Barometer
How many people drown in Britain?
Common ground The Commonwealth Games began as the British Empire Games in 1930, yet they did not originate in Britain.…
Can Burnham end rough sleeping?
Lost counties Rutland is to be abolished for the second time, having first been taken off the map in 1974…
How many people get arrested for terrorism?
Dying of heat Have this year’s heatwaves really killed 2,700 people? The claim has been made in a paper by…
Which World Cups saw the most red cards?
To go or not to go? Would Andy Burnham be wise to call a general election? The record of PMs…
What kills more: heat or cold?
Absolute mayor Andy Burnham wants more devolution and elected mayors. Do voters want that? – Since 2001 there have been…
How does this week’s heatwave compare with 1976?
Prime numbers It looks as if Britain will just miss out on having seven prime ministers in the space of…
How does this World Cup compare with the first?
Football fiasco With 48 teams, this is the largest World Cup ever. How does it compare with the first? –…
Which trade unions are the most pro-Reform?
Badger over Bard The Bank of England is to discontinue issuing banknotes with historic figures in favour of animals. Which…
Which countries see more UFOs?
Red Wales Labour lost power in the Welsh Assembly for the first time since it was set up in 1999.…
Which animals are older than David Attenborough?
Travel sickness Three people were reported to have died in an outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship returning to…
Which world leaders survived the greatest number of assassination attempts?
Marathon sprints The Kenyan marathon runner Sabastian Sawe broke the world record by running the first official sub-two-hour marathon. –…
How many people undergo security vetting?
Balls to that Why are elections called ‘ballots’? — The word ballot comes from the Italian, pallotta, meaning a small…
Which racecourses have seen the most deaths?
Hero worship Peter Magyar, the new PM of Hungary, has the unique distinction among world leaders of bearing the name…
How many humans have landed on the Moon?
Moonstruck Four astronauts aboard the Artemis II spacecraft achieved the distinction of travelling further from the Earth than any humans…
Who trusts their savings with the government?
Working out the Kinks American singer and vegan activist Moby called the Kinks’ song ‘Lola’ ‘transphobic’ and ‘unevolved’. According to…
Why is crude oil measured in barrels?
Crude estimates Why is crude oil measured in barrels? — From medieval times onwards, all sorts of commodities were measured…
Which age group is most at risk of meningitis?
Churchill insurance There was outrage that Winston Churchill is to be dumped from the £5 note in favour of wildlife.…
Where exactly is the Middle East?
Less near Where exactly is the Middle East? – The term was first popularised in an article by Alfred Thayer…
Who has been removed from the line of succession?
Out of line Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may be removed from the line of succession. When was the last time this happened?…
How much do graduates owe in student loans?
Toxic legacy Analysis by scientists at Porton Down suggested that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had been killed using epibatidine,…
How teetotal is Britain?
Royal removals The King has had more success in stripping Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his royal titles than George IV had…
Which US city is the most violent?
Black in the day A new book claims William Shakespeare’s works were really written by a black woman and were…
Which royals have appeared in court?
Political frenemies Nigel Farage accepted Robert Jenrick into Reform UK in spite of having previously called him a ‘fraud’ (for…
How many pubs are left in the UK?
Net freedoms The government was pressed to ban X over charges that Elon Musk’s AI app Grok is being used…
What went up – and down – in 2025?
Erasmus in England The government is to rejoin the Erasmus scheme, which allows students at British universities to spend time…
