Time for the last newsquiz of 2017

The top scorer in last week's newsquiz was Dominic Hurst with 16, narrowly ahead of Gavin Devine with 15.5 and Sophie Jamieson with 15. The top team was the Penman Partnership (helped by Daisy back from university) with a score of 17.5, just ahead of Toby Brown (with help from home) on 16.5. Here is this week's newsquiz. There are 25 questions about the week's events. It has been traditionally quieter over the Christmas period, so you might have to dig a little deeper. Give it a go and let me know how you get on. Here's to a healthy and happy 2018 - with plenty of good news.  

The Boxing Day front pages - raise a glass to all the journalists who work Christmas Day to make sure the papers come out

1. A rightwing Conservative pressure group, whose patrons include Norman Lamont and John Redwood, called for the whip to be withdrawn from Lord Heseltine after he said a Labour Government was preferable to Brexit? What is the group called?

2. Lord Heseltine said: 'We have survived Labour governments before. Their damage tends to be short-term and capable of _______. Brexit is not short-term and is not easily capable of _______’.  What is the missing word?

3. Retailers blamed a sharp increase in shoplifting on a policy that says criminals who steal goods valued at less than what amount won't be pursued by the police?

4. Which Bishop urged American Christians to consider whether their support of Donald Trump is justifiable as part of their faith?
5. At least 40 people were killed when a car bomb exploded in which capital city?

6. Which supermarket apologised to customers who claimed their Christmas Day was ruined after buying 'rotten, rancid' turkeys that tasted like 'acid and bleach’?
7. Laura Plummer, a shop assistant from Hull, was jailed for three years after being convicted of smuggling painkiller tablets into which country?

8. Spurs footballer Harry Kane broke the record for the most Premier League hat-tricks in a single calendar year? How many league hat-tricks did he score?

9. Barack Obama told interviewer Prince Harry on Radio 4’s Today programme about how he felt when he relinquished power to Donald Trump, saying: 'Overall there was ______ there, more than I would have expected’? What is the missing word?
10. Who told Prince Harry on Radio 4’s Today programme that  ‘climate change is causing untold horrors in different parts of the world’?

11. The head of the NHS in England, Simon Stevens, said he would closely monitor what on New Year's Eve before deciding if they should become a regular feature?

12. What did district judge Ian Mulkis officially bring to an end following a 25-second hearing at London’s Central Family Court?

13. The worst fire in New York for 25 years killed at least 12 people in an apartment block in which borough? 

14. A police officer and a 61-year-old woman died after a head-on crash in which city on Christmas Day?

15. The Queen's broadcast topped the television ratings on Christmas Day with an audience of 7.6 million but which programme had the second highest number of viewers, with an audience of 6.8 million?

16. Who apologised for making ‘inappropriate’ comments in an Instagram video in which he said says 'boys don't wear princess dresses’?

17. American president Donald Trump reacted to a cold snap across the US by tweeting that the East Coast would benefit from 'a little bit of that good old' what?

18. Managers of the The Alexandra pub in Wimbledon used social media to track down a man who left his pay packet in their pub. How much was in the packet?

19. A flight, with model Chrissy Teigen and her musician husband John Legend, was turned around on its journey from LA because a passenger boarded in error. Where was the flight meant to be going?

20. Former Chelsea and Manchester City footballer George Weah was elected president of which country?

21. What was Piers Morgan celebrating when he tweeted 'BOOM! No. 1’?

22. What did Karen Murdoch, from Norfolk, do on Christmas Day that is set to earn her thousands of pounds? 

23. Cricketer Alastair Cook became the first English batsman since Mike Atherton 20 years ago to do what?

24. Channel 4 dedicated its Christmas Eve episode of Gogglebox to whom?

25. Four meerkats and which other animal were killed in a fire at London zoo?

Answers here