Barometer
Why is the Trump balloon known as a ‘blimp’?
Blimpish beginnings Protesters flew a ‘blimp’ depicting President Trump as a baby in central London. Why are balloons known as…
The hidden dangers of bouncy castles
Trapped Twelve Thai boys and their football coach were found in a cave ten days after being trapped by rising…
What happened to the teams who scored more than six goals in a World Cup?
Nursing numbers Was there ever a time when the NHS wasn’t in crisis? According to a report by NHS Health…
Barometer: Trespassing, healthcare and David Dimbleby’s retirement
Well oiled The government last week ordered a review into the medical use of cannabis. Some cannabis oil available on…
Doctors and deaths: how many mortalities were avoidable?
Mortal combat Health secretary Jeremy Hunt promised more protection for medical staff accused of criminal malpractice after a doctor was…
Which town is most proud to be English?
Ready for take-off? That Heathrow timeline in full: 1949 Labour government proposes an additional two runways for newly opened Heathrow…
What do Gammons really think of gammon-gate?
Gammon vs gammon Controversy raged over whether calling an angry, white, right-wing man a ‘gammon’ is racist. The insult is…
Barometer: The top four worst microphone gaffes
Is this thing on? Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Mike Coupe was recorded singing ‘We’re in the Money’ as he prepared to…
Worried about owning your own home? You should be
Kill or cure An anti-war protester on a march against the Syrian missile attacks claimed that President Assad couldn’t be…
Britain has 58,000 ‘travellers’ – but only a quarter live in caravans
Disapproving chorus Derbyshire’s Chief Constable told the all-male Derbyshire Constabulary Choir to sever all police ties unless it takes women.…
How do you make a cricket ball swing?
Not cricket The Australian cricket captain Steve Smith was banned for a match and fined his match fee after a…
Jeremy Corbyn’s hat and the art of photo manipulation
Spin doctors The BBC has denied it photoshopped a Newsnight backdrop to make Jeremy Corbyn’s hat look more Russian. The…
The ageing rock stars who go on and on
Ageing rockers The Rolling Stones announced their first live shows for five years. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards (both 74), Charlie…
How to get the Winter Olympics experience at home
The great indoors How to get the Winter Olympics experience without leaving England: — The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead: ‘London’s…
Are these the coldest Winter Olympics ever?
Museums of curiosity The former culture secretary Ed Vaizey suggested that there are quite enough museums in Britain, and that…
Dire warnings of a Brexit university brain drain? They’re a myth
How to sell snake oil Ex-cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell accused Brexiteers of ‘selling snake oil’. How do you sell snake…
Ikea’s founder was a billionaire skinflint – but others were even worse
Tight money Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea, was worth an estimated £40 billion. Yet the eighth richest man in…
What did Ukip do in five years that took Sinn Fein 66?
Redundant robots Fabio, a robot assistant in an Edinburgh grocery store, was retired after scaring customers. We worry about artificial…
Which UK employer pays men 80 per cent less than women?
Big losers Construction company Carillion collapsed with debts of £1.5 billion. How does that compare with other UK corporate failures?Overend…
Are things really getting better? The numbers tell us so
Many people are gloomy about 2018. But some things are improving every year… Natural disasters These killed 9,066 people in…
How did psychic predictions for 2017 play out?
Did that happen? What psychics foresaw for 2017:— ‘Crash in euro, Denmark and Italy leaving the EU; North and South…
What Christmas really costs us — and how much of it we waste
Christmas splurge How much extra do households spend at Christmas?— £500, according to the Bank of England. Over the course…
Stolen spikes: the strange history of the Irish border
Border skirmishes What did the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic used to look like? — In 1923 a…
As Prince Harry gets engaged, how many other single men marry divorcees?
Pit stopped After complaints from the Durham Miners’ Association, a rugby club at Durham University cancelled a pub crawl in…
The Queen wed 70 years ago… but she has 20 more to go to break a record
Enduring love The Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. They are not the first public figures to…
