Footage of Punch, a seven-month-old Japanese macaque, has gone viral around the world after he was rejected by his mother and formed a bond with a soft toy

A baby monkey in Japan has captured hearts around the world after videos of him being bullied by other monkeys and rejected by his mother went viral last week.

Punch, a Japanese macaque, was born last July at Ichikawa zoo. He has drawninternational attention after zookeepers gave him a stuffed orangutan toy after he was abandoned by his mother.

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Citizens, Glasgow
Newcomer Mandipa Kabanda plays the Maid of Orleans from obscure teenager to army-commanding conqueror, tearing through dialogue with rare pace

When George Bernard Shaw’s play was about to open at what is now the Noël Coward theatre, the critic of the Times worried that the playwright would use the story of Saint Joan as an excuse for politicking. Shaw, they wrote, “occasionally delights to criticise the present through the past”. For this unnamed critic, the appeal of Shaw’s Fabian Society moralising had worn thin.

When the same writer attended the first night in 1924, with Sybil Thorndike in the lead role, they were relieved to find GBS had played it straight: six scenes describing the progress of the Maid of Orleans from obscure teenager to army-commanding conqueror. Only in an epilogue did the playwright “let himself go” with a modern-day commentary: “It is a nuisance that he is so obsessed with the present moment as to drag it into every period.”

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Is it to be a degree and heavy debt when graduate jobs are shrinking? Or foregoing a degree, knowing society still worships them? Confused, angry: who wouldn’t be

Some months ago, I was at my old university, speaking to prospective sixth-form and college students about taking a degree in the arts and what future careers they could expect. It was a cohort of teenagers from underrepresented backgrounds: all of them had that glint of ambition in their eyes, a desire to better their circumstances. After the talk, they showed me their precocious LinkedIn profiles already advertising their talents to future employers. I expected them to ask what would be of more value out of a degree in the arts or Stem, but I was unprepared for something more bracing: whether it was worth them going to university at all.

It is a question that keeps on rearing its head, as the graduate recruitment crisis and crippling student debts paint a picture of a pursuit with diminished returns. Those of us in the orbit of young people increasingly wonder whether we can, in good conscience, encourage them to go and get a degree. The options being presented increasingly look like snake oil, so is it any wonder that young people feel disillusioned and deceived?

Jason Okundaye is an assistant Opinion editor at the Guardian

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Corporation says there are ‘no favourites’ among MOTD trio Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan

When the BBC split the task of presenting Match of the Day between three prominent broadcasters, executives were clear – there were to be “no favourites” among the new hosts Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman.

That mantra is now being underlined as the corporation prepares its coverage for this summer’s World Cup. It is understood producers are ensuring that the trio have an equal number of programmes to present once the tournament kicks off in Mexico City.

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Aromatic snacks stuffed full of flavourful chicken mince, and a comforting Korean stew

I use a lot of rice paper and always have plenty at home, because it can be used in a wide variety of ways. It’s delicious fried, as are most things! These half-moons are filled with an aromatic chicken mince, while tteokbokki is a Korean dish of chewy rice tubes that are often cooked in a stew. They are not always easy to find, but I love them, so I make my own.

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Caistor St Edmund, Norfolk: I can’t tell which birds are male and which are female and, it turns out, neither can they. There is a system, though

The flock of 50 or so pigeons lifts from the barn roof as one. The loud clapping of wings makes the horses jump, even though this happens several times a day. I scan the sky for a peregrine but can’t see signs of danger. They swirl once, then settle back on to the corrugated metal roof.

These farmyard pigeons are a mix of feral and wood pigeons that hang out happily together. The group will reduce soon. Some of the wood pigeons are probably continental winter migrants who will depart. The remaining males will then leave the communal roost and set up territory ready for the breeding season. Each will defend its area diligently, with that resonant, repetitive cooing.

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Cactus

Het gaat momenteel veel over cash, Wero en de digitale euro. Maar het is de ondernemer die moet betalen voor betalingen. Hoe ziet zijn rekening er nu uit, en hoe gaat die er uit zien in de toekomst?

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Fog, clouds, drizzle, and a few trees, in Kamikochi.

Kamikochi is a highland valley in the Hida Mountains, the "Northern Alps" of the Japanese Alps, located in Nagano Prefecture. It is preserved within Chubu-Sangaku National Park. The valley floor is at an elevation of around 1,500 m, while surrounding peaks reach up to 3,190 m. The Azusa River flows through the valley. The area is designated as one of Japan's National Cultural Assets, and is on the list of Special Natural Monuments, and Special Places of Scenic Beauty.

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