The week in questions

Question 1

Which country's Prime Minister accused Israel of 'implementing a policy of total destruction of cities and towns'?

1. Syria
2. Lebanon
3. Jordan
4. Egypt

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Lebanon

The Lebanese PM accused Israel of implementing a policy of total destruction of cities and towns in Southern Lebanon.

Question 2

Yvette Cooper, the UK Foreign Secretary, is visiting which two countries to discuss global challenges?

1. France and Germany
2. India and China
3. United States and Canada
4. Australia and New Zealand

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India and China

Yvette Cooper is visiting China and India to discuss tackling global challenges and bolstering cooperation.

Question 3

Which country's stock market jumped nearly 5% to hit an all-time high, driven by technology stocks?

1. Japan
2. China
3. South Korea
4. Hong Kong

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South Korea

The Kospi index in South Korea jumped nearly 5% and hit an all-time high, led by technology-related stocks.

Question 4

The UK government is offering a grant to create a permanent war memorial dedicated to which community?

1. Jewish
2. Muslim
3. Hindu
4. Sikh

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Muslim

The government is inviting applications to create a permanent Muslim war memorial, with a grant of £1 million available.

Question 5

Which country is holding a general election on Monday, June 1, 2026, that is widely expected to be won by the ruling party?

1. Nigeria
2. Egypt
3. Ethiopia
4. Kenya

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Ethiopia

Ethiopia is holding a general election on Monday, June 1, 2026, which is widely expected to be won by the ruling party.

Question 6

Which US President announced on June 1, 2026, that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to a ceasefire?

1. Joe Biden
2. Donald Trump
3. Kamala Harris
4. Mike Pence

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Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump stated on June 1, 2026, that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop fighting.

Question 7

What new legislation, debated in the UK Parliament on June 1, 2026, aims to introduce a single patient record across the NHS in England?

1. NHS Digitalisation Act
2. Health Data Integration Bill
3. NHS Modernisation Bill
4. Patient Care Reform Act

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NHS Modernisation Bill

The NHS Modernisation Bill, debated in Parliament on June 1, 2026, will introduce the single patient record to improve patient care and reduce A&E visits.

Question 8

Which company announced a €75 billion investment to build Europe's largest AI data centers in France on June 1, 2026?

1. Google
2. Microsoft
3. SoftBank
4. Amazon

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SoftBank

SoftBank Group announced plans on June 1, 2026, to invest up to €75 billion to develop AI data center capacity across France.

Question 9

Which UK government official was scheduled to meet India's Commerce and Industry Minister on June 2, 2026, to discuss the India-UK Free Trade Agreement?

1. Rishi Sunak
2. Keir Starmer
3. Peter Kyle
4. Liz Truss

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Peter Kyle

UK Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle was set to meet India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on June 2, 2026, to discuss the India-UK Free Trade Agreement.

Question 10

Which country experienced overnight missile and drone barrages on June 2, 2026, resulting in several deaths and injuries?

1. Poland
2. Ukraine
3. Georgia
4. Finland

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Ukraine

Russian missile and drone barrages rocked parts of Ukraine overnight on June 2, 2026, killing four and wounding dozens.

Question 11

According to the U.S. military, what action did it take in response to Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Gulf this week?

1. Imposed new economic sanctions on Iran.
2. Withdrew its Fifth Fleet from Bahrain.
3. Successfully defeated the attacks and conducted self-defense strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island.
4. Called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

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Successfully defeated the attacks and conducted self-defense strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island.

The U.S. military stated it successfully defeated a series of Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Gulf and conducted self-defense strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island.

Question 12

What percentage cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2042 has the UK government targeted, relative to 1990 levels?

1. 75%
2. 90%
3. 87%
4. 60%

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87%

The British government announced a target to reduce the United Kingdom's greenhouse gas emissions by 87% of 1990 levels by 2042.

Question 13

The fatal stabbing of which British teenager, who was handcuffed by police despite claiming he was the crime victim, has stirred debate about policing and knife crime this week?

1. Thomas Smith
2. Henry Nowak
3. Liam Jones
4. Oliver Brown

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Henry Nowak

The fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Britain, who was handcuffed by police while his killer stood nearby, has sparked debate on policing, race, and knife crime.

Question 14

Which UK supermarket has partnered with the NHS to place cancer awareness warnings on its own-brand bath and shower products?

1. Tesco
2. Sainsbury's
3. Morrisons
4. Asda

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Morrisons

Morrisons is the first supermarket to team up with the NHS to roll out a scheme placing cancer awareness warnings on its own-brand bath and shower products.

Question 15

According to Gartner, which of the following is NOT one of the four critical and unpredictable threats requiring urgent improvements from cybersecurity leaders, identified at their Security & Risk Management Summit this week?

1. Deepfakes
2. Ransomware attacks
3. AI application compromise
4. Prompt injection

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Ransomware attacks

Gartner identified deepfakes, AI application compromise, prompt injection, and software supply chains as four critical and unpredictable threats.

Question 16

In which English city did protests erupt this week following revelations about the police's handling of an 18-year-old stabbing victim, Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed while dying?

1. London
2. Manchester
3. Southampton
4. Birmingham

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Southampton

Protests occurred in Southampton after police body-cam footage showed officers handcuffing Henry Nowak as he lay dying from stab wounds, despite his pleas that he couldn't breathe.

Question 17

Which two countries agreed to a ceasefire this week, contingent on the complete cessation of fire from Hezbollah?

1. United States and Iran
2. Israel and Syria
3. Israel and Lebanon
4. Russia and Ukraine

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Israel and Lebanon

Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire in Washington, with the condition that Iran-backed Hezbollah cease fire and evacuate its operatives from the South Litani Sector.

Question 18

Which company announced plans this week for what could be the largest initial public offering (IPO) ever, aiming to raise about $75 billion?

1. OpenAI
2. Anthropic
3. SpaceX
4. Nvidia

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SpaceX

SpaceX officially announced plans for an IPO, aiming to raise about $75 billion by selling 555.6 million Class A shares at $135 each.

Question 19

What percentage drop in London's hospitality bookings is estimated this week due to ongoing tube strikes?

1. 30%
2. 50%
3. 67%
4. 80%

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67%

The ongoing tube strike in London this week (June 2-4) is estimated to cut hospitality bookings by more than two-thirds, or 67%.

Question 20

Approximately how many England football fans with banning orders have been prevented from travelling to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico?

1. 500
2. 1,000
3. 2,300
4. 5,000

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2,300

More than 2,300 people with football banning orders (FBOs) will be prevented from travelling to the World Cup 2026.

Question 21

What significant mathematical problem, unsolved for 80 years, was recently disproved by an OpenAI model?

1. Riemann Hypothesis
2. Erdős Unit Distance Conjecture
3. P vs NP Problem
4. Goldbach Conjecture

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Erdős Unit Distance Conjecture

An OpenAI general-purpose reasoning model independently disproved the Erdős unit distance conjecture, a famous open problem in discrete geometry that had stumped human mathematicians for 80 years.

Question 22

Which legislative body in the United States recently passed a resolution seeking to curb the President's war powers regarding hostilities with Iran?

1. The Senate
2. The House of Representatives
3. The Supreme Court
4. The National Security Council

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The House of Representatives

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution ordering the withdrawal of American troops from the Iran war, a move that delivers a political blow to President Donald Trump.

Question 23

Which strain of the Ebola virus is currently causing an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment?

1. Zaire strain
2. Sudan strain
3. Bundibugyo strain
4. Tai Forest strain

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Bundibugyo strain

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no treatment, although three vaccines are in development.

Question 24

What percentage is the OECD forecasting for UK core inflation in 2026, placing it among the highest in G7 economies?

1. 1.5%
2. 2.0%
3. 3.1%
4. 4.5%

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3.1%

The OECD highlighted concerns around inflation, forecasting UK core inflation at 3.1%, placing Britain alongside the United States as one of the highest inflation environments among G7 economies.

Question 25

What significant government document has the UK Government agreed to amend following a recommendation from the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC)?

1. The Magna Carta
2. The Bill of Rights
3. The Ministerial Code
4. The Act of Settlement

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The Ministerial Code

The Government has agreed to amend the Ministerial Code following a recommendation from the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC).

Question 26

What significant bill did the U.S. Senate pass on June 5, 2026, after weeks of delays?

1. A new healthcare reform bill
2. A climate change initiative bill
3. A bill to fund immigration enforcement
4. A national infrastructure spending bill

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A bill to fund immigration enforcement

The U.S. Senate passed a $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years.

Question 27

On June 4, 2026, what did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky propose to Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter?

1. A new round of economic sanctions
2. An immediate ceasefire and a face-to-face meeting
3. Increased military aid from NATO
4. A prisoner exchange without conditions

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An immediate ceasefire and a face-to-face meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin proposing an immediate ceasefire along the current frontline and a face-to-face bilateral meeting in a third country to end the war.

Question 28

Researchers at which university received a patent for new technology designed to protect future power grids from cyberattacks using quantum communications?

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2. Stanford University
3. State University of New York at Stony Brook
4. University of Cambridge

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State University of New York at Stony Brook

Researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook received a patent for a new technology that could help protect future energy infrastructure from cyberattacks using quantum communications and advanced networking technologies.

Question 29

What controversial idea have senior U.S. officials reportedly discussed with major artificial intelligence companies?

1. Implementing a global AI regulatory body
2. Acquiring government equity stakes in their firms
3. Banning certain AI technologies outright
4. Mandating open-source AI development

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Acquiring government equity stakes in their firms

Senior U.S. officials have held preliminary discussions with major artificial intelligence companies about the potential for the federal government to acquire some shares in their firms.

Question 30

What new platform, launched by Barts Health on June 5, 2026, provides secure, large-scale access to de-identified patient data for research and innovation?

1. The National Health Research Database
2. The UK Biobank Expansion Project
3. The Barts Health Data Platform
4. The London Medical Research Hub

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The Barts Health Data Platform

The Barts Health Data Platform is now live, providing secure, large-scale data access to support research, innovation, and improved patient outcomes.

Question 31

Which tennis player won the women's singles title at the French Open this week, securing her fourth Roland-Garros title?

1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Coco Gauff
3. Iga Świątek
4. Jasmine Paolini

Show the answer

Iga Świątek

Iga Świątek defeated Jasmine Paolini in straight sets to win the 2024 French Open women's singles title, her fourth at Roland-Garros.

Question 32

Which major central bank announced its first interest rate cut in five years this week, lowering its deposit rate by 25 basis points?

1. Bank of England
2. US Federal Reserve
3. European Central Bank
4. Bank of Japan

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European Central Bank

The European Central Bank (ECB) cut its three key interest rates by 25 basis points on June 6, 2024, marking its first rate cut in five years.

Question 33

Which country's recent general election saw its ruling party, led by Narendra Modi, fail to win an absolute majority on its own for the first time in a decade, though its alliance secured enough seats to form a government?

1. Indonesia
2. Brazil
3. India
4. South Africa

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India

India's 2024 general election results, announced on June 4, 2024, showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 240 seats, falling short of the 272-seat majority mark. However, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 293 seats, enough to form a government.

Question 34

What international body adopted Resolution 2735 this week, calling for a comprehensive three-phase ceasefire deal in the Gaza war?

1. NATO
2. African Union
3. United Nations Security Council
4. Arab League

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United Nations Security Council

The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2735 on June 10, 2024, which calls for Hamas to accept a proposed hostage and ceasefire agreement in the ongoing Gaza war.

Question 35

What new suite of personal AI features, deeply integrated across its operating systems, did Apple unveil at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this week?

1. NeuralLink
2. Apple Intelligence
3. iMind
4. CognitoOS

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Apple Intelligence

Apple unveiled 'Apple Intelligence' at WWDC 2024, a suite of personal AI features integrated across iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, designed to enhance personalization and productivity.