Thursday news quiz: errant flamingos, bottled messages and space nonsense

This flamingo is exactly where it should be, unlike the one in the news this week. Photograph: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy

Once upon a time the Thursday quiz cared deeply about the changing of the seasons and the sanctity of November. Now, however, Christmas adverts are already everywhere, flamingos are on the loose, and people are questioning the moon landings again. It all feels too much. So why not distract yourself with our 15 questions about topical news and general knowledge. There are no prizes, but do let us know how you get on in the comments. Allons-y!

The Thursday news quiz, No 222

1. 

   "It's Christmas!" as Noddy Holder famously bellowed. At least it is already, according to John Lewis. What is the department store group's soundtrack for the Christmas advert this year?

   1. It's Alright by Sterling Void

   2. Where Love Lives by Alison Limerick

   3. Show Me Love by Robin S

   4. When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' by Sparks

2. 

   Which South American country has severed diplomatic ties with Mexico after its former prime minister Betssy Chávez claimed asylum at a Mexican embassy?

   1. Peru

   2. Bolivia

   3. Colombia

   4. Syldavia

3. 

   Who has been confirmed to be playing Linda Eastman – known for a long time as Linda McCartney once she married Paul – in the possibly unnecessary Sam Mendes four-movie Beatles biopic extravaganza?

   1. Mia McKenna-Bruce

   2. Aimee Lou Wood

   3. Millie Gibson

   4. Saoirse Ronan

4. 

   Who has faced a backlash after her Halloween costume was a replica of Jackie Kennedy's bloodstained pink suit in the aftermath of John F Kennedy's assassination (which happened a little after this picture was taken)?

   1. Sarah Silverman

   2. Julia Fox

   3. Lady Gaga

   4. Liz Truss

5. 

   A light-hearted message in a bottle (not pictured, but just pretend he is singing it) washed up on Australia's remote Wharton beach. Who was it from?

   1. A soldier from the first world war

   2. A castaway from a 1970s shipwreck in the Indian ocean

   3. A member of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance crew

   4. Gary Barlow's massive son

6. 

   Sean Duffy, Nasa’s chief boffin (the correct technical term), intervened on social media after who appeared to cast doubt on the Apollo mission moon landings?

   1. Donald Trump

   2. Elon Musk

   3. Gwyneth Paltrow

   4. Kim Kardashian

7. 

   The Thursday quiz generally regards baseball as similar to cricket but somehow made even more boring. Who (not pictured, though he probably would claim to have done) won the World Series at the weekend?

   1. LA Dodgers

   2. Toronto Blue Jays

   3. Seattle Mariners

   4. Innsmouth Feral Hogs

8. 

   This is Willow, the official dog of the Guardian Thursday quiz. She is concerned to hear that a flamingo has gone missing after escaping from a wildlife sanctuary in Cornwall. What is the flamingo's name?

   1. Frankie the flamingo

   2. Finley the flamingo

   3. Flynn the flamingo

   4. Bobson Dugnutt the flamingo

9. 

   This week's guest canine is Mossy, whom the Thursday quiz met in a pub, seemingly at a point where it couldn't focus. She knows a tiny spider thought to have vanished for ever from the UK has been rediscovered on a remote area of a nature reserve on the Isle of Wight. She wants to know what it is called.

   1. The blue-footed badger spider

   2. The black-shouldered weasel spider

   3. The white-knuckled wolf spider

   4. The very naughty miniature dachshund spider

10. 

    Almost 120 cute flying foxes (not the ones in this picture) were sadly injured this week by a severe hailstorm. Where?

    1. Langkawi in Malaysia

    2. Thiruvananthapuram in India

    3. Esk in Australia

    4. Gosport in England

11. 

    The return of Karl-Heinz, with his opening lines, which almost rhymes. This week the Thursday quiz imagines the German soccer ace would like to know which gospel starts: 'Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us'?

    1. The Gospel according to Luke

    2. The Gospel according to Mark

    3. The Gospel according to John

    4. The Gospel according to Derek

12. 

    And now least or most with Liberace's ghost. This week the Thursday quiz imagines the ghost of Liberace would like to know which of these Euro 2025 champions has the most caps for representing England?

    1. Beth Mead

    2. Ella Toone

    3. Chloe Kelly

    4. Lucy Bronze

13. 

    There has been a right old hoo-ha about rehoming a massive crocodile (not pictured, this one is called Speckles) to a Sunshine Coast zoo from the far north Queensland waterhole where he used to live. Once caught by Steve Irwin, what is the crocodile's name?

    1. Old Snappy

    2. Old Faithful

    3. Old Snuggles

    4. Old Jawbreaker

14. 

    It is time for on this day with Brian May! And his badger! 6 November is the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's election as the 16th president of the US. The Thursday quiz imagines Queen's legendary guitarist wants you to tell him – and his badger – which year that was.

    1. 1057

    2. 1820

    3. 1840

    4. 1860

15. 

    It is Conchita Wurst's birthday today. Happy birthday, Conchita. Rise like a Phoenix! What year did Conchita Wurst win the Eurovision song contest?

    1. 2002

    2. 2008

    3. 2014

    4. 2020

Solutions

1:B - It is November, people. It is November, 2:A - Authorities are not best pleased about it, as she has been under investigation for rebellion, 3:D - Eastman was a photographer who met Paul McCartney in 1967. They married in 1969 and she joined his post-Beatles band Wings and performed regularly with him until her death in 1998, 4:B - John F Kennedy's grandson was among those who expressed outrage, 5:A - Private Malcolm Alexander Neville’s note, written on 15 August 1916, said: 'Having a real good time.' He was killed in action in France in April 1917, aged 28, 6:D - It wasn't really clear why it warranted such a high-level intervention, but hey ho, each to their own, 7:A - They won the deciding seventh game 5-4 or something – the quiz wasn't really paying attention, 8:A - The Thursday quiz suspects this story may not have a happy ending, 9:C - Mossy thinks that is a very silly name for an animal that doesn't have knuckles and isn't a wolf, 10:C - The poor little critters, 11:A - That is how Luke's one kicks off, 12:D - She has picked up more than 130 of the things – as well as two Euro winners' medals, 13:B - Old Faithful became known by the name of the waterhole he claimed as his own until he was rudely interrupted, 14:D - Lincoln successfully stood for re-election in 1864, 15:C - Conchita Wurst won in Copenhagen with the song Rise Like a Phoenix, written by Charley Mason, Joey Patulka, Ali Zuckowski, and Julian Maas

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 Ain’t Quite Right by Still Blank instead?

Ain’t Quite Right by Still Blank