The questions
1 Which European country has just added “North” to its name?
2 Black Rock City (pop 70,000) exists only during what event?
3 Who follows the VP in the US presidential line of succession?
4 Which Japanese author committed ritual suicide after a failed coup in 1970?
5 What is the largest cat in the Americas?
6 Which group’s first adventure was on a Treasure Island in 1942?
7 Which singer founded the Fish People record label?
8 Colliding with Jupiter in 1994, what was Shoemaker-Levy 9?
What links:
9 Barry Jenkins Oscar winner; late Pinter; Beethoven and Debussy for piano?
10 Nadia Sawalha, Kaye Adams, Jane Moore and Karren Brady (in 1999)?
11 La Paz (and Sucre) and Quito; Baku and Amsterdam?
12 You cannot be serious; That’s hot; I pity the fool; Let’s get ready to rumble?
13 The Carrie Nations; Soggy Bottom Boys; Stillwater; the Wonders?
14 Cathedral (537-1453); mosque (1453-1934); museum (since 1935)?
15 Taxus baccata; eg Dolly; posh vocabulary; second person pronoun?
The answers
1 North Macedonia.
2 Burning Man festival.
3 Speaker of the House of Representatives (Nancy Pelosi).
4 Yukio Mishima.
5 Jaguar.
6 Famous Five (Enid Blyton).
7 Kate Bush.
8 Comet.
9 Moonlight: M film; M play; M sonata and Clair de Lune.
10 Original panel of ITV’s Loose Women.
11 Highest and lowest capital cities: Bolivia and Ecuador; Azerbaijan and Netherlands.
12 Trademarked phrases: John McEnroe; Paris Hilton; Mr T; Michael Buffer.
13 Fictional bands in films: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Almost Famous; That Thing You Do!
14 Hagia Sophia in Constantinople/Istanbul.
15 Homophones: yew; ewe; U; you.
