Thursday quiz fans inundated our mailbox with at least two messages pointing out that John Oliver had opened his HBO show discussing the problem of feral hogs, of which there are significantly more than between 30 and 50 in the US. If he starts opening shows talking about Sparks, Kate Bush, Syldavia and Alan Shearer’s fixations on distances, we truly will know where he gets his material from, and the Thursday quiz lawyers are ready. In the meantime, here are 15 questions on topical news, general knowledge and pop culture to see you on towards the weekend. Let us know how you got on in the comments. Allons-y!
The Thursday news quiz, No 253
- 1.Which magazine says it will no longer engage in 'external publishing partnerships' after an AI scandal hit the Commonwealth prize
- 2.For the first time in more than 360 years, what type of chicks (not pictured, that is Pokémon Piplup hanging out at Walthamstow Town Hall) have been born in St James’s Park, London?
- 3.Which world leader said they were stunned that Donald Trump claimed in public they had 'begged me to take a picture … wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry'?
- 4.Turner prize winner Helen Cammock has opted to withdraw a work from the National Portrait Gallery after 50 peers criticised what it said about whom?
- 5.Send Derren Brown today's collective noun. Use your psychic powers to let him know what is the collective noun for jellyfish?
- 6.Here's Melvyn Bragg, he loves a flag. Which of these countries has a flag which can be described as three equal horizontal stripes of turquoise blue, white and the same shade of blue, with five turquoise stars arranged in a quincuncial pattern at the centre of the middle stripe?
- 7.Who ruined a good walk in the countryside by winning the US Open trophy?
- 8.This week's guest feline is a Walthamstow mural of Charlie Hitler, doing his Ron from Sparks impression. He, very angrily, would like to know, what are the names of the new soft drinks being promoted by nepo babies Barron Trump and Kai Trump respectively?
- 9.It is the return of 'higher or lower', this time with Ecuador's John Yeboah (pictured). The group profits of the Royal Mail's parent company slumped by a fifth. What happened to the pay of chief executive of International Distribution Services (IDS), Martin Seidenberg?
- 10.HMRC has announced how much tax will now apply on cash interest held in stocks and shares Isas?
- 11.It was very much a camping carry on (pictured – see what we did there?) after some poor soul spent about 15 minutes submerged in sewage in the putrid tank of a California campground’s vault toilet after falling in trying to retrieve what?
- 12.Which indie legend is planning to auction off about 80 of his guitars (not pictured) at Christie's?
- 13.Two million bees headed straight out the door marked 'do one' after a truck overturned where?
- 14.On this day with Brian May! And his badger! 25 June is the anniversary of the first female prime minister of Canada being sworn in. The Thursday quiz imagines Queen's legendary guitarist wants you to tell him – and his badger – what was her name?
- 15.And finally, how long is the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool (pictured)?
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 go back and do Tuesday’s Brexit referendum quiz instead?