Quiz of The Week: 10 – 16 August

From all-too-familiar scenes of destruction in Gaza and Ukraine, to the less expected news of a resurgence of mpox virus (also known as monkeypox) currently centred on Africa, it's been another busy week on the world stage.

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1. Skies across the Northern Hemisphere lit up with shooting stars as a result of what meteor shower?

• Taurid
• Leonid
• Perseid
• Lyrid

2. What recent discovery on Mars has sparked excitement among scientists about the possibility of life on the Red Planet?

• Underground tunnels 
• Oxygen pockets 
• Liquid water 
• Gold

3. Crowds at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony were serenaded by a set from which French musical act?

• Justice
• Phoenix
• Daft Punk
• Gojira

4. Why has Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he will not run for a second term?

• Poor health
• Low approval ratings
• To run for a different political office
• To go travelling

5. Around 30,000 Serbians took to the streets to protest against plans to mine what mineral?

• Nickel
• Lithium
• Cobalt 
• Palladium

6. A prominent US union has filed an unfair labour practice charge against which two public figures?

• Donald Trump and Elon Musk 
• Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg
• Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey
• The Koch brothers

7. Graffiti artist Banksy has been at it again, leaving nine murals across London in as many days. What animal did the final artwork depict?

• Gorilla
• Wolf
• Goat
• Monkey

8. Spain is investigating which pop star for allegedly shooting a music video in an unauthorised area? 

• Sabrina Carpenter 
• Taylor Swift
• Billie Eilish
• Katy Perry

9. The UK Health Security Agency has warned that rates of which sexually transmitted infection have reached an all-time high?

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhoea 
• Syphilis
• Genital herpes

10. A team of geologists recently discovered that the Altar Stone at Stonehenge was transported from which location?

• Wales
• Scotland 
• Northern England
• Ireland 

1. Perseid

The Perseid meteor shower is a celestial event caused by debris from the comet Swift–Tuttle, and can be seen for around a month every year, peaking in mid-August when dozens of shooting stars can be seen racing across the night sky.

2. Liquid water 

A recent study using seismic data from Nasa's InSight lander suggests that water may be trapped in rocks up to 12 miles below the surface of Mars. These findings likely indicate remnants of ancient lakes, rivers and oceans that existed on Mars 3 million years ago.

3. Phoenix

The indie band behind the hits "1901" and "Lisztomania" were joined by fellow Gallic rockers Air before handing over to Los Angeles for a medley of hits performed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, and Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre.

4. Low approval ratings

Kishida has decided to step down, clearing the way for a new leader this autumn. His decision comes after declining poll numbers and scandals involving his Liberal Democratic Party's unrecorded political donations and connections to the controversial Unification Church. 

5. Lithium

The Serbian government granted Rio Tinto a licence to begin work on a huge mining project to extract lithium in the western Jadar valley, one of Europe's largest reserves of the mineral. Lithium is a crucial component in batteries for electric vehicles and Europe is keen to reduce its reliance on Chinese manufacturers.

6. Donald Trump and Elon Musk 

The United Auto Workers have accused Trump and Musk of attempting to intimidate workers during an interview on X. The National Labor Relations Board will investigate the allegations, which could result in legal action.

7. Gorilla

On Tuesday, Banksy claimed a mural that had appeared on the shutters of London Zoo, depicting a gorilla forcing open the bars to free the animals, was by him. It was the ninth and – according to Banksy insiders – final artwork in a series that has kept Londoners entertained in recent days.

8. Katy Perry

The Balearic Islands environmental agency claimed that the pop star filmed scenes for her "Lifetimes" music video on protected dunes on S'Espalmador. A spokesperson for Perry said that she had received "verbal authority" for the shoot.

9. Gonorrhoea

Data showed 85,223 cases of the disease were diagnosed in England in 2023 – the highest number since records began in 1918. Gonorrhoea is ordinarily treated with an antibiotic called ceftriaxone, but experts have observed that the disease appears to be becoming more resistant to the drug, creating what is termed "super-gonorrhoea".

10. Scotland

Stonehenge's Altar Stone, once thought to have come from Wales, was actually transported over 450 miles from northeast Scotland. The finding suggests that Neolithic Britain was more advanced than previously believed.