury, which hampered her on her run to the last 16 at Indian Wells and forced her retirement.

The 24-year-old wrote: “Sadly my back injury hasn’t improved as quickly as I would’ve hoped which means no clay season for me this year.

“Thanks for all the messages over the last few weeks, means a lot. Can’t wait to play in front of a home crowd soon! See you on the grass.”

Locals raised concerns about noise from people gathering at night and potential increases in antisocial behaviour

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Locals have raised concerns about a shop opening soon in Peterborough that has applied for permission to sell alcohol. A meeting of Peterborough City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee next week will consider whether a premises licence should be granted to the owner of the Londis Indigo, which is set to open in Northminster.

In his initial application, the shop’s owner, Mr Muthukumar Radhakrishnan requested a licence that would cover alcohol sales for off-site consumption and provide late-night refreshment into the early hours, every day of the week. This request met opposition from local residents, a number of whom submitted formal objections to the application.

The objections highlighted fears that the Londis shop’s license would lead to potential public nuisance issues, such as noise from customers gathering outside late at night and increases in antisocial behaviour.

Objectors also argued that, because the shop is located within a residential area where families live, the shop’s late-night hours could negatively impact residents’ quality of life.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary stepped in to mediate with the applicant. This resulted in a number of proposed amendments being added to the initial application in order to mitigate any potential risks relating to associated public nuisance and disorder.

These included revised opening hours from 6am to 2am, restrictions on selling single cans or high-strength alcohol above 6.5% ABV (except craft beers), and requirements for labelling all alcohol sold.

The Licensing Sub-Committee meeting will take place at Sand Martin House on April 24. It will consider the application based on its merits and in relation to the four licensing objectives: preventing crime and disorder, ensuring public safety, preventing public nuisance, and protecting children from harm.

Writing for Belfast Live, Minister Andrew Muir argues that climate action is an investment

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As we all continue to suffer the fallout of the conflict in Iran, it was surprising to see calls for Northern Ireland to roll back on our climate goals last week. If anything, we should be more determined than ever to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster that continues to hit all of our pockets.

As the Minister leading on climate policy, I am acutely aware of the scale and urgency of the challenge, but I am also optimistic and ambitious about the opportunities of climate action.

My vision for Northern Ireland would see us all share in the benefits of good green jobs, locally produced clean energy, warmer homes, a thriving environment which enables healthier and more active communities.

The evidence is clear that every pound we spend on climate action brings two to four times the economic and social benefit, whilst avoiding billions in climate damage.

Climate action is an investment, not a cost. Whilst some question our climate goals, I ask why they want to see Northern Ireland miss out on its share of the £57 billion of green growth that the CBI predicts will benefit the UK by 2030.

Since taking up office, I have been working hard for us to join our neighbours in delivering action to address the climate challenge.

I have published Northern Ireland’s third Climate Adaptation Programme to build resilience and protect our communities, natural environment and infrastructure from the worst impacts of climate change.

I have set our first three carbon budgets and interim emissions reduction targets with work well underway on Northern Ireland’s first Climate Action Plan that will ensure we meet our goals as we invest in clean energy, warm homes, public transport, active travel, support agriculture, our environment and the circular economy.

At the heart of this work must be a just transition to ensure fairness is at the core of decarbonisation. That’s why I have brought forward plans for a Just Transition Commission made-up of a cross-section of sectors and groups, which will help inform policy around climate action. I have also secured over £12m for a Just Transition Fund for Agriculture to assist farmers as they reduce emissions. We must leave no one behind on this journey.

The draft Climate Action Plan sets out a realistic, phased programme, based on the best available evidence and focused on what is affordable and deliverable. If we all work collectively towards these goals, we can realise the economic, social and environmental benefits for Northern Ireland for many years to come.

These are not abstract benefits. They translate to more stable household budgets, healthier communities, greater food and energy security and resilient local economies.

And the public knows this, with 74 per cent of people wanting to see politicians doing more to tackle climate change. Human-driven climate change is an undeniable fact, one that is practically undisputed by the scientific experts.

Temperatures are rising, extreme weather events are more frequent and intense, and the effects of Climate Change are already here on our shores.

We have just had our wettest January for 149 years, with 170 per cent of the average rainfall for that month; in July last year, Killowen in Co Down got almost a month’s worth of rain in one afternoon; and Storm Eowyn was our most significant storm event for over 25 years, with over 240,000 homes and businesses without power.

At Lough Neagh, climate change is contributing to the blue-green algae blooms, which, for successive summers, have blighted its waters with all of those consequences for drinking water, recreation and livelihoods around the Lough.

Climate change is also being felt by our food and farming sector, with the recent sustained period of wet weather impacting the harvesting of crops and the storage of slurry on farms. There is also a direct correlation with the arrival of Bluetongue, as warmer temperatures encourage new animal diseases.

I will not roll back on our commitment to the public to meet our climate goals, which were unanimously agreed when the Climate Change Act was passed at Final Stage in 2022. Not only would it mean missing out on the many benefits of climate action, but it also means leaving constituents vulnerable to climate damage and a volatile fossil fuel market.

In the face of escalating climate impacts and international uncertainty, my message is clear: we must take climate action to safeguard a more prosperous future for our people and communities.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

MS NOW host Jen Psaki has handed her fellow Democrats a reality check over their dreams of seeing President Donald Trump removed from power via the 25th Amendment, saying it is simply not going to happen.

Psaki, who was Joe Biden’s first White House press secretary before joining the network, was appearing on Stephen A Smith’s Straight Shooter show on SiriusXM when she was asked about the prospect of the constitutional mechanism being deployed to remove Trump from the Oval Office on mental health grounds.

“I have no issue with people saying they’re for invoking the 25th Amendment, but it’s not going to happen,” Psaki told Smith. “So, it’s like, why are we spending so much time, you know?”

New York Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman became the latest to issue that call this weekend in response to a Wall Street Journal report alleging that the president was excluded from a military briefing about the daring rescue mission to retrieve two U.S. airmen downed in Iran because of his erratic temperament.

The newspaper described Trump engaging in an hours-long tantrum, raging that a failed rescue could mean the end of his presidency, prompting Goldman to say on X (Twitter): “The commander-in-chief was excluded from commanding a military operation because he was acting so crazy.

“Think about that. Trump is not well. We need the 25th Amendment before something really bad happens on U.S. soil.”

Fifty House Democrats introduced legislation last week that would allow Congress to study the president’s fitness for office and move to remove him using the amendment, amid rising concern about his violent rhetoric towards Tehran and bizarre digs at Pope Leo XIV.

If passed, the bill would create a commission to assess whether the emergency amendment should be invoked, an outcome that in reality stands little chance of ever being realized, given that it would require the approval of the vice president and a majority of the cabinet before it could be enacted.

Prior to that, former CIA director John Brennan had told Ali Veshi on Psaki’s own network that the clause was explicitly written with the likes of the current president “in mind.”

The same calls have also come from rebels on the right like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones, all of whom have openly demanded Trump’s ousting.

“How do we 25th Amendment his ass?” Jones asked on his InfoWars show recently, responding, like others, to Trump’s increasingly wild rhetoric over Tehran’s stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused global oil prices to spike.

Elsewhere in her interview with Smith, Psaki said that many Democrats feel “their entire identity is being questioned and challenged” by the president and his policies, leading to what the man himself has long diagnosed as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

The pundit said that, for many, a way for them to be able to “consider themselves progressive” in these trying times is by “scream[ing] at the top of [their] lungs about everything that comes out of the Trump administration.”

She acknowledged that while she herself is “outraged by a lot of it… I don’t think screaming about every single thing is the most constructive thing” as it ultimately amounts to little more than background noise that can be ignored, unlike more targeted criticisms.

Brock Lesnar has hinted at a retirement from professional wrestling, after leaving his gloves and boots in the ring on Sunday.

Lesnar, 48, had competed in the first match of the second night of WrestleMania 42 – the latest edition of WWE’s annual showpiece event.

Going up against rising star Oba Femi, Lesnar lost a short but entertaining match, with the fans in Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium showing their delight at the result.

However, there were mixed emotions after the final bell, when Lesnar sat on the ring canvas and removed his boots and mixed-martial-arts-style gloves.

“Thank you, Brock,” was the chant from the crowd as Lesnar embraced his longtime friend Paul Heyman, a writer on WWE’s creative team who has played the role of Lesnar’s manager – on and off – for more than 20 years.

WWE share two clips of Lesnar’s post-fight actions, first writing, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, BROCK?!” then adding: “What’s next for The Beast?!”

It was expected that Lesnar might retire at WWE’s second-biggest show of the year, SummerSlam, given it will take place in his home city of Minneapolis, Minnesota in August.

That could still be the case, especially given fellow WWE star Gunther is currently going by the nickname “Career Killer”.

Sunday’s moment may simply set up a proper retirement angle later this year, with Lesnar taking on Gunther in Minneapolis, as the latter looks to retire another legend – having beaten John Cena and AJ Styles in their final matches over the last several months.

Lesnar made his name in the WWE in the early 2000s, as he was quickly pushed into a prominent position and made a world champion in the promotion. However, this first stint in the company was short lived, with Lesnar leaving in 2004.

An attempted NFL career failed, but he ventured into mixed martial arts and became the UFC heavyweight champion in 2008, holding the title until 2010. He returned to WWE in 2012 and has starred in the promotion on and off ever since.

In 2025, Lesnar was named in a lawsuit filed by Janel Grant against former WWE CEO Vince McMahon, who continues to fight the suit. Grant, a former WWE employee, filed a new 40-page affidavit this month, accusing McMahon of rape, coercion, and physical and mental abuse.

Although the lawsuit alleges Lesnar was complicit, he has not been accused of any direct abuse. He has also never commented publicly on the allegations. The Independent has approached a representative of Lesnar for comment.