1. 2020 was a big year for footballer Marcus Rashford, after his campaign to extend free school meals over school holidays landed him an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. The England and Manchester United player has just been named the most expensive player in the world, with a transfer value of £150m. Which international player held the title before him?
- a. Erling Haaland
- b. Trent Alexander-Arnold
- c. Kylian Mbappé
- d. Raheem Stirling
2. Bakery chain Patisserie Valerie collapsed in January 2020 after the discovery of a fraud-related £40m hole in its finances. The bakery’s liquidator, FRP Advisory, is suing Patisserie Valerie’s auditor for £200m in damages for failing to spot the problems during the 12 years in which it audited the accounts. Which audit firm is tied up in the scandal?
3. Three Frenchmen stole €350,000 worth of what, which they then threw at police once a chase ensued?
4. Simon Arora, the chief executive of discount retailer B&M, and his brother Bobby, enjoyed a whopping payday this week, as the company reported a 22.5% rise in third-quarter sales. The budget chain was allowed to stay open throughout lockdowns as an essential retailer and benefited from being able to sell toys and Christmas decorations as other high street shops were forced to close. How much did the Arora brothers pay themselves this week?
5. The average UK house price reached a record high of £253,374 in December 2020. By how much has the average price increased, compared with the same month in 2019?
6. British police are on the hunt for a fraudster who charged a 92-year-old woman £160 in return for what?
7. Moonpig is poised for a £1bn listing on the UK stockmarket. The online shop for greetings cards and gifts has seen its revenues boosted by lockdowns. How many greetings cards does the retailer send every year?
8. Boeing has agreed to pay $2.5bn (£1.8bn) to settle US criminal charges that it hid information about the design of its 737 Max planes from safety officials. The planes were involved in two deadly crashes, killing 346 people. Of the $2.5bn, how much will go to the families of those who died in the tragedies?
9. Neil Young, the Canadian rock icon whose greatest hits include “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man”, has followed in the footsteps of the likes of Bob Dylan, Blondie, Timbaland and Barry Manilow and sold 50% of his song catalogue to investment firm Hipgnosis Songs Fund. Which music mogul runs the fund?
10. At the end of 2020, 967 independent bookshops remained open in the UK and Ireland. How many were there at the end of 2019?
Answers
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