Newsquiz of the week ...

The top solo scorers in last week’s newsquiz were Yvonne Ridley and Toby Brown on 20, ahead of Janet Boyle on 19, Phil Lambell and Dominic Hurst on 18 and Gavin Devine on 17. The top teams were the Roberts Family and Simon, Sue and Will Cole with 21. Bruce and Sarah Hayward scored 20, as did Peter and Stacey over a pint in The Three Legs (was Tier 2 really only six days ago?), and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe scored 19. 

If you enjoy my weekly quiz you might also like the Journalists’ Charity Newsquiz of the Year which I hosted on Zoom last Thursday. It was free to enter but participants were asked to make a donation to the charity. Fundraising has been tough this year so if you fancy helping out please do so here. There were 100 questions from the year. I have put them online here to keep you entertained during your locked down Christmas. The top score on the night was 58 by Ramsay and Stephen R. The top team score online so far, by Jack Elsom and his mum Geraldine, is 73. Why not give it a go and let me know your scores. Below is this week’s newsquiz - a day earlier than usual so I don't disturb your Christmas Day. As usual there are 25 questions. Give it a go and let me know your score. I hope you have a good Christmas break and manage to make the most of it. Here’s to a happier New Year. 

A selection of today's front pages

1. UK and EU negotiators were locked in talks in Brussels over the final details of a post-Brexit trade deal, with both sides reportedly engaged in last-minute haggling over what?

2. Health Minister Matt Hancock announced that, because of another variant of coronavirus, anyone who had travelled to and from which country in the past fortnight, and anyone they had been in contact with, had to quarantine immediately?

3. After Wednesday’s announcement by Health Minister Matt Hancock which of these counties will not be in Tier 4 from Boxing Day? a) Suffolk b) Cambridgeshire c) Oxfordshire d) Gloucestershire

4. At a coronavirus press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that more than how many people had been given their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine?

5. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said there would be 'multiple testing sites’, including which airport, for lorry drivers hoping to cross the Channel?

6. The Guru Nanak Darbar temple and charity Khalsa Aid, from which religious community, organised hot meals for stranded lorry drivers at Dover?

7. Home Secretary Priti Patel warned of the Covid-19 variant and said: 'It's a stronger strain of the virus in the sense that it's more transmittable, it's a ___ virus.’ What is the missing word?

8. As Europe reacted to Britain’s announcement about the mutant strain of Covid-19, which were the only two EU countries not to impose a blanket ban on UK travellers? Half a point for each.

9. Around 300 care home residents, usually known by what name, received 'the best early Christmas present we could hope for’ when they were offered the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine?

10. Which car manufacturer announced it would stop production earlier than planned for Christmas at Deeside in north Wales, Burnaston in Derbyshire and at its French plants because of the chaos caused by Covid-19 border closures?

11. Coronavirus reached which continent, which had up until this week been free of the virus, with 36 reported cases?

12. Who urged the Government to give as many people as possible an initial dose of a Covid vaccine - rather than preserving stocks so there is enough for a second jab?

13. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there were 'no excuses' for her breach of Covid rules after she removed her face mask while attending what in Edinburgh?

14. Lady Margaret Tebbit, who died aged 86, was paralysed 36 years again in which incident?

15. Two men were convicted of the manslaughter of how many Vietnamese people who were found dead in a lorry container in Essex?

16. Jesse Kempson was finally named this week after an order banning his identity was lifted. Who is he?

17. Why was England and Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier suspended from football for ten weeks?

18. Twitter announced that it would wipe millions of followers from which account?

19. Liverpool registered an away top-flight win by a margin of seven goals for the first time in their history? Who were they playing?

20. What happened to 89-year-old moonshine maker Alfred Lee Crum, convicted murderer Nicholas Slatten and Dutch lawyer Van der Zwaan this week?

21. The former face of Chanel, the ‘muse' of Gianni Versace, who was described by Naomi Campbell as the 'epitome of grace', died aged 50. What was her name?

22. Which two planets came closer than at any time in 400 years in what was called the great conjunction? Half a point for each.

23. Bill Bailey became the oldest-ever winner of Strictly Come Dancing. How old is he?

24. Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year but who was second?

25. The Thursday Murder Club, by which author, became the first debut novel ever to be the Number One Christmas best seller?

Answers here