Quiz of The Week: 26 February - 4 March

How would you feel if your WhatsApp messages to colleagues were splashed across newspaper front pages?

That was the nightmare that confronted former health secretary Matt Hancock on Wednesday morning, when The Telegraph published more than 10,000 leaked messages between him and other ministers and officials at the height of the pandemic. The so-called Lockdown Files allegedly show that Hancock rejected advice from Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to test all residents entering care homes for Covid.

Keir Starmer has also been in the firing line, after hiring former Partygate investigator Sue Gray as his new chief of staff – triggering claims that the inquiry was a “left-wing stitch-up”. The row erupted days after Starmer attempted to draw the battle lines for the next general election in a speech outlining Labour’s “five missions” for government.

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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. UK ministers reportedly considered a nationwide cull of which household pets at the start of the Covid pandemic?

• Dogs
• Hamsters
• Guinea pigs
• Cats

2. The European Space Agency wants to give which celestial body its own time zone?

• The Sun
• The Moon
• Mars
• Ceres

3. Which popular energy drink is reportedly being traded on black markets at schools across the UK?

• Celsius
• Monster
• Prime
• Red Bull

4. What is the name of Rishi Sunak’s new Brexit deal with the European Union?

• The Windsor Framework
• The Sunak Superstructure
• The King Charles Covenant
• The Brexit Bargain

5. Why has London’s Young Vic Theatre issued a trigger warning for audiences of its latest production?

• Nudity on stage
• Use of stage blood
• Cooked eggs are handled on stage
• Peanut butter is eaten on stage

6. Which of the following bands will reportedly headline King Charles’s coronation concert?

• One Direction
• Take That
• Coldplay
• Belle and Sebastian

7. Which football team won the Carabao Cup final on Sunday?

• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Newcastle United
• Liverpool

8. Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis has taken control of Walt Disney World’s self-governing district after the corporation opposed which of his bills?

• Stop Woke Act
• Don’t Say Gay Bill
• Sexual Related Offences Bill
• Religious Institutions Bill

9. What percentage of the world’s population will be obese by 2035 unless action is taken, according to a new report?

• 25%
• 39%
• 51%
• 79%

10. Research for the BBC found that the average price of pasta has risen by how much in the past two years?

• 90%
• 80%
• 70%
• 60%

1. Cats

Former health minister James Bethnell told Channel 4 News this week that the government talked about whether “we might have to ask the public to exterminate all the cats in Britain”, because “we were very unclear about whether domestic pets could transmit the disease”.

2. The Moon

Announcing the joint international effort, the agency argued that “as dozens of missions will be operating on and around the Moon and needing to communicate together and fix their positions independently from Earth, this new era will require its own time”.

3. Prime

High demand for the drink, launched last year by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI, has reportedly seen some children paying “dealers” many times more than the retail price of £2 per 500ml bottle.

4. The Windsor Framework

Sunak met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Windsor on Monday to finalise the deal, which is designed to settle the long-running dispute between the UK and the EU over Northern Ireland trading arrangements.

5. Cooked eggs are handled on stage

A notice on the theatre’s website warned that along with references to “sexual violence, mental illness, death and implied suicide”, the revival of Zinnie Harris’s Further than the Furthest Thing “involves the handling of cooked egg”. The theatre said the warning was for people with egg allergies.

6. Take That

Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald are said to have agreed to perform at the coronation bash in May. Kylie and Dannii Minogue and Lionel Richie are also reported to be on board, but Elton John, Harry Styles and Adele have turned down invitations owing to scheduling clashes.

7. Manchester United

The Red Devils secured a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at Wembley stadium.

8. Don't Say Gay Bill

The Republican has signed a bill giving his state control over Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District – a move widely viewed as “punishment” after the entertainment giant last year protested against his law restricting sexual orientation discussion in schools.

9. 51%

The World Obesity Federation predicts that more than 4bn people across the world will be obese or overweight within the next 12 years if current trends prevail.

10. 90%

The cost of a standard 500g bag of pasta has increased from 50p to 95p, according to research firm Assosia. The analysis of 15 “everyday essentials” at Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s found that the overall cost had risen by 34%.