10 Things....

..From the BBCi

1. UK traffic lights emit about 50,000 tonnes of CO2 per year through energy use.

2. Jobs in finance make up 4% of the UK's workforce - and account for 13% of the income tax paid.

3. Coach travel is the safest form of road transport in the country.
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4. More than 20 million people visit Little Chef roadside outlets each year.
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5. A Beefeater is more formally known as a Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary.
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6. Holders of the MBE can be stripped of the honour at the discretion of the Queen, "if evidence of wrongdoing comes to light".
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7. Saddam Hussein's codename while in US custody in 2004/5 was "Victor".
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8. A shortage of volunteer leaders has led to a waiting list of 50,000 girls wanting to join the Girl Guides.
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9. Noel Edmonds' middle name is Ernest, although it’s not noted in his first Who's Who entry, in the newly published 2007 edition. He is listed as Noel E Edmonds.

10. The US Senate has never had a "socialist" senator - until now. Bernard Sanders, an independent, calls himself a "democratic socialist".
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(Sources: 1. UK Energy Research Centre report, published 29 December; 2. What Makes Britain Rich? BBC Two, 4 January; 9. The Daily Mirror, 4 January.)