Test your knowledge with the newsquiz

Last week’s newsquiz was obviously tougher than usual with lots of scores well below average. Top of the solo player leaderboard were Marion Fountayne and Robert Rea with 19.5, just ahead of Janet Boyle on 19, Gavin Devine and George Mann on 17 and Marguerite Turner on 16.5. The top team was Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe with 19.5, ahead of Maura and Phil Parsons on 18 and Neil and Jo Benson on 17. Here is this week’s newsquiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week’s events. Give it a go and let me know your score.

Today's front pages

1. To mark the first anniversary of the Ukrainian war, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that on February 24 last year millions of Ukrainians made a choice between two flags. What were the colours of each flag? Half a point for each.
2. Vladimir Putin announced, in his state of the nation address, that he was suspending Russia's participation in the nuclear arms control treaty with America. What is the name of the treaty?
3. After visiting Ukraine, US President Joe Biden gave a speech in Warsaw, saying: 'President Putin ordered his tanks to roll into Ukraine, he thought we would __ __. He was wrong.’ What are the two missing words?
4. Four people were arrested after the Led By Donkeys protest group did what outside the Russian Embassy in London?
5. Who was criticised for saying, when asked in Parliament about food bank shortages, that people could boost their incomes by getting into work or to 'work some more hours, to get upskilled ... get a higher income’?
6. Labour leader Keir Starmer said he was taking the extraordinary step of offering his party’s support to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in any parliamentary vote on what?
7. Labour leader Keir Starmer outlined five missions which would form the pillars of the next Labour government. They were: Securing the 'highest sustained growth' in the G7, making Britain a 'clean energy superpower’, reforming the justice system to make the streets safer, raising education standards and what other?
8. Which union suspended its 48-hour strike in England planned for early March after the Government agreed to 'intensive talks' on pay?
9. With supermarkets restricting the sale of some fruit and vegetables, Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey suggested people should ‘cherish' seasonal foods such as what?
10. The family of which former US politician announced he had declined ongoing medical treatment and would enter palliative care at home?
11. Ofcom said it was ‘extremely concerned' by comments from the family of Nicola Bulley about media behaviour and had written to which two television companies 'to ask them to explain their actions’? Half a point for each.
12. Four men were arrested after Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot in which Northern Ireland town?
13. Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair and ex-Tory leader Lord Hague, in a joint report, called for everyone in the UK to have what?
14. Shamima Begum lost her challenge over a Home Office decision to deprive her of British citizenship despite Mr Justice Jay saying there was a ‘credible' case that she had been what?
15. Which SNP leadership candidate lost support from some of her party after saying she would have voted against gay marriage and that having a child outside of marriage was wrong?
16. Dani Czernuszka, 34, won her High Court fight for compensation after being paralysed for life while she was doing what?
17. Who commentated on more than 2,500 televised football matches, covered nine World Cups, 29 FA Cup finals and nine European Championships?
18. The Office for Students proposed that all staff at universities and colleges in England who failed to declare what should be liable to disciplinary action or dismissal?
19. Former child actor Kevin Spaine, who was jailed for life by Liverpool Crown Court, appeared in an advert for the Milk Marketing Board in 1989 where he said the famous line '__ __, who are they?’ What are the two missing words?
20. Dickie Davies, who died aged 94, presented which television programme from 1968 to 1985?
21. TV presenter Dan Walker said wearing a helmet saved his life when he was hit by a car while cycling in which city?
22. Staff working at the European Commission were ordered to remove what from their phones and corporate devices to 'protect data and increase cybersecurity’?
23. A spokesman for Rishi Sunak, commenting on the editing of Roald Dahl’s books, said: 'The Prime Minister agrees with the BFG that we shouldn’t __ around with words.’ What is the missing word?
24. What became the most celebrated foreign language film ever at the Baftas with seven wins?

25. Who was reported to be replacing Ken Bruce on his BBC Radio 2 show after the 71-year-old announced his decision to leave?

Answers here

Time to tackle the newsquiz

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was George Mann with 22, ahead of Janet Boyle on 21, Antony Tiernan and Marguerite Turner on 20, Robert Rea on 18, Toby Brown on 17 and Gavin Devine on 16. The top team was Maura and Phil Parsons with 22, ahead of Bruce and Sarah Hayward on 18, Our Peter and Carole on 17 and Adam Batsone and Lucy Thorpe on 15. Here is this week’s quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week. Give it a go and let me know your score.

A selection of today's front pages

1. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, announcing she was standing down, said: 'In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. That it is right for me, for my ___ and for the ___’. What are the two missing words? Half a point for each.
2. Nicola Sturgeon was the longest-serving First Minister in Scottish history, holding office for how many years?
3. Who commented on Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation with a social media post that said: 'Good riddance to failed woke extremist Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland! This crazed leftist symbolises everything wrong with identity politics’?
4. Home Secretary Suella Braverman raised concerns with Lancashire Police after they revealed that missing mother Nicola Bulley had 'significant issues' with what?
5. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that who would not be standing as a Labour party candidate at the next General Election?
6. Two 15-year-olds were charged with the murder of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey, who was found stabbed to death in a park in which town?
7. British Gas owner Centrica posted a profit of how much for 2022, more than three times that of the year before?
8. Which bank announced profits of £5.1billion before tax in its 2022 results - the highest since 2007 and an increase on the £3.8billion profit in 2021?
9. A teenage boy, who was rescued from a flooded Thai cave in 2018, died after being found in his dormitory at a football academy in which UK town?
10. Three students were killed and five others critically wounded when a gunman attacked which American university?
11. The Met Office issued yellow warnings as a storm with what name brought 80mph winds to almost all of Scotland and North-East England?
12. The UK's Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Matt Jukes, said his unit had stopped how many late-stage terror attacks in 2022 - describing them as goal-line saves?
13. The International Institute for Strategic Studies said the UK was set to fall behind which country as NATO’s foremost military power in Europe?
14. Which soft drink vanished from the UK after 48 years and has been rebranded as a new type of Fanta?
15. Who cancelled visits to Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham and a library in Telford because of Covid?
16. She shot to prominence with roles in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years BC and won a Golden Globe for her role in 1974's The Three Musketeers? Who is she?
17. Whose family announced he had frontotemporal dementia, saying it was a 'relief to finally have a clear diagnosis’?
18. Which team came from behind to win the Super Bowl for the second time in four years?
19. Who said he had donated around $1.95billion (£1.6billion) worth of shares to charity last year?
20. Love Island contestant Kaz Crossley was jailed in which country on suspicion of drug offences?
21. What lit up the sky over the English Channel early on Monday morning?
22. Which celebrity couple marked their first Valentine's Day as husband and wife by getting complementary tattoos?
23. Which Premier League manager joined the 100-club ... coaches sacked after less than 100 days in charge?
24. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were the latest celebrities to be ‘brutally’ lampooned by which animated television series?

25. Harry Styles won four Brit Awards but which two artists collected two? Half a point for each. 

Answers here

Give the newsquiz a go

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Janet Boyle with 20.5, narrowly ahead of George Mann and Liz Gerard on 20. Tony Smith, Robert Rea, Toby Brown and Marion Fountayne all scored 19, Gavin Devine 18, Enid Shelmerdine 17 and Marguerite Turner 16. Maura and Phil Parsons and the Three Legs drinkers Stacey, Peter, Les and Nicky scored 20, ahead of Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 18 and Bruce and Sarah Hayward on 17. Here is this week’s quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week. Give it a go and let me know your score.

A selection of today's front pages

1. The earthquake that hit southeast Turkey and northern Syria, killing more than 20,000 people, was of what magnitude?
2. Which former Chelsea and Newcastle footballer was reported missing in the Turkish earthquake?
3. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, on a surprise visit to the UK, presented Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle with what which had ‘we have freedom, give us wings to protect it’ written on it?
4. At a joint press conference with the Ukrainian president, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said 'nothing is __ __ __' when asked about sending jets to Ukraine. What are the missing three words?

5. Who replaced Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative Party chairman in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's first cabinet reshuffle?
6. In an interview with the Spectator, days before being appointed deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, Lee Anderson said he would support the return of what?

7. In a 4,000-word essay published by which newspaper, former Prime Minister Liz Truss argued she was brought down by a left-wing economic establishment?
8. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said about 100,000 civil servants would walk out on March 15 to coincide with what that is due to take place that day?
9. Strike action by firefighters was put on hold while union members consider an increased pay offer which included pay rise of what per cent backdated to July last year and another of five per cent from next July?
10. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said that LNER, which operates trains along the East Coast mainline, would extend its trial of scrapping what?
11. Jared O’Mara, former Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, was jailed for four years for making fraudulent expenses claims to fund what?
12. The head of which private school was found dead along with her husband and seven-year-old daughter?
13. Serial rapist and former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick was sentenced to how many life terms by a judge at Southwark Crown Court?
14. Peter Faulding, chief executive of Specialist Group International, said his team was pulling out of what?
15. A Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down by a US jet over which state’s coast on Saturday?
16. Manchester City were charged by the Premier League with breaches of financial rules, including not giving full details of which former manager's remuneration?
17. Which clothes retailer, formerly known as Mackays, announced it was to close its 170 stores with the loss of almost 2,000 jobs?
18. Jaswant Singh Chail, who climbed the wall at Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow and told a protection officer 'I am here to kill the Queen’ was the first person in the UK since 1981 to be convicted of what offence?
19. Who was released from The Verne prison in Dorset, after serving eight years, half his sentence of 16 years, for sexually abusing three schoolgirls?
20. Why was 40-year-old Sasha Walpole in the headlines?
21. Royal Mail unveiled stamps bearing King Charles with one difference from the style of those that featured the Queen. What is it?
22. Fashion and fragrance company Puig said that which man, who died aged 88, was 'among the most seminal fashion figures of the 20th Century’?
23. Songwriter Burt Bacaharach, who died aged 94, wrote 39 chart hits for which artist?
24. Which sit-com is to be revived after more than 40 years and will feature the star of the original show and his daughter?
25. Which band from the Isle of Wight, won Best Alternative Music Performance and Best Alternative Music Album at the Grammy Awards?

Answers here

Give the newsquiz a go ...

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was George Mann with 21, ahead of Rob Lawrence and Hilary Scott on 19, Marguerite Turner and Robert Rea on 18 and Toby Brown 17. The top team was the Three Legs Drinkers of Stacey, Les, Jim and Julie with an impressive 22 ahead of Maura and Phil Parsons on 18. A lot of regular quizzers posted scores under 16, well below their averages, so it must have been a tricky one. Here is this week’s quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week’s events. Give it a go and let me know your score.

Today's front pages

1. Around 500,000 workers took part in the biggest day of industrial action in a decade - but which of these did not strike on Walkout Wednesday? a) The Public and Commercial Services Union (civil servants) b) National Education Union (teachers) c) Royal College of Nursing (nurses) d) Rail, Maritime and Transport (rail workers).
2. Prime Minster Rishi Sunak wrote to Nadhim Zahawi, telling him of his sacking as Conservative party chairman, and saying ‘it is clear that there has been a serious breach of the ___ ___’. What are the two missing words?
3. Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said the severity of the claims against who mean that he should be suspended 'in the interests of safety’?
4. The Bank of England blamed higher than expected wage rises for the tenth consecutive increase in interest rates to what per cent?
5. The International Monetary Fund said it expected which country to be the only major industrialised nation to see its economy shrink this year - predicting a decline of 0.6 per cent?
6. Which company reported record annual profits of $39.9billion (£32.2billion) in 2022, double those of the previous year and the highest in its 115-year history?
7. Which airline stopped trading with 277 staff redundancies?
8. Chris O’Shea, the boss of which company, said he was horrified that debt collectors, acting on its behalf, had broken into vulnerable customers’ homes?
9. In an interview to mark 100 days in office, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, asked by Piers Morgan if he was 'stinking rich', replied: 'I think most people would consider that I'm financially ___, yes.’ What is the missing word?
10. Why was a candlelit vigil held and music, including Amazing Grace and Over The Rainbow, played at Grand Union Vineyard Church, in Netherfield, Milton Keynes?
11. Missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley was last seen walking her dog next to which river in Lancashire?
12. Five police officers were charged with second-degree murder after 29-year-old Tyre Nichols died following a traffic arrest in which American city?

13. All 43 police forces in England and Wales promised 'cultural change' after an apology for 'profound failings' which 'continued to blight' relatives of the victims of what?

14. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it had dropped all charges against which sportsman because of 'the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light’?
15. A 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death in which rural Northern town? 
16. What is the name of the campaign launched by the Princess of Wales in London which was described by Palace sources as her life's work?
17. At a hearing in Reading, an employment judge ruled that what were now 'fairly commonplace' at work and have 'lost all their significance’?
18. Novak Djokovic equalled the all-time men’s singles record of 22 grand slam titles by winning the Australian Open again. How many times has Djokovic now won the Australian Open?
19. Australia’s new $5 banknote will not feature King Charles but have a new design that honours what?
20. Which actress, who died aged 89, shot to fame in the 1958 film Ice Cold in Alex, was nominated for two Bafta Awards, played Olive Woodhouse in EastEnders and was awarded an OBE for her charity work?
21. Former Bond actress Eva Green, who is suing a production company for her £810,000 fee after the film A Patriot was cancelled, told the High Court in London that her abusive behaviour was down to her what?
22. Which song did the Welsh Rugby Union strike off its choir playlist because of its 'problematic and upsetting’ lyrics?
23. After this week’s semi-finals, which two football teams will meet at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on February 26? Half a point for each.
24. The prospective buyer of what, on an online eBay auction, backed out of the £62,000 offer less than an hour after making the winning bid?
25. The BBC said that what will use a design that demonstrates 'how music can transcend borders and has been inspired by 'a wide hug' to give the impression of 'opening its arms to Ukraine’?

Answers here