Quiz Diary - 2005-12 - news, quiz and trivia questions

Quiz Diary - 2005-12

a quizzical look at the day's news

The Quiz Diary provides a round-up of current affairs with quiz questions that might crop up at your local pub quiz or quiz night.

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31

  • Kate Burton, a British human rights worker kidnapped in Gaza with her parents by the Mujahadeen Brigades has been released
  • In the New Year’s Honours singer Tom Jones and jazz musician John Dankworth receive knighthoods
  • Seven people are killed by a bomb attack on a largely Christian district in Indonesia's Sulawesi province
  • Defender Nemanja Vidic passes a medical and agrees personal terms on his proposed move to Man Utd
  • Russian energy giant Gazprom renews a threat to cut off Ukraine's gas
  • Virgin Radio poll – UK's favourite song
    • 1. Imagine - John Lennon
    • 2. Hey Jude - Beatles
    • 3. Let It Be - Beatles
    • 4. One - U2
    • 5. Angels - Robbie Williams
    • 6. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
    • 7. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
    • 8. Every Breath You Take - The Police
    • 9. Hotel California - The Eagles
    • 10. You're Beautiful - James Blunt
  • The FTSE 100 index of blue-chip shares ended the year 16.7% higher than 2004
  • Phil Taylor beats Kevin Painter to reach the PDC World Championship semi-finals
  • ODI, Queenstown: New Zealand 166-3 (37.2 overs) bt Sri Lanka 164 (47.2 overs) by 7 wickets
  • Three people working for the Organisation of American States are seized in Haiti, as elections are postponed
  • LK Advani steps down as president of India's main opposition BJP
  • The Rolling Stones' 2005 tour of North America is the most successful US concert tour of all time
  • Nick Bollettieri says Martina Hingis will struggle on her return to the WTA Tour

31 Quiz

  • 1. Where did Elton John’s marriage to David Furnish take place?
  • Windsor Guildhall
  • 2. Which Online search engine has confirmed it will invest $1bn to take a 5% stake in Time Warner's AOL unit as part of a major strategic alliance?
  • Google
  • 3. In which country where 110 pilot whales rescued recently after they became stranded on a beach?
  • New Zealand
  • 4. Britain has announced that it will cut the amount of direct aid it gives to which African country by £15m because of concerns about the country's slow progress to democracy?
  • Uganda
  • 5. Which 21 year-old from Hampshire of Moroccan descent has joined the Sugababes?
  • Amelle Berrabah
  • 6. Which company has unveiled its new Pebl phone?
  • Motorola
  • 7. 18-year-old Italian Guiseppe Rossi plays for which Premiership team?
  • Manchester United
  • 8. The Football Association says it remains confident the new Wembley Stadium will be ready for the 2006 FA Cup final, which company are building it?
  • Multiplex
  • 9. Who is currently singing “Is This The Way To Amarillo” in the UK singles charts?
  • Santa
  • 10. “The List:” Name the last four teams remaining in the Carling Cup?
  • Wigan, Arsenal, Blackburn and Manchester United

30

  • Conservation groups vow to step up efforts to eradicate the American mink from the Western Isles
  • SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell also called for the Scottish Parliament to be given powers to change the 30-year-old drink-driving limit.
  • The war in Iraq and the Asian tsunami were considered the most significant global events of 2005, an international survey for the BBC has suggested
  • President Uribe calls for more help from foreign countries in the battle against Colombia's drugs trade
  • Government names top ten “Green” energy projects:
    • Offshore wind farm: Kentish Flats, Kent
    • Solar: CIS tower, Manchester
    • Onshore wind farm: Black Law A, South Lanarkshire
    • Biomass plant: Enniskillen
    • Microgeneration: Spen Valley Sports College, W Yorkshire
    • Solar: Eden Project, Cornwall
    • Onshore wind farm: Cefn Croes, near Aberystwyth
    • Wave buoy: north Cornwall
    • Solar: Science Museum, London
    • Microgeneration: Nissan Motor Plant, Sunderland
  • Travellers are urged to re-route or postpone their journeys as parts of Britain are set for more heavy snow
  • British space engineers receive signals from the Giove-A spacecraft for Europe's sat-nav system
  • Phil Taylor beats qualifier Andrew Hamilton to reach the last at the PDC World Championship.
  • South Korea's National Assembly approves bill to cut size of its troop deployment in Iraq
  • 2nd Test, Melbourne, day five: Australia 355 & 321-7d beat South Africa 311 & 181 by 184 runs.
  • American Daron Rahlves wins the World Cup downhill race in Bormio, Italy.
  • Sean Lennon, son of the late Beatle John Lennon places a 'lonely hearts ad' in the New York Post
  • Support groups welcome laws giving unmarried couples in England and Wales the right to adopt
  • Number of detainees taking part in a hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay has increased sharply
  • Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins will have their long-awaited rematch in March
  • Tito Moses and Steven Wortman are arrested for attempting to sell back Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's 's wedding video for $1m (£580,000).

30 Quiz

  • 1.Mayor Ken Livingstone condemned which rail union over its refusal to take part in talks to avert a planned New Year's Eve underground strike?
  • RMT
  • 2. Who is the current General Secretary?
  • Bob Crowe
  • 3. Shayne Ward may have had the Christmas single number one but who had the number one album with “Curtain Call – The Hits”?
  • Eminem
  • 4. Conservation groups vow to step up efforts to eradicate which animal from the Western Isles, to help with the breeding of the Arctic Tern?
  • The American mink
  • 5. Which President has called for more help from foreign countries in the battle against Colombia's drugs trade?
  • Uribe
  • 6. Which airport operator is setting up a free 24-hour phone line for people to complain about aircraft noise at Edinburgh Airport?
  • BAA
  • 7. The current drink-driving limit is how many milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood?
  • 80 milligrams
  • 8. On a new version of Fairytale Of New York who is singing the Kirsty MacColl part?
  • Kate Melua
  • 9. Which film won the Film 2005: Film of the Year award?
  • Serenity
  • 10. “The List:” The war in Iraq and the Asian tsunami were considered the most significant global events of 2005, an international survey for the BBC has suggested. What were the other events in the top 5?
  • US Hurricanes, Death of the Pope and The London Bombings

29

  • Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy warns of a "continuing widening of the gap between rich and poor".
  • Details of official plans in the event of nuclear war are among newly released secret papers from 1975.
  • A US court orders a man accused of having been a Nazi guard to be deported to his native Ukraine.
  • Uganda's High Court again refuses to release opposition leader Kizza Besigye, despite his lawyer's appeals.
  • The former accountant of US energy giant Enron makes a plea bargain ahead of trial in January.
  • Two more footballers from Vietnam's national squad are arrested for match-fixing during the SE Asian Games.
  • At least seven people die and 12 are injured in a fire at a Russian home for the mentally ill, reports say.
  • Pakistan's religious schools refuse to meet the president's 31 December deadline to expel foreign students.
  • Britain's sex equality laws need to be modernised, the Equal Opportunities Commission says.
  • Sci-fi series Star Trek is the show most people want to see returned to their TV screens, a survey finds.
  • Beef Or Salmon claims his third Lexus Chase win in four years at Leopardstown.
  • Rwandans commemorate the 20th anniversary of the murder of gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey.
  • South Africa crash to 99-6 on day four of the second Test, chasing 366 to beat Australia.
  • Germany's former world and European 400m champion Grit Breuer quits athletics.
  • Gary Welding is into the quarter-finals of the PDC World Championship after beating John Kuczynski
  • A computer error leaves about 10,000 UK supporters of environmental group Greenpeace out of pocket.
  • Campaigners have called for a fast-track assessment of a new breast cancer drug - Femara (letrozole)
  • Mario Draghi is chosen as the new governor of the Bank of Italy replacing Antonio Fazio who resigned this month
  • Former Indian Prime Minister Atal Behar Vajpayee announces he will not fight the next general election
  • Police searching for the murderer of the great grandson of 19th century poet Alfred Tennyson have arrested a 44-year-old man

29 Quiz

  • 1. Who won an unprecedented fifth consecutive women's World Darts Championship at Lakeside?
  • Trina Gulliver
  • 2. Who said in 2005 “I think I must have run over six black cats since I've been at Wolves”?
  • Glenn Hoddle
  • 3. Rwandans recently commemorated the 20th anniversary of the murder of which gorilla conservationist, immortalised in the film “Gorillas in the Mist”?
  • Dian Fossey
  • 4. Which horse claimed his third Lexus Chase win in four years at Leopardstown?
  • Beef Or Salmon
  • 5. Mario Draghi has been chosen as the new governor of where replacing Antonio Fazio who resigned this month?
  • Bank of Italy
  • 6. Which Manchester City midfielder will be out for at least six weeks with a broken ankle?
  • Claudio Reyna
  • 7. Police searching for the murderer of the great grandson of 19th century poet Alfred Tennyson have arrested a 44-year-old man, what is the name of the murdered man?
  • Hallam Tennyson
  • 8. Which Czech supermodel says she wants to direct a film about her Cinderella-like life?
  • Eva Herzigova
  • 9. Two men have been arrested in the US for trying to sell a stolen wedding video back to which celebrity couple for one million dollars?
  • Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez
  • 10. “The List:” Name the eight football teams which are top and bottom of the four main leagues in England?
  • Chelsea, Sunderland, Reading, Millwall, Brentford City, Swindon Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Stockport County

28

  • Several Iraqi prisoners killed while attempting to break out of a prison in Baghdad
  • Bob Geldof to become a consultant to a new Tory policy group on global poverty.
  • 1st test spacecraft for Europe's satellite-navigation system is launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
  • US scientists claim that high doses of vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing some common cancers by as much as 50%
  • 200 hostages remain in the hands of inmates who seized control of a jail in Brazil on Christmas Day
  • Gary Glitter paid his alleged victims' families 'for co-operation', his Vietnamese lawyer says.
  • A charity appeals for a celebrity TV chef to the same for elderly care homes that Jamie Oliver did for school children's meals.
  • Ron Atkinson is to take up a consultancy role with Swindon Town, according to reports.
  • Firefighters in America battle outbreak of wildfires in Oklahoma and Texas
  • Diego Maradona says he will not make a comeback with Argentine 4th division side Excursionistas.
  • The 1st Indian to be elected president of Bolivia says he will cut his own salary by half when he takes office
  • John Lewis reports a 11.7% rise in pre-Christmas sales, the first retailer to issue its figures for the festive season.
  • Australia lead South Africa by 154 runs after reaching 110-2 at the end of day three in the Melbourne Test.
  • Jose Mourinho says he did not mean to sound arrogant when he took over as Chelsea manager.
  • Jockey Roger Loughran is banned after celebrating victory before the line at Leopardstown and then finishing third.
  • L'Aventure, ridden by Leighton Aspell, wins the Welsh National at Chepstow.
  • Phil Taylor's protege Adrian Lewis beats Dennis Priestley in the second round of the PDC World Darts Championship.

28 Quiz

  • 1. New England beat the New York Jets in the last "Monday Night Football" game on ABC before the iconic show moves where?
  • To ESPN
  • 2. Which Phil Taylor protege beat Dennis Priestley in the second round of the PDC World Darts Championship?
  • Adrian Lewis
  • 3. Which singer is to become a consultant to a new Tory policy group on global poverty?
  • Bob Geldof
  • 4. The 1st test spacecraft for Europe's satellite-navigation system was launched, where did it take off from?
  • Baikonur, Kazakhstan
  • 5. US scientists have claimed that high doses of which vitamin can reduce the risk of developing some common cancers by as much as 50%?
  • D
  • 6. Which formerly “Big” manager is set to take up a consultancy role with ailing Swindon Town?
  • Ron Atkinson
  • 7. Which horse ridden by Leighton Aspell won the Welsh National at Chepstow?
  • L'Aventure
  • 8. Which jockey has been banned after celebrating victory before the line at Leopardstown and then finishing third?
  • Roger Loughran
  • 9. Who reached his goal by getting the Christmas number one?
  • Shayne Ward
  • 10. “The List:” Diego Maradona says he will not make a comeback with Argentine fourth division side Excursionistas. Which 6 professional clubs has he played for?
  • Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Naples, Seville, Newell’s Old Boys

27

  • People meet in Rendlesham Forest to mark 25 years since airmen reported seeing UFOs
  • Kerry Packer, the Australian tycoon who transformed cricket in the 1970s, dies aged 68.
  • Scientists are delaying the start of 2006 by the first leap second in seven years – radio time signal will have an extra “pip”
  • Six suspected militants from a group linked to the al-Qaeda are sentenced to death by a court in Kuwait
  • The Kremlin accepts the resignation of President Putin's economic adviser in protest at curbs on freedom
  • Boxing Day races, cancelled because of a bomb alert at a County Down racecourse, have taken place
  • The National Film Registry – Library of Congress 2005
    • 1) Baby Face (1933)
    • 2) The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man (1975)
    • 3) The Cameraman (1928)
    • 4) Commandment Keeper Church, Beaufort South Carolina, May 1940 (1940)
    • 5) Cool Hand Luke (1967)
    • 6) Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
    • 7) The French Connection (1971)
    • 8) Giant (1956)
    • 9) H2O (1929)
    • 10) Hands Up (1926)
    • 11) Hoop Dreams (1994)
    • 12) House of Usher (1960)
    • 13) Imitation of Life (1934)
    • 14) Jeffries-Johnson World's Championship Boxing Contest (1910)
    • 15) Making of an American (1920)
    • 16) Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
    • 17) Mom and Dad (1944)
    • 18) The Music Man (1962)
    • 19) Power of the Press (1928)
    • 20) A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
    • 21) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
    • 22) San Francisco Earthquake and FireApril 18, 1906 (1906)
    • 23) The Sting (1973)
    • 24) A Time for Burning (1966)
    • 25) Toy Story (1995)
  • What is thought to be a new species of prehistoric insect is discovered by a palaeontologist in Manchester
  • Iain Duncan Smith warns that Tory leader David Cameron must not be "obsessed" by Tony Blair's departure
  • Two decanters of rare whisky are being auctioned by a Norfolk-based magazine “Whiskey Magazine” team to raise money for the Make Poverty History campaign
  • A Greek newspaper has published what it says is the name of a British spy chief who was involved in the abduction and mistreatment of 28 Pakistani migrants
  • Former China government minister, Tian Fengshan, is jailed for life for taking more than half a million dollars in bribes
  • A plaque is to be erected at Wrexham's Racecourse ground to mark what is believed to be the first surviving film of an international football match
  • A businessman has won what is believed to be the first victory of its kind by claiming damages from a company which sent him e-mail spam
  • Egypt's President Mubarak addresses the new Arab parliament at its first meeting in Cairo
  • Author JK Rowling tells of her "excitement and dread" at writing the seventh and final Harry Potter book
  • Remains of what are said to be Muslim victims of 2002's religious riots are found in India's Gujarat state.
  • Peter Jackson's King Kong beats Narnia to the Christmas box office crown in the US
  • Nepal says security is in place for February's municipal polls and they will go ahead despite calls for a boycott

27 Quiz

  • 1. Kerry Packer, the Australian tycoon who transformed cricket has died aged 68. In which year did he introduce World Series cricket?
  • 1977
  • 2. Who gave up the England captaincy to join?
  • Tony Greig
  • 3. Why will 2006 be a little later than usual?
  • Scientists are delaying the start of 2006 by the first leap second in seven years
  • 4. The Kremlin accepted the resignation of which of President Putin's economic advisers in protest at curbs on freedom?
  • Andrei Illarionov
  • 5. Which 1947 Christmas Classic has been selected to join the The National Film Registry – Library of Congress 2005?
  • Miracle on 34th Street
  • 6. What is the name of the penguin stolen from Amazon World on the Isle of Wight?
  • Toga
  • 7. Who returned a "ring of honour" his home city awarded him in 1999 and demanded his name no longer be used in promotional material?
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger (he won’t be going back)
  • 8. What is the name of the former Chinese government minister jailed for life for taking half a million dollars in bribes?
  • Tian Fengshan
  • 9. A plaque is to be erected at which ground to mark what is believed to be the first surviving film of an international football match?
  • Wrexham's Racecourse Ground
  • 10. “The List:” Which 3 Champions Tour veterans beat teams from the PGA Tour and the LPGA in the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge?
  • Craig Stadler, Hale Irwin and Jay Haas

26

  • Stonehenge opens to the public on Boxing Day for the first time in more than 10 years.
  • A blaze in a bar in the southern Chinese city of Zhongshan kills 26 people celebrating Christmas.
  • Highways Agency says it is making preparations to keep roads open, ahead of expected snow falls
  • Chile's supreme court rules former military ruler Augusto Pinochet should face human rights charges
  • TOP 10 CHRISTMAS TV
    • EastEnders - BBC One 11m
    • Doctor Who - BBC One 9.8m
    • Coronation Street - ITV1 9.8m
    • The Two Ronnies - BBC One 9.4m
    • Shrek - BBC One 7.6m
    • Emmerdale - ITV1 6.9m
    • Toy Story 2 - BBC One 6.9m
    • Who Wants to be a Millionaire - ITV1 6.6m
    • BBC News 1845 bulletin - BBC One 6.2m
    • The Queen's Christmas Message - BBC One 6.2m
  • Pakistan and India to hold a third round of peace talks in January
  • Thousands of spectators and hundreds of riders gather for Boxing Day hunts.
  • Russian prosecutors investigating last year's Beslan school siege say the authorities made no mistakes during the crisis in North Ossetia
  • A BA plane bound for Gatwick is forced to turn back to northern Greece after electrical fault.
  • Character actor Vincent Schiavelli dies aged 57
  • Tony Blair and his family are taking a winter holiday in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt
  • Karen Russon, a mother-of-five dies at home after falling from her loft while collecting her children's Christmas presents, in West Bromwich, West Midlands
  • Dozens of people have been treated and some of them taken to hospital after an unidentified gas was released in a shop in the Russian city of St Petersburg.
  • Israel announces plans to build 228 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, just outside Jerusalem.
  • A performance artist is beginning an attempt to crawl 60 miles to Canterbury to highlight the loneliness felt at Christmas by people on their own
  • Russia closes a case against ex-Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko because statute of limitation has expired
  • China says it plans to produce one billion doses of a new bird flu vaccine for animals

26 Quiz

  • 1. Who gave the Alternative Christmas Message yesterday?
  • Jamie Oliver
  • 2. Which show was the most watched on Christmas Day?
  • Eastenders
  • 3. At which resort did Tony Blair and his family take a winter holiday?
  • Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt
  • 4. Russia closed a case against which ex-Ukrainian PM because the statute of limitation had expired?
  • Yulia Tymoshenko
  • 5. Which country said it planned to produce one billion doses of a new bird flu vaccine for animals?
  • China
  • 6. Which countries said that they would hold a third round of peace talks in January?
  • Pakistan and India
  • 7. Where did Israel announce it was to build 228 new homes?
  • West Bank
  • 8. After a two-year wait, the final piece of work by which renowned television scriptwriter was given an airing on Boxing Day?
  • Jack Rosenthal
  • 9. Which horse won the King George VI at Sandown?
  • Kicking King
  • 10. “The List:” Roger Federer became only the sixth man to win the ITF title for consecutive years. Who are the other 5?
  • Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Lleyton Hewitt

25

  • Pope Benedict XVI makes a plea for peace in the Middle East as he marks his first Christmas as pontiff.
  • The Archbishop of Canterbury will pay tribute to the families of Anthony Walker and Abigail Witchalls in his sermon.
  • Libya's Supreme Court overturns death sentences imposed on foreign medics for infecting children with HIV.
  • The Duchess of Cornwall is to attend her first Christmas Day church outing with the Royal Family.
  • The "Yes" vote in the DR Congo's referendum on a new constitution reaches 83%.
  • Singer Mariah Carey has this year's American Christmas number one single, the 17th of her career.
  • A Chinese democracy activist is reportedly jailed for 12 years for helping to organise anti-Japanese protests.
  • A new message said to be from Bin Laden's deputy claims the Taleban still control large parts of Afghanistan
  • Real Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano is recovering in hospital after suffering a heart attack at the age of 79.
  • The Brazil side which won the 1970 World Cup is voted greatest team of all time by BBC Radio Five Live listeners
  • Newcastle striker Michael Owen returns to his spiritual home Liverpool
  • Documentary March of The Penguins is branded a "moment of significance" by AFI
  • Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats are favourites to take line honours in Sydney-Hobart race tomorrow

25 Quiz

  • 1. Who appears in his first full length episode as Dr Who today?
  • David Tennent
  • 2. Venezuela has given the world's biggest oil company until the end of this year to enter a joint venture with the state. Which company is this?
  • ExxonMobil
  • 3. Martina Hingis will make her return to competitive tennis on New Year's Day in which country?
  • Australia (in Sydney International)
  • 4. Referees chief Keith Hackett said whose disallowed goal against Chelsea should have stood?
  • Robin van Persie
  • 5. In December 2005 Samuel Wanjiru's world record for which distance has been ratified by the IAAF?
  • Half-marathon
  • 6. Boycie and Marlene, two of the best-loved characters from the BBC hit sitcom Only Fools and Horses, are currently appearing in a spin-off series “Green, Green Grass”, What is the name of their son?
  • Tyler
  • 7. England have announced that they will play which team ina pre-World Cup friendly in May 2006?
  • Hungary
  • 8. Which US carmaker has injected £1.2bn into its UK subsidiary Jaguar to keep the luxury car maker afloat?
  • Ford
  • 9. What was the best selling single of 2005?
  • “Is This The Way To Amarillo?”
  • 10. “The List:” Ronaldinho is only the third player to have been voted world player of the year more than once, name the other two?
  • Ronaldo (1996, 1997 and 2002) and Zinedine Zidane (1998, 2000 and 2003)

24

  • The family of Iraq hostage Norman Kember make a new plea for his release in radio and newspaper adverts
  • Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour receives a five-year jail term after being found guilty of fraud.
  • An Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashes shortly after take-off, killing all 23 people on board, officials say.
  • The freedom of Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadic is an obstacle to peace in Bosnia, the UN High Representative says.
  • Commemorations for those who died in last year's tsunami have begun in Phuket, Thailand.
  • Chad's government accuses Sudan of being the enemy of the people after a rebel attack on its eastern border.
  • Nigeria will provide all HIV drugs free of charge within two weeks, a government health official says.
  • Deadline for Ethiopia and Eritrea to pull back their troops from the border
  • Peru approves charges on which to seek the extradition of former President Alberto Fujimori from Chile.
  • A Dutch court rules that the killing of thousands of Kurds in Iraq in the 1980s was an act of genocide.
  • The UK's main share index briefly passes the 5,600 barrier for the first time in four years in Friday trading.
  • Digs in Mauritius unearth a huge haul of well-preserved dodo bones, raising hopes of understanding the extinct bird.
  • Alan Shearer says he will ignore appeals from Newcastle boss Graeme Souness and still intends to retire next summer.
  • Businessman Michael Neville is confident he and the Comer brothers can take over Aston Villa before the new year.
  • Wales coach Mike Ruddock feels Gavin Henson's 10-week ban for elbowing Alejandro Moreno is excessive.

24 Quiz

  • 1. ITV's coverage of the Champions League final on 25th May was the most watched sports broadcast of 2005, what was the audience at its peak?
  • 13.9m viewers
  • 2. Which comedian has a XXXmas Special on TV today?
  • Avid Merrion
  • 3. Which Chelsea and England midfielder was second in FIFA’s World Player of the Year vote with 429 points?
  • Frank Lampard
  • 4. In everybody’s Christmas stocking this year whose fitness video advised us to “Tone and Tease”?
  • Abi Titmus
  • 5. After starting 2005 at number 134 who won nine tournaments, including her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, to finish at World number two?
  • Kim Clijsters
  • 6. The scientist behind the British Beagle 2 mission to the Red Planet says the craft may have been found in pictures of the Martian surface, who is the scientist?
  • Colin Pillinger
  • 7. Who hit an unbeaten 102 as South Africa held out for a draw in 1st Test against Australia?
  • Jacques Rudolph
  • 8. Who was the compare at David Furnish and Elton John’s joint “stag do” before their Civil Partnership?
  • Paul O'Grady
  • 9. Michael Jackson's stake in The Beatles' back catalogue is said to be under threat unless he repays a loan of how much?
  • $200m (£113m)
  • 10. “The List:” Girls Aloud have just released their attempt for the Christmas Number One, “See the Day”. Name the 5 members (Christian names suffice)?
  • Sarah, Nicola, Nadine, Kimberley and Cheryl

23

  • Alex Gilady, a senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and a member of the IOC's London 2012 Co-ordination Commission, claims that London only won the 2012 Olympics because of a misplaced vote.
  • Research by South Korean cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk was "fabricated", says an academic panel
  • Dido Mayue-Belezika, a postman who carried out a £20m fraud by stealing thousands of cheque books is jailed for 6-1/2 years
  • Gavin Henson will miss the first three games of the Six Nations, while Ospreys team-mate Ian Evans is banned until 19 February
  • England announce a pre-World cup friendly with Hungary
  • Ford injects a further £1.2bn into Jaguar
  • Emperor Akihito marks his 72nd birthday by asking his people to better understand their history. *None of England and Wales' police forces will meet a deadline on responding to merger plans
  • Chinese officials say a toxic spill in the Bei river has been stopped by a dam
  • Evo Morales, Bolivia's socialist president-elect, plans for 22 January inauguration
  • Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade says he will not sue journalist Abdoul Latif Coulibaly, who published a book linking him to a murder
  • A bomb goes off outside the Greek Development Ministry in Athens, but no casualties are reported
  • A Rwandan ex-minister suspected of genocide, Juvenal Uwilingiyimana, found in a Brussels canal
  • In an interview with American television Cherie Blair rules out launching a career in politics
  • Wal-Mart is ordered to pay $172m (£99m) in compensation to workers who were refused lunch break
  • The Queen's Christmas Day speech will focus on the natural disasters and acts of terrorism
  • Channel 4 shows top 100 family films:
    • Top 100 Family Films:
    • 1 ET
    • 2 Shrek
    • 3 Mary Poppins
    • 4 Pirates of the Caribbean
    • 5 Toy Story
    • 6 Lion King
    • 7 Back to the Future
    • 8 Willy Wonka
    • 9 Star Wars
    • 10 Wizard of Oz
    • 11 Lord of the Rings
    • 12 Jurassic Park
    • 13 Finding Nemo
    • 14 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
    • 15 Harry Potter
    • 16 Grease
    • 17 Incredibles
    • 18 Sound of Music
    • 19 Jungle Book
    • 20 Raiders of the Lost Ark
    • 21 Who Framed Roger Rabbit
    • 22 Home Alone
    • 23 Beauty and the Beast
    • 24 Goonies
    • 25 Wallace and Gromit
    • 26 Mrs Doubtfire
    • 27 Men in Black
    • 28 Ghostbusters
    • 29 Railway Children
    • 30 Monsters Inc
    • 31 Oliver!
    • 32 Bambi
    • 33 Big
    • 34 Gremlins
    • 35 Aladdin
    • 36 Edward Scissorhands
    • 37 It`s a Wonderful Life
    • 38 Bedknobs and Broomsticks
    • 39 Bugsy Malone
    • 40 Princess Bride
    • 41 Beetlejuice
    • 42 Snow White
    • 43 Miracle on 34th Street
    • 44 Watership Down
    • 45 Jason and the Argonauts
    • 46 Spider-Man
    • 47 Dumbo
    • 48 Jumanji
    • 49 Cool Runnings
    • 50 Babe
    • 51 School of Rock
    • 52 Superman
    • 53 Bean
    • 54 Pinocchio
    • 55 Honey I Shrunk the Kids
    • 56 Chicken Run
    • 57 My Fair Lady
    • 58 Karate Kid
    • 59 Iron Giant
    • 60 Bright Eyes
    • 61 King and I
    • 62 King Kong
    • 63 Alice`s Adventures in Wonderland
    • 64 Flash Gordon
    • 65 Little Women
    • 66 Born Free
    • 67 Muppet Movie
    • 68 Spirited Away
    • 69 Time Bandits
    • 70 Great Expectations
    • 71 Bend it Like Beckham
    • 72 20000 Leagues Under the Sea
    • 73 Amazing Mr Blunden
    • 74 Free Willy
    • 75 Fantasia
    • 76 National Velvet
    • 77 Belles of St Trinians
    • 78 Freaky Friday
    • 79 Whale Rider
    • 80 Whistle Down the Wind
    • 81 Lemony Snicket
    • 82 Swiss Family Robinson
    • 83 Lassie Come Home
    • 84 Nutty Professor
    • 85 Doctor Dolittle
    • 86 Magnificent Men
    • 87 Holes
    • 88 Red Balloon
    • 89 Genevieve
    • 90 Spy Kids
    • 91 Peter Pan
    • 92 Digby
    • 93 Belleville Rendezvous
    • 94 Love Bug
    • 95 Fly Away Home
    • 96 A Shot in the Dark
    • 97 Kirikou and the Sorceress
    • 98 Tarka the Otter
    • 99 Summer Holiday
    • 100 Stuart Little
  • Family and friends of Norman Kember are still awaiting news two weeks after The Swords of Truth group said it would kill him.
  • Talks are being held to try to avert a New Year's Eve strike by Tube workers over staffing levels
  • Dozens of Newtownabbey families remain out of their homes amid fears a nearby gas cylinder could explode
  • Off-licence chain Threshers confirms that it is buying 200 sites from collapsed rival Unwins
  • Leeds City Council say they will lend Yorkshire £9m to allow them to buy Headingley
  • ITV's coverage of the Champions League final on 25th May was the most watched sports broadcast of 2005 - with 13.9m viewers at its peak

23 Quiz

  • 1. Which Olympic curling champion will defend her title in February after being named as Great Britain skip for the Turin Games?
  • Rhona Martin
  • 2. According to recent claims by a senior IOC member which country should have won the 2012 games but for a misplaced vote?
  • Spain - Madrid
  • 3. An academic review says that research by which South Korean cloning expert was "fabricated"?
  • Hwang Woo-suk
  • 4. Norman Kember has been kidnapped in Iraq by which group?
  • The Swords of Truth
  • 5. Dozens of families in which County Antrim town may not get back into their homes until Christmas Eve amid fears that a nearby gas cylinder could explode?
  • Newtownabbey
  • 6. Which Off-licence chain has bought 200 sites from its collapsed rival Unwins?
  • Threshers
  • 7. Which county cricket team have been offered a £9m loan by the local City Council to allow them to buy their ground?
  • Yorkshire
  • 8. What did a study printed in the British Medical Journal say was the ONLY way to avoid a hangover?
  • Not drinking in the first place
  • 9. Girls Aloud have just released “See the Day” as their attempt on the Christmas Number One slot. Which backing singer for Wham! And The Style Council had the original hit with this in 1985?
  • Dee C Lee
  • 10. “The List:” Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was the most successful film of 2005 in the UK. Which films completed the top ten?
  • 2. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (£39.3m), 3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (£37.3m), 4. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (£31.8m), 5. War of the Worlds (£30.5m), 6. Meet the Fockers (£28.6m), 7. Madagascar (£22.6m), 8. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (£20.5m), 9. Hitch (£17.3m), 10. Nanny McPhee (£16.3m)

22

  • George Burley is to be Southampton's new team boss, working with director of football Sir Clive Woodward
  • Olympic curling champion Rhona Martin will defend her title in February after being named as Great Britain skip for the Turin Games
  • According to the New York Daily News broadcaster Alistair Cooke's bones were stolen by a criminal ring trading body parts
  • Argentine football legend Diego Maradona is briefly detained following an incident at an airport in Brazil
  • Tony Blair flies Basra for a Christmas visit to see UK troops in Iraq
  • Plans to merge four West Midlands constabularies to create England and Wales' second biggest police force are to be outlined.
  • Report says that a lack of exposure to novels at school is leaving pupils with low "reading stamina"
  • Sydney man is charged with sending SMS messages to incite violence following the city's race riots.
  • IMF agrees to write off $3.3bn owed to it by 19 of the world's poorest nations.
  • WHO confirms 2 more Indonesian bird flu deaths, amid fears virus is gaining resistance to a key drug
  • Carling Cup semi-final draw:
    • Wigan v Arsenal (10 and 24 January)
    • Blackburn v Man Utd (11 and 24 January)
  • India's launches a three-tonne satellite that promises to revolutionise its television services.
  • India complete a 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka with a convincing 259-run win in Ahmedabad.
  • Low-cost airline Easyjet buys 20 new Airbus A319 jet planes for its fleet at a cost of £505m ($878m).
  • Sugababes unveil their new member
  • The Mirror is criticised by the press watchdog for publishing a photo of JK Rowling's home in London.
  • LPGA will let Morgan Pressel join tour before her 18th birthday
  • Super Aguri are set to become the 11th team in Formula One next year after securing the support of the 10 other teams

22 Quiz

  • 1. Which company jointly owns the Beatles back catalogue with Michael Jackson?
  • Sony
  • 2. Who has been appointed as the new boss at Southampton, working with Sir Clive Woodward?
  • George Burley
  • 3. Who knocked top seed Colin Lloyd out of the PDC World Championships?
  • Gary Welding
  • 4. To which country did Tony Blair make a surprise visit today?
  • Iraq
  • 5. What did the FT say could be decided by i-Pod users this year, for the very first time?
  • Christmas Number One
  • 6. According to the New York Daily News whose bones were stolen by a criminal ring trading body parts, before his cremation nearly to years ago?
  • Alistair Cooke
  • 7. Which World famous footballer was detained by police following an incident in Brazil?
  • Maradona
  • 8. According to figures compiled by trade publication Screen International was the most successful film of 2005 in the UK?
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  • 9. The US House of Representatives voted to trim an extension of an anti-terror law allowing detention of suspects down to a month. How is this act known?
  • The Patriot Act
  • 10. “The List:” China has moved up to 6th in the World Economic Rankings, name the 5 ahead of it?
  • USA, Japan, Germany, France and UK

21

  • Saddam Hussein appears for the resumption of his trial in Baghdad, two weeks after he boycotted proceedings.
  • Sir Elton John and partner David Furnish make the final preparations for their "wedding" in Windsor.
  • Online search engine Google confirms it will invest $1bn for a 5% stake in AOL as part of a major strategic alliance.
  • Britain cuts its aid to Uganda by £15m because of concerns about the country's slow progress to democracy.
  • Tanzania's new president Jakaya Kikwete is sworn in after comfortably winning elections last week.
  • Donald Rumsfeld says it is unlikely that Osama Bin Laden can command al-Qaeda operations.
  • Barclays Bank opens a branch office in Shanghai, taking advantage of China's move to liberalise its banking sector.
  • Mutya Buena leaves pop trio Sugababes, saying she felt unable to commit to the act for another year.
  • Rooster Booster, winner of the 2003 Champion Hurdle, dies while preparing for his next race
  • Cosworth co-founder Keith Duckworth, dies aged 72
  • 5th one-day international, Rawalpindi: England 206-9 beat Pakistan 200-9 by 6 runs
  • UEFA rejects Abel Xavier's appeal against his 18-month ban for a positive drugs test
  • French Open finalist Mariano Puerta of Argentina is banned for eight years after failing a drugs test
  • A second toxic spill in weeks threatens water supplies to millions in southern China as Cadmium is discharged in to the Bei River in Guangdong province
  • George Weah accepts his presidential poll defeat in the interests of "national recovery".
  • Marconi shareholders have approved the £1.2bn sale of the company's name and most of its assets to telecoms group Ericsson
  • German court orders retrial of Deutsche Bank's boss, Josef Ackermann, and 5 others over roles in Mannesmann takeover
  • Colin Dalgleish will captain Great Britain and Ireland in the 2007 Walker Cup.
  • Rescuers refloat 110 pilot whales that were stranded on a beach on New Zealand's South Island.
  • Bulgaria's Sesil Karatantcheva shocked by report that she failed a dope test at the French Open

21 Quiz

  • 1. Who scored twice as Man Utd beat Birmingham City 3-1 in the Carling Cup?
  • Louis Saha
  • 2. Which political leader has banned Western music on state-run TV and radio stations?
  • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
  • 3. Which of the Sugababes has left the trio?
  • Mutya Buena
  • 4. The Tokyo Stock Exchange president resigned after a 40bn yen trading error. What is his name?
  • Takuo Tsurushima
  • 5. Which horse, winner of the 2003 Champion Hurdle, died while preparing for his next race?
  • Rooster Booster
  • 6. With whom has Elton John entered in to a Civil Partnership today?
  • David Furnish
  • 7. Which team will current World champion Fernando Alonso drive for in 2007?
  • McLaren
  • 8. Which bank opened a branch office in Shanghai, taking advantage of China's move to liberalise its banking sector?
  • Barclays
  • 9. Which course has been lengthened by 154 yards and had 20 new hazards added, in preparation for 2008 Open?
  • Royal Birkdale
  • 10. “The List:” Apart from Phil “the Power” Taylor name the only 2 other men to have been PDC World Champion?
  • John Part and Dennis Priestly (and Taylor lost in the final both times)

20

  • Proposals to reform murder law in England and Wales may introduce different categories of homicide
  • Tony Blair calls for further reforms as he addresses MEPs at end of the UK's 6 month EU presidency
  • New images of Mars may show the British-built probe Beagle 2
  • In Jakarta, an airline pilot is sentenced to 14 years in jail for poisoning human rights activist Munir Thalib
  • Five ex-policemen go on trial in Serbia after allegedly appearing in a video showing Bosnian Muslims
  • Tokyo Stock Exchange president Takuo Tsurushima resigns after 40bn yen trading error.
  • Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio resigns, following controversial bank takeover.
  • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad bans Western music on state-run TV and radio stations.
  • China moves up the world economic rankings
  • Michael Jackson may lose control of the The Beatles' back catalogue unless he repays $200m loan
  • Britney Spears sues magazine for $10m after it claimed she and Kevin Federline made a sex video
  • Sir Elton John and partner David Furnish attend a star-studded stag do ahead of their civil partnership.
  • South Africa hold out for a draw in the first Test against Australia.
  • Ronaldinho is Fifa's World Player of the Year for the second season year running
  • Martina Hingis will make her competitive return on New Year's Day on Australia's Gold Coast.
  • 2005 ITF world champions
    • Men - Roger Federer
    • Women - Kim Clijsters
  • Royal Birkdale is lengthened by 154 yards, with 20 new hazards added, in preparation for the 2008 Open.
  • World champion Fernando Alonso will leave Renault for McLaren in 2007.
  • Samuel Wanjiru's world half-marathon record has been ratified by the IAAF

20 Quiz

  • 1. Which company bought alternative fixed line phone service provider OneTel for £132m?
  • Carphone Warehouse
  • 2. Which team has British cyclist David Millar signed to ride for at the end of his drugs ban?
  • Saunier Duval
  • 3. Who has the album Ancora in the top five of the UK album charts?
  • Il Divo
  • 4. Which golfer won the South African Open?
  • Retief Goosen
  • 5. The PDC World Championship is about to start in Purfleet how many times has Phil 'The Power' Taylor been World champion?
  • 12
  • 6. Which shadow home secretary attacked Charles Clarke plans to merge 43 police forces in England and Wales to as few as 12 regional constabularies?
  • David Davis.
  • 7. Where did the 4th One Day International take place between Pakistan and England. England losing by 13 runs?
  • Rawalpindi
  • 8. Which country will succeed the UK as EU President?
  • Austria
  • 9. Who plays the Reverend Walter Goodfellow in the new film by Niall Johnson, “Keeping Mum”?
  • Rowan Atkinson
  • 10. “The List:” Who were named as the 2005 ITF world champions (Man and Woman)?
  • Kim Clijsters and Roger Federer

19

  • King Kong takes $50.1m (£28.3m) at the US box office in a slow start
  • Scientists piece together part of the genetic recipe of the extinct woolly mammoth
  • President Bush says Iraq is now a strong ally against terror and a force for democracy
  • 1st “civil partnership” ceremonies for gay couples in UK take place in Northern Ireland
  • Plans to merge the 43 English and Welsh police forces into as few as 12 face to be debated
  • Israeli PM Ariel Sharon spends a quiet night in hospital after suffering a minor stroke
  • Leftist candidate Evo Morales claims victory in Bolivia's presidential poll
  • Carphone Warehouse buys alternative fixed line phone service provider OneTel for £132m.
  • Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono are named 'Persons of the Year' by Time magazine for their charitable work.
  • British cyclist David Millar signs to ride for Saunier Duval at the end of his drugs ban.
  • Rolf Harris unveils his "impressionistic" portrait of the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
  • Ospreys’s Gavin Henson cited for his actions in the clash with Leicester
  • Retief Goosen wins the South African Open
  • Stuart Smith is unanimously elected as the new president of the Lawn Tennis Association.
  • PDC World Championship in Purfleet starts with Phil 'The Power' Taylor looking for 13th world title
  • 4th ODI, Rawalpindi - Pakistan 210 (47.2 overs) bt England 197 (48.1 overs)
  • UK Charts:
    • Singles:
      • 1. Nizlopi - JCB Song
      • 2. Westlife Ft Diana Ross - When You Tell Me That You Love Me
      • 3. Pussycat Dolls –Stickwitu
      • 4. Madonna - Hung Up
      • 5. Crazy Frog - Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This
    • Albums:
      • 1. Eminem - Curtain Call - The Hits
      • 2. Robbie Williams - Intensive Care
      • 3. Westlife - Face To Face
      • 4. James Blunt - Back To Bedlam
      • 5. Il Divo - Ancora

19 Quiz

  • 1. In December 2005 the United Nations Security Council held a rare discussion about which country, not usually on their agenda?
  • Burma
  • 2. A study in Science magazine shows that at least one what came in "little and large" forms, with perhaps a variety of species being able to do the same?
  • Dinosaur
  • 3. Barbados is to host the 2006 World Golf Championship, which is the only other Caribbean country to have hosted a World Cup, doing so in 1961 and 1994?
  • Puerto Rico
  • 4. Scientists at Penn State believe that studying which fish may have helped solve the mystery of human skin colour?
  • Zebrafish
  • 5. Scientists have pieced together part of the genetic recipe of which extinct relative of the elephant?
  • Woolly mammoth
  • 6. Who said recently “I'm not making any claims that this is the greatest painting in the world. I've done the best I can.”?
  • Rolf Harris
  • 7. Which Osprey’s player was cited for 2 alleged incidents against Leicester Tigers?
  • Gavin Henson
  • 8. Which country did President Bush say was now a strong ally against terror and a force for democracy in the Middle East?
  • Iraq
  • 9. Which Israeli politician spent a quiet night in hospital after suffering a minor stroke?
  • Ariel Sharon
  • 10. “The List:” Name the 3 new entries (song and artists) to the top 5 of the UK charts that are vying for the Christmas number one?
  • Nizlopi – “JCB Song”, Westlife featuring Dian Ross – “When You Tell Me That You Love Me”, and Crazy Frog – “Jingle Bells/U Can't Touch This”

18

  • John Prescott voices fears over plans to reform state schools, saying poorer pupils could lose out.
  • Police say a stolen Henry Moore sculpture could be melted down by thieves for scrap.
  • Voters in DR Congo vote on a new constitution, but complain they do not know what it contains.
  • Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuk says he will step down at the elections in 2008.
  • Jakaya Kikwete leads Presidential election race in Tanzania
  • Steve Davis loses final of UK Championship final against Ding Junhui.
  • Estimated 20 million people watch the final of either “Strictly Come Dancing” or “The X Factor”
  • Arrest warrant issued for Todd Kevin Wallace who hurt a child while photographing Reese Witherspoon
  • 42 people killed in stampede for flood relief aid in Madras (Chennai)
  • A hospital in Lausanne becomes the first to allow assisted suicide for terminally-ill patients.
  • The Caribbean island of Barbados will stage next December's WGC-World Cup.
  • Steven Gerrard says current team is the best he has played in - before World Club Championship final – where Sao Paulo beat Liverpool 1-0

18 Quiz

  • 1. Kazakhstan and China opened a 1,000km-long oil pipeline to supply Kazakh oil to which of China's western regions?
  • Xinjiang
  • 2. At the 2005 British Independent Film Awards who won the award for Best director?
  • Neil Marshall for “The Descent”
  • 3. In December 2005 which award-winning comedian was arrested during an inquiry into internet related crime?
  • Chris Langham
  • 4. Which South African bowler took 5-64 in the first test in Perth?
  • Makhaya Ntini
  • 5. Which former world number one said that the Women's Tennis Association must act to avoid the spiralling number of injuries affecting its top players, and shorten the tour?
  • Tracy Austin
  • 6. Police said a statue by which artist may be melted down for scrap?
  • Henry Moore
  • 7. What was the score in the final of the UK championships?
  • 10-6
  • 8. Which tyre company announced its decision to leave F1 at the end of the 2006 season?
  • Michelin
  • 9. Which Australian bowler took 5-93 in the First Test against the South Africans in Perth?
  • Brett Lee
  • 10. “The List:” U2 had the highest grossing concert of 2005, but which other groups/artists made up the top ten?
  • The Eagles, Neil Diamond, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett and Green Day

17

  • Surviving Beatles and relatives of the band's late members sue EMI for £30m in unpaid royalties
  • Lance Armstrong ordered to stand trial in Italy on charges of defaming cyclist Filippo Simeoni
  • John Spencer, the actor who played Leo McGarry in NBC's The West Wing, dies aged 58
  • Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan leaves hospital, 3 weeks after abdominal surgery.
  • Strong wins for Palestinian militant group Hamas in West Bank municipal elections
  • Paul McGinley's sand wedge to 17th in final round of the Volvo Masters wins RBS Shot of the Year
  • First Test, Perth, day two (close): Australia 258 & 38-1 v South Africa 296
  • David Haye wins European cruiserweight title beating Alexander Gurov with a first-round knockout
  • World Cup super-G race in Val Gardena won by Hans Grugger of Austria
  • Stuart Smith replaces Charles Trippe as president of the Lawn Tennis Association.
  • Colombian rebel and government officials begin talks in Cuba hosted by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
  • Steve Davis beats Stephen Hendry 9-6 to reach final of the UK Championship at York
  • At least 41 people killed by floods and landslides in central Vietnam
  • Iraq says that police captured and released militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi last year
  • Strictly Come Dancing 3
    • 1. Darren & Lilia
    • 2. Colin & Erin
    • 3. Zoe & Ian
    • 4. James & Camilla
    • 5. Patsy & Anton
    • 6. Bill & Karen
    • 7. Will & Hanna
    • 8. Dennis & Izabela
    • 9. Fiona & Brendan
    • 10. Gloria & Darren
    • 11. Jaye & Andrew
    • 12. Siobhan & Matthew

17 Quiz

  • 1. In which city were 42 people killed in a stampede for flood relief aid recently?
  • Madras (Chennai)
  • 2. Where in Switzerland did a hospital becomes the first to allow assisted suicide for terminally-ill patients?
  • Lausanne
  • 3. Which Caribbean island will stage next December's WGC-World Cup?
  • Barbados
  • 4. Jakaya Kikwete is leading the Presidential election race in which African country?
  • Tanzania
  • 5. To the nearest million how many people are estimated to have watched the final of either BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing or ITV1's The X Factor?
  • 20 million
  • 6. A study by “Nature” said that which on-line reference work was about as accurate (on science) as the Encyclopedia Britannica?
  • Wikipedia
  • 7. Following Brazil’s lead which country said that it would pay back its $10bn foreign debt to the International Monetary Fund 3 years early?
  • Argentina
  • 8. Simon Cowell is to produce a “gong” show pilot for ITV, who is to be the presenter?
  • Paul O'Grady
  • 9. An arrest warrant has been issued for Todd Kevin Wallace who hurt a child while attempting to photograph which actress?
  • Reese Witherspoon
  • 10. “The List:” In the Club World Championship final, Liverpool had three goals ruled out for offside. Who “scored” these?
  • Luis Garcia, Sami Hyypia and Florent Sinama-Pongolle

16

  • Simon Cowell set to produce a “gong” show pilot for ITV - with Paul O'Grady as presenter
  • Counting, which could last weeks, gets under way in Iraq after parliamentary election
  • European Curling Championships:
    • Men – 1. Norway, 2. Sweden, 3. Scotland
    • Women – 1. Sweden, 2. Switzerland, 3. Denmark
  • Argentina says it will pay its $10bn foreign debt to the International Monetary Fund 3 years early.
  • Trial of Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk halted by the judge on first day
  • The Australian Rugby League denies claims of binge drinking during the recent tour of Britain.
  • Cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk stands by his research, after claims results were faked.
  • Leaders of Canada's 4 main political parties take part in a televised debate ahead of January elections
  • First Test, Perth, day one (close): Australia 258 v South Africa 38-0
  • Award-winning comedian Chris Langham arrested during an inquiry into internet related crime.
  • Tracy Austin calls for a change to the tennis calendar to avoid a crisis in the women's game.
  • A study by “Nature” says Wikipedia is about as accurate (on science) as Encyclopedia Britannica
  • King Kong takes $18m worldwide in its first day
  • Champions League draw:
    • Chelsea v Barcelona
    • Real Madrid v Arsenal
    • Werder Bremen v Juventus
    • Bayern Munich v AC Milan
    • PSV Eindhoven v Lyon
    • Ajax v Inter Milan
    • Benfica v Liverpool
    • Rangers v Villarreal

16 Quiz

  • 1. The Red Arrows have flown over a funeral in tribute to which New Zealand pilot who made them famous?
  • Ray Hanna
  • 2. Which author who is dyslexic and only learnt to read at the age of 14 won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize age nine to 11 category for “I, Coriander”?
  • Sally Gardner
  • 3. MPs in which Baltic country passed a constitutional amendment to confirm that only marriages between men and women are legal?
  • Latvia
  • 4. Chechnya's new parliament has called on the Russian government to change the name of the capital, Grozny, to honour which former president?
  • Akhmad Kadyrov (Akhmadkala)
  • 5. Which painting was analysed by a University of Amsterdam computer using "emotion recognition" software and concluded that the subject was 83% happy, 9% disgusted, 6% fearful and 2% angry?
  • The Mona Lisa
  • 6. Which entrepreneur has said “I don’t want to die rich” and will to turn her back on the world of commerce and ditch half of her £100m fortune?
  • Dame Anita Roddick
  • 7. There has been a mixed reaction in Bangalore to a proposal to rename India's hi-tech capital "Bengaluru" - a variant of its original name "Benda Kaal Ooru" in the local Kannada language. What does "Benda Kaal Ooru" mean?
  • The town of boiled beans
  • 8. Which Royal has marched in the Sandhurst College Sovereign's Parade for the first time?
  • Prince Harry
  • 9. In which Dorset village near Dorset, the Prince of Wales' "model village", are residents planning to install CCTV cameras to crack down on anti-social behaviour?
  • Poundbury
  • 10. “The List:” Name the 8 teams that are in the quarter finals of the Carling Cup?
  • Doncaster, Arsenal, Birmingham, Manchester United, Wigan, Bolton, Middlesbrough and Blackburn

15

  • 16th Annual British Comedy Awards
    • Actor Chris Langham (Help, The Thick of It)
    • Actress Ashley Jensen (Extras)
    • Entertainment personality Paul O'Grady (The Paul O'Grady Show)
    • Newcomer Ashley Jensen (Extras)
    • New TV comedy The Thick Of It
    • TV comedy Little Britain
    • TV comedy drama Shameless
    • Entertainment programme The X Factor
    • International show The Simpsons
    • Film Festival
  • Sprinter Tim Montgomery announces his retirement following his two-year ban for steroid abuse.
  • Peter Falconio's murderer Bradley Murdoch told he must serve 28 years in prison before parole
  • At least 11 Nepalese civilians shot dead by a soldier at a religious festival in Nagarkot
  • UN decides to pull US, Canadian and European peacekeepers from Eritrea after country's ultimatum
  • 3rd ODI, Karachi: Pakistan 353-6 (50 overs) beat England 188 all out (42 overs) by 165 runs
  • Brazil plans to pay off entire $15.5bn debt to International Monetary Fund 2 years ahead of schedule
  • People of Iraq begin voting in an election to choose government for next four years
  • According to US magazine Billboard U2’s “Vertigo” tour was the highest grossing of 2005
  • Michelin announces its decision to leave F1 at the end of the 2006 season.
  • England beat Egypt 2-0 to win the Men's World Team Squash Championship in Pakistan.
  • Channel 4's “Space Cadets” loses 600,000 viewers
  • In Palestine a rebel faction, al-Mustaqbal (the Future), led by jailed activist Marwan Barghouti files its own ballot list for next month's elections.
  • Australian swimming faces a storm of protest after using mock executions at a training camp.
  • Trainer Shaun Keightley warned off for three years and jockey Pat McCabe suspended for 28 days.
  • Tests on some of the poultry found dead in Ukraine show that they had the lethal H5N1 bird flu strain.
  • Bangladesh security forces arrest suspected head of banned group blamed for suicide bombings

15 Quiz

  • 1. Four wards have been closed at a Kent hospital after 15 people were infected with which winter vomiting bug?
  • Norovirus
  • 2. Who signed off by saying: "That brings to an end my association with the news at 10.30. Thank you for watching"?
  • Sir Trevor McDonald
  • 3. A 6ft 6in bronze statue of Jack Judge was unveiled in his home town of Stalybridge. He is best remembered as the composer behind which famous wartime song?
  • It's a Long Way to Tipperary
  • 4. Which cider firm is to face legal action in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaires disease?
  • Bulmers
  • 5. MP’s from which country gave final approval to a partial ban on smoking at work, including larger bars and restaurants?
  • Spain
  • 6. The boat which carried Sir Winston Churchill's coffin along the River Thames has failed to sell at auction. What was it called?
  • Havengore
  • 7. A ban on women taking motorcycle taxis in line with Shariah law has sparked clashes in which Northern Nigerian state?
  • Kano
  • 8. Asahiyama Zoo on the northern island of Hokkaido is making which animals undergo twice-daily walks to keep trim?
  • Penguins
  • 9. Which new mobile phone service was an instant hit when launched this week, according to the company behind it?
  • "Self-destruct" text messages which disappear 40 seconds after they are read
  • 10. “The List:”

14

  • England batsman Kevin Pietersen misses last 3 one-dayers in Pakistan because of a rib injury.
  • UN court sentences Aloys Simba, former Rwandan MP and army officer, to 25 years imprisonment for his part in the 1994 genocide.
  • Government's decision not to hold a public inquiry into the 7th July London bombings criticised
  • UK group GUS buys US online cost-comparison firm Pricegrabber.com for $485m.
  • Fire again breaks out at Buncefield oil depot and will be left to burn itself out.
  • Nigel Mansell's sons Greg and Leo will compete in the British Formula BMW Championship
  • Peter Jackson's epic King Kong opens in 3,568 cinemas
  • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad describes Nazi Holocaust as a "myth".
  • Sudan says it will not allow investigators into Darfur to collect evidence on alleged war crimes.
  • Troops kill 6 suspected militants in a gun battle in Indian-administered Kashmir
  • Second Test, Delhi, day five: India 290 & 375-6 dec beat Sri Lanka 230 & 247 by 188 runs
  • VH1 - Top 10 Christmas Songs
    • 1. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues/ Kirsty MacColl
    • 2. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
    • 3. Last Christmas - Wham!
    • 4. Mistletoe and Wine - Sir Cliff Richard
    • 5. Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade
    • 6. I Wish it could be Christmas Everyday - Wizzard
    • 7. Christmas Time - The Darkness
    • 8. Saviour's Day - Sir Cliff Richard
    • 9. Do They Know it's Christmas (1984) - Band Aid
    • 10. Lonely This Christmas - Mud
  • Kim Basinger's lawyer hopes her custody battle with Alec Baldwin is over after a court hearing
  • Andrew Motion celebrates the successful launch of the ambitious audio Poetry Online Archive
  • Marc Hoaglin admits unlawfully putting a copy of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith on the internet before its release on DVD
  • Brian O'Driscoll signs a new contract with Leinster until the end of the World Cup in 2007
  • Annika Sorenstam becomes the 1st woman to win the Golf Writers' Trophy twice since award began
  • Audi are bidding to become the first team to win the Le Mans 24 Hours race with a diesel-powered car.
  • York racecourse will host the 2006 St Leger while Doncaster is redeveloped.
  • England beat Canada 2-1 to move into the final of the World Team Squash Championships

14 Quiz

  • 1. What colour ink was used on the fingers of Iraqi voters in the parliamentary elections?
  • Purple
  • 2. Which senior Lib Dem warned MPs to stop their "cowardly" briefings against leader Charles Kennedy?
  • Lembit Opik
  • 3. Which brand, one of the best selling champagnes in the UK, is in exclusive talks to be taken over by Boizel?
  • Lanson
  • 4. Which country launched a 25% tax on hardcore pornography in an effort to raise revenue and meet EU budget deficit rules?
  • Italy
  • 5. Which Swiss politician is leading a European probe into allegations that the CIA abducted and moved terror suspects across European borders?
  • Dick Marty
  • 6. www.borat.kz has been closed down by Kazakh officials, which comedian used to run the site?
  • Sacha Baron Cohen
  • 7. which comedian planted a tree at East Prescot Nursery School in Merseyside after it received a "outstanding" Ofsted report?
  • Ken Dodd
  • 8. Which militant movement has issued a list of 62 candidates for its first foray into Palestinian general elections?
  • Hamas
  • 9. Which Birmingham artist has created a sculpture of Father Christmas that is “a third of the size of a full stop”?
  • Willard Wigan
  • 10. “The List:” Fairytale of New York has been voted the favourite Christmas song for the second year running in a VH1 poll. Name the rest of the top 5?
  • 2. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey, 3. Last Christmas - Wham!, 4. Mistletoe and Wine - Sir Cliff Richard, 5. Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade

13

  • In Hertfordshire 3 tanks at the Buncefield oil depot are still ablaze
  • Former gang leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams is executed 24 years after killing four people, at San Quentin prison
  • Conservation researchers identify sites where species are heading for imminent extinction
  • Unofficial mourning in Lebanon after bomb kills anti-Syrian newspaper owner and MP Gibran Tueni
  • UK inflation level falls to 2.1%
  • Ramanand Nagar, producer of the popular TV series, Ramayana, dies in Mumbai aged 87
  • Second Test, Delhi, day four (close): India 290 & 375-6 dec v Sri Lanka 230 & 123-5
  • New York Film Critics Circle awards:
    • Best Picture – “Brokeback Mountain”
    • Best Director – Ang Lee for “Brokeback Mountain”
    • Best Non-Fiction Films - Werner Herzog for “Grizzly Man” and “White Diamond”
    • Best Foreign-Language Film - “2046” directed by Wong Kar Wai
    • Best First Film - Bennett Miller for “Capote.”
    • Best animated feature - Hayao Miyazaki’s “Howl’s Moving Castle”
    • Best Actor – Heath Ledger for “Brokeback Mountain”
    • Best Actress – Reese Witherspoon for “Walk the Line”
    • Best Supporting Actor – William Hurt for “A History of Violence.”
    • Best Supporting Actress – Maria Bello for “A History of Violence.”
    • Best Cinematography - Christopher Doyle, Lai Yiu Fai and Kwan Pun Leung for “2046”
    • Best Screenplay – Noah Baumbach for “The Squid and the Whale”
  • Colin Farrell admitted to a treatment centre for exhaustion and addiction to prescription drugs.
  • England beat Wales 3-0 to reach semi-finals of World Team Squash Championships in Pakistan
  • Chris Hoy, Craig McLean and Ross Edgar win Britain's 9th gold medal of Manchester World Cup leg

13 Quiz

  • 1. Sudan said that it would not allow international investigators into which region to collect evidence on alleged war crimes?
  • Darfur
  • 2. Who became the 1st woman to win the Golf Writers' Trophy twice since award began?
  • Annika Sorenstam
  • 3. Where in Nepal did a Nepalese soldier open fire on a crowd killing at least 11 civilians?
  • Nagarkot
  • 4. Which sprinter announced his retirement following his two-year ban for steroid abuse?
  • Tim Montgomery
  • 5. In December the UN decided to pull US, Canadian and European peacekeepers out of which country after an ultimatum from the country concerned?
  • Eritrea
  • 6. England lost the 3rd ODI in Karachi by a record equalling margin. How many were they beaten by?
  • 165 runs
  • 7. According to US magazine Billboard which group’s “Vertigo” tour was the highest grossing of 2005?
  • U2
  • 8. Which Australian sports team denied claims of binge drinking during their recent tour of Britain?
  • Rugby League
  • 9. Which Australian sports team faced a storm of protest after supposedly using mock executions at a training camp?
  • Australian swimming team
  • 10. “The List:” Name the top three finishing celebrities in Strictly Come Dancing 3?
  • Darren Gough, Colin Jackson and Zoe Ball

12

  • UK Charts:
    • Singles:
      • 1. Pussycat Dolls – Stickwitu
      • 2. Madonna - Hung Up
      • 3. Sugababes - Ugly
      • 4. Westlife - You Raise Me Up
      • 5. The Strokes – Juicebox
    • Albums:
      • 1. Eminem - Curtain Call - The Hits
      • 2. Robbie Williams - Intensive Care
      • 3. Westlife - Face To Face
      • 4. Take That - Never Forget - The Ultimate Collection
      • 5. Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor
  • Firefighters prepare to smother the blaze at a Hertfordshire oil depot with gigantic foam blanket
  • Sopranos actor Lillo Brancato Jr faces murder charges after a policeman was shot dead during a burglary. In the show he plays - Matt Bevilacqua
  • Hollywood giant Paramount buys rival studio Dreamworks
  • “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” tops the UK and US box offices
  • Lexus Cup in Singapore - International Team 16-8 Asia
    • International team: Annika Sorenstam (Swe), Paula Creamer (US), Natalie Gulbis (US), Marisa Baena (US), Catriona Matthew (GB), Carin Koch (Swe), Jill McGill (US), Sophie Gustafson (Swe), Karen Stupples (GB), Janice Moodie (GB), Suzann Pettersen (Nor), Erica Blasberg (US)
    • Asia team: Grace Park (S Kor), Jang Jeong (S Kor), Lee Meena (S Kor), Candie Kung (Tai), Gloria Park (S Kor), Birdie Kim (S Kor), Han Hee-Won (S Kor), Jennifer Rosales (Phi), Song Aree (Tha), Song Naree (Tha), Riko Higashio (Jpn), Namika Omata (Jpn)
  • Great Britain’s cyclists are beaten by New Zealand at the Manchester leg of the World Cup.
  • Mark Foster wins a silver and bronze on the final day of the European Short-Course Championships.
  • Nicole Cooke signs Swiss-based team, Univega, just a day after breaking her collarbone
  • National Board of Review Awards for 2005:
    • Best Film - Good Night, And Good Luck
    • Top Ten Films - Good Night, And Good Luck, Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Crash, A History of Violence, Match Point, Memoirs of a Geisha, Munich, Syriana, Walk the Line
    • Best Foreign Language Film - Paradise Now
    • Top Five Documentaries - March of the Penguins, Ballets Russes, Grizzly Man, Mad Hot Ballroom, Murderball
    • Top Foreign Films - Paradise Now, 2046, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Downfall, Walk on Water
    • Best Actor - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
    • Best Actress - Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
    • Best Supporting Actor - Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
    • Best Supporting Actress - Gong Li, Memoirs of a Geisha
    • Best Acting By An Ensemble - Mrs. Henderson Presents
    • Breakthrough Performance Actor - Terrence Howard, Crash, Get Rich or Die Tryin' and Hustle & Flow
    • Breakthrough Performance Actress - Q'Orianka Kilcher, The New World
    • Best Director - Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
    • Best Directorial Debut - Julian Fellowes, Separate Lies
    • Best Adapted Screenplay - Stephen Gaghan, Syriana
    • Best Original Screenplay - Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale
    • Best Documentary - March of the Penguins
    • Best Animated Feature - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
    • Best Film or Mini-Series Made for Cable TV - Lackawanna Blues
    • Career Achievement Award - Jane Fonda
    • Billy Wilder Award for Excellence in Directing - David Cronenberg
    • Career Achievement - Music Composition - Howard Shore
    • Outstanding Achievement in Special Effects - King Kong
    • William K. Everson Award for Film History - George Feltenstein
    • Special Achievement in Producing - Saul Zaentz
    • Special Recognition of Films That Reflect Freedom of Expression - Innocent Voices and The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till
    • Special Recognition For Excellence In Filmmaking - Breakfast on Pluto, Cape of Good Hope, The Dying Gaul, Everything Is Illuminated, Hustle & Flow, Junebug, Layer Cake, Lord of War, Nine Lives, The Thing About My Folks, The Upside of Anger

12 Quiz

  • 1. Matt Skelton retained his British heavyweight title with a first-round stoppage of which boxer in December 2005?
  • John McDermott
  • 2. According to new research which animals have become the most contaminated mammals in the Arctic?
  • Killer whales
  • 3. An unofficial day of mourning was observed in Lebanon for which anti-Syrian newspaper owner and MP killed by a bomb in December 2005?
  • Gibran Tueni
  • 4. Which Veteran film-maker, who produced Ramayana one of India's most popular TV series, has died in the city of Mumbai (Bombay) aged 87 after an illness?
  • Ramanand Sagar
  • 5. Which fuel depot in Hemel Hempstead was the subject of a massive blaze in December 2005?
  • Buncefield
  • 6. In December 2005 it was announced that inflation had fallen to what figure?
  • 2.1%
  • 7. Which film won three awards at the New York Film Critics Circle awards 2005?
  • Brokeback Mountain
  • 8. Who said on BBC Five Live "To be considered a boxer is an honour and I don't know that Audley Harrison can be considered a boxer"?
  • Chris Eubank
  • 9. Which country said that it intended to pay off entire $15.5bn debt to International Monetary Fund 2 years ahead of schedule?
  • Brazil
  • 10. “The List:” With the third King Kong version out in the cinemas, name the three actresses who have played Anne Darrow doing so in 1933, 1976 and 2005?
  • Fay Wray, Jessica Lange and Naomi Watts

11

  • Jo Jackson and David Davies win silver medals at the European Short-Course Championships
  • 3 large explosions at a fuel depot near Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire.
  • Sir OJ wins Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
  • Groundbreaking US comedian Richard Pryor dies in California at the age of 65
  • Breakaway republic of Trans-Dniester holds elections
  • Rayfran das Neves Sales and Clodoaldo Carlos Batista jailed for murdering US-born nun and peasants' rights activist Dorothy Stang
  • Model Caprice charged with drink-driving after being arrested in central London
  • Amir Khan seals an impressive second-round stoppage against Daniel Thorpe.
  • Matt Skelton retains his British heavyweight title with a first-round stoppage of John McDermott.
  • Best Mate's ashes are laid to rest behind the winning post at Cheltenham.
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan crashes out of the UK Championships after a 9-8 defeat to Mark King.

11 Quiz

  • 1. Which Noel Meade-trained horse was ridden to victory by Paul Carberry in the inaugural Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup at Cheltenham?
  • Sir OJ
  • 2. Which 29-year old actor has been admitted to a treatment centre for exhaustion after completing his latest movie “Miami Vice”?
  • Colin Farrell
  • 3. Who said that he would run a Blairite administration if he becomes PM?
  • Gordon Brown
  • 4. Which knocked Ronnie O’Sullivan out of the UK Championships, beating him 9-8?
  • Mark King
  • 5. In December 2005 which model was charged with drink driving after being arrested in central London?
  • Caprice
  • 6. Which English batsman returned home early from the tour of Pakistan with a rib injury and missed the last three one-day internationals?
  • Kevin Pietersen
  • 7. Marc Hoaglin admitted unlawfully putting a copy of which film on the internet before its release on DVD, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of three years?
  • Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
  • 8. Which poet launched the Poetry Online Archive?
  • Andrew Motion
  • 9. Which racecourse will host the 2006 St Leger while Doncaster is redeveloped?
  • York
  • 10. “The List:” As Christmas approaches name the 6 songs and artists which have been a UK Christmas number one with the word "Christmas" or "Xmas" in the title?
  • Dickie Valentine - "Christmas Alphabet", Slade - "Merry Xmas Everybody", Mud - "Lonely This Christmas", Band Aid - "Do They Know It's Christmas", Band Aid II - "Do They Know It's Christmas", Band Aid 20 - "Do They Know It's Christmas"

10

  • Danny Williams beats Audley Harrison in split decision 116-113 116-112, 113-114
  • UN's nuclear agency and its head Mohamed ElBaradei are in Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • Skoda will not run a factory team in the 2006 World Rally Championship
  • UK's Record of the Year award:
    • 1. Westlife – You Raise Me Up
    • 2. McFly - All About You
    • 3. Black Eyed Peas - My Humps
    • 4. James Blunt - You're Beautiful
    • 5. Daniel Powter- Bad Day
  • Boris Johnson resigns as editor of the Spectator to become Tory shadow higher education minister
  • 2006 World Cup finals group stages:
    • GROUP A
      • Germany
      • Costa Rica
      • Poland
      • Ecuador
    • GROUP B
      • England
      • Paraguay
      • Trinidad & Tobago
      • Sweden
    • GROUP C
      • Argentina
      • Ivory Coast
      • Serbia & Montenegro
      • Holland
    • GROUP D
      • Mexico
      • Iran
      • Angola
      • Portugal
    • GROUP E
      • Italy
      • Ghana
      • USA
      • Czech Republic
    • GROUP F
      • Brazil
      • Croatia
      • Australia
      • Japan
    • GROUP G
      • France
      • Switzerland
      • South Korea
      • Togo
    • GROUP H
      • Spain
      • Ukraine
      • Tunisia
      • Saudi Arabia
  • The US examines a video apparently showing security contractors firing at Iraqi civilians.
  • Neptune and its largest moon Triton discussed as the possible targets of a space mission
  • Gerhard Schroeder is criticised for taking a top job in a Russian-led gas consortium.
  • New Zealand reach highest 332 the highest ever target in a ODI for a 2-wicket victory over Australia
  • Wayne Bennett quits as Australia coach following his side's Tri-Nations final loss to New Zealand.
  • JD Wetherspoon wins the right to challenge Guildford authority's refusal to grant extended hours
  • Liam Tancock wins another bronze at the 50m backstroke at the European short-course event.

10 Quiz

  • 1. Who married his girlfriend Luciana Barroso in New York?
  • Matt Damon
  • 2. Following his side's 24-0 Tri-Nations final loss to New Zealand who has quit as coach of Australia?
  • Wayne Bennett
  • 3. Which Iranian leader has described the Nazi Holocaust of European Jewry as a "myth?
  • President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
  • 4. Which spinner completed his eighth 10-wicket match haul as India beat Sri Lanka by 188 runs in the second Test to lead the series 1-0?
  • Anil Kumble
  • 5. Detlef Wittig the chairman of which auto company has said that they will not compete in the 2006 World rally competition?
  • Skoda
  • 6. Brian O'Driscoll has signed a new contract with club?
  • Leinster
  • 7. How many years was Peter Falconio's murderer Bradley Murdoch told he must serve in prison before parole?
  • 28
  • 8. After Russia and Romania which European country confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in December 2005?
  • Ukraine
  • 9. England's opening game of the 2006 World Cup will on the 10th June 2006 in Frankfurt against which team?
  • Paraguay
  • 10. “The List:” Only two songs became Christmas number one in the UK singles charts on Christmas Day, name them?
  • Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born (Soleado) 25/12/1976 and Westlife - I Have A Dream / Seasons In The Sun (25/12/1999)

09

  • David Cameron says he will focus on the environment
  • Key Croatian war crimes suspect Ante Gotovina held in Spain before expected transfer to The Hague
  • Inuit peoples file legal petition alleging US policy on climate change violates their human rights
  • London Stock Exchange rejects a proposed takeover bid from Australia's Macquarie Bank
  • Jemma Simpson is called up to represent England in 800m at Melbourne Commonwealth Games
  • Status Quo cancel the remainder of UK tour after Rick Parfitt is found to have a growth in his larynx.
  • A faction of Naga separatist rebels in North-East India say 5 of their bases in Burma are under attack
  • Matthew Stevens beaten by Stuart Bingham 9-3 in York, Jimmy White loses 9-3 to Ding Jun Hui
  • US admits it has not given the Red Cross access to all detainees in its custody.
  • Mark Foster wins 50m freestyle at European Short-Course Championships
  • Danny Williams snubs pre-fight press conference fearing punch-up with Audley Harrison.
  • 2002 Champion Hurdle winner Hors La Loi III wins on chasing debut after absence of 978 days

09 Quiz

  • 1. Who has been named as Wigan skipper for the 2006 season?
  • Sean O'Loughlin
  • 2. Which part does Andy Serkis play in the film besides Kong?
  • Lumpy the Cook
  • 3. A 2-1 defeat by which team saw Manchester United exit the Champions League in December 2005?
  • Benfica
  • 4. In the latest series of “Little Britain”what is the name of the Member of Parliament continually forced to explain himself to the press?
  • Sir Norman Fry
  • 5. Who said in December 2005 "I will not return, I will not come to an unjust court! Go to hell!"?
  • Saddam Hussein
  • 6. Where in December was a man claiming to have a bomb on board an American Airlines plane in shot dead by US air marshals?
  • Miami
  • 7. Status Quo have cancelled the remainder of a UK tour after which member was found to have a growth in his larynx?
  • Rick Parfitt
  • 8. Who was sacked as manager of Real Madrid in December 2005?
  • Wanderley Luxemburgo
  • 9. Who is the director of the new film starring Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, “In Her Shoes”?
  • Curtis Hanson
  • 10. “The List:”

08

  • Virgin Mobile's board rejects NTL's £817m
  • Former PM Margaret Thatcher returns from spending a night in hospital after feeling faint.
  • Rigoberto Alpizar shot dead by a US air marshal in Miami after claiming he had a bomb
  • Manuel Zelaya Rosales is president elect in Honduras.
  • Red Cross and Red Crescent movements adopt red crystal as a 3rd emblem to allow Israel to join.
  • Sir Alex Ferguson refuses to answer questions about his future after Man Utd exit Champions League
  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe movie gets its World premiere in London's Royal Albert Hall.
    • Director: Andrew Adamson
    • White Witch: Tilda Swinton
    • Susan: Anna Popplewell
    • Lucy: Georgie Henley
    • Edmund: Skandar Keynes
    • Peter: William Moseley
    • Aslan: Liam Neeson
    • Mr Tumnus: James McAvoy

08 Quiz

  • 1. By what margin did Pakistan win the third and final test of England’s tour?
  • An innings and 100 runs
  • 2. Who said in December 2005 that he wanted to move away from Punch and Judy politics?
  • David Cameron
  • 3. Against which player did Mario Ancic win the decider in the Davis Cup final in December 2005?
  • Mertinak
  • 4. At the 2005 British Independent Film Awards who won the award for Best supporting actor/actress for “The Libertine”?
  • Rosamund Pike
  • 5. Which duo have recorded a version of Peter Gabriel’s “Don’t Give Up” to help children affected by HIV and Aids in Africa?
  • Bono and Alicia Keys
  • 6. Who was the presenter of Channel 4’s spoof show “Space Cadets”?
  • Johnny Vaughn
  • 7. Who beat Stephen Hendry 6-0 to retain his Premier League title in Manchester?
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan
  • 8. Defending champions England retained their Dubai Sevens title with a 28-26 victory over which team?
  • Fiji
  • 9. Who gave Stefano Baldini the Olympic flame to begin the torch relay for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin?
  • Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
  • 10. “The List:” Westlife won the record of the year for 2005, they have also won three times before, name the singles?
  • Flying Without Wings (1999), My Love (2000), and Mandy (2003)

07

  • Veteran actor Omar Sharif pleads not guilty to charges that he assaulted a parking attendant.
  • Saddam Hussein refuses to return to court in a protest about his treatment and the conduct of the trial.
  • Ivory Coast opposition leader Alassane Ouattara returns for his mother's funeral.
  • Housebuilder Persimmon and Kazakhstan miner Kazakhmys are set to join the UK's FTSE 100
  • Price of stamps set to rise in April 2006- with 1st class up 2p to 32p, and 2nd class up 1p to 22p.
  • PGA Awards:
    • Tour Player of the Year - Tigers Woods (for the seventh time in nine years)
    • Champions Tour Player of the Year - Dana Quigley
    • Nationwide Tour Award - Jason Gore
    • PGA Tour Rookie of the Year - Sean O'Hair
    • Comeback Player of the Year - Olin Browne
  • Lawn Tennis Association awards:
    • Player of the year - Andy Murray
    • Junior player of the year - Andrew Kennaugh
    • Disabled player of the year - Jayant Mistry
  • Italian officials receive the flame for the Turin Winter Olympics at a ceremony in Athens.
  • Channel 4 launches “Space Cadets” 9 gullible people tricked in to believing they are to go in to space
  • New York Stock Exchange members vote to agree its merger with electronic trading firm Archipelago.
  • The World Equestrian Games will be held in Lexington in 2010 Worlds
  • Ayman al-Zawahri says Osama Bin Laden is still alive and leading a holy war against the West
  • Turkey weightlifter Halil Mutlu has been banned for two-years after testing positive for nandrolone.
  • Robert Winston makes his comeback after a spell out through injury and a fight against alcoholism.
  • 2005 Derby awards
    • Tipster Challenge - Will Hayler (Press Association)
    • International Trainer - Andrew Balding
    • National Hunt Jockey - Ruby Walsh
    • National Hunt Trainer - Paul Nicholls
    • George Ennor Trophy - Peter Sayer (Clerk of the scales)
    • Flat Jockey - Jamie Spencer
    • Flat Trainer - Michael Bell
    • Owner - Graham Wylie
    • Stable staff - Steve Kingstree (Jeremy Noseda), Ernie Peterson (Micky Hammond)
    • Photographer - Bill Selwyn (Freelance)
    • President's Trophy - Reg Holinshead
    • Broadcaster - Robert Cooper
    • Journalist - Richard Edmondson.

07 Quiz

  • 1. Who was the New Zealand stand-in captain for the series of one-day internationals in Australia?
  • Daniel Vettori
  • 2. Ministers are said to be considering raising the minimum legal age for what in England from 16 to 18?
  • Buying tobacco
  • 3. Thammanoon Srirot was 2nd in the recent Hong Kong open, what nationality is he?
  • Thai
  • 4. In which city did heiress Athina Roussel Onassis marry in December 2005?
  • Sao Paulo
  • 5. Which footballer did Everton fans try to embarrass by voting for in large numbers for BBC Sportsman of the Year?
  • Peter Crouch
  • 6. Dan Wheldon has signed to race for which team in next year's IRL?
  • Chip Ganassi
  • 7. Which leader has invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit Jerusalem and the holy places?
  • Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas
  • 8. Against which team did Paul Scholes score his first goal of the 2005/06 season?
  • Portsmouth
  • 9. Which course will hold the 2009 Open?
  • Turnberry
  • 10. “The List:” Name the group and the singles that were the top 5 records of the year?
  • Westlife – You Raise Me Up, McFly - All About You, Black Eyed Peas - My Humps, James Blunt - You're Beautiful, Daniel Powter- Bad Day

06

  • Final of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here:
    • 1. Carol Thatcher
    • 2. Sheree Murphy
    • 3. Sid Owen
  • British Racing Drivers' Club awards
    • Richard Seaman trophy for success abroad – Dan Wheldon
    • Earl Howe award - Dan Wheldon
    • BRDC's gold star – Dan Wheldon
    • Posthumous award for courage and sportsmanship – Richard Burns
    • Special gold star awards - Andy Priaulx and Gary Paffett
    • Graham Hill trophy - Lewis Hamilton
  • BBC Wales 2005:
    • Sports Personality of the Year - Gareth Thomas
    • Team Award: The Wales Rugby Team
    • Carwyn James Award for Best Young Male - Chaz Davies
    • Carwyn James Award for Best Young Female - Non Stanford
    • Merit award for outstanding contribution to Welsh sport - Lynn Davies
    • Unsung hero - Mary Lewis of Swansea Valley Swimming Club.
  • 2006 World Cup finals seedings:
    • 1. Brazil 64
    • 2. England 51
    • 3. Spain 50
    • 4. Germany 48
    • 5. Mexico 47
    • 6. France 46
    • 7. Argentina 44
    • 8. Italy 44
  • David Cameron favourite to be named new Tory leader
  • Paul Gascoigne arrested over alleged assault after being sacked as manager of Kettering Town.
  • Ex-South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma is charged with rape.
  • US court drops conspiracy charges against Tom DeLay, but money-laundering charges stand.
  • Gordon Brown says he will run a Blairite administration if he becomes PM
  • Seattle Seahawks defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 42-0 to equal their longest NFL winning streak.
  • US Open champion Michael Campbell is named the European Tour Golfer of the Year for 2005.
  • First Test, Madras, day 5: India 167 drew with Sri Lanka 168-4
  • A cat-sized mammal, which appears to be new to science, is spotted in the forests of Borneo.

06 Quiz

  • 1. Cyclist Raimondas Rumsas is facing an eight-month suspended prison term after appearing in court to answer charges of importing doping substances. What nationality is he?
  • Lithuanian
  • 2. Which country’s highest court has ruled in favour of same-sex marriages?
  • South Africa's
  • 3. Where is the current World Squash Championships taking place?
  • Hong Kong
  • 4. What animal did scientists say may be acting as reservoirs of the killer Ebola virus?
  • Fruit bats
  • 5. On World Aids Day, how many people did the UN say the disease affected?
  • 40 million
  • 6. Which Bollywood legend hero of more than 100 films and once dubbed the "most famous actor of the millennium" by a BBC News website was stable in hospital after abdominal surgery in December 2005?
  • Amitabh Bachchan
  • 7. Which film the three top awards at the 2005 British Independent Film Awards?
  • The Constant Gardener
  • 8. Which car once described as a "beggar to drive” sold at auction in December 2005 for over £100k?
  • Inspector Morse’s burgundy Mark II Jaguar
  • 9. In the latest series of “Little Britain” what is creature does Letty love?
  • Frogs
  • 10. “The List:” Tony Blair is now facing his fifth Tory Leader in David Cameron, name the other four?
  • Michael Howerd, Ian-Duncan Smith, William Hague and John Major

05

  • Colin Montgomerie wins Hong Kong Open and regains World top 10 place
  • Charles Konan Banny named Interim PM for Ivory Coast by mediators
  • Junichiro Koizumi happy with China's decision to delay annual talks over visits to Yasukuni shrine
  • Newcastle Eagles win the BBL Cup with an 83-69 victory over London Towers.
  • Saddam Hussein's defence team walk out, questioning the legitimacy of the court
  • The Turner Prize for art is won by Simon Starling for “Shedboatshed (Mobile Architecture No 2)”
  • World premiere in New York of Peter Jackson's “King Kong”
  • Bono and Alicia Keys sing “Don’t Give Up” to help children affected by HIV and Aids in Africa
  • First Test, Madras (day four, stumps):India 90-2 v Sri Lanka
  • Grant Algie, the lawyer for murder suspect Bradley Murdoch says police investigating Peter Falconio's murder may have framed him
  • The first ceremonies under the Civil Partnerships Act can take place in Northern Ireland on 19 December, followed by Scotland the next day and England and Wales on 21 December.
  • Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev wins 91% of the vote in a presidential poll
  • Wanderley Luxemburgo sacked as manager of Real Madrid
  • President Hugo Chavez wins all 167 seats in elections as opposition boycott
  • Paul Haarhuis beats Jim Courier 6-4 7-6 to win the Masters Tennis event at Royal Albert Hall
  • Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Stephen Hendry 6-0 to retain Premier League title in Manchester
  • Davis Cup final – Croatia win 3-2
    • Hrbaty bt Ljubicic 4-6 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-4
    • Ancic bt Mertinak 7-6 6-3 6-4

05 Quiz

  • 1. Trablogan was the first horse since 1984 to shrug off top weight and clinch the Hennesey Gold Cup. Who won then?
  • Burrough Hill Lad
  • 2. Which group have announced plans for their “Bigger Bang” European tour in 2006, which includes four UK dates?
  • The Rolling Stones
  • 3. Which former star of Australian soap Neighbours, who played Joe Scully, has won damages of AUS$196,709 (£84,416) after a judge ruled he was unfairly sacked?
  • Shane Connor
  • 4. Drummer, Tony Meehan has died aged 62, he was a founding member of which UK pop group?
  • The Shadows
  • 5. Which veteran actor’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been stolen?
  • Gregory Peck
  • 6. More than three years after retiring which former World number one says she will return to professional tennis in 2006?
  • Martina Hingis
  • 7. In the latest series of “Little Britain” what is the name of Dudley’s Thai mail order bride?
  • Ting Tong
  • 8.Which entertainer is currently being held in Phuoc Co prison?
  • Gary Glitter
  • 9. Which New Zealand stand-off suffered a broken leg during the final of the Gillette Tri-Nations Series?
  • Nigel Vagana
  • 10. “The List:” Ronaldinho won the 2005 Ballon D’Or or European Footballer of the Year Award, but which 3 English players were in the top 10?
  • Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and John Terry

04

  • Sergei Dzindziruk wins WBO light middleweight belt defeating champion Daniel Santos
  • Germany says it has a list of 437 flights suspected of being used by CIA to transport prisoners
  • Philadelphia continues with plans for citywide wireless internet access - Wireless Philadelphia
  • Ministers consider raising the minimum legal age for buying tobacco in England from 16 to 18
  • Kazakhs vote in presidential election – incumbent is Nursultan Nazarbayev
  • Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas invites Pope Benedict XVI to visit Jerusalem and the holy places.
  • Athina Roussel Onassis marries Alvaro Alfonso de Miranda, a Brazilian Olympic horse-rider
  • Brad Pitt applies to become the adoptive father of Angelina Jolie's two children.
  • 18th European Film Awards in Berlin
    • Best movie – Cache (Hidden) by Michael Haneke
    • Best actor - Daniel Auteuil for Cache (Hidden)
    • Best director - Michael Haneke for Cache (Hidden)
    • Best actress - Julia Jentsch for “Sophie Scholl - Die letzten Tage”
    • Best non-European film - Good Night, and Good Luck
    • Best screenplay - Hany Abu-Assad and Bero Beyer for “Paradise Now”
    • Lifetime achievement award - Sir Sean Connery
  • Rap moguls Irving and Christopher Lorenzo cleared of money laundering charges
  • Davis Cup final in Bratislava - Ancic/Ljubicic bt Hrbaty/Mertinak 7-6 6-3 7-6, Croatia lead 2-1
  • Paul Haarhuis beats Sergi Brugera in the Masters Tennis semis to set up a final against Jim Courier.
  • Jermain Taylor retains undisputed world middleweight title after unanimous points decision against *Bernard Hopkins - all three judges scoring it 115-113
  • Israel Vazquez defeats Oscar Larios in 3rd round of IBF/ WBC bantanweight unification bout

04 Quiz

  • 1. Who won the women's European trial race at the UK Cross-Country Challenge in Liverpool?
  • Liz Yelling
  • 2. Whose trial has been adjourned to allow the defence team time to replace 2 murdered lawyers?
  • Saddam Hussein
  • 3. Which horse won the 2005 Hennessy Gold Cup?
  • Trabolgan
  • 4. Which woman was the 2nd person to be voted off "I'm A Celebrity ..."?
  • Jilly Goolden
  • 5. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson compared Wayne Rooney to Old Trafford legend George Best after his side beat which team 2-1?
  • West Ham
  • 6. The government of which African country is to offer free HIV testing to all its 1.8 million citizens in a bid to reverse the spread of AIDS?
  • Lesotho
  • 7. Which prop said that he was "embarrassed" to be part of the first Australia team in 27 years to lose a Test series?
  • Petero Civoniceva
  • 8. Which ferry group have agreed to be bought by Dubai Ports World in a takeover deal worth £3.3bn ($5.7bn)?
  • P&O
  • 9. The price of gold per ounce has gone through which psychological barrier, to stand at the highest since 1983?
  • $500
  • 10. “The List:” Take That have reformed but without Robbie, name the four members:
  • Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald

03

  • Envoy arrives in Iraq to try to win the release of kidnapped Briton Norman Kember and 3 others
  • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to sue CIA over a man allegedly abducted and flown to a secret Afghan prison.
  • Carl Froch retains Commonwealth super middleweight title stopping Ruben Groenewald
  • Thousands of people flood the streets of east Belfast for funeral of football legend George Best.
  • Brazil's police arrest 29 people in a raid into the Amazon to protect the isolated Rio Pardo tribe
  • Indonesian woman, Sri Wahyuni, confirmed as the country's 8th bird flu victim
  • 1st patient to undergo a face transplant recovering after surgery in Amiens
  • Sir Sean Connery gives his backing to Daniel Craig, the latest to take on James Bond role.
  • Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood fail to win any seats in the parliamentary elections
  • Third Test, Lahore, day five: Pakistan 636-8d beat England 288 & 248 by inns & 100 runs – Man of the match - Mohammad Yousuf with 223. Pakistan win series 2-0
  • Davis Cup final:
    • Hrbaty/Mertinak v Ancic/Ljubicic
  • Masters Tennis - semi finals
    • Jim Courier beat John McEnroe 6-4 6-4
    • Paul Haarhuis beat Sergi Bruguera 6-1 6-4
  • Turnberry wins the right to stage the 138th Open in 2009
  • First one-day international, Auckland: Australia 252-8 beat New Zealand 105 by 147 runs
  • Renault make Finland's Heikki Kovalainen their test driver for the 2006 Formula One season.

03 Quiz

  • 1. In the third test against Pakistan what were Pakistan’s 1st innings score?
  • 636-8 declared
  • 2. In December 205, which actor was breathalysed by police while driving with actress Jennifer Aniston?
  • Vince Vaughn
  • 3. For which team will former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve drive in 2006?
  • BMW-Sauber
  • 4. What is the name of the "pro-gay" bishop in Malawi that Anglican bishops have refused to confirm the appointment of?
  • Nicholas Henderson
  • 5. Which company own internet telephony service Skype?
  • e-Bay
  • 6. In the first one-day international in Auckland, Australia scored 252-8, what did New Zealand score?
  • 105
  • 7. Where in Belfast was George Best’s funeral service held?
  • Stormont
  • 8. Which country recently said that it had a list of 437 flights suspected of being used by CIA to transport prisoners suspected of being terrorists in to their country?
  • Germany
  • 9. Which Bradford Bulls player announced his retirement due to persistent injuries in December 2005?
  • Karl Pratt
  • 10. “The List:” Name the 8 teams seeded for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany?
  • Brazil, England, Spain, Germany, Mexico, France, Argentina, and Italy

02

  • Tony Blair considers surrendering 12-15% part of the UK's £3.8bn EU rebate
  • Kenneth Boyd becomes 1,000th person executed in US since it reinstated the death penalty in 1976
  • In Malawi Anglican bishops refuse to confirm appointment of "pro-gay" bishop Nicholas Henderson
  • John Howard says Singapore's execution of Melbourne man, Nguyen Tuong Van, may harm links between their peoples.
  • French appeals court acquits six people wrongly convicted of child sex abuse in 2004 – Outreau case
  • Rugby league World XIII 2005:
    • A Minichiello (Australia); B Tate (Australia), M Gasnier (Australia), M Cooper (Australia); L Vainikolo (New Zealand); D Lockyer (Australia), A Johns (Australia); S Fielden (Great Britain), K Cunningham (Great Britain), R Wiki (New Zealand), C Fitzgibbon (Australia), J Peacock (Great Britain), B Kennedy (Australia).
  • White House expresses concern over reports of US military paying Iraqi papers to run positive stories
  • Vince Vaughn breathalysed by police while driving with actress Jennifer Aniston.
  • Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve to drive for new BMW-Sauber team
  • Popular snooker referee Colin Brinded dies following a long battle with cancer.
  • City AM newspaper says Tesco chief executive Terry Leahy will leave to become health tsar
  • Q Magazine's records of the year
    • Albums of the year:
      • 1: Coldplay, X&Y
      • 2: Gorillaz, Demon Days
      • 3: Kaiser Chiefs, Employment
      • 4: Oasis, Don't Believe the Tru