The week in questions

Question 1

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a parliamentary vote today regarding the controversial appointment of which individual as ambassador to Washington?

1. Morgan McSweeney
2. Peter Mandelson
3. Olly Robbins
4. Jeffrey Epstein

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Peter Mandelson

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a vote on whether he should be investigated by a parliamentary standards watchdog over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.

Question 2

Which major international figure is addressing the U.S. Congress today as part of a state visit to Washington?

1. Prime Minister Keir Starmer
2. King Charles III
3. President Emmanuel Macron
4. Chancellor Olaf Scholz

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King Charles III

King Charles III is scheduled to address the U.S. Congress on Tuesday as part of his state visit to Washington.

Question 3

What condition has Iran proposed for reopening the Strait of Hormuz?

1. The immediate lifting of all international sanctions.
2. The US lifting its blockade and ending the war.
3. A UN-brokered peace deal with Israel.
4. Increased oil production quotas from OPEC.

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The US lifting its blockade and ending the war.

Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade on the country and an end to the war.

Question 4

The UK government has announced reforms to which housing scheme, including increasing the minimum eligibility period for tenants from three to ten years?

1. Help to Buy
2. Shared Ownership
3. Right to Buy
4. Affordable Homes Programme

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Right to Buy

The government has confirmed reforms to the Right to Buy scheme, which include increasing the minimum eligibility period from three to ten years.

Question 5

Which company recently raised €6.8 million in funding to build data infrastructure for agentic AI?

1. OpenAI
2. DeepMind
3. Redpine
4. Anthropic

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Redpine

Redpine secured €6.8 million in new funding to develop data infrastructure for agentic AI.

Question 6

British lawmakers recently voted on whether to launch an inquiry into which Prime Minister's actions regarding a controversial ambassadorial appointment?

1. Rishi Sunak
2. Keir Starmer
3. Boris Johnson
4. Liz Truss

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Keir Starmer

British lawmakers voted against launching an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled parliament in statements about his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.

Question 7

Which British monarch recently addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress?

1. Queen Elizabeth II
2. King Charles III
3. Queen Camilla
4. Prince William

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King Charles III

King Charles III addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, emphasizing the importance of the transatlantic alliance and NATO's role in defending global freedom.

Question 8

What did Iran recently propose to the United States regarding the Strait of Hormuz?

1. A joint military exercise
2. A new trade agreement
3. Reopening the Strait in exchange for lifting the US blockade and postponing nuclear talks
4. Establishing a demilitarized zone

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Reopening the Strait in exchange for lifting the US blockade and postponing nuclear talks

Iran presented a new proposal to the United States offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, contingent on the removal of the U.S. blockade and with discussions about Iran's nuclear program shelved for later.

Question 9

Which UK bakery chain is removing display cabinets in some of its London stores due to high rates of shoplifting?

1. Greggs
2. Pret A Manger
3. Costa Coffee
4. Starbucks

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Greggs

Greggs is removing display cabinets in its London stores that have been most severely hit by shoplifters.

Question 10

Which Indian conglomerate announced a $100 billion investment in India's AI infrastructure?

1. Reliance Industries
2. Tata Group
3. Adani Group
4. Wipro

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Adani Group

Adani Group announced a $100 billion investment in India's AI infrastructure with global tech partnerships.

Question 11

Which country's Prime Minister recently faced a vote of no confidence?

1. United Kingdom
2. Canada
3. Spain
4. Israel

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Israel

The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently faced a vote of no confidence which he survived.

Question 12

Which UK retailer is using forensic spray to mark commonly stolen items?

1. Tesco
2. Sainsbury's
3. Co-op
4. Marks & Spencer

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Co-op

Co-op is marking commonly stolen items with forensic spray to track reselling.

Question 13

Which company is Elon Musk in a legal battle with over AI?

1. Google
2. Microsoft
3. OpenAI
4. DeepMind

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OpenAI

Elon Musk and Sam Altman are facing off in court over the founding mission of OpenAI.

Question 14

What is the UK government doing to support firefighters?

1. Providing bespoke health support
2. Increasing their salaries
3. Providing better equipment
4. Offering early retirement packages

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Providing bespoke health support

The government is backing firefighters with tailor-made, research-backed health support during and after service.

Question 15

Which sport is Jos Verstappen involved in?

1. Formula 1
2. Rally Racing
3. Football
4. Cricket

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Rally Racing

Max Verstappen's dad, Jos, was caught in a horror rally crash where his car smashed into a tree.

Question 16

Following the stabbing of two Jewish men in London, what action has the UK government taken?

1. Lowered the terrorism threat level
2. Raised the terrorism threat level
3. Deployed the army to the streets
4. Issued a travel ban to Israel

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Raised the terrorism threat level

The UK has raised the terrorism threat level from substantial to severe, meaning an attack is now highly likely. This follows a rise in both Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorism and an elevated threat to Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions in the UK.

Question 17

Which former Spandau Ballet singer was recently sentenced to 14 years in jail?

1. Tony Hadley
2. Martin Kemp
3. Ross Davidson
4. Steve Norman

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Ross Davidson

Ross Davidson, former Spandau Ballet singer, has been jailed for 14 years for multiple rapes and sexual assaults.

Question 18

Which company is set to cut nearly 4,000 jobs in the UK and Ireland?

1. Ryanair
2. Whitbread
3. British Airways
4. easyJet

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Whitbread

Premier Inn owner Whitbread is planning to cut nearly 4,000 jobs in the UK and Ireland as part of a £2bn cost-saving plan.

Question 19

What action is Donald Trump taking regarding tariffs on Scotch whisky?

1. Increasing them
2. Maintaining them
3. Removing them
4. Reviewing them

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Removing them

Donald Trump has announced he will remove tariffs on Scotch whisky after King Charles's visit to the US.

Question 20

What is the UK Met Office forecasting for the upcoming days?

1. Heavy snow
2. A heatwave with temperatures up to 24C
3. Severe thunderstorms
4. Widespread flooding

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A heatwave with temperatures up to 24C

The Met Office forecasts a 24C scorcher and has named the 34 hottest UK areas.

Question 21

Which UK city saw a car bomb explosion near a police station?

1. London
2. Manchester
3. Belfast
4. Cardiff

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Belfast

A man was charged after a car bomb exploded at a police station near Belfast.

Question 22

Which company is reportedly preparing to cease operations due to financial struggles and high oil prices?

1. British Airways
2. Ryanair
3. Spirit Airlines
4. EasyJet

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Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines is reportedly preparing to cease operations amid financial struggles and high oil prices.

Question 23

Which country is the US withdrawing 5,000 troops from?

1. Japan
2. South Korea
3. Germany
4. Italy

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Germany

The US is withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany in the next 6-12 months, fulfilling a previous threat.

Question 24

What is the UK manufacturing sector's PMI reading for April, marking a four-year high?

1. 50.0
2. 52.3
3. 53.7
4. 55.1

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53.7

The UK manufacturing sector broke to a four-year record in April with a Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) reading at 53.7.

Question 25

Which winger for Chelsea is appealing a four-year doping ban?

1. Raheem Sterling
2. Mykhailo Mudryk
3. Cole Palmer
4. Noni Madueke

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Mykhailo Mudryk

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is appealing against a four-year doping ban.

Question 26

Which US businessman is fronting the consortium that has purchased Sheffield Wednesday?

1. David Gold
2. David Sullivan
3. David Storch
4. David Dein

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David Storch

Arise Capital Partners, fronted by U.S. businessman David Storch, has completed the purchase of Sheffield Wednesday, ending the club's long takeover saga.

Question 27

Which tennis player won the 2026 Madrid Open women's singles title?

1. Mirra Andreeva
2. Jessica Pegula
3. Iga Swiatek
4. Marta Kostyuk

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Marta Kostyuk

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine defeated Mirra Andreeva to win the Madrid Open title, marking her biggest career title to date.

Question 28

How many jobs is Premier Inn's owner, Whitbread, planning to cut in the UK and Ireland?

1. 1,500
2. 2,000
3. 3,800
4. 5,000

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3,800

Premier Inn owner Whitbread has announced plans to cut around 3,800 jobs in the UK and Ireland as part of a new five-year strategy to make £250 million in cost savings and overhaul its restaurants.

Question 29

Keir Starmer said which political leader is 'not fit to lead a political party'?

1. Boris Johnson
2. Zack Polanski
3. Nicola Sturgeon
4. Ed Davey

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Zack Polanski

Keir Starmer has condemned Zack Polanski as “disgraceful” and unfit to head a political party after the Greens' leader shared a social media post critical of the way police tackled the suspect in the Golders Green stabbings.

Question 30

According to reports, what did Donald Trump say about a new peace proposal from Iran?

1. He fully supports it
2. He is reviewing it but is doubtful
3. He has rejected it outright
4. He is not aware of any proposal

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He is reviewing it but is doubtful

President Donald Trump said he was going to review a new Iranian peace proposal but cast doubt over its prospects.