Who are the main characters of this world?
If by a character you mean an odd or unusual person, then the choices are endless. Consider Republican contender Donald Trump, who not only is aiming to become president of the US, but sells his own perfume.
No doubt just as rich, and another public character in his own right, is the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un who, like Trump, has an unmistakable and truly unique hairstyle.
Richard Orlando, Westmount, Quebec, Canada
• According to the accepted social arbiters like Facebook and Twitter, the main characters vary: here today, gone tomorrow.
Pat Phillips, Adelaide, South Australia
• Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony – good humour, generosity, energy, humility, love, admiration and moderation.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia
• Mickey Mouse, Batman, Mr Spock, Inspector Morse and Harry Potter. And that’s just the beginning!
Joan Dawson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Spin doctors.
Philip Stigger, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
A good agent always helps
What constitutes a world-class city? Do we have any world-class towns?
World-class cities such as Singapore offer superior infrastructure, excellent transport, superb education, green spaces and culture: arts and sciences displayed in renowned theatres and museums.
World-class towns – for instance, Bruges in Belgium – may not compete in size or diversity but offer distinct attractions, whether it be old buildings, beautiful settings, culinary delights or a more relaxed pace of life.
Ursula Nixon, Bodalla, NSW, Australia
• The definition of a world-class town is presumably being one that is top of its category. My adopted home town of Luton (I was born in Wales) was rated the worst in the UK in the book Crap Towns II – The Nation Decides.
It was known in the 60s as the Detroit of England, so perhaps this alone blighted the future of the home of Luton Airport and an Arndale Shopping Centre, whose only attraction were the statues of pink flamingos.
E Slack, L’Isle Jourdain, France
• A world-class city is just a town with attitude and an ad agency.
Harvey Mitchell, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
• Those that are known more for their affluence than their effluence.
David Tucker, Halle, Germany
• World-class towns are at a premium, but there are plenty of world-class clowns about.
Jim Dewar, Gosford, NSW, Australia
Badness begins at the top
Who’s the worst person who ever lived and why do you think so?
When one considers Britain’s colonial history and the suffering it caused over most of the globe, it’s hard to rule out Queen Victoria.
Terence Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
• That must be the person who invented competing ideologies.
Noel Bird, Boreen Point, Queensland, Australia
Drinking sure beats working
Who invented the coffee break?
Skivers.
Robert Locke, Fondi, Italy
• Someone who did not like tea.
Avril Taylor, Dundas, Ontario, Canada
Any answers?
What is the most beautiful language? What makes it so?
Terence Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Is mankind an oxymoron?
Norman Temple, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Send answers to weekly.nandq@theguardian.com or Guardian Weekly, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, UK
