Simon Barnes

1 week ago | grunge.com | Simon Barnes

On May 8, 2025, after fewer than two days of deliberation by cardinals assembled in Vatican City, over 1.4 billion Roman Catholics finally found out who would be their new pope. Amid the pomp and ceremony as Pope Leo XIV — the Chicago-born Robert Prevost — made his first public appearance at St. Peter's Basilica, there was a noticeable accompaniment: the famous and colorful Swiss Guard, led by a marching band.

1 week ago | observer.co.uk | Simon Barnes

Each week, Simon Barnes hears what the last seven days has been like for a member of the animal kingdom We’re all unique: that’s what being a species means. But some of us are more unique than others, if you see what I mean. There’s a certain species of bipedal ape that thinks it’s separate from everything else that lives. Well, we aardvarks aren’t the most vocal of creatures, but I can certainly summon up a snort of derision. MondayA pretty decent day. Night rather.

2 weeks ago | observer.co.uk | Simon Barnes

Each week, Simon Barnes hears what the last seven days has been like for a member of the animal kingdon Altruism. That’s how society works, isn’t it? Kindness, generosity, the ungrudging and never-counting swapping of favours. Be nice and everyone else is nice back. And if you don’t abide by those principles, you’re not fit to be a vampire bat. MondayA normal day in the colony. Or rather night. Just a few dozen of us in a big hollow tree.

2 weeks ago | observer.co.uk | Simon Barnes

Each week, Simon Barnes hears what the last seven-days has been like for a member of the animal kingdom A week in the life? That’s a laugh. More like a life in the week. If I make it to four weeks I’ll be one of the luckiest orange-tip butterflies that ever took wing. Though I’m not inclined to measure success in number of days. Number of females more like. One would be good. MondayToday I completed my metamorphosis. I got through winter as pupa. I did the hatching and caterpillar thing last year.

3 weeks ago | discoverwildlife.com | Simon Barnes

“Bond watched, fascinated. He guessed it was a boa of the Epicrates family, attracted by the smell of blood. It was perhaps five feet long and quite harmless to man.”This excerpt is from The Man With the Golden Gun, when James Bond is in the middle of a shoot-out in a swamp in Jamaica with a bad man called Pistols Scaramanga.