It is time for the Thursday news quiz, where even the most distinguished appearances can conceal a lingering doubt. A perfectly groomed moustache may suggest authority – until, thanks to our illustration from Anaïs Mims, it starts curling into a question mark of its own. Fifteen questions await – frankly rather more on the general knowledge side than topical news because the quiz master has been on holiday in Brighton and wrote most of it in advance, but it is what it is. There are no prizes, but we always enjoy hearing how you got on in the comments. Allons-y!
The Thursday news quiz, No 243
- 1.Who (pictured) won the election in Hungary?
- 2.What won best new play at the Olivier awards at the Royal Albert Hall (pictured) at the weekend?
- 3.Who (pictured, looking a bit aggrieved about it to be honest) won the Grand National?
- 4.Another winner was a Paris art enthusiast, who won a €1m painting by whom in a €100 charity raffle?
- 5.This week's guest canine is Tanji, who was enjoying a little dance to some karaoke when the Thursday quiz met them. She wants to know the name of the band that Moya Brennan, who died this week aged 73, played harp and sang for?
- 6.Here's Melvyn Bragg, he loves a flag. Which of these countries has a flag which can be described as a triband design, with the outermost stripes coloured ultramarine, and the middle stripe coloured gold, within which is displayed the head of a trident
- 7.It would have been Irish comedian and writer Spike Milligan's birthday today. What was the first volume of his memoirs called?
- 8.It would also have been the birthday of lovely Dusty Springfield today. Which song did the Pet Shop Boys write for her that appeared in the film Scandal?
- 9.Farther or nearer with Geordie Alan Shearer! This week, we imagine the England soccer legend wants to know, if he leaves his hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, which is farther or nearer – Seville, Spain or Bucharest, Romania?
- 10.Here is Karl-Heinz, with his opening lines, which almost rhymes. This week, the Thursday quiz imagines the German soccer ace would like to know which novel begins: 'When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the
elbow'?
- 11.Which actor (not pictured, that is the Grim Reaper – aka Paddington Bear – failing to get a suntan) has announced that following the death of their mother in 2024 they are now training to be a death doula to ‘provide solace and care’ to the dying?
- 12.True or false – in Girlguiding you can get a badge for running a blog?
- 13.The Thursday quiz fondly remembers Keith Chegwin, so here is Cheggers Plays Population! What is the population of Canada?
- 14.On this day with Brian May! And his badger! 16 April is the anniversary of the death of Marcus Salvius Otho, the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. The Thursday quiz imagines Queen's legendary guitarist wants you to tell him – and his badger – how he died …
- 15.And finally, after a backlash, US president Donald Trump was forced to delete from his social media an AI image that portrayed him as …
If you really do think there has been an egregious error in one of the questions or answers – and can show your working and are absolutely 100% positive you aren’t attempting to factcheck a joke – you can complain about it in the comments below. Why not watch I Had A Baby Not A Lobotomy by the Anchoress ft Gwenno instead?