The pre-Christmas newsquiz

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Janet Boyle with 20.5, narrowly ahead of Robert Rea on 20, George Mann and Marguerite Turner on 18 and Gavin Devine on 17. The top scoring team was Neil and Jo Benson with their Christmas visitors on 21, ahead of Maura and Phil Parsons on 20, Bruce and Sarah Hayward on 18 and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 16.5. Here is this week’s newsquiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week. Give it a go and let me know your score. Good luck and have a cracking Christmas one and all.

A selection of today's front pages

1. Health Secretary Steve Barclay enraged union leaders and healthcare workers by writing, in a Daily Telegraph article, that they 'have made a conscious choice to __ __ on patients’. What are the two missing words?
2. What is the name of the union, that includes staff at passport control, which is holding eight days of strikes over pay, pensions and job security?
3. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said that rail fares in England would be capped at a level below inflation 'to help reduce the impact on passengers’ but would still rise by up to what percent from March?
4. The Scottish government hailed a 'historic day' after MSPs approved plans to make it easier and less intrusive for individuals to do what?
5. What did Prime Minister Rishi Sunak say was 'common sense’ but shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper say was 'unworkable, unethical, extremely expensive’?
6. Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Russia was not to blame for the war with Ukraine, blaming instead 'the policy of __ countries’. What is the missing word?
7. England only took one award away from the Qatar World Cup - what was it?
8. French striker Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot at the World Cup after scoring how many goals?
9. Fifa said it was investigating how which celebrity chef gained 'undue access’ to the pitch at the end of the World Cup final?
10. A probation officer was reportedly sacked for gross misconduct after erroneously categorising Damien Bendall as 'medium risk' rather than 'high risk’ leaving him free to commit how many murders?
11. The Press regulator IPSO received more than 20,000 complaints about Jeremy Clarkson’s column in The Sun in which he said he hated the Duchess of Sussex on 'a cellular level' and not like he hated which two other women? Half a point for each.
12. Singer Terry Hall, who died aged 63, was the frontman with The Specials and then had three top ten hits with which band?
13. Why was 97-year-old Irmgard Furchner given a two-year suspended prison sentence?
14. A 69-year-old man was arrested after two people were shot dead and four others were wounded in which European city? 
15. After a poll that voted for him to stand down, who said: 'I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job’?
16. French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who was freed from prison in Nepal, was known by what nickname which became the title of a BBC and Netflix series about his life?

17. Which of the three surviving players from England's World Cup winning team of 1966 died aged 83 this week? 
18. Martin Duffy, who died aged 55, started out with 1980s indie group Felt and went on to play keyboards for which two other bands? Half a point for each.
19. Lioness Beth Mead won the BBC’s Sports Personality Of The Year but who came second?
20. Which family's real estate company was convicted of tax crimes at a New York court?
21. Rehan Ahmed, 18, became the youngest person to do what?
22. Which singer was offered a cameo on Coronation Street - 'perhaps singing karaoke with Ken Barlow and Rita Sullivan' - after revealing he was a fan of the ITV soap?
23. Charity fundraiser Wilfred Webster just missed out on £101,050 after he was revealed to be what?
24. What is the name of the wildlife cameraman and CBBC presenter who won Strictly Come Dancing’s glitterball?
25. In a message for the Together at Christmas carol service, who said the Queen 'held Christmas close to her heart' and 'leaves with us an incredible legacy’?

Answers here