Give this week's newsquiz a go

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Yvonne Ridley with an impressive 23, narrowly ahead of Janet Boyle on 22. The top team was Richard, Danny and Barney also with 23 just pipping The Roberts Family on 22. Neil and Jo Benson scored 20 as did Sam, Thom, Shannon and Harry and Maura and Phil Parsons. Pete and Heather Clifton scored 19.5. Here’s this week’s quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week’s events. Give it a go and let me know how you get on … and stay safe. 

Today's front pages

1. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Downing Street briefing on Tuesday that a vaccine developed by which university would be trialled on people from 'this Thursday' (yesterday)?

2. MPs returned to a semi-digital Parliament after the Easter recess but with only ___ able to take part using Zoom and a maximum of ___ in the Commons chamber. What are the two missing numbers? Half a point for each.

3. Who said, in a document called Looking Beyond Lockdown, that: 'We want to ease restrictions but we cannot rule out having to reapply them should the virus run out of control’?

4. The Government published a 2,000-word rebuttal to an article published in which newspaper that claimed the UK had 'lost a crucial five weeks' to tackle the coronavirus threat and that Boris Johnson missed five key COBRA meetings?

5. You’ll Never Walk Alone by Captain Tom Moore and Michael Ball was heading to No 1 in the charts. It has reached the top spot twice before. The first was by Gerry and the Pacemakers and the second, in 1985, by The Crowd to raise money for the families of which disaster?

6. Captain Tom Moore virtually opened a new Nightingale hospital in which town?

7. Which UK brand made more than 900 people redundant on Tuesday, telling them they would not be paid more than three weeks of salary ... and then wrote to them the next day to tell them of a change of heart?

8. Two celebrity millionaires came under fire ... one for furloughing 25 fashion workers and the other for asking the UK Government for a £500million bailout and a further a £700million from Australia. Name them both? Half a point for each.

9. Protective medical equipment arrived on a delayed plane at Brize Norton from which country?

10. The prices of what product turned negative for the first time in history on Monday meaning that producers were paying buyers to take it off their hands?
11. Which footballer donated £500,000 to NHS Wales and €500,000 to hospitals in Spain?
12. Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan’s interview with which Government minister resulted in 2,000 people complaining to Ofcom?

13. Which insurance company announced it was giving a £25 refund to customers as cars and vans are sitting idle during the pandemic?

14. What was war veteran Ken Benbow, 94, given by 17-year-old carer Kia Tobin at a Preston care home?

15. Who came out of retirement with an online statement saying: 'As we approach World Immunisation Week, I wanted to recognise the vital and urgent work being done by so many to tackle the pandemic; by those in the medical and scientific professions, at universities and research institutions, all united in working to protect us from Covid-19'?

16. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said in-flight social distancing proposals were ‘idiotic’ and insisted his planes would not fly with an empty what?

17. Stephen Fry recreated his Blackadder role as Lord Melchett to take a Zoom call with whom in a sketch for The Big Night In coronavirus fundraiser?

18. Gunman Gabriel Wortman, 51, who killed 22 people in a rampage in Canada, worked as what?

19. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that all Canadians stood with the victims of the gunman who killed 22 people and added: 'This week, we are all ___ ___’ What are the two missing words?

20. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sent a letter to the editors of which four daily UK newspapers saying they would not respond to any inquiries from their journalists and there would be a policy of 'zero engagement’. Half a point for three papers, one point for all four.

21. Bev Priestman, Emma Hayes, Jill Ellis and Casey Stoney emerged as early frontrunners to take over which job?
22. The gun salutes to mark the Queen's birthday on Tuesday were cancelled. How old was she?

23. Ronan O’Rahilly, who died aged 79, founded which radio station?
24. Elon Musk's rocket firm SpaceX launched dozens of satellites, that go by what name, which were seen streaming across the night sky on Wednesday?

25. Joiner Ryan Hoyle from near Rochdale had to celebrate on his own after scooping how much, to the nearest million pounds, on the EuroMillions jackpot?

Answers here

Time to tackle the newsquiz

Being on lockdown clearly means that some of you are absorbing the news in detail. The newsquiz has been online for ten years and has been held on training courses for 20 years - and nobody has ever scored maximum points. Until now. Last week two teams scored 25 out of 25. They were The Roberts Family and Thom, Sam, Shannon and Harry. Take a bow both teams. The top solo scorer was Janet Boyle with 21.5. Others worthy of a mention were Andy Drinkwater with 19 and Georgia Simcox and Hannah Tomes who both scored 18.5. The top teams, other than the 100 percenters, were The Penmans, Maura and Phil Parsons and Bruce and Sarah Hayward who all scored 19.5 just ahead of Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 19. Here is this week's quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week's events. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

Thursday's front pages

1. Army veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, raised more than £18million for NHS workers by completing how many laps of his garden?

2. The baby of nurse Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong was delivered successfully after her mother died from Covid-19 in a hospital in which town?

3. Connie Titchen – believed to be Britain’s oldest Covid-19 survivor – was applauded by staff at Birmingham’s City Hospital as she was discharged on Tuesday. How old is she?

4. The Office for Budget Responsibility warned the pandemic could see the UK economy shrink by what per cent by June?

5. Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said this week there are three ‘clear’ factors that increase your risk of coronavirus. Age and having an underlying condition were two. What is the third?

6. The National Police Chiefs' Council issued guidance giving reasons someone could ‘reasonably' leave their home in England. Which of these is not an excuse: Moving to a friend's following an argument at home; going out to buy paint to redecorate; buying alcohol.

7. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the launch of new green and white badge of honour that has what word on it?

8. Two charter flights, bringing people to work on British farms, flew into Stansted this week from which European city?

9. French president Emmanuel Macron announced that the country would start returning to normal life - if citizens were 'civic, responsible and respected the rules' and if the number of cases of coronavirus continued to drop - on what date?

10. Media regulator Ofcom is investigating ITV’s This Morning after Eamonn Holmes appeared to suggest ’the mainstream media' should not rush to dismiss a potential link between coronavirus and what?

11. London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that from Monday passengers on the city’s buses would not be allowed to use what?

12. What did television programme Holby City donate to the new NHS Nightingale Hospital in London? 

13. Why were Jenny McGee from New Zealand and Luis Pitarma from Portugal in the headlines?

14. Former Leeds United and England footballer Norman Hunter, who died in hospital aged 76 after contracting coronavirus, was known by what nickname in his playing days?

15. Who donated £12.5million to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic after being ‘humbled' by the dedication of NHS workers?
16. Princess Sofia of which country took a three-day medical course and started working in a hospital to help the fight against coronavirus?
17. Prince William officially opened the Nightingale hospital in Birmingham saying 'hospitals are about the people and not the ___’. What is the missing word?

18. Who posted a 12-minute video endorsing Joe Biden for US president saying: 'Joe has the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery’?

19. Comedian Tim Brooke Taylor, who died age 79, was most famous as one of the Goodies but he was also ever-present on which radio show from its launch in 1972 until his death?

20. The Advertising Standards Authority banned Burger King from showing adverts suggesting that a burger,  which is cooked alongside meat and contains egg, is vegan-friendly. What is the burger called?

21. Documents showed that investors, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, had bid how much for Newcastle United?

22. Who was revealed to have fathered two sons with 37-year-old South African-born lawyer Stella Morris?

23. Which British sportsman, who was widely acknowledged as being the best in his field yet never won a world championship, died age 90?

24. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire cheat Major Charles Ingram, who was back in the news with the broadcast of Quiz, originally won £1million when he answered the question 'A number one followed by one hundred zeros is known by what name?’ What was his answer?

25. ITV announced that former contestant Darragh Ennis is to join which TV programme full-time? 

Answers here 

Time to tackle the Good Friday newsquiz ...

I hope all of you newsquizzers are staying safe and well this beautiful Good Friday. Most of you should have had time to absorb this week's news so I am looking for big scores this week. Last week there were some impressive results. Pick of the bunch was Tom Savage with a record solo score of 23. The Penmans also scored 23, equalling the team record. Others worth a mention are Mary Williams and Janet Boyle, both with 21. The Roberts Family and Phil and Maura Parsons both scored 22. 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.  

Only one story for Tuesday's front pages

1. What is the name of the London hospital where Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in intensive care?
2. Who said of Boris Johnson’s time in hospital: 'If it can hit the Prime Minister for heaven’s sake, well, you know, it does come close to home. He almost took one for the team and we’ve got to make sure we play the game properly now’?
3. In her message to the nation, the Queen said: 'We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will ___ ___. What are the missing two words?
4. Scotland’s chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood resigned after making a second visit to her holiday home, an hour away from her Edinburgh base, in which part of Scotland?
5. Chancellor Rishi Sunak, in Downing Street’s Wednesday coronavirus briefing, announced how much in extra funding for frontline charities across the UK?
6. Which company’s chief executive defended its decision to give investors £900million in dividends despite taking £585million from the Government’s business rates relief holiday?
7. Keir Starmer was elected as leader of the Labour Party by winning what percent of the vote?
8. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband returned the shadow cabinet in what position?
9. Which Premier League football club, after receiving criticism, reversed its decision to put around 200 non-playing staff on furlough?
10. Which European city banned exercise outside between 10am and 7pm as deaths from coronavirus continued to rise?
11. Staff working for which high street chain, with 750 UK stores, set up a petition, pleading with management to close over safety concerns?
12. At midnight on Wednesday Chinese authorities allowed residents to leave Wuhan, where the coronavirus pandemic began, after how many days sealed off from the world?
13. Which country’s Prime Minister, who worked as a GP, is to work one day a week as a doctor to help combat the coronavirus pandemic?
14. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority said that MPs would be able to claim how much for additional office costs incurred as a result of the coronavirus?
15. Which footballer's England career was left in doubt after flouting Government lockdown rules by hosting a £2,000 sex party with two prostitutes?
16. US President Donald Trump said freezing the funding of which organisation was under consideration, accusing it of being 'China-centric’?

17. Premier League footballers including Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford, Troy Deeney, Virgil van Dijk, Jordan Henderson and Fernandinho shared a statement on an initiative to raise funds for NHS charities using what hashtag?
18. Why was four-year-old Nadia from the Bronx in the headlines?
19. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reassured children that the Tooth Fairy and which other character would be exempt from travel restrictions imposed during the lockdown?
20. Who live-streamed on Twitter this week saying: ‘Today I am suspending my campaign. But while the campaign ends, the struggle for justice continues on’?
21. Actress Honor Blackman, who died age 94, was best known for her roles in James Bond and the Avengers. Name the two characters she played. Half a point for each.
22. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed plans to launch a new charitable organisation called what?
23. Which singer, who spent nine years in the US Navy before becoming a pop star at 33 and reaching the UK top ten with Lovely Day, died age 81?
24. US President Donald Trump said he would ‘look into’ pardoning Joe Exotic who is serving a 22-year sentence for murder and who appeared in a Netflix documentary series called what?
25. What space phenomenon, which happened this week, takes its name from a North American spring flower?

Answers here

Been paying attention? Here's the newsquiz ...

There were some cracking scores in last week's newsquiz. Two teams equalled the best ever newsquiz score of 23. They were Thom, Sam, Shannon and Harry and the Roberts Family. The Penmans scored 22, Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe 21.5 and Bruce and Sarah Hayward 19. The top solo scorer was Paul Bowen with 21.5, just ahead of Lewis Steele and Liz Gerrard who both scored 21. Tom Savage, Janet Boyle and Georgia Simcox all scored 19 and Toby Brown 18. Here is this week’s quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week’s events. Give it a go and let me know how you get on. 

Thursday's front pages

1. Official Government advice issued this week said: 'Your employer might be able to keep you on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for you to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). This is known as being ‘on ____’.
What is the missing word?

2. Health secretary Matt Hancock set the Government a new target of carrying out how many Covid-19 tests a day by the end of April?

3. Habib Zaidi, 76, Alfa Saadu, 68, Adil el Tayar, 63, and Amged el-Hawrani, 55,  who died from Coronavirus, had what else in common?

4. Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent a letter to 30 million houses which finished with the sentence: 'That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and ___ ___'. What are the two missing words?

5. Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab was believed to be the UK’s youngest coronavirus victim when he died alone in London’s King’s College. How old was he?

6. Which MP was ticked off by police for ‘non-essential travel’ when he visited his father on his 78th birthday?

7.  According to the latest figures from John Hopkins University the number of registered cases of coronavirus reached which global milestone on Thursday? 

8. Which Western European country chose not to go into lockdown with its PM urging citizens to behave 'as adults' and not to spread 'panic or rumours’?

9. Who was fined £150,000 and apologised after going round a friend's house during the lockdown and crashing his Range Rover into parked cars?

10. What did Prince Charles call 'an intensely practical message of hope to those who need it most at this time of national suffering'? 

11. Derbyshire police came under fire for putting what into the 'Blue Lagoon' in Buxton to deter swimmers?
12. Princess Maria Teresa of which country’s royal family died aged 86 after testing positive for coronavirus?

13. The owners of which app said it was 'investigating indications that the recent hacking rumours were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign' and offered a $1million (£810,000) bounty for proof?

14. A herd of Kashmiri goats took over which deserted town centre, eating hedges and flowers from gardens?

15. The NHS has asked people to stop sending what in the post to the new Nightingale London Hospital?

16. Which country's Premier League signed broadcasting deals with sports networks in ten countries, including Russia, Israel and India, as it is the only major football league still playing in Europe?

17. World super-middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders had his boxing licence suspended following a social media post in which he demonstrated how to do what?

18. The Labour MP for Bassetlaw for 33 years, who was also a newspaper columnist, author, holder of an OBE and director of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, died aged 86. Name him.

19. Why was the West Sussex village of Woodmancote in the headlines?

20. Parsonage Garden at Neunen in Spring, a painting with an estimated value of £5million, was stolen from the Singer Laren museum in Holland. Who is the artist?

21. Bob Weighton was presented with a Guinness World Records certificate for being the world’s oldest man while celebrating what birthday in isolation at a care home in Hampshire?
22. Edward Hugh McGinnis, who died of coronavirus aged 78 this week, was better known by which name?

23. Which Scottish actor donated £275,000 to equip doctors and nurses with protective equipment and applied to be an NHS volunteer?

24. What annual event will take place as usual tomorrow (Saturday) but using computer generated imaging  – with proceeds going towards the fight against Covid-19?

25. Who said he was ‘not sure what all the fuss is about’ after he announced that he is to become a father for the fourth time at the age of 89?

Answers here