MailOnline looking for trainee journalists

The four-week course with the Daily Mail trainees finished on Friday. They are now off on their placements ... and the bylines are already rolling in. I will follow their careers and enjoy their success stories. My attention now turns to recruiting for the MailOnline scheme which will start in April. The trainees will have four weeks training at the Mail's offices in Derry Street, followed by three months' placement in the regions before returning to the MailOnline newsroom. We are looking for young journalists for both news and sport who want to work for one of the world’s biggest English-language newspaper website.

The MailOnline class of 2018

This is a hugely rewarding job. If you are looking for nine-to-five, though, it's not for you. Trainees need to be prepared to work for a round-the-clock operation with nightshifts and regular weekends. But if you fancy covering national and international news and sport at a fast pace, we look forward to hearing from you. The details on how to apply are here.

Sports trainee Alex lifts the quiz champagne

Socially distanced sub-editors. From the left: Aimee Miller, Laren Tayyip, Katie Jenkins, Alex Ross, Alex Jennings with the champagne, Jason Murugesu, Rhys Noye-Allen, Harry Jones and Lucy Lewin.

The trainee sub-editors enjoyed an intense final week’s training at the Mail’s London offices. They had sessions with assistant chief sub Richard Hall and deputy night editor Chris Dean. Senior sub, and former trainee, Tom Belcher gave them stories to sub and lay out and a panel of last year's grads - Anna Tatham, Jack Schofield, Sian Bahia and Becca McCauley, did a Q&A panel. The sports subs spent two days on the sports desk putting together a spread and the others edited and laid out a breaking story in real time. They all put together supplement visuals. Among the pages they created (in their own time) was this copy of Time magazine. A nice touch ... thank you.

The reporters left the course last Friday and went off on their placements - and gathered lots of bylines in their first week. Trainee sub Laren Tayyip also got published while on the course with a story about a couple whose first dates were on FaceTime during lockdown and are now travelling the world together. Read it here.

The subs now head off to placements at the Mail in London and Glasgow, the Press Association, Metro, the Evening Standard and the i newspaper. They are a bright and likeable bunch and I wish them well on the next stage. As usual we finished with the newsquiz. The winner this week with 19 was Alex Ross. Katie Jenkins and Rhys Noye-Allen scored 17.5, Harry Jones 17, Laren Tayyip and Alex Jennings 16.5 and Jason Murugesu 16. It was enough for Alex Jennings to collect the champagne for the top score over the four weeks - an average of just over 18. The top online solo scorer in last week’s quiz was Janet Boyle with 18.5 and the top team was Peter and Stacey in the Three Legs with 17. Here is this week's quiz. Give it a go and see if you can do better than Alex's 19. 

A selection of today's front pages

1. Which city, home to 1.5 million people, became the first area to enter the Government’s 'very high' alert level, with the closure of pubs, betting shops, gyms, leisure centres and casinos?
2. Who said he would not accept the people in his area being treated as 'canaries in the coalmine' for an experimental regional lockdown strategy?
3. In Tuesday’s Covid-19 briefing Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the rising number of cases were 'flashing at us like dashboard warnings in a ___ ___ and we must act now.' What are the two missing words?
4. Labour leader Kier Starmer told the Commons that 'having read and considered the Sage advice' he had genuinely concluded that what was in the national interest?
5. A pub in the Wirral on Merseyside renamed itself the Three Bellends - with a sign featuring the faces of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, advisor Dominic Cummings and Health Secretary Matt Hancock? But what was the pub called before?
6. The Queen made her first official outside engagement for seven months when she and Prince William, without masks, visited where?
7. Italy, the Vatican City and San Marino were all added to the UK’s quarantine list but Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said those returning from which Greek island will now not need to quarantine?
8. Health Secretary Matt Hancock was accused of drinking in a Commons bar after 10pm and making a 'joke’ saying: 'The drinks are on me – but ___ ___ ___are in charge of the payment methodology so I will not be paying anything.' What are the three missing words?

9. In which European city did the courts overturn an 11pm lockdown for bars and restaurants saying it was a 'disproportionate encroachment' on the industry’s freedom?

10. French President Emmanuel Macron said people who live in nine cities including Paris, Marseille and Lyon will not be able to leave their homes without 'valid' reason between what hours? 
11. Álex Cruz stepped down as chief executive of which company and was replaced by Sean Doyle?
12. A mother and her three young children died when their people carrier collided with a lorry on which road?
13. The Government pulled an advert that caused a stir for suggesting 'Fatima’s next job could be in cyber'. What is Fatima’s existing job?
14. Tennis player Rafael Nadal and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton both equalled all-time records in their sports at the weekend. Whose records did they match? Half a point for each.
15. Which pop group announced it was considering reuniting after its former singer Tom Parker was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour?
16. Project Big Picture, the plan to overhaul English football by Manchester United and Liverpool, proposed abolishing the League Cup and which other annual event?
17. Morrisons, Waitrose and John Lewis said they won't be using what in their own-brand Christmas products as it can wash into the environment, harm wildlife and get into the food chain?
18. Who said this week: 'As a young black man from Wythenshawe, never did I think I would be accepting an MBE, never mind an MBE at the age of 22.'
19. According to the Met Office the wettest day for UK-wide rainfall, since records began in 1891, was on what day this month?
20. Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey apologised for blocking users from posting links to an article that claimed who had smoked a 'crack' pipe while engaging in a sex act?
21. Church minister Alison Davies and mourners were chastised by a crematorium official for doing what at the funeral of a 94-year-old woman in Bridgend?

22. During his first rally since being discharged from hospital for Covid-19, President Donald Trump promised to give every one in the crowd in Florida what?
23. A piece of paper handed to reporters in Wiltshire this week, which read 'our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together. Thank You', was signed by two first names. What were they?
24. An image of what animal hugging a tree led to Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov being named 2020 wildlife photographer of the year by the Duchess of Cambridge at a ceremony at London’s Natural History Museum?
25. What did 46-year-old Jon Courtenay win?

Answers here

Trainee Archie wins the newsquiz wine

The Mail's reporting trainees. Back row: Henry Jones, Molly Clayton, Az Munrallee and Emma Loffhagen (Evening Standard). Front row: Sam Merriman, Archie Mitchell (with the Sancerre) and Elliot Mulligan.

I said farewell to the Daily Mail reporting trainees today. They now go to the Mail newsrooms in London, Dublin, Glasgow and the Evening Standard offices in London. They are a bright and likeable bunch. I wish them well and look forward to their success stories. The trainee subs have another week to go. The trainees had some first class sessions this week. Editor Geordie Greig talked about his vision, offered advice, inspired them and took questions. Neil Darbyshire looked at leader writing, Ailsa Leslie shared the secrets of MailPlus, Eleanor Hayward talked about her journey from trainee to health reporter and two of last year’s trainees, Helena Kelly and Kumail Jaffer, gave tips on what to expect next. The subs laid out Mail pages with guidance from Mike Brough and did long-form subbing with Fiona Webster. Everyone also wrote travel features and Emma Loffhagen became the first to be published with a look inside North Korea's hotels. Read it here.  

We finished, as usual, with the newsquiz. Archie Mitchell won for the third week in a row with a score of 18 and collected the prize bottle of Sancerre. He was narrowly ahead of Alex Jennings on 17.5 and Katie Jenkins and the Standard's Emma Loffhagen on 17. The top solo online score last week was 21 by Janet Boyle, just ahead of Jamie Johnson on 20. The top team was Maura and Phil Parsons with 20.5 with Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 20. Here is this week’s quiz. Give it a go and see if you can beat Archie’s score.   

A selection of today's front pages

1. In his party conference speech PM Boris Johnson said: ‘In 1942, when just about everything had gone wrong, the Government sketched out a vision of the postwar new ___ that they wanted to build. And that is what we are doing now – in the teeth of this pandemic.’ What is the missing word?

2. Who lavished praise on Boris Johnson at the Tory Party conference saying he was a 'close personal friend’, 'rare' communicator, had 'got the big calls right', and added that his daughters loved the Prime Minister’s dog Dilyn?

3. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that pubs in the country’s central belt, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, will close from tonight (Friday) for how many days? 

4. What is the name of the hospital where US President Donald Trump was taken after being diagnosed with Covid-19?
5. US President Donald Trump claimed that contracting the coronavirus was a 'blessing from God' and vowed to make an experimental antibody drug free for all Covid patients. What is the drug called?

6. The Great ___ Declaration was published this week calling for young people to be allowed to return to life as normal while the elderly and most vulnerable are given 'focused protection’. What is the missing word?

7. Which company announced it was temporarily suspending operations at all of its 536 Regal theatres and its 127 Picturehouse theatres in the UK?

8. Five Greek islands have been taken off the self-isolation list from 4am tomorrow. Zakynthos, Tinos and Serifos are three of them. Name the other two.

9. EasyJet warned it faces losses of more than £800million this year - its first loss in how many years?

10. Tammy Abraham and which other two footballers were told to delay their arrival at England's training camp after breaking the rule of six by attending a party for Abraham’s birthday? Half a point for each.

11. Which company said it was cutting 800 jobs, after tighter lockdown restrictions meant that 79 of its pubs will stay closed, with about one third expected to be shut permanently?

12. A trial at the Old Bailey heard that how many Vietnamese migrants, including three children, died in a shipping container on board a ferry from Belgium?

13. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, at the virtual Tory party conference, promised to power every home in the UK with offshore wind energy by what year?

14. A personal trainer who launched a workout based on what theme 'wholeheartedly' apologised for a 'very ill-judged post' on the PureGym Facebook account?

15. Two female scientists, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, became the first two women to share what?

16. Author Tom Bower, in a book serialised in the Mail on Sunday, claimed that Boris Johnson’s father Stanley broke the Prime Minister’s mother’s nose. What is the book called?

17. Police issued warnings to students after three suspected drug-related deaths at universities in which city?

18. A medical practitioners tribunal heard that former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman destroyed what with 'a screwdriver or blunt instrument' before handing it to forensic experts?

19. Walmart sold its majority share in Asda to brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa from Blackburn. How did the brothers make their money?

20. Former Guardian and broadcast journalist Allegra Stratton was appointed to which role?

21. Eddie Van Halen, who died this week aged 65, was once ranked as the Greatest Guitarist of All Time and played the solo on which Michael Jackson single?

22. Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil offered to pay the salary of Jerry Quy who is also known by what name?

23. Actress Dawn French, on the eve of her 63rd birthday, said ‘I’ve gone back to being an entire ___’. What is the missing word?

24. Which professional dancer has Nicola Adams reportedly been paired with for the first ever same-sex dance partner in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing?

25. Which BBC TV programme is returning as a reboot on Channel 4 with Davina McCall as the new host.

Answers here

Archie wins the newsquiz again

The Daily Mail trainees had another busy week in London. They rewrote articles from the wire and pitched news stories and travel ideas. They enjoyed sessions by assistant editor (politics) Simon Walters, consultant editor Andrew Pierce, executive news-editor Amy Iggulden and chief reporter Sam Greenhill. The subs went through the art of features sub-editing with Felix Duckworth and the reporters were taught the tricks of the reporting trade by Christian Gysin. There was a day with the Mail’s legal team and editor emeritus Peter Wright went through the Editor’s Code in detail. We finished the week as always with the newsquiz. The winner (again) this week was Archie Mitchell with 21, narrowly ahead of Sam Merriman on 20 and Elliot Mulligan and Henry Jones on 19.5. Alex Jennings and Harry Jones both scored 19. The top online solo score last week was Janet Boyle with 18 and the top team was the Roberts Family with 21. Nobody online scored higher than Archie’s 22. 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 how you get on. 

A selection of today's front pages

1. Doctors said Donald Trump was more at risk from coronavirus than wife Melania because he is male, overweight and because of their ages. What is the age difference? 
2. What is the name of the aide that was in the presidential debate conference room with Donald Trump, and travelled with him on Air Force One, who tested positive for Covid-19 before the First Couple?
3. Why did the Scottish National Party suspend MP Margaret Ferrier?
4. Who said the Government was treating Parliament with ‘contempt' by rushing through powers to tackle coronavirus without debate and that he was 'now looking to the Government to rebuild trust with the House’?
5. After giving a garbled response, when asked whether people in the North-East would be able to meet other households outside in a pub garden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: 'Apologies, I ___ today.’ What is the missing word?
6. Video footage showed at least 200 students breaching lockdown rules by climbing on top of ping pong tables and raving at Arundel House, an accommodation block, at which university?
7. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced this week that which two countries were being added to the Government's travel quarantine 'red list’? Half a point each.
8. Which town’s mayor vowed to defy the Government's lockdown to protect the 'jobs and mental health' of residents?

9. Why was Amy Coney Barrett in the headlines?

10. Sergeant Matt Ratana, who was shot dead in a police station in Croydon, was described by the rugby club where he was head coach as 'an irreplaceable figure’. Name the club.
11. What is the name of the MP for Leicester East who was suspended from the Labour party after being charged with harassment of a woman for nearly two years?
12. Former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre and former editor of the Daily Telegraph Charles Moore were reported to have been asked by Boris Johnson to take over as the chairmen of which two organisations? Half point for each.
13. Donald Trump and Joe Biden faced each other in the first presidential debate on Tuesday night which was held in which American city? 
14. What is the name of the white supremacist group that Donald Trump said, during the presidential debate, should 'stand back and stand by’?
15. According to a report in the New York Times how much, in dollars, did President Donald Trump pay in income taxes in both 2016 and 2017?
16. Ireland's Supreme Court ruled that the rolls used in which company’s hot sandwiches contained too much sugar to be considered bread?
17. What is the name of the storm that is bringing gales and lashing rain to Britain this weekend?
18. Football manager Steve Bruce said ‘we have lost the plot’, Roy Hodgson said it was ‘nonsense’ and pundit Jamie Carragher said it was 'an absolute joke’. What were they talking about?
19. Which country backed down after initially demanding the return of a fossilised giant shark's tooth given to Prince George by Sir David Attenborough?
20. What did inventor Richard Browning put through its paces on the Langdale Pikes in the Lake District?
21. A survey by Perspectus Global listed 20 words that were unfamiliar to 18-30 year olds. Top of the list was which word, originally meaning to pickle in a liquid, that 40 per cent of those surveyed did not know?

22. Which musician topped the Forbes World's Highest Paid Celebs of 2020 list with earnings of £131million?

23. Dame Jenni Murray finished her final shift on Woman’s Hour, after 33 years, by playing a song called I Am Woman by which singer who died this week?
24. Why were grey parrots Billy, Elsie, Eric, Jade and Tyson separated at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park’s colony?
25. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow posted a naked picture on Instagram saying she was ‘in nothing but my birthday suit today’ to celebrate her birthday? How old is she?

Answers here

Trainee Archie wins the newsquiz

I spent this week at the Daily Mail offices in London with 16 trainee journalists. They had a busy week, writing and editing articles and looking for news stories. There were sessions by managing editor Alex Bannister, news-editor Sam Marsden, assistant chief sub David Feldstein and former trainee Eleanor Sharples. As usual, we finished the week with the newsquiz. Archie Mitchell, with an impressive 22, was top scorer and won a lottery scratchcard. Other good scores came from Alex Jennings on 20, Sam Merriman and Henry Jones who both scored 19 and Elliot Mulligan with 18.5. A scratchcard also went to Alex Ross for the best intro of the week. The top solo scorer in last week’s quiz was Janet Boyle with a score of 20. The top team was Simon, Sue and Will Cole with 23, narrowly ahead of the Roberts Family on 22.5. Phil and Maura Parsons scored 21 and Three Legs brewery drinkers Peter and Stacey scored 19. Here is this week’s quiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week’s events. Give it a go and see if you can beat Archie’s score 

A selection of today's front pages

1. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that his new six-month furlough replacement scheme, where the Government will pay a chunk of lost wages, will begin on what date?
2. The Chancellor said the Government will cover almost a quarter (22.5 per cent) of pay for workers in ‘viable' jobs for the next six months but capped at what monthly amount?
3. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a national television address urging people to follow the coronavirus rules, said: 'The tragic reality of having Covid is that your ___ ___ can be someone else's death knell.’ What are the two missing words?
4. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that people will be required to self-isolate if they test positive or are contacted by the test and trace system with fines starting at £1,000 and rising to what amount for serial offenders?
5. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that the Caribbean island of Curacao, Iceland and which two European countries were being added to the Government's travel quarantine 'red list' this weekend. Half a point for each.
6. At least 172 students have tested positive for Covid-19 and hundreds more are self isolating at which university?
7. Which football team's manager and two players were sent away from the stadium 70 minutes before a cup tie after testing positive for Covid-19?
8. Which supermarket, reacting to new coronavirus rules, said: 'We are introducing a limit on a small number of key products, such as toilet roll and disinfectant. Our stock levels of these products are good but we want to ensure that they are available for everyone.’ 
9. In his first conference speech as Labour leader, Keir Starmer said: 'This is the big difference between the Prime Minister and me - while Boris Johnson was writing flippant columns about ___ ___, I was defending victims and prosecuting terrorists.’ What are the two missing words?
10. A police sergeant was shot dead at a custody centre this morning (Friday) in which town?
11. She once said: 'It was beyond my wildest imagination that I would one day become the Notorious RBG. I am now 86 years old and yet people of all ages want to take their picture with me.’ Who was she?
12. Which savings organisation, with 25 million customers, said there would be cuts to variable rate accounts and fixed rates as it attempted to 'strike a balance between the interests of savers, taxpayers and the broader financial services sector'?
13. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said that lorry drivers might need a permit to enter which English county?
14. Sir Harold Evans, a former editor of The Times and the Sunday Times, where he launched the Insight team, and who was once voted the greatest newspaper editor of all-time, died aged 92 this week. Which regional newspaper did he edit from 1961 to 1966?
15. Two policemen were shot in protests in Louisville in America over a decision not to charge any officers over the killing of a black hospital worker. What was her name?
16. Which broadcaster said this week: 'I was assaulted by a member of the Government in a taxi when I went to fetch him from the House of Commons to come on the programme. You know, this kind of thing happened, it happened all the time?’
17. Who appeared at Westminster magistrates to face charges that he concealed assets worth millions of pounds when he filed for bankruptcy in 2017?
18. Which fashion company caused an online flurry by charging £600 for a pair of jeans with ‘grass stains’ on the knees?
19. Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich was facing questions over his secret investments in players not owned by his club including Andre Carrillo who played against Chelsea in two Champions League ties. What national team does Carrillo play for?
20. Mars announced it is to change the name and remove an image from which of its products to end any connotations with racism and slavery?
21. Which television programme that ran between 1984 and 1996, with up to 15 million viewers, returns next week on Britbox?
22. Former Disney Channel star Zendaya, 24, made history by becoming the youngest woman to do what?
23. Why have Welsh couple Alun and Elaine Rees been in the headlines? 
24. Who used a photo of a pair of slippers to announce on Instagram that she is expecting her first baby early in 2021?
25. The Great British Bake Off received 202 complaints after Matt Lucas lampooned who when the show returned for its 11th season?

Answers here

Give the newsquiz a go ...

The scores in last week’s newsquiz were a little lower than average - maybe it was another tricky one. The top solo scorer was Janet Boyle with 18.5 ahead of Gavin Devine and Liz Gerard who both clocked up 17. The top team was the Roberts Family with 18.5 followed by Maura and Phil Parsons on 18 and The Penmans with 16.5. 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 how you get on. 

A selection of today's front pages

1. Health Secretary Matt Hancock introduced tighter restrictions of movement for people living in seven council areas in the North-East. Newcastle, Sunderland and Gateshead were three of them. Name any two of the other four. Half a point for each.

2. Under the new ‘rule of six’ guidance which is not allowed a) two families of four having a chat in the park b) six people having dinner and staying overnight in the same house c) hunting grouse with 29 mates in an organised shoot d) watching Middlesbrough vs Bournemouth at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow (Sat) with hundreds of other supporters?

3. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, talking about whether people should report neighbours breaking the 'rule of six', said: ‘If there is some huge kind of ___ ___ party taking place, as I am sure, hot tubs and so forth - and there is a serious threat to public health then it's reasonable for the authorities to know.’ What are the two missing words?

4. What is the name of the head of the NHS test-and-trace programme who said that demand for coronavirus tests across England was three to four times higher than capacity?

5. The Royal College of Psychiatrists said the number of people doing what had doubled during lockdown - 8.4 million compared to 4.8 million four months earlier?

6. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the globe surpassed what landmark figure today (Friday), according to America's Johns Hopkins University?

7. Thirty Tory MPs abstained and two voted against the controversial UK Internal Market Bill but it still passed with a majority of how many votes on Monday night?

8. Speaking about the Internal Market Bill, who said of Prime Minister Boris Johnson: 'He can’t blame the RHM for Maidenhead. He can’t blame John Major. He can’t blame the judges. He can’t blame the civil servants. He can’t sack the cabinet secretary again. There is only one person responsible for this. Him. This is his deal. His mess. His failure. For the first time in his life it’s time to take responsibility?’

9. Which retailer confirmed that staff will not receive a bonus for the first time since 1953 after it posted a £635million pre-tax loss for the six months to July 25?

10. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland announced an overhaul of sentencing laws including plans for whole-life orders (life means life) to be extended to include convicted murderers from what age?

11. Former Prime Minister David Cameron said the diaries by a Tory MP’s wife, that detailed his personal feuds, drinking and sex jokes, were 'kind of embarrassing’. What is the name of the book’s author?

12. Which country announced its intention to remove Queen Elizabeth as its head of state and become a republic in time for the 55th anniversary of its independence from Britain next year?

13. The BBC’s list of highest-paid presenters, topped by Gary Lineker with a salary of £1.75 million, had four women in the top ten. Zoe Ball was second on £1.36 million but can you name any one of the others?

14. Sue Barker was axed as the host of BBC's A Question Of Sport after 24 years along with which two team captains? Half a point for each.

15. The Premier League kicked off last weekend with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah becoming only the ninth player in the league’s history to do what?

16. Astronomers spotted a rare gas called phosphine in the atmosphere of which planet, suggesting that it may be home to alien life?

17. An official announcement in The London Gazette confirmed that the Queen had stripped disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein of what honour?

18. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden warned Britain that there would be no free trade agreement with America if what became a casualty of Brexit?

19. Former model Amy Dorris accused US President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her at what event in 1997?

20. Teacher Donald Fear became the first person in 14 years to do what?

21. Star wars actor John Boyega stepped down from his role with which brand after it cut him out of the Chinese version of an advert he helped create?

22. Designer Terence Conran, who died aged 88, opened what shop in Chelsea in 1964, which grew into a famous chain selling household goods and furniture?

23. What is the title of the autobiography by fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore which was published yesterday (Thursday)?

24. Which game show that started on the BBC in 1979 was reported to be making a comeback with Bradley Walsh as host?

25. German football team SG Ripdorf/Molzen applied social distancing to their tactics, as the opposition had been in contact with a player infected with Covid-19, and lost by what score?

Answers here

Test your knowledge with the newsquiz

The top solo scorer in last week's newsquiz was Toby Brown with 22 ahead of joint second-placed Natalie Marchant and Gavin Devine who both clocked up 18. The top team was Maura and Phil Parsons with 20, followed by Three Legs Brewery drinkers Peter and Stacey with 19 and Bruce and Sarah Hayward and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 18. Lots of people posted lower than usual scores, suggesting it was a bit tougher than normal. 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 how you get on.   

A selection of today's front pages

1. The Government is planning a mass programme called Operation ___ that promises to deliver up to 10 million coronavirus tests a day. What is the missing word?

2. Announcing new measures in England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the 'enforcement capacity of local authorities to help ensure social distancing' would be ‘boosted' by the introduction of Covid-secure what?
3. What is the name of Scotland's free contact tracing app which 600,000 people have downloaded since it became available yesterday (Thursday)?
4. Portugal and Hungary were removed from the UK exemption list, meaning travellers must quarantine for two weeks, but which European country will have the restrictions lifted at 4am tomorrow (Saturday)?

5. Which politician tweeted: 'One of my children was tested for Covid-19 last weekend after displaying symptoms. In accordance with Government guidance, the household has been in self-isolation while we await the test result’?
6. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis admitted a new bill to amend the UK's Brexit deal broke international law 'in a very ___ and ___ way’. What are the two missing words? Half a point for each.
7. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that a no deal departure from Europe would be a 'good outcome' and there was 'no sense' in allowing talks to continue beyond what date in October, when the European Council is due to be held in Brussels?
8. Lord Howard became the third former Conservative leader to openly attack the proposals to ‘illegally’ amend the Brexit deal - who are the other two? Half a point for each.
9. Despite criticism over comments on women, LGBT and climate change, who was appointed as an unpaid trade adviser to the UK government?
10. Extinction Rebellion activists delayed the distribution of national newspapers after blocking access to three printing presses owned by Rupert Murdoch. Two of the presses were in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. Where was the third?
11. Millions of acres were destroyed and at least ten people were killed when more than 200 fires spread across California and which other two American states? Half a point for each.
12. Actress Diana Rigg, who died aged 82, rose to fame as what character in the television programme The Avengers during the 1960s?
13. What are the names of the two England footballers who were sent home from Iceland after breaking coronavirus rules by taking girls back to their hotel? Half a point for each.
14. Why was 80-year-old Geordie Harry Harvey in the headlines?
15. Who issued a statement on Instagram saying: 'This whole situation has left me really sad and empty’ and added that 'I’m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong’?
16. Ronald Bell, who died aged 68, was a founding member of which influential soul and funk band who had a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s?
17. Children were injured after a double-decker school bus hit a railway bridge 'tearing the roof completely off’ in which city?
18. Who appealed to burglars to return £140,000 worth of jewellery - including a diamond watch that had belonged to his late father?
19. Zephaniah McLeod, 27, appeared in court charged with murder and seven counts of attempted murder, after a series of stabbings in which city centre on Sunday?
20. Facebook and TikTok were criticised after Ronnie McNutt, 33, was livestreamed doing what? 
21. More than 7,000 people complained to Ofcom about a routine on Britain’s Got Talent inspired by Black Lives Matter and performed by which act?
22. Newsnight and 5 Live presenter Emma Barnett is to step into the shoes of Jane Garvey and Dame Jenni Murray on which show?
23. Former Art Attack presenter Neil Buchanan responded to rumours circulating on social media by denying he was who?
24. Kim Kardashian announced that Keeping Up With The Kardashians is leaving which channel, that has screened the reality show for 14 years?
25. Actor David Harbour wrote on Instagram: 'In a wedding officiated by the king himself, the people's princess wed her devoted, low born, but kind credit card holder in a beautiful ceremony lit by the ashen skies courtesy of a burning state miles away in the midst of a global pandemic.’ Who was the people’s princess he was referring to?

Answers here

Time to tackle the newsquiz

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Janet Boyle with 21, just ahead of Liz Gerard on 20. The top team was Sam Neve, Rod Ardehali and Ailsa Leslie with a hugely impressive 24. The Benson family scored 21, the Cole family 20.5, Maura and Phil Parsons 19 and the Roberts family 18.5. Bruce and Sarah Hayward and Lucy Thorpe and Adam Batsone both scored 18. Here is this week’s quiz. As always there are 25 questions about the week’s events. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

A selection of today's front pages

1. Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to meet members of which campaign group but then changed his mind saying it was 'regrettably not possible’?

2. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a meeting of Tory MPs: 'I know it’s been tough. I’ve got to warn you, it's about to get tougher. The waters are about to get ___’. What is the missing word?

3. How much was Piers Corbyn fined for being the ‘organiser' in the Unite for Freedom rally which saw thousands of anti-lockdown protestors descend on Trafalgar Square?

4. More than 100 staff at Banham Poultry in which county tested positive for Covid-19?

5. All passengers on a Tui flight to Cardiff from which island were told to self-isolate after some on board tested positive for coronavirus?

6. Filming for which movie had to be stopped only days after it had restarted when Robert Pattinson, who is playing the lead role, tested positive for coronavirus?

7. Which high street company, which was bought by Coca-Cola two years ago, announced it is to cut up to 1,650 jobs, more than one in ten of its workforce, saying trading remained challenging during the pandemic?

8. Which company said that, due to increased demand, it would create a further 7,000 UK jobs - in addition to the 3,000 it has created already - meaning 10,000 new positions this year?

9. Simon Case, former private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge, was appointed as head of what? 

10. What is the name of the BBC’s new director-general who decided that Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory would be sang at the Proms?

11. Who said he would house a refugee at his £4million Surrey mansion as his 'kids are grown up and he has plenty of room'?
12. How many migrants crossed the English Channel to reach the UK in small boats on Wednesday - significantly breaking the previous single-day record?
13. Italy's coastguard evacuated 49 people from an overloaded migrant rescue boat funded by whom?

14. Singer Adele found herself embroiled in a row over cultural appropriation after she wore her hair in Bantu knots and a bikini showing the flag of which country to mark the Notting Hill Carnival?

15. What did Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs describe as ‘a deliberate act to offend the sentiments of billions of Muslims’ adding that it 'undermined the global aspirations for peaceful co-existence as well as social and inter-faith harmony’? 

16. Kaing Guek Eav, known as Comrade Duch, who died this week aged 77, was convicted of crimes against humanity when he was a senior figure in which regime?

17. The valuation of which company at $2.3 trillion (£1.7 trillion) surpassed the entire value of all the companies in the FTSE 100 this week?

18. Ant and Dec and Simon Cowell were among those who paid tribute to the warm-up act on Britain's Got Talent, who died age 51. What was his name?

19. Claire Glatman, 60, was killed when she was hit by a speedboat while swimming in the sea off which island?

20. Chadwick Boseman, who died aged 43, was the lead character in the first superhero movie to be nominated for a best picture Oscar. What was the character?

21. Who said: 'I am tired. My toes are the worst part, my big toes on both sides are pretty beat up. But I did all right physically’, adding that he 'had to put the after-burners on’
22. DJ Erick Morillo, who died age 49, reached No 5 in the UK charts in 1994 under the name Reel 2 Reel featuring The Mad Stuntman with a song that was then used in the Madagascar films. Name the song. 

23. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reached a deal to make a range of programmes with which company?

24. Singer Ed Sheeran announced on Instagram the birth of his daughter called  Lyra ___ Seaborn Sheeran. What is the baby’s second name? 

25. What was Olympic boxer Nicola Adams referring to when she said: 'It's amazing to be a part of the movement for change, diversity and breaking boundaries in the entertainment industry’?

Answers here