Council brawls, suspicious blood and rampant capybaras – take the Thursday quiz

This capybara has some tricky questions to ask you … Photograph: McDonald Wildlife Photography Inc/Getty Images

The Thursday quiz likes to think of itself as an oasis of calm in a turbulent world. A place where whatever global events have unfolded, you will find yourself being asked instead about silly animal stories that have been in the news, and have the chance to laugh along with the repetitive in-jokes and catchphrases. There are 15 questions on topical news, popular culture and general knowledge. There are no prizes, but you can let us know how you got on in the comments.

The Thursday quiz, No 198

1. 

   A parish council meeting in England recently descended into a brawl with two septuagenarian councillors apparently slugging it out. Where?

   1. Tripton St Andrew

   2. Glossvale St Stephen

   3. Middleton St George

   4. Maeltown St Ronald

2. 

   From the "Oh, that's awkward" files, a self-styled mystic in which country is in trouble after DNA tests matched their blood to the blood apparently miraculously weeping from a statue of the Virgin Mary?

   1. Portugal

   2. Italy

   3. Spain

   4. Poland

3. 

   Australia has opted not to name its next cyclone Anthony, in case people confuse a weather formation with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese. Seems unlikely, but hey ho. What are they calling it instead?

   1. Alfred

   2. Arlo

   3. Ashley

   4. The Abzorbaloff

4. 

   Opposition politicians in Argentina have called for the impeachment of the president, Javier Milei, after what?

   1. He became embroiled in a scandal about air force contracts

   2. He jokingly said he would be happy if Argentina became the 51st state of the US

   3. He touted a cryptocurrency which quickly collapsed

   4. Chris Martin fell through a trapdoor in Buenos Aires

5. 

   Which singer has being charged with defamation in Italy after calling the far-right champion of free speech Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, a "fascist" and "racist"?

   1. Brian Molko from Placebo

   2. Trent Reznor fron Nine Inch Nails

   3. Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs

   4. Russell Mael from Sparks

6. 

   The new Bridget Jones movie enjoyed the biggest opening weekend take for a romcom in British cinema history. It is subtitled after a Dinah Washington song. Which one?

   1. Cry Me a River

   2. Baby Get Lost

   3. Mad About the Boy

   4. Big Long Slidin' Thing

7. 

   While on the subject of cinema, and recycling the same photograph of the gorgeous Hyde Park Picture House in lovely Leeds, who won best leading actress at the Baftas?

   1. Cynthia Erivo for Wicked

   2. Mikey Madison for Anora

   3. Demi Moore for The Substance

   4. Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Hard Truths

8. 

   Talking of Leeds, Leeds United were glorious last-minute winners against Sunderland on Monday night, which caused scenes in the Thursday quiz's local pub. The club was formed in 1919 after which former side was dissolved for not cooperating with an FA investigation into whether it – Shock! Horror! – paid players during the first world war?

   1. Leeds City

   2. Leeds Athletic

   3. Leeds Oracle

   4. Leeds Wanderers

9. 

   Where have they decided to start giving capybaras contraceptives?

   1. Montevideo

   2. São Paulo

   3. Lima

   4. Buenos Aires

10. 

    It's scores on the doors with Swindon’s Diana Dors. This week, the statue, forgetting any of that new-fangled golden ball nonsense, wants to know: if you go first and manage to pot all the balls in snooker, potting the black every time you get the chance to nominate a colour, what is the maximum number of points you can score in a single break?

    1. 127

    2. 137

    3. 147

    4. 157

11. 

    This week's geography topic is Canada. Canada consists of three territories and how many provinces?

    1. Six

    2. Eight

    3. Ten

    4. Twelve

12. 

    This is Willow, the official dog of the Guardian Thursday quiz, with her Pokémon friends Quaxly and Charmander. What is the name of the new Pokémon game slated for release in 2025?

    1. Pokémon Legends: X-Y

    2. Pokémon Legends: A to Z

    3. Pokémon Legends: Z-A

    4. Pokémon Legends: Derek

13. 

    We lost Rick Buckler, drummer with the Jam. What was their debut single called?

    1. In the City

    2. Of the City

    3. To the City

    4. Up the City

14. 

    How many fights erupted between players in the first nine seconds of the US v Canada ice hockey match on Saturday?

    1. Two

    2. Three

    3. Four

    4. 30-50

15. 

    The corporate headquarters of KFC is to move out of Kentucky to which US state?

    1. Texas

    2. Florida

    3. Ohio

    4. Arizona

Solutions

1:C - It was at the generally sleepy village near Teesside airport, with the fracas allegedly resulting in scratches, bleeding, a bruised finger and the destruction of spectacles said to be worth £325, 2:B - Gisella Cardia, who also claimed that the statue was transmitting messages to her, was last year declared a fraud by the Roman Catholic church, which subsequently tightened its rules on supernatural phenomena, 3:A - Of course, now they are instead risking people confusing the weather with Batman's butler, 4:C - His endorsement sent the $Libra soaring in value, only for its worth to collapse shortly afterwards in a cryptocurrency tale as old as time, 5:A - He made the comments while performing at a festival in Turin in 2023, 6:C - Big Long Slidin' Thing is genuinely a Dinah Washington song and yes, it is about exactly what it sounds like it would be about, 7:B - The Thursday quiz believes that Saoirse Ronan's performance in The Outrun was absolutely robbed here, 8:A - They were expelled from the Football League eight games into the 1919–20 season, and Leeds United took over Elland Road from them, 9:D - The lovable rodents have been accused of overrunning the suburb of Nordelta, north of Buenos Aires, leading the government to introduce a programme of selective sterilisation and contraceptives, 10:C - It's achieved by potting all 15 reds (15 points), all 15 blacks (105 points), and all six colours (27 points) in a single turn, 11:C - Canada has 10 provinces and is very much not the 51st state of the USA, 12:C - The game takes place in Lumiose City, which is based on Paris, but it is unclear yet quite where it fits into the Pokémon timeline. The previous title in the Legends series involved travelling back in time to catch Pokémon in the 19th century, 13:A - Buckler was part of the band’s classic lineup alongside bass player Bruce Foxton and lead singer and guitarist Paul Weller, and In The City was the first of nearly 20 UK hit singles, 14:B - Three separate punch-ups sparked up after a tense opening when the US national anthem was loudly booed by the Canadian crowd, 15:A - The chain’s parent company, Yum! Brands, told investors it would move about 100 employees from its corporate office in Louisville, Kentucky, more than 800 miles to the city of Plano in Texas, where the group’s Pizza Hut chain is headquartered

Scores

1. 0 and above.

   We hope you had fun. Let us know how you got on in the comments!

If you really do think there has been an egregious error in one of the questions or answers – and can show your working and are absolutely 100% positive you aren’t attempting to factcheck a joke – you can complain about it in the comments below. Why not watch God’s Country by Lambrini Girls instead?

God’s Country by Lambrini Girls