Skin cancer is usually divided into melanoma and non... (read more)

Yes, the Republic of Malta is certainly a country, though a very small one (about 120 square miles). It is quite near southern Italy, about 50 miles away from Sicily, and is about 175 miles away from Tunisia in North Africa. It has been an independent... (read more)

Menorca, or Minorca, is sometimes called the Jewel of the Balearics. It is thought to be one of the loveliest of these Mediterranean islands, and is small enough to be quite fully explored by car during a holiday. (read more)

Yes, Robert Downey Jr has used the same stunt double for all the films where he plays the Iron Man character, including the new Avengers film. In another recent film, the new Sherlock Holmes movie, Downey did most of his own stunts. (read more)

It is based on a true story in as much as Butch Cassidy, who the film is about, was a real life character. His real name was Robert Le Roy Parker, and his partner in crime, the Sundance Kid, was really called Harry Alonzo Longabaugh. Many of the details... (read more)

This song was written by Bowie together with Iggy Pop, and first came out in 1977 in the album The Idiot. At the time it didn't sell very well, but became much more famous in 1983, when Bowie recorded it on his new album, Let's Dance. The song was written... (read more)

The first Japanese author to do this was Yasunari Kawabata in 1968. (read more)

Some people recommend lighter fluid, hairspray or nail polish remover. In each case, you should take a little of the fluid on a wad of cotton wool,... (read more)

Yes, survival rates have risen hugely in the last 30 years or so. This is partly due to better testing methods so that the cancer can be detected earlier when it is easier to treat, but also due to more effective treatments being available. Looking at... (read more)

Kim Kardashian has been married twice so far. Her first marriage was in 2000, to Damon Thomas, a music producer. She was 20 at the time. The marriage... (read more)

Yes, anyone at all visiting Myanmar (or Burma) is required to have a visa. You can get a tourist visa which is valid for 28 days, and which can... (read more)

The really glowing, natural looking fake tans that you sometimes see on TV are professionally applied in a salon, which of course costs a lot more... (read more)

Boris... (read more)

When my mother was 75 she chose to go on a canal boat trip with some of her family, and for her 70th she wanted a balloon ride. 'Experience' presents are often the way to go - is it worth asking your mum if there is something she'd really like to do?... (read more)

Rooibos is based on the Afrikaans word for the redbush or bush tea often drunk in parts of southern Africa. As well as being enjoyed for its flavour, traditionally this tea was also supposed to have health benefits including protection againts allergies... (read more)

They are both members of the brassica family, which includes cabbage and similar vegetables, but also strongly flavoured plants used in food flavouring, such as horseradish, mustard and wasabi. In... (read more)

David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in 1947. Not only is David Jones a rather ordinary... (read more)

Catalonia and England both have the same patron saint - Saint George to the English, Sant Jordi to the Catalans - and a similar legend about him, Both communities tell... (read more)

Mad cow disease is the name often given by the media to the illness bovine spongiform encephalopothy, or BSE. This disease attacks the brain and nervous system in cattle, causing death after anything from about 3 to 8 years. It can be transmitted to humans... (read more)

There is a lot of argument about why most people are naturally right-handed. There is no doubt that this is the case; you find a majority of right-handers all over the world. A common argument is to do with brain function, especially language; nearly... (read more)