Friday, 21 November 2025

Have a crack at the newsquiz

The top scorers in last week’s newsquiz were Tim (still totally unremarkable) and George Mann with 23. Tim Humphrey and Janet Boyle scored 22, Robert Rea and Toby Brown 20 and the Rev Leon 16. The top teams were the Broad Oak Boozers including Tim, Craig, Danny and Thom and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 19, ahead of the Barnard Castle FOC with Our Peter, Jackie, Trevor and Carole and Bill’s Scratch Team on 18. Here is this week’s newsquiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week. Why not give it a go and let me know your score.

Today's front pages

1. The Covid-19 Inquiry concluded that how many lives could have been saved if a national shutdown had been imposed one week earlier?
2. The Covid-19 Inquiry report singled out who for criticism, suggesting he contributed to a 'culture of fear' that 'poisoned the atmosphere’?
3. The US House of Representatives voted to release the Jeffrey Epstein documents with 427 in favour and how many against?
4. US President Donald Trump pointed at Bloomberg reporter Catherine Lucey on Air Force One and said 'quiet, quiet, __' after she asked about the Jeffrey Epstein files. What is the missing insult?
5. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced changes to the asylum system, citing which European country where 'refugee status is temporary and they provide safety until it is possible for a refugee to return home’?
6. Labour MP Clive Lewis offered to give up his seat in Norwich South to who?
7. The Government announced plans to make it illegal for what to be resold for more than their original cost?
8. US President Donald Trump welcomed the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to the White House and defended him over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who worked for which publication?
9. What is the name of the Russian ’spy ship’ whose crew targeted RAF pilots with lasers?
10. MPs were warned they faced 'a covert and calculated' attempt to recruit parliamentarians through profiles connected to the Chinese intelligence service which were on what website?
11. The overall inflation rate fell to 3.6 per cent in the year to October, the slowest pace for four months, but the inflation rate for what went up to 4.9 per cent?
12. Ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales, Nathan Gill, was jailed for how long for taking bribes to give pro-Russian speeches and TV appearances?
13. Gambling giant Sky Bet announced it had relocated its headquarters to which country - a move that will cut its UK tax bill by tens of millions of pounds?
14. Hertfordshire Police paid how much in damages for wrongly arresting a couple who had made complaints about their daughter's primary school on a WhatsApp group chat?
15. Disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s name was wiped from four plaques which had been unveiled when he had previously visited where?
16. The 78-year-old former prime minister of which country was sentenced to death after she was guilty of ordering lethal force on a student-led uprising?
17. A children’s book called Flora And Fern: Kindness Along The Way, written by who, was withdrawn from sale days before it was due to be published?
18. Gary 'Mani' Mounfield, who died aged 63, was bass guitarist with which two rock bands? Half a point for each.
19. US rapper Eminem took legal action against an Australian beachwear company called what, saying its name was too similar to his brand?
20. A senior production member alleged that, when a worker collapsed on set, which TV presenter said 'package him up' and 'send him back like they do on Amazon Prime’?
21. Scotland’s men qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998 by beating which team 4-2?
22. Before the Ashes began, Australian captain Steve Smith mocked former England cricketer Monty Panesar for his terrible performance at what?
23. A 35-year-old sporting rivalry involving which two families came to an end at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the victor saying: 'It's done and finished. It's over. This ends here.’ Half a point for each family name.
24. A life-size bronze statue, wearing a creased miniskirt, gaping cardigan and clutching a diary and a pen, was unveiled in Leicester Square as a tribute to which comedy character?
25. What are the names of the two late arrivals who turned up as chief explorers on ITV's I’m a Celebrity yesterday? Half a point for each.

Answers here




Friday, 14 November 2025

Time to tackle the newsquiz

There were some cracking scores in last week’s newsquiz. The top solo quizzers - George Mann, Tim (still totally unremarkable) and Peta Steel - all scored 24. Janet Boyle scored 21, the Rev Leon 20, Sarah Terry 19 and Ian McCulloch 18. The top teams were the Barnard Castle FOC, featuring Bill, Our Peter, Jackie, Trevor and Carole and Tim Humphrey and son Robert who scored 23. Maura and Phil Parsons and King’s Head drinkers Peter and Stacey both scored 20, the Broad Oak Boozers 19 and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe 18. 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.


Today's front pages


1. US President Donald Trump said he would sue the BBC after Panorama spliced a clip of a 2021 speech which suggested he told a crowd: 'We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we __. We __ like hell.’ What is the missing word?
2. After the BBC’s apology for the Panorama editing of the Trump speech, it emerged that which second programme also spliced footage?
3. What is the name of the BBC News CEO who resigned, with director general Tim Davie, following criticism of the edited Panorama documentary?
4. Health Secretary Wes Streeting denied suggestions he was seeking to challenge for the Labour party leadership and said his accusers had been watching too much of what TV programme?
5. What is the name of the Prime Minister's chief of staff who was initially blamed for briefings against cabinet ministers?
6. Which organisation did Health Secretary Wes Streeting say was 'increasingly behaving in cartel-like behaviour’ and was in a 'morally reprehensible position’?
7. More than 20,000 files, some mentioning US President Donald Trump, were obtained from whose estate and released by US lawmakers?
 
8. According to figures from the Ministry of Justice how many prisoners were freed by mistake between April and October this year?
9. At 11am on Armistice Day, Tuesday November 11, which one of these did not happen? a) The Princess of Wales laid a wreath in Staffordshire b) Queen Camilla laid a wreath at Paddington Station c) the Princess Royal laid a wreath in Brisbane, Australia d) King Charles laid a wreath at the Cenotaph.
10. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced that the Army will be used to reduce what?
11. According to an internal survey, two-thirds of women working as what experienced sexualised behaviour - from wolf-whistles and dirty jokes to touching and unwanted sexual activity - in the past year?
12. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said she was 'appalled' and was 'holding Southern Water to account' for millions of what that washed up on Camber Sands in East Sussex?
13. Djeison Rafael, 21, appeared in court accused of murder after a 24-year-old woman was stabbed in the neck in which English city centre?
14. Who was found guilty of six counts of sending 'grossly offensive' social media posts aimed at broadcaster Jeremy Vine and television pundits Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko?
15. TV presenter Davina McCall posted a video on Instagram revealing she had undergone surgery for what kind of cancer’?
16. The Eiffel Tower was lit in the colours of the French flag on Thursday as part of a day of commemoration marking the tenth anniversary of what?
17. Qian Zhimin was jailed for 11 years and 8 months at Southwark Crown Court for trying to launder more than 60,000 what, worth billions of pounds?
18. Quentin Willson, who died aged 68, was the co-host of which BBC programme between 1991 and 2001?
 
19. Which Olympian’s older brother was arrested over allegations he sent threats to him during his stag-do in Budapest?
20. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was freed from jail after serving how long of his five-year sentence?
21. A man 
was charged with being a public nuisance after jumping over a barricade and grabbing which singer at the premiere for Wicked: For Good in Singapore?
22. England kept up their 100 per cent World Cup qualifying record with a 2-0 victory against Serbia with goals by players from which club?
23. Who donated his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), which supports grassroots music?
24. ITV bosses announced a rule change that means contestants on I’m A Celebrity will now be restricted to how many Bushtucker trials in a row?
25. Who put on a Pudsey Bear backpack on Monday and set off to cover 135 miles on foot across four counties in five days - the equivalent of five marathons?

Answers here 

Friday, 7 November 2025

Have a crack at the newsquiz

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Tim (still totally unremarkable) with 23, just ahead of Tim Humphrey on 22, George Mann on 21.5, Janet Boyle on 19.5 and Robert Rea on 18. The top teams were the Gainford Ghouls and Maura and Phil Parsons who both scored 23.5. The Broad Oak Boozers, featuring Thom, Danny, Tim and Craig, scored 23, Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe with Ben and Bella 22, Nick Turner and Mark Walton 18.5 and Trevor and Carole in Krakow 18. Here is this week's newsquiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week's news. Give it a go and let me know your score.

Today's front pages

1. A train from Doncaster to London made an unscheduled stop at which station so that armed police and paramedics could treat 11 people who had been stabbed?
2. Two prisoners were released by mistake from which prison?
3. Zohran Mamdani became New York City's first Muslim mayor and the youngest person in over a century to lead the city. How old is he?
4. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor received a letter from who, requesting an interview in connection with his 'long-standing friendship' with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein?
5. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage predicted that 'economic collapse' would force Prime Minister Keir Starmer to do what?
6. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for being 'the only person from a serious country' to attend what?
7. Which former White House chief of staff, defence secretary and vice-president died aged 84?
8. Which BBC programme was accused of selectively editing a Donald Trump speech to make it appear that he encouraged the US Capitol attack?
9. At Leicester Crown Court Julia Wandelt, 24, was found guilty of harassing who?
10. Which country declared a state of emergency after typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 188 dead?
11. Pregnant Bella Culley, 19, who faced a 20-year sentence, arrived back in Teesside after being freed from prison in which country?
12. The BBC upheld a complaint against newsreader Martine Croxall after she changed what two-word term and raised her eyebrows during a news broadcast?
13. A worker was killed when a medieval tower collapsed in which European city?
14. ITV said it was in ‘preliminary' discussions to sell its broadcasting business to which company for £1.6billion?
15. Four passengers were injured when a Glasgow to London train derailed at 80mph, after hitting a landslip in which county?
16. At least 12 people were killed after a cargo plane, owned by which supply chain company, crashed during take off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky?
17. A mayor was shot dead in front of dozens of people during Day Of The Dead festivities 
in which country?
18. Which TV presenter posted on social media: ‘The hate, vitriol and racism aimed at me because of my personal decision not to wear a poppy *on air* has begun again?’
19. Pauline Collins, who died aged 85, was best known for playing the title role in which 1989 film that earned her a best actress Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win?
20. Who vowed to use his knighthood 'for the good of the UK’ after he received the honour from King Charles?
21. Which Premier League team sacked their head coach after failing to win a game all season?
22. Eleven people were arrested after hundreds of protestors gathered before Aston Villa's game against which team on Thursday?
23. Whose autobiography All In caused a ‘furore’ in the world of sport?
24. Who came out of acting retirement, after eight years, for a role in a Hollywood movie called Close Personal Friends?
25. Alan Carr won Celebrity Traitors and took a prize fund of how much for the children’s cancer charity Neuroblastoma UK?

Answers here