Which number should replace the question mark?

Find the next number in the series

12, 20, 40, 72, 116, 172 ?

You walk into a room that contains a match, a kerosene lamp, a candle and a fireplace. What would you light first?

You have two buckets of 11 liters and 6 litres.
How can you measure exactly 8 litres?

Why is it very easy to weigh a fish?

I noticed one of the words in the oxford dictionary is spelled incorrectly. What about you?

Detective John was investigating a murder in China.
It was a difficult case, and John was completely stumped until he noticed a message sent to him by the killer cunningly hidden in a newspaper advertisement selling Car Licence Plates.
Detective John thought about it for a while, and when he had solved the puzzle, immediately arrested the guilty man.

Q1) How did John know the advert was a clue for him?

Q2) Solve the code and tell me who John arrested.

This is the newspaper advert (Car licence plates for sale) that Detective John saw.

Plates For Sale;

[W 05 NWO]
[H 13 HSR]
[O 05 EBM]
[D 08 UNE]
[U 10 HTY]
[N 04 BRE]
[N 16 TTE]
[I 26 LHC]
[T 10 AEE]
[I 26 CNA]
[X 22 VDA]

You can hear me, but you can't touch or see me.

What am I?

A journalist was investigating a sacred cult in the jungles of Africa when he was caught by one of the person. He was confined in a cave till the leader arrived. The leader told him that he need to tell him a statement. If he thinks the statement is true, then the journalist head will be chopped off. If he thinks that the statement is false, his head will be smashed with a hammer.

What statement did the journalist make to survive?

John is looking at Jenifer, but Jenifer is looking at Jacob. John is married, but Jacob is not.

Is a married person looking at an unmarried person ?