Alex wins the newsquiz Champagne

The trainees today - quiz winner Alex is in the centre with the Champagne

My colleague Mike Watson and I said goodbye to the Mail’s trainee subs and sports journalists in Kensington today. They have been covering football matches, editing breaking news, creating pages and adding to their skillset before they head off on their placements next week. They are a talented bunch and I enjoyed their company. I wish them well. As usual we finished with the newsquiz. This week’s winner was Alex Tyndall with 13.5 points. It also meant he was the top scorer over the four weeks and collected the Champagne. Well played Alex. Second, after a late but impressive run from the midfield, was Will Jeanes.

Last week’s top online team scorers were Fionn Hargreaves and Jessica Walford and the Batstone Collective who both notched up 16. Nobody could match the 17 points by Mail trainee Daniel Matthews though. Here is this week’s quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

Story of the week: The Daily Telegraph investigation that led to Sam Allardyce's downfall (Questions 1, 2 and 3)

1. In a 'deal' with undercover journalists posing as businessmen, former England manager Sam Allardyce agreed that he would travel to which two locations as an ambassador? Half a point each
2. Sam Allardyce said he only went to his fateful meeting with the Telegraph journalists to 'do a friend a favour' because he was 'down on his luck’. Name the friend?
3. For how many days was Allardyce manager of England?
4. Jeremy Corbyn ended his hour-long closing speech to the Labour Party conference by promising to 'build a fairer Britain in a ______ _____’? What are the two missing words?
5. Shadow Defence Secretary Clive Lewis’s Trident speech was apparently changed at the last minute by Labour's communication director Seumas Milne. Milne is on secondment to the Labour Party from where?
6. The presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was watched by how many people on US TV, according to data provider Nielsen?
7. In which building was the memorial service to Sir Terry Wogan held?
8. Barack Obama posted a photograph of himself receiving a lesson in the Oval office at the White House. Who was his teacher?
9. What is the name of the Alton Towers parent company that was fined £5million for catastrophic failures which led to two teenagers losing a leg?
10. Why did Dr John Zhang go to Mexico?
11. He was born in Belarus in 1923, served as a prime minister twice and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Who is he?
12. Which airline was forced to deny it was going bust after rumours spread on social media?
13. Sir Bradley Wiggins obtained a TUE allowing him to use a banned drug before important races. What do the initials stand for?
14. How did David Cameron allegedly describe Theresa May for urging him to drop demands for tighter immigration controls?
15. Who designed the red and white dress worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in Vancouver?
16. Actor Marc Anwar has been sacked from Coronation Street for insulting Indians on Twitter. Which character did he play in the soap?
17. A New Jersey commuter train crashed into which station, killing and injuring passengers?
18. Pin badges are being handed out on London Underground. What two words are on the badge?
19. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has announced he will retire next February. How old is he?
20. British Airways will stop serving free snacks on shorter flights ... which retailer’s food will now be available for passengers to buy?
21. What is the title of the latest artwork - a 23 feet-high hand with a long thumb cast in bronze - to be displayed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in London?
22. Arcan Cetin appeared in court accused of killing five people at which store?
23. Ben Emmerson resigned from what?
24. The Ryder Cup is being held at Hazeltine National in which U.S. State?
25. Zoe Ball and Norman Cook issued a statement announcing they were splitting up, which said: 'After many exciting adventures together over the last 18 years we have come to the end of ___ ___.’What are the missing two words?
Answers here

Daniel wins this week's newsquiz

The Mail trainees subs and some of their layout work

The Daily Mail’s reporting trainees started their placements this week but the subbing and sports journalists had another week in Kensington. The subs spent the first three days with Mike Brough doing InDesign, Photoshop and layout. The sports lads spent the time on the sportdesk and racked up an impressive collection of bylines. They all spent yesterday and today doing long-form editing with Fiona Webster. We finished the week, as always, with the newsquiz. This week’s winner was Daniel Matthews who scored 17, second were Will Jeanes and Glen Williams who scored 15 each, narrowly beating Jessie Honnor on 14. It is now tight in the running totals - so all to play for next week. Who will win the Champagne?

The highest online solo score in last week’s quiz was 14.5 by Mike Lowe  and the best team effort was 16 by Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe. Unusually,  the online players couldn't match the 17.5 by last week's winning trainee Jonathan Bucks.

Here is this week’s quiz. As usual 25 questions about the week. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

Brangelina was one of the main stories of the week (Questions 1 and 2)

1. Who issued a statement on Instagram denying any involvement in Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s break-up, saying her husband was 'my love, my best friend, the only one that I need.’?
2. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children are the subject of custody discussions. The couple have three adopted children - name them? Half a point for two names, one points for all three.
3. How did Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry sign off her statement announcing she was staying with the BBC out of loyalty?
4. How old are GBBO judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood? Half a point for each correct answer.
5. Paul Hollywood, declaring he would stay with the GBBO when it moves to Channel 4, said: 'I just couldn’t turn my back on all that – the bakers themselves, the bakes, the team that makes it, and of course the tent, the bunting, and who could forget the ___________.' What is the missing word?
6. Who said this week: 'A bomb is a bomb, what’s the difference between different kinds of bombs? All bombs are to kill, but it’s about how to use it’?
7. Ammar al Selmo, the head of the civil defence rescue service in east Aleppo, said after heavy overnight attacks this week: 'What’s happening now is ________'. What is the missing word?
8. Labour MP Ruth Smeeth revealed she will be taking what to the Labour conference in Liverpool this weekend?
9. A 43-year-old man, Keith Lamont Scott, was shot dead by police in which U.S. city?
10. Alistair Brownlee helped his brother Jonathan over the finishing line after he collapsed in the finale of what event?
11. An outbreak of avian malaria killed 25 of which species at Longleat Safari Park?
12. Sophie Wessex is taking part in a 450-mile cycle ride to support what?
13. Which supermodel was grabbed by a man as she left a Milan fashion show?
14. Why was Joseph Connagh, aka CJ de Mooi, in the headlines?
15. Yahoo! said the details of at least 500 million users may have been stolen by a 'state-sponsored ______.’ What is the missing word?
16. Home Secretary Amber Rudd's business career came under scrutiny after it emerged she used to be a director of companies based in which country?
17. Who said: 'If you want to become French, you speak French, you live like the French.’?
18. Undercover journalist Mazher Mahmood, the 'Fake Sheikh’, is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with which offence?
19. Which controversial sportsman said this week: 'Someone with my character is a borderline kamikaze pilot.’?
20. Donald Trump Junior caused controversy by comparing Syrian refugees to what?
21. Authors Peter Marra and Chris Santella caused a stir by saying which animal should be kept indoors, neutered, re-homed or euthanised?
22. What item with the serial AA01 was selling for up to £200 on eBay?
23. Two men were cleared of charges over the death of 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling in 2008. The case was held in which state?
24. In a new book, journalist Rob Beasley claims Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho wanted to find Arsene Wenger 'outside a football pitch and break his face'. What is the book called?
25. According to screenwriter Andrew Davies, why did Colin Firth almost miss out on the role of Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice?

Answers here

Jonathan wins the newsquiz Champagne

The Mail's reporting, subbing and sports online trainees at Northcliffe House today. Quiz winner Jonathan Bucks, with the Champagne, is in the centre 

I had another fascinating week with the Mail’s trainees in Kensington. They had sessions with the legal team of Tim Ross, Julian Darrall, Kirsty Howarth and former Mail on Sunday editor Peter Wright who talked about the Editor's Code. They enjoyed talks by Mail journalists Neil Darbyshire, Christian Gysin, Simon Murphy, Tom Witherow, Charles Garside and Katherine Faulkner. Sketch writer Quentin Letts also entertained them on Monday afternoon. On Tuesday night the reporters covered the Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture and Victoria Ibitoye’s article and pictures were published on the Mail’s internal hub. Today the sub-editors had a practical session with assistant chief sub Jenny Ryan, sub-editor Lizzie Palmer and trainer Mike Watson. Sports trainees Rob Cottingham and Glen Williams both came up with Champions League story ideas that made the banner on the MailOnline sports pages. You can see them here and here. Last night we had farewell drinks at the Greyhound. The reporting trainees now go back to the newsroom or off on placement. Good luck to them. The subs and sports journalists have another two weeks training in London. We did the newsquiz at lunchtime. The top trainee this week was Jonathan Bucks with 17.5 points, just ahead of George Clarke on 15.5. The result meant Jonathan was the top scoring reporter over the two weeks training, finishing ahead of second-placed Ellie Hayward. Jonathan was presented with a bottle of Champagne.
The top online scorer in last week's newsquiz was Janet Boyle with a resounding 19 points. The top team was Adam Batstone and his hacks past and present with 17, narrowly beating Lydia Willgress and James Dunn on 16. Here's this week's quiz. As usual, 25 questions about the week. Let me know how you get on. 

Cameron quits Parliament, Bake Off quits BBC  (Questions 1, 2, 4 and 5)

1. David Cameron quit as MP for Witney this week. For how many years did he hold the seat?
2. The Witney by-election will take place on October 20, the same day as a by-election in which other constituency?
3. What did former Conservative chancellor and ex-energy secretary Lord Lawson of Blaby describe as a 'thoroughly lousy deal’?
4. The Great British Bake Off is switching from the BBC to Channel 4 for a deal said to be worth how much a year?
5. Which company makes the Great British Bake Off?
6. Labour MP Emily Thornberry criticised Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan for 'pub-quizzing' after he asked her to do what?
7. Hillary Clinton reappeared after her health scare by walking on stage in Greensboro, North Carolina, to the sound of which song?
8. Donald Trump released his medical report. What was his blood pressure?
9. Who was taken to hospital from Stafford prison suffering from sepsis?
10. Professional footballer Pape Souare was airlifted to hospital after a car accident. Which club does he play for?
11. Which town has been named as the worst place to be a girl in England and Wales?
12. Who is featured on the new plastic £5 note?
13. Why did accountant Alex Jerrett cause outrage?
14. A parachutist died after crashing into a housing estate when a 15,000ft leap went wrong. In which county was the accident?
15. Major James Coleby was filmed allegedly snorting a line of white powder off a ceremonial sword while on duty. Which regiment is he in?
16. In which town was an interfaith marriage in a Sikh temple disrupted?
17. Paralympian Kadeena Cox became the first Briton in 32 years to do what?
18. Greta Friedman died aged 92. Why was she famous?
19. Which journalist used the c-word on Radio 4 this week?
20. What is the name used by Russian cyber-criminals who leaked information after hacking into the World Anti-Doping Agency's systems?
21. Four drunken women were thrown off a Monarch flight travelling from Manchester to where?
22. Grime artist Skepta won the Mercury Music prize for which album?
23. Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono took the blue carpet in Leicester Square to promote which film? Full name please.
24. Leicester City made their first appearance in the Champions League. Who did they beat?
25. What do yolo, gender-fluid and clicktivism have in common?

Answers here

Alex wins the newsquiz - can you do better?

I have been with 20 Daily Mail trainees in Kensington this week. They are a very bright and mixed bunch - some are subs, some reporters and some sports online journalists. They had sessions with former trainees Mark Duell, Tom Belcher and Mail managing editor Alex Bannister. They also had fascinating safety training today with Charlie McGrath.
The rest of the time they have been learning Mail style and writing stories and headlines. It was a particularly good week for Daniel Matthews who was the first trainee on the course to be published. You can read his story here.

MailOnline exclusive by trainee Daniel Matthews

As usual we finished with the newsquiz, just to make sure they are reading the paper and the website. Well done to Alex Tyndall who was this week’s winner with 17 points, beating Eleanor Hayward who scored 14.

Last week’s top online quiz scorer was Nigel Pauley with a very impressive 18. The top team score was by Lydia Willgress and James Dunn with 17, narrowly beating the Batstone Collective with 16.

Here’s this week’s quiz … as usual 25 questions about the week’s events. Let me know how you get on. 

How the Sunday Mirror broke the Vaz story (Questions 1 to 3)

1. According to the Sunday Mirror revelations, what did Keith Vaz tell two European male prostitutes his job was?

2. What is Keith Vaz’s parliamentary constituency?
3. Following the revelations, Keith Vaz stood down as chairman of which committee?  
4. Julia Quenzler, a leading court artist, is supplying drawings for a fictional trial on which programme?  
5. Why was Nicholas Chamberlain in the headlines?
6. How long was the prison sentence given to radical preacher Anjem Choudary?
7. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: 'The cat is out of the bag: Behind closed doors the Tories are planning a return to the bad old days of _____’. What is the missing word?

8. Nine people were charged after a Black Lives Matter demo at London City airport. How did they reach the airport? 

9. Theresa May, while at the G20 summit in Hangzhou, said the UK’s relations with China are 'about more than _____’ What is the missing word?
10. Isabelle Dinoire, 49, died in France this week. Why was she famous?
11. Which airline’s magazine has apologised after warning its readers to take precautions when visiting parts of London mainly populated by 'Indians, Pakistanis and black people’?
12. Who carried the flag for team GB at the opening of the Paralympics Games?
13. Dame Sarah Storey became Britain's most successful female Paralympian of all time by winning her 12th gold medal on the opening day in Rio. How many Olympic medals does she have in total?
14. Sports Direct’s chairman’s offer to resign was rejected by the company. Name him.
15. Name the entertainment and communications group which is buying Formula One.
16. Why was schoolgirl Beau Jessup in the news this week? 
17. A French family of ten have turned down a five-bedroom council house, saying it is too small. In which town do they live? 
18. The founder of the Barmy Army has urged fans not to make non-refundable travel arrangements to which country?
19. Headteacher Matthew Tate sent 50 pupils home for wearing the wrong clothes. Name the school.
20. Why was Cheshire florist Stephen Leyland featured in Rumiyah magazine?
21. Whose daughter married sand sculptor Andrew Robertson in Kent?
22. According to Hillary Clinton which organisation is praying that Donald Trump wins the presidency?
23. More than 100 people were trapped in cable cars above which mountain?
24. What colour was the beret stolen from Eddie Izzard at the pro Europe rally in London?
25. Which word scored 176 points to help Brett Smitheram become Scrabble World Champion?

Answers here

Test your knowledge with this week's newsquiz

Well done to Cotswold Life editor Mike Lowe who was last week's top individual scorer in the newsquiz with an impressive 18. The top team score was by Lydia Willgress and James Dunn with 19. Here's this week's quiz. As usual 25 questions about the week's events. Let me know how you get on. 

MailOnline reports on the rocket launch explosion at Cape Canaveral (Q7)

1. Who are planning not to go to work from September 12-16, October 5-11 (excluding the weekend), November 14-18 and December 5-9?

2. BHS closed the last of its stores on Sunday. How many?

3. Which former Cabinet Secretary caused a stir by saying that Britain might not really leave the EU?

4. Claire Hatch was injured after a rope wrapped around her neck on the Gravity Swing while visiting which attraction?

5. Who died, surrounded by his family, while listening to Somewhere over the Rainbow by Ella Fitzgerald? 

6. Which company will provide security at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool?

7. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on a Cape Canaveral launch pad and destroyed which company's $200million Amos-6 satellite?

8. In which country has the main rebel group Farc declared a ceasefire after 52 years of conflict? 

9. On which motorway did a footbridge collapse after a lorry hit it? 

10. What did Mary Berry say was so dangerous that no British home should have?

11. On which island did Richard Branson have a high-speed bike accident?

12. Optometrist Honey Rose was given a suspended prison sentence after failing to spot symptoms of a life-threatening brain condition in an eight-year-old boy. Who was she working for? 

13. Two pilots suspected of being over the alcohol limit were arrested at Glasgow airport. Which airline do they work for?

14. Jeremy Paxman criticised Mature Times, a magazine for the over 50s, saying: 'Who wants to be called ‘mature’, like an old cheese? We all know that ‘mature’ means on the verge of incontinence, idiocy and peevish __________.' What is the missing word?

15. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics revealed the most popular baby names in England and Wales in 2015. What are they? Half a point for the girl's and half a point for the boy's?

16. England’s cricketers ran up a world record score in a one-day international against Pakistan. What was their total? 

17. Donald Trump met Enrique Peña Nieto this week. Who is he? 

18. The 1990s game show The Crystal Maze is to have a one-off revival as part of Channel 4's Stand Up To Cancer charity fundraising campaign in October. Who will present it?

19.  Eamonn Holmes is to step down as anchor of Sky News’s breakfast show, Sunrise. How many years has he been in that role?

20. Lily Allen announced her intention to quit Twitter after she was pictured collapsing after a hard-drinking session on Sunday. What event was she attending?

21. Why did Irish prime minister Enda Kenny order his ministers back from their summer holidays?

22. What did Sam Wayne do that saw him hit the headlines? 

23. Isabelle Graham, 28, was banned from teaching after a disciplinary hearing ruled that she spent three hours alone with a 17-year-old pupil at a Travelodge hotel in which city?

24. The Mayor of Dover refused to stand down after being filmed snorting white powder off a toilet cistern with a £20 note saying: 'It could have been _______ for all I know.’ What is the missing word?

25. Who left North London for an £80,000-a-week job on the south coast of England after an Italian job didn’t materialise?

Answers here