DINNER PARTY INTEL: The super survivor

1. Big deal for small birds

Twitchers were all atwitter over the festive season after two rare sightings. Swarms of European storm petrels, a small seabird, often a precursor to bad weather, were seen by fishermen off the Cape coast near Hermanus, having travelled about 11,500km from their normal habitat. The Knysna scrub warbler, thought to be extinct in the Cape Town area, was spotted in Newlands forest. It is described as “unassuming” and “secretive”.

2. No place for old men

In a sport often associated with overweight old men holding beer tankards, a teenager has captured a “rapturous fan base”, according to The Times. Luke Littler, 16, has become the youngest person to appear in the final of the world darts championship, helping coin a new description for its competitors: dartsmith. Littler lost in the final to the positively ancient Luke Humphries, 28.

3. Superman a survivor

Superman might succumb to kryptonite, but not copyright. At least, not for now. When thousands of copyrighted works, including Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain on January 1 after their 95-year terms expired, Superman was exempted. Superman debuted in 1938, and, under US law, the copyright on the original version of the character is set to expire on January 1 2034.