Barometer

Which European countries are most reliant on Russian gas?

12 March 2022 9:00 am

High commodity Nickel trading was suspended this week after prices rose to over $100,000 per tonne – double its previous…

What does it mean to go ‘full tonto’?

5 March 2022 9:00 am

The wild one Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that Vladimir Putin had gone ‘full tonto’. The word tonto is used…

Did Storm Eunice really break records?

26 February 2022 9:00 am

Blow by blow Did Storm Eunice really set a new record for wind speed in England? A 122 mph gust…

How do Russian and Ukrainian military forces measure up?

19 February 2022 9:00 am

Facing the music Police in New Zealand played Barry Manilow records to truck drivers in an attempt to persuade them…

Are the Winter Olympics suffering the effects of climate change?

12 February 2022 9:00 am

No snow The pistes are covered with artificial snow and the hillsides are bare. Are the Winter Olympics a victim…

How many people still send letters?

5 February 2022 9:00 am

Borderland Few countries can have passed through as many kingdoms and empires as Ukraine — the ‘borderlands’. These are just…

Who survived the sinking of the Titanic?

29 January 2022 9:00 am

Prime numbers As of 29 January Boris Johnson will have been Prime Minister for two years and 190 days. Currently…

Are tsunamis becoming more deadly?

22 January 2022 9:00 am

Stumped again Were England always so hopeless playing Australia at cricket? Since the first match in 1877 there have been…

When did the anti-vaxx movement begin?

15 January 2022 9:00 am

No vax There is nothing new about the anti-vax crowds supporting Novak Djokovic. Organised protest in Britain began with the…

Barometer

8 January 2022 9:00 am

Waiting for the gong Tony Blair was knighted, 14 years after leaving Downing Street. How long have other ex-PMs had…

Did the psychics’ predictions for 2021 come true?

18 December 2021 9:00 am

Centenaries 2022 will see the 100th anniversary of: the BBC; Reader’s Digest; Ulysses by James Joyce; insulin treatment for diabetes;…

What effect did a year of lockdowns have on gun crime?

4 December 2021 9:00 am

Thirsty work Sixty-one pub-goers on a night out in the Tan Hill Inn, 1,500 feet up in the Pennines in…

Has Peppa Pig changed political sides?

27 November 2021 9:00 am

Red Peppa? In a rambling speech to the CBI, Boris Johnson praised Peppa Pig. Has she changed political sides? Peppa…

Does Leeds need trains – or trams?

20 November 2021 9:00 am

Shell out Royal Dutch Shell announced that it is to move its HQ to London and become a fully British…

Is there any evidence climate change is making hurricanes worse?

13 November 2021 9:00 am

Horror shows Eight people were killed when fans of rapper Travis Scott rushed the stage at a concert in Houston,…

Are there more over-seventies or twenty-somethings behind the wheel?

6 November 2021 9:00 am

Another minute Addressing COP26 in Glasgow, the Prime Minister claimed it was ‘one minute to midnight’ in the fight against…

What’s more expensive – petrol or fizzy drinks?

30 October 2021 9:00 am

Filming fatalities The actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot a cinematographer on set when mistakenly given a gun loaded with real…

What are the Queen’s favourite tipples?

23 October 2021 9:00 am

Drinks at the palace The Queen was reported to have given up regular drinking. What do we know about her…

Are people still wearing masks?

16 October 2021 9:00 am

Wrong place, wrong time The name of the village of Nelson, north of Cardiff, was described as ‘problematic’ in an…

Where in the world will you find the cheapest petrol?

9 October 2021 9:00 am

Whole-life sentences How many prisoners are serving whole-life sentences? — There are currently 74 prisoners in prison with whole-life tariffs;…

Which James Bond film made the most money?

2 October 2021 9:00 am

Scummy idea Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner called Tories ‘scum’ in a speech to activists at her party’s conference. The…

Which countries have the highest energy bills?

25 September 2021 9:00 am

Seeds of change The Chelsea Flower Show opened in autumn for the first time, delayed thanks to the pandemic. The…

Has it really got harder to see a GP in person?

11 September 2021 9:00 am

Floating vote Voters in St Petersburg were presented with three candidates all calling themselves Boris Vishnevsky, with two believed to…

Pet project: how many dogs and cats are there in Britain?

4 September 2021 9:00 am

Escape velocity The evacuation of Afghanistan was likened to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. What were the…

Is Brexit really to blame for the shortage of lorry drivers?

28 August 2021 9:00 am

Birth of the Paralympics While Athens can claim to be the home city of the Olympic Games, the Paralympics can…