Baby voters
The Lib Dem Polly Mackenzie proposed giving people the right to vote from birth, with a proxy vote going to the under-tens. Does any country allow children to vote?
– No country has a voting age lower than 16, although Iran allowed 15-year-olds to vote until 2007. Those countries that do allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote are not all necessarily the most democratic.
16 Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, Nicaragua, Scotland (not UK general elections), Wales (not UK general elections)
17 East Timor, Greece, North Korea
Holiday homes
Which areas of England and Wales have the highest proportion of properties used as second homes/holiday lets? Figures expressed as number of people using holiday homes per 1,000 normal residents:
Gwynedd 79
Anglesey 63
North Norfolk 60
South Lakeland 58.4
Isle of Scilly 58.3
East Lindsey 54.4
South Hams 51.1
Scarborough 47.1
Pembrokeshire 45.2
Source: Office for National Statistics
Particle science
How were total emissions of common air pollutants in 2022 compared with 2012? Expressed as a percentage of the 2012 level:
Ammonia 99.5
Nitrogen oxides 54.4
Non-methane volatile organic compounds 84.5
PM10 (particles less than 10 microns in diameter) 92.6
PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter) 81.8
Sulphur dioxide 25.2
Source: Defra
Let them eat gold
Nusr-et, a Mayfair restaurant, has cut the £1,450 Golden Tomahawk steak (wrapped in 24ct gold leaf) from its menu and turned down the heating in response to the cost of living. Other pointlessly expensive dishes:
€5,000 Golden Boy Burger, De Daltons, Netherlands (Wagyu beef patty, beluga caviar, king crab, Iberico ham, white truffle).
$777 777 Burger, Le Burger Brasseries, Las Vegas (Kobe beef and Maine lobster).
$25,000 Grand Velas Taco, Grand Velas, Los Cabos, Mexico (Kobe beef, beluga caviar, black truffle brie, gold flake taco shell, with a salsa made from dried morita chilli peppers, tequila and civet coffee beans).
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