Final newsquiz: Mehreen gets top prize

Farewell to the trainees: From left, Tony Johnston (head of PA Training), Oliver Duggan, Camilla Turner, Laurence Dodds, Mehreen Khan, Raz Akkoc, Greg Walton, Mike Watson (trainer) and me

The Telegraph trainees finished the first stage of their training yesterday (see previous post). We finished as always with the news quiz. Congratulations to Mehreen Khan who scored 16 out of 24. It was a remarkable performance giving her 102 points over the seven weeks, an average of 14.5 a week. She finished 17 points ahead of second placed Raz Akkoc who pipped Oliver Duggan by half a point. Mehreen was presented with a book on the history of The Telegraph. That's it with the newsquiz till February ... but no excuse for you not to read the papers. If you beat Mehreen's 16, well done. She has set a high bar. 

1. A blonde girl called Maria was discovered living with a Roma family in which Greek city?
2. According to Tesco, 68 per cent of what type of food never makes it to the plate?
3. Education minister Elizabeth Truss was under fire for misspelling a word in a tweet on literacy and numeracy. What word did she misspell? 
4. Which university's union has banned fitness classes which offered pole dancing because  they 'contribute to an atmosphere where women are viewed as sexual objects'?
5. A comedian whose characters included Sebastien the gay Yardie gangster and Aubrey Duboisson, a posh bloke from the Cotswolds, died at the weekend. Who was he?
6. A new nuclear power plant is to be built at Hinkley Point. In which county is Hinkley Point?
7. As hundreds of bush fires broke out in Australia,  a state of emergency was called in which state?
8. Rihanna was asked to leave a Grand Mosque for posing for inappropriate photographs? In which city?
9. Sally Bercow paid out £15,000 as her libel settlement over her Lord McAlpine tweet. To which charity was the money donated?
10. Which country has rejected a seat on the UN Security Council in protest over America's policy in Syria?
11. In his autobiography Alex Ferguson said of his former captain Roy Keane: 'He believed he was ______ ________.  Nobody is.' Which fictional character was he comparing Keane to?
Bonus, which journalist ghost wrote Sr Alex's book?
12. Britain's biggest petrochemical refinery in Grangemouth is under threat of closure. Which company owns the plant? 
13. Apple's chief executive unveiled the new iPad Air and the iPad mini. Who is Apple's CEO?
14. Which quiz show is being dropped by ITV after 15 years?
15. A woman died after falling 80ft in a Primark store in which city?
16. What forced the Dean Academy in the Forest of Dean to close on Wednesday?
17. The Great British Bake Off was won by 31-year-old Frances Quinn. Which is the higher number - a) the collective age of the three finalists or b) the age of judge Mary Berry? 
Bonus, next year's GBBO will be moving. To where?
18. How many Godparents did Prince George have in total?
Bonus, Prince George was dressed in a replica of the gown worn by the eldest daughter of which monarch?
19. The chief medical officer for England has advised all children should be given free vitamin C because of the fear of a return of which bone disease?
Bonus, who is the chief medical officer for England?
20. Arsenal lost to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday on the birthday of their manager Arsene Wenger. Which birthday was he 'celebrating'?

Answers here.