natural

BUFFY the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon has died of “natural causes” aged 54.

The actor was known for playing Buffy’s much-loved companion Xander Harris on the hit 90s show and for later appearing in Criminal Minds.

His family released a heartbreaking tribute after his death on Friday.

They told The Hollywood Reporter: “We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon.

“He passed in his sleep of natural causes. Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years.”

They added: “While it’s no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing.”

Nicholas played Xander for seven years and was in all but one of the show’s 144 episodes.

His character was beloved amongst Buffy fans and known for his sarcastic humour and fierce loyalty.

Following the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer he had a recurring part as Kevin Lynch in Criminal Minds from 2007 – 2014.

He initially pursued a career in acting in order to help manage his stutter which made him fearful of meeting strangers.

Alongside acting he enjoyed painting and photography and sold his own original work.

Nicholas landed his break-out role as Xander at age 25 after he was fired from his job.

After the show finished he announced at a fan convention that he would be entering rehab for alcoholism in 2004.

He married actress Tressa DiFiglia in 2001 before they split in 2006.

Nicholas married Moonda Tee in 2014 one week after he proposed but the couple separated five months later.

The actor had multiple arrests and struggled with depression and alcoholism.

In 2015 the actor was arrested for strangling his girlfriend in Saratoga Springs, New York. Nicholas was charged with felony, third-degree robbery, criminal mischief and obstruction of breathing.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and agreed to start rehabilitation again but he was arrested again in 2017 and 2021.

Iran has significant oil and gas reserves, and is a key supplier to China.

A member of US President Donald Trump’s inner circle has said control of those reserves is a key United States aim amid the country’s war against Iran.

So, how valuable are Iran’s natural resources? And could they be a factor in US thinking?

Presenter: Imran Khan

Guests:

Foad Izadi – Professor in the faculty of world studies at the University of Tehran

Mohammad Reza Farzanegan – Professor of Middle East economics at Marburg University

Paolo von Schirach – President of the Global Policy Institute, an independent think tank

Dino Snores for grown-ups opens up the iconic Natural History Museum overnight

It’s one of the most iconic buildings and attractions in London and is known the world over.

The Natural History Museum is a marvel, containing tens of thousands of specimens from the natural world from across the globe and across time.

Not only that but the building is one of the most stunning in the capital, instantly recognisable and with some new wonder to be found on every visit.

And, in a real bucket list moment and a once in a lifetime experience, I was one of the people lucky enough to spend the night in this iconic building, sleeping under Hope the whale and wandering through the collections in the dead of night.

The Natural History Museum hosts Dino Snores for adults – and what an experience it is.

Not only do you get to spend the night sleeping beneath Hope the whale in the main Hintze Hall, there is so much going on there’s no way you’ll be getting your head down until the wee small hours.

Walking into the museum after the sun had gone down felt like living in my very own fairy tale. The exhibits in the incredible main hall were softly lit.

First up was a delicious three course meal in the T-Rex restaurant, followed by our first activity of the evening – stand-up comedy.

This is the Natural History Museum after all, so it did have a conservation theme in the form of comedian Simon Watt, founder of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society.

Who knew blob fish, frogs and the inexplicable inclusion of the kakapo flightless parrot could be so hilarious.

Next, there was a live animal workshop with ethical handling company, ZooLab, who encouraged us all to think how we would design our own dinosaur using traits from some of the amazing creatures who share the planet with us.

You were even allowed to touch some of these rare species – I very bravely overcame my terror to stroke a snake but have to admit to breathing a big sigh of relief when were were told the tarantula was a look only experience.

Then onto a lecture about sharks with a one of the museum’s palaeontologists – utterly fascinating.

A quick game of Dino Bingo, and then a stroll around the softly lit galleries with no crowds – the dinosaur section really is something else when the lights are out and it’s eerily quiet – and before we knew it it was 3am and we were ready to drop.

Tucking ourselves into our sleeping bags under the watchful gaze of Hope the whale, we were serenaded to sleep by a harpist – the theme from Jurassic Park as my personal favourite.

Throughout the night, there was a fully licenced bar as well as free tea, coffee and snacks to keep you going throughout the evening.

There was just so much to see and do, but for those who didn’t feel like roaming the halls of the Natural History Museum there was also a midnight film screening – what else but the original Jurassic Park.

Waking up in the iconic Hintze Hall was a real pinch me moment and off we went to our early morning yoga class – a stretch was just what we needed – before a full fry up and then some time to once again wander through the galleries, minus the crowds before the museum opened to the public at 10am.

This really was a magical experience and one I’ll cherish forever.

For more information about Dino Snores for adults check out the page on the Natural History Museum website.

There is also a Dino Snores event for kids, for more information visit the website.

“This is the very lifeblood of the Qatari economy.” Qatar has announced it is halting liquid natural gas (LNG) production because of Iranian attacks on key facilities. Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi explains the impact in Doha.