Quiz of The Week: 9 - 15 March

Politicians on both sides of the Atlantic have been battling it out in the court of public opinion, with presidential nominations confirmed in the US and growing challenges for the UK's Conservatives.

Joe Biden continues to be dogged by speculation about his mental acuity and age. At a congressional hearing, former special counsel Robert Hur defended his previous report that jurors would see the 81-year-old president as a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory". Republicans weighed in with video footage of Biden's public lowlights, while Democrats countered with an unflattering montage of clips of his election rival Donald Trump.

In the UK, Rishi Sunak faced intense grilling following reports that the Conservative Party’s biggest donor, Frank Hester, had said suspended Labour MP Diane Abbott "should be shot" and made "you just want to hate all Black women". Pressure continued to mount on the government to return Hester's £10 million political donation as the Tories hit their lowest polling score in 50 years. 

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In lighter news of winners, losers and qualitative judgment, the Oscars ceremony was on free-to-air TV in the UK for the first time in two decades. London-born Christopher Nolan's historical biopic "Oppenheimer" racked up seven awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

To find out how closely you’ve been paying attention to the latest developments in the news and other global events, put your knowledge to the test with our Quiz of The Week.  

1. Which of the following items was added to the basket of goods used by the UK's Office for National Statistics to measure inflation?

• Vinyl records
• Rotisserie chickens
• Bakeware
• Sofa beds

2. The prime minister of which country resigned as surging gang violence prevented their return from a trip abroad?

• El Salvador
• Honduras
• Guatemala
• Haiti

3. Which Welsh rugby legend announced his plan to retire after his country's final Six Nations match against Italy?

• George North
• Dafydd Jenkins
• Sam Costelow
• Gareth Thomas

4. Tasmania's Premier Jeremy Rockliff pledged to build the world's biggest what if re-elected in the Australian state's upcoming election?

• Highway
• Chocolate fountain
• Swimming pool
• Vineyard

5. Scientists this week revealed the discovery of more than 100 new deep-sea species off the coast of which country?

• Indonesia
• Japan
• Madagascar
• New Zealand

6. A bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the US passed by how much in a House of Representatives vote?

• 217-200   
• 293-124
• 352-65  
• 388-29

7. Which suspended Conservative Party MP defected to Reform UK?

• Bob Stewart
• Scott Benton
• Lee Anderson
• Julian Knight

8. The Pentagon this week authorised an emergency military aid package to Ukraine worth how much?  

• $250 million
• $300 million
• $350 million
• $400 million 

9. Boris Johnson secretly flew where last month for unofficial talks with the country's leader, according to new reports?

• Peru
• Venezuela
• Argentina
• Colombia

10. Which Democratic congressperson called for new elections in Israel? 

• Rashida Tlaib
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 
• Elizabeth Warren
• Chuck Schumer 

1. Vinyl records
UK sales of vinyl have hit their highest level since 1990 as the revival of physical media accelerates. To find out more, listen to The Week Unwrapped. 

2. Haiti
Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to resign after inaugurating a new interim governing council. Henry has been unable to return to Haiti since leaving in late January for visits to Guyana and Kenya, after gangs demanding his resignation attacked the airport and National Palace. 

3. George North
The third most capped player in Welsh rugby history announced his international retirement shortly after being named to face Italy this weekend. The 31-year-old will earn his 121st cap with Wales hoping not to finish bottom of the Six Nations table, but he faces a sunnier future playing in France for Provence from next season.

4. Chocolate fountain
Rockliff has said that if returned to power in Tasmania's state election next week, his Liberal government will commit $12 million to create a "chocolate experience" that will also feature a chocolate studio, chocolate lab, chocolate emporium, a café and a playground. For more unusual news, subscribe to our Tall Tales newsletter.

5. New Zealand
The mysterious creatures were found hidden in the remote 500-mile long Bounty Trough off the coast of New Zealand's South Island. The researchers exploring the largely unchartered waters told The New York Times that they expect to discover "hundreds" more new species. 

6. 352-65
The Senate will now vote on the bill, which would ban TikTok on national security grounds unless its Beijing-based owner, ByteDance, sells the app to a non-Chinese company. 

7. Lee Anderson
The former Tory party deputy chair announced on Monday that he was defecting to Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party), becoming the right-wing populist party's first standing MP. Tory fears of a mass exodus of voters across the Red Wall in the north of England have been fuelled by Anderson's move. 

8. $300 million
Announcing the military aid package, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the funding came from "unanticipated cost savings" in contracts to replace munitions sent to Ukraine. Additional funds for Kyiv remain blocked by Republican leaders in Congress.  

9. Venezuela
The secret visit involved a meeting with sanctioned Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, according to The Sunday Times. The UK does not recognise the legitimacy of the Maduro regime, but concerns are growing that the "oil-rich socialist republic" could supply weapons to its "close ally" Russia. For more international analysis, sign up to our Global Digest newsletter.

10. Chuck Schumer
The Senate majority leader claimed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "lost his way" by being "too willing" to tolerate the rising civilian death toll in Gaza. Schumer's call for a new election were met with immediate pushback from abroad and at home, with Israel's ruling Likud party and US Republicans Mitch McConnell and Mike Johnson accusing him of sowing division.