Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 4-1-2026 — Burj Khalifa

4th January, 2026: Burj Khalifa.

It’s officially Sunday morning … and?

I’m up, about and cold! 

But, more importantly, very aware it’s colder, outside.

As I write?

The BBC’s Weather website is telling me it’s -3ºC, out.

I’m grateful I’m indoors: my thermostat’s telling me it’s 21°C!

Warmer than outside … although my feet are complaining it’s nippy!

I’m just grateful I’m not next door to an old friend: who lives in Finland.

She’s just told me it’s -16°.

‘Nippy’ is possibly not the word … !

~≈🥶≈~

I mentioned, yesterday, that the US President was bombing Caracas, the Venezuelan capital: in a move I felt was an illegal act of military aggression.

You’re supposed to declare war before you do these things: and have a pretence of an excuse for doing so, if nothing else.

Former president Obama did, when US special forces violated foreign soil, to kill Osama bin Laden: the Bin Laden had organised the 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks.

The 47th President’s excuse?

Was that Venezuelan President Maduro was a drug trafficker, and should face US justice on US soil.

The US President also says the US is going to ‘run’ Venezuela for the interim: until stable government can be formed.

I’m angry.

The US President has violated US history — a history fighting for its independence from an empire, from Britain, its history of fighting evil regimes — by kidnapping a foreign leader, and attempting to take over that leader’s country.

Behaving as badly as some of the regimes it’s fought, and breaking laws it helped set.

And behaving like the sort of empire it’s always claimed not to be.

Personally?

I believe the 47th president of the USA is several things.

But I’ll let you use your preferred insults, about now: I’ll start with the words ‘evil’ and hypocritical, and work my way up.

~≈🤬≈~

Let’s move on.


Yesterday’s Teaser saw Mum*, Irene† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with everyone scoring five out of five.


 Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video.

Q1)        The Burj Khalifa opened on 4th January.   Of which year: 2008, 2010 or 2012?

Q2)        The tower’s in which country: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Yemen?

Q3)        More to the point, it’s in which city?

Q4)        The tower’s named after a whom: an Emir, Sheik or Caliph?

Q5)        Finally … ?   The tower has some twenty-one miles — miles! — of pipes.   Pipes that specifically supply water to what: the air conditioning, the drinking fountains or the toilets?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1)        The state of Alaska joined the USA on the 3rd January.   Of which year of the 1950s?

A1)        1959.

Q2)        J. R. R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January.   Of which year of the 1890s?

A2)        1892.

Q3)        Pope Leo 10th authorised the publication of Decet Romanum Pontificem: on 3rd January, 1521.   It saw the excommunication of whom: Martin Luther, Martin Luther King or Elizabeth 1st?

A3)        Martin Luther.   (By contrast, Romanum Decet Pontificem banned the appointment of cardinal-nephews.)

Q4)        3rd January, 1962, saw Pope John 23rd excommunicate a famous communist.   Which communist: Che Guevara, Fidel Castro or Joseph Stalin?

A4)        Fidel Castro.

Q5)        Finally … ?   The Battle of Núi Bop started on 3rd January, 1885.   The battle formed part of a war between France and where: China, Indochina or Japan?

A5)        China.   (To be specific, between France and Qing Dynasty China.)

Here’s a thought …

“Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004; the exterior was completed five years later.”

From the Wikipedia article on the building.

And an instruction video about the tower’s foundations …

The next ten question set is on 10th January: it’s about TinTin.

Your comments, and today’s answers, will be published in tomorrow’s Teaser.

AI is avoided when writing these questions.

Answers are as accurate as possible: at the time of writing.

Decisions about scores are final.

Thank you for coming: have a good day.

*        Hello, Mum!

†        It was his birthday, yesterday, Irene.   Most of the songs are by people born on the day of the Teaser.   Today’s a documentary, though: it’s hard to sing a song about a building … !

‡        Oh, there’s tons, Debbi!   It’s taking hours to rip, and catalogue the things!   (They’ve got four different versions of Pyramids of Mars on the thing: the original version, a version with updated effects, the hour long omnibus version that the BBC aired in 1976, and the Tales from the TARDIS version — with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson — from a couple of years ago.)