Hero worship

Peter Magyar, the new PM of Hungary, has the unique distinction among world leaders of bearing the name of the country he leads. Why do we call the country Hungary when the natives call it the ‘land of the Magyars’? – ‘Hungary’ is literally, the land of the Huns. However, Middle English didn’t distinguish between them and the Magyars, a tribe which, in the 9th century, invaded and settled in what had been known as Pannonia. The Magyars themselves spoke a Uralic language related to Finnish, in which ‘Magyar’ is believed to mean ‘hero man’. Any relationship to the acronym ‘MAGA’ is purely coincidental.

School starters

The Scottish Green party wants to raise the age at which children start school to seven. How does this vary around the world?

France, Peru 3

Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland 4

Belgium, Colombia, Greece, Netherlands, Pakistan, UK 5

Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, US 6

South Africa 7

In the tank

Where are the most expensive, and cheapest, countries to fill your car with diesel? (In the equivalent of US$ per litre)

MOST EXPENSIVE

Hong Kong 4.46

Malawi 3.86

Singapore 3.25

Denmark 2.97

Netherlands 2.87

CHEAPEST

Venezuela 0.01

Iran 0.01

Libya 0.02

Algeria 0.23

Turkmenistan 0.29

Source: globalpetrolprices.com

Horses and courses

A horse called Gold Dancer won a race at Aintree but then died minutes later. Which racecourses have seen the most deaths since 1 January 2025?

Kempton Park, Southwell 11

Cheltenham, Chepstow 10

Worcester 8

Ayr, Chelmsford, Doncaster, Lingfield, Newton Abbot 7

Ascot, Ffos, Hexham, Wolverhampton 6

Aintree, Carlisle, Cartmel, Taunton, Wetherby 5

Source: horsedeathwatch.com