Quiz of The Week: 25 - 1 December

As global conflicts continue to dominate the headlines, the world marked the passing of the man who arguably masterminded US foreign policy during the Cold War. 

Henry Kissinger, who served as secretary of state under presidents Nixon and Ford, died on Wednesday at the age of 100. A "ruthless practitioner of the art of realpolitik", Kissinger had an "outsize impact on global events", said Politico, and his complex legacy remains controversial. 

In more recent geopolitical developments, the Cop28 climate summit got off to a successful start yesterday in Dubai, with delegates from nearly 200 countries agreeing a key funding deal to help poorer nations cope with the impacts of climate change. But the United Arab Emirates has been accused of using its role as host to strike oil and gas deals, after briefing documents were leaked to the BBC. 

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Headlines worldwide have also been preoccupied with unexplained pneumonia outbreaks in China. Concerns have grown after the World Health Organization made an "official request" to Beijing for more information about the increase in respiratory illnesses, but experts are advising against pushing the "pandemic panic button" just yet.

Back in the UK, cooler heads were also calling for calm amid renewed tensions with Greece over the Elgin Marbles. The long-running debate about whether the sculptures should be returned to their original homeland was rekindled after Downing Street cancelled a meeting between Rishi Sunak and his Greek counterpart at the last minute. 

Speaking of controversial returns, Nigel Farage is plotting a comeback to front-line politics once his stint on "I'm a Celebrity" is over, according to The Sun. With his Reform UK (previously the Brexit Party) now polling in the double digits, Farage has reportedly told "pals" that he has "one last shot" at power.

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

1. What is the name of the 1,500-square-mile iceberg that is on the move after breaking away from Antarctica? 

• B-15A
• C-19
• A23a
• A-81

2. The Americans for Prosperity Action group is backing which Republican presidential candidate? 

• Donald Trump 
• Nikki Haley
• Ron DeSantis 
• Vivek Ramaswamy

3. All 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in the northern Himalayas were rescued after how many days stuck underground?

• 10 
• 14
• 17 
• 21

4. What is Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023?

• Authentic
• Deepfake
• Rizz
• Coronation

5. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen ended this year's F1 season with a record 19th Grand Prix victory where?

• Brazil
• Abu Dhabi
• Canada
• Bahrain

6. What is the name of Omid Scobie's controversial new book about the British royal family?

• "Blame Game"
• "Final Countdown"
• "Succession UK"
•  "Endgame"

7. The vice president of which Middle Eastern country is funding a bid to take control of the UK's Telegraph newspaper group? 

• United Arab Emirates
• Kuwait
• Qatar
• Oman

8. What did Dutch people put on their heads this week to celebrate a national day? 

• Omelettes
• Pancakes
• Wraps 
• Pizzas

9. Which author won the 2023 Booker Prize?

• Paul Lynch
• Paul Harding
• Paul Murray
• Sarah Bernstein

10. Elon Musk told advertisers fleeing his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to do what? 

• "Watch your f***ing backs"
• "Go f*** yourself"
• "Get the f*** back here" 
• "Drop dead, f***ers"

1. A23a
The iceberg, which is the largest in the world, had been stuck on the ocean floor of the Weddell Sea since breaking loose from the Antarctic shelf in 1986, but is now heading towards the Southern Ocean. Scientists say the trillion-ton berg is drifting at a rate of three miles a day, but why it is on the move is unclear.

2. Nikki Haley
Founded by the billionaire Koch brothers, the Americans for Prosperity Action group this week announced its support for Haley, calling her a "candidate who can turn the page and win". Find out more with The Week Unwrapped podcast.

3. 17
The workers became trapped when part of the under-construction Silkyara tunnel, in the Indian state of Uttarkashi, collapsed on 12 November following a landslide. They were finally freed on Tuesday, following a large-scale rescue operation.

4. Authentic
Announcing the decision on Monday, the dictionary’s editor at large, Peter Sokolowski, said the rise of AI had "helped drive interest in the word", as "the line between 'real' and 'fake' has become increasingly blurred". Other words on the shortlist included "dystopian" and "deepfake".

5. Abu Dhabi
The Belgian-Dutch driver's win at the season finale on Sunday gave him an 86.4% win rate in this year's 22 F1 races. Verstappen has broken his own record of 15 wins last year, which smashed the previous record of 13 by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. 

6. "Endgame"
Journalist Scobie also co-authored 2020 bestseller "Finding Freedom" about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. His latest book makes a number of "highly controversial allegations" about the Windsors, said The Daily Telegraph, and promises "details on unsolved mysteries".

7. United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Mansour's investment fund, IMI, is making a joint bid with US firm RedBird to take over the Telegraph Media Group, which owns The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator magazine. Critics have argued that the deal would be a threat to the papers' editorial independence, given the restrictions on press freedom in the autocratic UAE. 

8. Pancakes
Every 29 November, residents of the Netherlands celebrate Sint Pannekoek (Saint Pancake) by placing the eponymous pudding on their heads, in a tradition started by a 1980s cartoon. For more stories from the stranger side of life, sign up to our Tall Tales newsletter.

9. Paul Lynch
Announced at a ceremony in London on Sunday, this year's Booker Prize winner is among four Irish writers who made the 13-strong longlist. Commentators claimed that Lynch's victory confirms we are in what Sebastian Barry, the laureate for Irish fiction, has called a "golden age of Irish prose writing".

10. "Go f*** yourself"
X and Tesla owner Musk overshadowed this week's release of his much-hyped Cybertruck by lashing out at major advertisers who have fled his social media platform over antisemitic content. During an interview at The New York Times DealBook conference on Wednesday, the billionaire claimed the boycott was going to "kill the company".