Time to tackle the newsquiz

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Janet Boyle with 22.5, just ahead of George Mann and Robert Rea on 22, Gavin Devine on 19.5, Marguerite Turner on 19 and Jayme Bryla on 17. The top team was the Herefordshire walking collective including Adam Batstone, Lucy Thorpe, Maura and Phil Parsons, Joe and Lou Williams and David Kohn with 23, ahead of Bruce and Sarah Hayward on 21. 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. The mother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt Korbel held up a pink teddy bear outside Manchester Crown Court and used what word when asked how she felt about the guilty verdict for her daughter’s murderer?
2. The Government unveiled its ' __ __ Britain' strategy to invest in nuclear power and renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs. What are the two missing words?
3. Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove said the 'scourge' of what was fuelling anti-social behaviour and would be banned?
4. The terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland was raised from substantial to what, meaning an attack is highly likely?
5. In a Commons statement Robert Jenrick, the Immigration Minister, said that asylum seekers would be housed in basic accommodation including disused what?
6. In the final round of the SNP leadership contest, when second preferences were distributed between the leading two contestants, Humza Yousaf took what per cent of the votes to beat Kate Forbes?
7. SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes said she would leave the Scottish government rather than accept a demotion from Finance Secretary to which position?
8. TV personality Paul O’Grady, who died aged 67, said goodbye to who in 2005, claiming she had 'seen the light, taken the veil and packed herself off to a convent in France’?
9. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab paid tribute to Paul O’Grady in the Commons but got his surname wrong. What did he call him?
10. King Charles became the first British monarch to speak where?
11. What is the name of the school in Nashville, Tennessee, where 28-year-old Audrey Hale killed six people?
12. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow won a ski crash lawsuit brought by a retired optometrist and was awarded how much in damages?
13. Who celebrated a New York grand jury vote that Donald Trump will face criminal charges by tweeting: 'Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can’t respond … also don’t want to spill my champagne’?
14. The Food Standards Agency announced a criminal investigation was under way into allegations that a supplier falsely labelled which foreign product as British?
15. Which media company argued that legal challenges, brought by people including Prince Harry, Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, had 'no real prospects of succeeding’ at a trial?
16. Three people were arrested after a father and son were shot dead in what police said were 'targeted' attacks in villages in which English county?
17. Who sang the song Please Release Me when told that a Parole Board had ruled he would not be freed from prison?
18. Next bought which fashion and homeware brand, known for its floral designs, for £8.5million?
19. Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak were among 1,000 signatories to a letter calling for a pause in what 'due to the potential risks to society and humanity'?
20. Kirkpatrick Virgo, 42, was found guilty of murdering a fellow passenger at Reading station by hitting him with what after a row about music being played on the train?
21. Which singer said on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that cancer had spread to her brain, she had bought a wheelchair and was preparing for 'the inevitable’?
22. A 36-year-old man was arrested in Warwickshire on suspicion of blackmailing which TV presenter?
23. Scotland celebrated a historic victory against Spain in the Euro qualifiers with two goals by who?
24. God of War: Ragnarok dominated this year's Bafta Game Awards, winning six out of its 14 nominations, but what won best game?
25. Which actor revealed he had met his daughter Abi Harris, who he previously did not know anything about, 52 years after a brief relationship with her mother?

Answers here

Test your knowledge with the newsquiz

The top solo scorers in last week’s newsquiz were Gavin Devine and George Mann both with 19, just ahead of Marguerite Turner on 18, Robert Rea on 17, Lee Corden on 16 and Hilary Scott on 15. The top team was Maura and Phil Parsons with 22, ahead of Three Legs drinkers Thom, Rosie, Craig, Peter and Stacey and Bruce and Sarah Hayward on 20, Neil and Jo Benson on 19 and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe 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 Commons Privileges Committee into whether former Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled Parliament over lockdown gatherings was chaired by which veteran Labour MP?
2. Jacob Rees-Mogg - apparently suggesting the Commons Privileges Committee’s grilling of Boris Johnson was a kangaroo court - tweeted that 'Boris is doing very well against the __’. What is the missing word?
3. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal for Northern Ireland was passed by 515 votes to 29 but how many of his backbenchers rebelled and voted against?
4. Which one of these senior Tories did not vote against the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland? a) Kwasi Kwarteng b) Liz Truss c) Iain Duncan Smith d) Priti Patel
5. Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker said that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson risked 'looking like a pound shop ___ ___' by voting against the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland? What is the missing name?
6. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak revealed he earned how much, to the nearest million pounds, over the last three years, paying £1,053million in tax?
7. The Bank of England raised the interest rate for the 11th time in a row, taking it to what per cent?
8. What is the name of the SNP chief executive, married to outgoing party leader Nicola Sturgeon, who resigned after taking responsibility for misleading the media about party membership numbers?
9. Department for Work and Pensions figures revealed that three per cent of families in the UK, at least 2.1 million people, used what in the year to March 2022?
10. Russian President Vladimir Putin was filmed driving through which Ukrainian city?
11. The International Criminal Court based in which city issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin saying he was responsible for war crimes including the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine?
12. The Prince of Wales thanked British troops for 'defending our freedoms' in a secret visit to a military base in which country?
13. King Charles's state visit to Paris and which other French city, where pension protests included setting light to the city hall, was postponed?
14. A 363-page report condemned what as institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic?

15. Which retailer was reported to be looking to end more than seven decades as a 100 per cent employee-owned business after a £230million annual loss?
16. Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson is suing actress Gwyneth Paltrow for $300,000 dollars at a court in Utah claiming that she did what?
17. A man was charged with two counts of attempted murder after two men were set alight as they walked home from mosques in which two English cities? Half a point for each.
18. A Nigerian senator and his wife were convicted at the Old Bailey of exploiting a 21-year-old man by bringing him to London to do what?
19. Former US President Donald Trump is facing possible criminal charges over allegations he covered up hush money payments of $130,000 (£100,000) to who?

20. A research ship named Petrel toppled over injuring 35 people while in dry dock in which UK city?
21. The BBC halted the latest series of which programme after one of its presenters was hurt in an accident?
22. Which TV newscaster announced he was retiring from regular broadcasting after nearly five decades on air?
23. Footballer Harry Kane scored a penalty against Italy to became England's all-time top scorer with how many goals?
24. Court advocate Marnie Swindells became Lord Alan Sugar’s latest business partner after winning this year’s The Apprentice. What is her business?
25. Which artist began her first tour in five years with a three-hour and 15 minutes set, 44 songs and an impressive stage dive in front of a record 80,000 fans in Arizona?

Answers here

Time to tackle the newsquiz ...

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Marguerite Turner with a score of 21, just ahead of George Mann and Nick Turner on 20, Jayme Bryla, Janet Boyle, and Marion Fountayne on 19 and Robert Rea and Hilary Scott on 16. The top team was the Three Legs drinkers Nicky, Les, Peter and Stacey with 23, ahead of Neil and Jo Benson and Joe, Sarah and Alex on 19. Maura and Phil Parsons and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe scored 18 and Bruce and Sarah Hayward 16. 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. 

A selection of today's front pages

1. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in his Spring Budget that from September 2025 parents of children under five would have access to how many hours free childcare per week?
2. In his Spring Budget Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that from August the duty on draught beer in pubs would be up to how many pence lower than the duty in supermarkets?
3. Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the chancellor of 'dressing up ___ as stability' in his Spring Budget. What is the missing word?
4. The Royal College of Nursing, the GMB and Unison said they would recommend an offer of a one-off payment of two per cent of their salary plus a Covid recovery bonus of four per cent for this year and a pay increase of what per cent for 2023/24?
5. Junior doctors went on strike for 72 hours with the British Medical Association saying: '__ __ __ has announced it will pay up to £14.10 per hour. A junior doctor makes just £14.09. Thanks to this Government you can make more serving coffee than saving patients.’ What company was the BMA referring to?
6. HSBC bought the UK arm of which collapsed bank for £1?
7. Presenter Fiona Bruce said she would step back from her role as an ambassador for which charity following a comment she made on BBC Question Time about Stanley Johnson?
8. Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker tweeted, after his reinstatement following his suspension over comments about the Government’s asylum policy, that 'however difficult the last few days have been' it didn’t compare to what?
9. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden and Australian PM Anthony Albanese met in San Diego to unveil plans for what?
10. America said two Russian fighter jets deliberately intercepted one of its drones and caused it to crash in what body of water?
11. Eleanor Williams, 22, was jailed for eight-and-a-half years by Preston Crown Court for perverting the course of justice by doing what?
12. According to the National Police Chiefs’ Council how many police officers, in England and Wales, were accused of violent offences against women and girls over the six months between April and October 2022?
13. Whose mother said she had rejected an apology by the Metropolitan Police about how her daughter's case was handled?
14. Businesswoman Jacqueline Gold, who died from breast cancer aged 62, was the founder of what company?
15. A man was killed and three people needed hospital treatment after an explosion destroyed a house in which UK city?
16. Demonstrations took place in French cities after the government crashed a bill through the National Assembly to raise the retirement age to what?
17. Who was recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions, after being freed in February half way through his 16-year sentence for sexually abusing three schoolgirls?
18. What was the name of Private Eye and Daily Mirror cartoonist, awarded an MBE in 2000, who died aged 89?
19. Which Premier League club sacked their manager after failing to win a single game in 2023?
20. What was scrapped at Cheltenham Festival for the first time in its 200-year history?
21. Which film won seven awards at the Oscars, including three acting awards and best picture?
22. England’s rugby team suffered their worst ever defeat at Twickenham when they were beaten 10-53 by which team?
23. A lagotto romagnolo called Orca won Best in Show at Crufts after its handler drove 25 hours from which country to get to the dog show?
24. TV presenter Alison Hammond announced she is to be the new co-host of what programme?
25. What changed from red to champagne at the weekend?

Answers here

Give the newsquiz a go ...

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Robert Rea with 23, just ahead of Marion Fountayne on 22.5, Toby Brown on 21.5, George Mann on 21, Marguerite Turner on 20.5, Jayme Bryla, Giles Borg and Nick Turner on 20 and Antony Tiernan on 17. The top team were the Three Legs’ drinkers Peter, Stacey, Nicky, Les, Anna and Dale who scored a maximum 25. Phil and Maura Parsons with help from Nige, Jos and Kate scored 24, Bruce and Sarah Hayward and Tony Smith’s team 22, Jess Devonport and Nick Collins 19 and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe 18. Here is the week's quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week. Give it a go and let me know your score.  

Today's front pages

1. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and announced the UK will, for the first time, help fund what at a cost of £479million (€541million) over the next three years? 

2. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave details of the new Illegal Migration Bill at Downing Street, saying it was tough but it is necessary, while standing behind a lectern that had what three words on it?
3. In an email to Tory supporters, Home Secretary Suella Braverman blamed 'an activist __ of leftwing lawyers, civil servants and the Labour Party' for the Government’s failure to stop Channel crossings. What is the missing word?
4. The BBC said that Match of the Day host Gary Lineker would be 'spoken to' after he said the Government’s language on asylum seekers was 'not dissimilar' to what?
5. What did Labour leader Keir Starmer say would be 'absolutely outrageous’, Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain describe as 'a mockery’ and inspired The Independent to launch a petition calling on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to block it?
6. Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced the high speed railway HS2 leg between Birmingham and which destination would be delayed by two years to cut costs?

7. In the leaked WhatsApp messages, known as the Lockdown Files, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock told aides during the pandemic that he wanted to ‘__ __ __ off everyone' to ensure compliance with Covid restrictions.`What are the three missing words?

8. What is the name of the storm that battered the UK bringing gales and snow which caused disruption including trapping motorists for hours overnight on the M62?
9. Disgraced former police officer Wayne Couzens was sentenced to 19 months, in addition to his whole-life sentence for murder, after pleading guilty to three charges of what?
10. What is the name of the 34-year-old man who appeared at Manchester Crown Court facing charges including the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel and the wounding of her mother?
11. A vigil was held for five people, three of whom died, involved in a car crash in which city at the weekend?
12. Grandfather Tony Johnson, 55, died after a fight between football fans outside a pub in which town?
13. A report by the charity Coram said the annual cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under two in Great Britain had risen by 5.9 per cent to what average price? a) £8,000 b) £10,000 c) £13,000 d) £15,000.

14. At least seven people were killed and several more injured after a shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness hall in which European city?
15. Which Premier League footballer was being investigated by police after CCTV footage appeared to show him exposing himself in a bar’?
16. What title was granted by King Charles to Prince Edward on his 59th birthday?
17. Buckingham Palace confirmed that the line of succession list would be updated to reflect what change to the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children?
18. Comedian and aspiring MP Eddie Izzard alternates between two names, saying: 'I'm Eddie. There's another name I'm going to add in as well, which is __, which I wanted to be since I was 10. I'm going to be __ Eddie Izzard.’ What is the missing name?
19. Manchester United suffered their biggest defeat in 92 years when they lost by what score to Liverpool?
20. What will be removed from Toblerone packages after some of the chocolate bar’s production moved outside Switzerland?
21. Margaret Anne Lake, a former columnist for The Sun who appeared on National Lottery Live from 1994 to 2000, died aged 80. How was she better known?
22. Israeli actor Chaim Topol, who died aged 87, was best known for the portrayal of Tevye in which musical?
23. Actor Michael Caine said claims, that which film was a 'key text' for 'white nationalists and supremacists’, were 'the biggest load of bullshit’?
24. Tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest live final in Liverpool sold out in how many minutes?
25. Which 25-year-old singer was revealed as the UK's entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest?

Answers here

Stunning new-look for Metro

The new-look Metro front page

Well done to the Metro team for the stunning redesign which I caught sight of tonight. To be honest, I didn’t think the paper needed to change. It is one of the few print titles that has thrived against a backdrop of the high-speed digital advances and the pandemic. I wrote a piece about its magical headlines in InPublishing a couple of years ago here. My trainees, in their daily newspaper reviews, regularly select Metro as the strongest front page of the day. The best time to redesign, though, is when the paper is at the top of its game and that’s exactly what Metro has done. Not only has it freshened-up but its look has been brought in line with the website. The paper has opted for the vertical titlepiece, lots of white space and a powerful graphic approach. It has clearly given thought to the needs of the commuter. The success of Metro has largely been down to the popular touch of its editor Ted Young, who has a strong tabloid pedigree. He was formerly editor of London Lite, MailOnline, online editor at the New York Daily News, night-editor of The Sun and executive editor of the Express. I worked with him in the 1980s at The Northern Echo and it was clear then that he just understood newspapers and their readers. It was no surprise that his career took off. The redesign (hats off to art directors Gavin Billenness and Steve O’Brien on sport) is Ted’s swansong. He is leaving Metro this month, handing the reins to the safe hands of Deborah Arthurs. Well done to both ... I wish them well. Here are a few pages from the redesigned paper. 

 

Time to tackle the newsquiz

The top solo scorer in last week's newsquiz was George Mann with 22, ahead of Phil Lambell and Toby Brown on 21, Robert Rea and Liz Gerard on 19, Gavin Devine 18.5 and Marguerite Turner 17. 

The top team were the Three Legs drinkers Thom, Stacey, Peter, Nicky and Les with 22, ahead of Maura and Phil Parsons on 21, Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 19.5 and Bruce and Sarah Hayward on 19. Here is this week's newsquiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the last seven days. Give it a go and let me know your score.

A selection of today's front pages

1. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed a new post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, calling it the ___ Framework. What is the missing word?
2. What is the name of the Northern Ireland Minister, a prominent Brexiteer, who welcomed the post-Brexit deal, saying the last seven years had 'cost me my mental health’?
3. What did former DUP leader Arlene Foster describe as ‘crass’, former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg say was 'constitutionally unwise’ and Labour MP Chris Bryant say was a 'terrible mistake’?
4. Leaked WhatsApp messages taken from the phone of former Health Secretary Matt Hancock were published as The Lockdown Files in which newspaper?
5. What is the name of the journalist, the ghost writer of Matt Hancock's book Pandemic Diaries, who leaked 100,000 WhatsApp messages between the former Health Secretary and his colleagues about Covid policy?
6. Which group of workers were accused by a cabinet minister of using the shortage of PPE as an ‘excuse' not to work during the pandemic, according to the leaked messages from Matt Hancock?
7. Former Health Minister Lord Bethell said that the Government briefly considered ordering all what to be killed, fearing they could be spreading Covid?
8. What is the name of the senior civil servant, who investigated the lockdown gatherings in Downing Street, who has been offered a job as Keir Starmer's chief of staff?
9. In a City of London speech Labour leader Keir Starmer said Britain was getting poorer while our European neighbours get richer, saying: 'I'm not comfortable with that, not comfortable with a trajectory that will soon see Britain overtaken by ___.’ What country is the missing word?
10. The body of a baby was found after a couple, who disappeared in January with the child, were arrested in which city?
11. Why did Greek transport minister Kostas Karamanlis resign, saying it was 'the least he could do' and criticising the country’s 'long-standing failures’?
12. The head of MI5 Ken McCallum said he was 'profoundly sorry’ that the security service did not prevent what?
13. At least 60 people, including children, died after a boat carrying refugees crashed into rocks off the coast of which country?
14. According to the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Housing the number of people doing what in England rose by more than a quarter last year?
15. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s spokesman said that couple had been asked to leave their UK residence, which goes by what name?
16. Auriol Grey, 49, who has cerebral palsy and is partially sighted, was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for three-years by Peterborough Crown Court for causing the death of a cyclist by doing what?
17. Who failed the 11-plus, was a shop assistant, a shorthand-typist and a dancer with the Tiller Girls before becoming the Labour MP for West Bromwich in 1973?
18. Thousands of what were thrown on to the pitch during a football match in Turkey between Beşiktaş and Antalyaspor?
19. Four pupils at Kettlethorpe High School in Wakefield were suspended, and police are investigating, after what suffered ‘minor’ damage?
20. Greta Thunberg was detained in Oslo for protesting about a wind farm which she and activists say hinders indigenous people to raise what in Arctic Norway?
21. Thousands of people took over London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday night. Who were they?
22. Marks & Spencer apologised after a food display placed what next to spring onions, leading to concerns that customers could be poisoned?
23. Which League Two football team reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 84 years by beating Premier League side Southampton?
24. The last set of stamps showing the late Queen's head, which were issued by the Royal Mail, featured the 100th anniversary of what?
25. Which two bands were announced as the headliners, with Elton John, at this year’s Glastonbury? Half a point for each?

Answers here