Try your hand at this week's newsquiz

It has been a harrowing news week and finding lighter stories for the newsquiz has been a challenge. Anyway, here it is. Last week the top submitted scorer was an impressive 15 by Damon Wake @damonwake. See if you can do better this week. As usual there are 20 questions with five bonuses, so a possible 25 up for grabs. Let me know how you get on. Good luck … and remember, just because it’s Christmas, the news doesn’t stop. The newsquiz will be back on Boxing Day.

Slaughter in the classroom (Q1)

1. In which city in Pakistan were 149 people, including 132 children, massacred by the Taliban?
Bonus: Following the slaughter, Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif approved the reinstatement of what?
2. What is the name of the film about the assassination of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un that was pulled after threats by hackers?

Bonus: What was the name of the group of hackers?
3. What was the name of the Lindt cafe manager killed by hostage-taker Man Haron Monis?

Bonus: What was the occupation of the other victim, Katrina Dawson?
4. Lewis Hamilton beat Rory McIlrory to the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award … but who was third?

5. Libby Lane, the Church of England’s first female bishop, will be bishop of where?

6. America plans to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba. What year were the restrictions imposed?

7. Who was revealed as the only artist to sell more than one million albums in both the UK and the US in the last 12 months?
8. Teachers at a primary school in Abercyon asked parents to remove a video of their four-year-old daughter from Facebook. What was the girl doing in the video?
9. Police officers made an appeal for information related to the Dolphin Square Estate in Pimlico, London. What is alleged to have happened there?
10. What reason did Mel B’s husband Stephen Belafonte give for his wife not wearing her wedding ring at the X Factor final?

11. Why was Bradley Stone in the headlines?

12. Brad Pitt was turned down for what because he might have been 'a distraction'?

13. According to Robin Allan, chairman of Brindex, which industry is on the brink of collapse?

14. Liverpool and Chelsea will meet in one semi-fnial of the Capital One Cup … which two teams will play in the other? (Half point each)

15. Why have the Michael family been dropped from Channel 4 television programme Gogglebox?

Bonus: A Gogglebox special edition attracted 2.1 million viewers as a guest joined regulars Steph and Dom on the sofa. Who was the guest?

16. What, according to Labour leader Ed Miliband, was ‘not very well drafted’?

17. She famously replied 'he would, wouldn't he' when told Lord Astor had denied having an affair with her. Who is she?

18. Which company rejected a bid from its former chief executive Willie Walsh?

19. Awards honouring the achievements of servicemen and women were televised on Thursday. By what nickname are the awards known?

Bonus: Which newspaper organises the awards?

20. After a flurry of ‘unusual activity’, bookmakers Coral suspended bets on what happening on Christmas Day?

Answers here