Vault Times — Maths in the news

Front page

Our pick of the day for numbers, data and context — the rest of the edition follows by section.

National (UK) · The Independent — UK news

UK economy grew by 0.4% in second quarter as Iran war prompts slowdown

The UK economy grew by 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year, down from 0.6 per cent in the first quarter

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Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

According to the headline, what was UK economic growth in the second quarter?

Your answer

Growth slowed from 0.6% in Q1 to 0.4% in Q2. By how many percentage points did it fall?

Your answer

Express the Q2 growth rate of 0.4% as a fraction of the Q1 growth rate of 0.6%.

Your answer

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National (UK)

Headlines from UK-wide outlets: general news and analysis.

National (UK) · YouGov

Business Sentiment Tracker: Business confidence falls in Q2 2026

Business sentiment declined in the second edition of our quarterly business tracker, according to new YouGov data.

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

According to the snippet, what happened to business sentiment in Q2 2026?

Your answer

What is the name of the tracker that produced this data?

Your answer

How many editions of this quarterly tracker had been released when the article was written?

Your answer

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National (UK) · YouGov

As new EU rules on AI come into force, what do the public think of LLM-generated content?

Does the new EU AI Act reflect the concerns consumers have around AI content? YouGov CEO Stephan Shakespeare investigates.

Classroom maths questions

List every number in the headline and opening lines. Which look like raw measurements and which are interpretations?

Your answer

Invent one arithmetic question you could answer after reading the full article (use only numbers you expect to appear there).

Your answer

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Statistics

Polling, surveys, trackers and data-led public opinion pieces.

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Global

International and world news.

Global · The Independent — World

California’s beaches are becoming carpeted with thousands of barbed fish

Many species that feed on rays, such as sharks, sea lions and giant sea bass, have seen their populations dwindle

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

What is covering California’s beaches according to the headline?

Your answer

Name two species that feed on rays and have seen their populations dwindle.

Your answer

If these ray predators have declined, what might that suggest about the number of rays?

Your answer

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Global · The Independent — World

Japan strongly protests Putin’s first visit to disputed islands as Russian president tours fish factory

Putin visits Etorofu, known in Russia as Iturup, that Tokyo claims as its own territory

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

Which island did Putin visit that is disputed between Japan and Russia?

Your answer

Which country strongly protested the visit?

Your answer

Why does Tokyo claim the island?

Your answer

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Global · The Independent — World

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says Kyiv has made significant battlefield gains ‘exactly as planned’

Earlier, Zelensky says his forces struck ‌Russia’s Novorossiysk ‌naval base with drones, ‌missiles and unmanned ‌boats

Classroom maths questions

List every number in the headline and opening lines. Which look like raw measurements and which are interpretations?

Your answer

Invent one arithmetic question you could answer after reading the full article (use only numbers you expect to appear there).

Your answer

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Politics

UK and Westminster politics, policy and elections.

Politics · BBC News — Politics

Burnham urges shops not to sell disposable BBQs over wildfire risks

The PM wants the public to avoid using single-use grills during the current spell of extremely dry weather.

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

Who is urging shops not to sell disposable BBQs?

Your answer

What risk are disposable BBQs linked to in the article?

Your answer

What does the PM want the public to avoid using?

Your answer

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Politics · The Guardian — Politics

UK politics: Burnham urges retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues after emergency Cobra meeting – as it happened

PM warns extreme heat conditions ‘could be with us fo some time yet’Just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the part of government tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining food security, a freedom of information request has revealed…

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

What does Andy Burnham want retailers to stop selling?

Your answer

How many staff in Defra are working on climate adaptation, according to the FOI request?

Your answer

What did the Prime Minister warn about extreme heat?

Your answer

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Politics · BBC News — Politics

Green councillor charged with assaults

Siobhan Harper-Nunes is accused of attacking five people including police officers, police say.

Classroom maths questions

List every number in the headline and opening lines. Which look like raw measurements and which are interpretations?

Your answer

Invent one arithmetic question you could answer after reading the full article (use only numbers you expect to appear there).

Your answer

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Environment & science

Climate, nature, energy and science stories.

Environment & science · The Independent — Climate

Teaching Value: The Creative Corner’s lesson for fashion’s future

As fashion searches for ways to reduce its environmental impact, a creative education project in Cameroon is demonstrating that one of the industry's greatest untapped resources isn't a new material, it's human potential. Caroline Garland meets Juliette Foxx, British-Cameroonian creator and creative consultant and f…

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

Which country is The Creative Corner education project based in?

Your answer

Who did Caroline Garland meet for the article?

Your answer

What does the article suggest is fashion’s greatest untapped resource?

Your answer

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Environment & science · The Independent — Climate

The devastating impact of England’s drought in before and after pictures

According to the National Drought Group, 71.3 per cent of England is in drought

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

According to the National Drought Group, what percentage of England is in drought?

Your answer

Write 71.3% as a decimal.

Your answer

Which group published the drought figure?

Your answer

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Environment & science · The Independent — Climate

Mapped: The three giant storms impacting millions of people across Asia

Chan-hom makes landfall in Japan and Dolphin triggers rainstorm warning in Beijing

Classroom maths questions

List every number in the headline and opening lines. Which look like raw measurements and which are interpretations?

Your answer

Invent one arithmetic question you could answer after reading the full article (use only numbers you expect to appear there).

Your answer

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Sport

Sport news (including football).

Sport · The Independent — Sport

Russell Westbrook enlists A-list actor to help announce his retirement after 18 seasons in the NBA

In his final year with Sacramento, Westbrook appeared in 64 games, including 58 starts, posting averages of 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per contest

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

How many NBA seasons did Russell Westbrook play before retiring?

Your answer

What were Westbrook’s points, assists and rebounds averages in his final year with Sacramento?

Your answer

In his final season, he played 64 games and started 58. How many games did he not start?

Your answer

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Sport · The Independent — Sport

Uefa push for key Fifa reforms in bid to oust Gianni Infantino

Uefa and their allies want the Fifa presidency to be rotated between the confederations, meaning Fifa could never again have another president with the power of Infantino

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

What reform do Uefa and their allies want for the Fifa presidency?

Your answer

Who do they want to oust?

Your answer

What change would rotation prevent, according to the summary?

Your answer

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Sport · The Independent — Sport

Transfer news LIVE: Chelsea set Enzo Fernandez deadline, Arsenal boost, Barcola to Liverpool latest

Chelsea have told Manchester City that they would need to meet their £120m price for the Argentina international by Friday

Classroom maths questions

If money amounts appear in this story, pick one: write it in words, then round it to the nearest £10 (or nearest £100 for large amounts). Why might journalists round figures?

Your answer

List every number in the headline and opening lines. Which look like raw measurements and which are interpretations?

Your answer

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Local & regional

City and regional papers across the UK.

Local & regional · Birmingham Mail

A-level results day LIVE 2026 results, photos, grade boundaries and what to do next

Students are getting ready to open their A-level results across Birmingham this morning

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

Where are students opening their A-level results according to the article?

Your answer

What is the article about, in one sentence?

Your answer

What can students find on the live page besides results and photos?

Your answer

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Local & regional · Manchester Evening News

Man United transfer news LIVE: Marcus Rashford update, Ibrahim Mbaye contact, Lamine Camara battle

The latest Manchester United transfer news and updates as Michael Carrick continues his rebuild

Classroom maths questions Tailored prompts

Which person is described as continuing his rebuild in the Manchester United transfer article?

Your answer

Name the three players mentioned in the transfer headline.

Your answer

What is the main subject of the article?

Your answer

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Local & regional · Birmingham Mail

Birmingham travel disruption LIVE as city melts under 36C sunshine

An amber warning for 'extreme heat' is in place across the West Midlands today

Classroom maths questions

List every number in the headline and opening lines. Which look like raw measurements and which are interpretations?

Your answer

Invent one arithmetic question you could answer after reading the full article (use only numbers you expect to appear there).

Your answer

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