Funny old world: the week's offbeat news

Punch to the heart Celebrity doesn't just cast its spell on humans, it seemingly works its magic on monkeys too. Take poor little Punch, a baby macaque abandoned by its mother and bullied and cold-shouldered by other monkeys in a Japanese zoo. Then images of Punch clutching a cuddly toy for comfort went viral under the hashtag #HangInTherePunch, with crowds thronging Ichikawa City Zoo outside Tokyo, many with presents to cheer him up. Sales of his cuddly IKEA orangutan plushie also rocketed, selling out in Japan and the US.