1. Which London airport is the latest to announce job cuts as the aviation industry continues to struggle?
a. Gatwick
b. London City Airport
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
c. Heathrow
d. Stansted
2. Until when does the Federal Reserve predict interest rates will be kept close to zero?
a. End of 2020
b. It didn’t
c. Start of 2021
d. End of 2022
3. Boris Johnson is facing criticism over the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic after Imperial college professor and former member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies Neil Ferguson said the death toll could have been reduced by how much if lockdown had started a week earlier?
a. 50%
b. 33%
c. 25%
d. 60%
4. The statue of which English figure was pushed into Bristol Harbour this week by Black Lives Matter demonstrators?
a. Cecil Rhodes
b. Edward Colston
c. Robert Baden Powell
d. John Hawkins
5. Which age group has been the hardest hit by the lockdown financial squeeze?
a. Under 30s
b. 30 to 49
c. 50 to 64
d. 75 or over
6. By how much did Britain’s economy shrink in April?
a. 22.4%
b. 21.4%
c. 23.4%
d. 20.4%
7. The president of which African country died unexpectedly last week of heart failure?
a. Burundi
b. Rwanda
c. Tanzania
d. Uganda
8. China warned its citizens not to travel to which country after political tensions continued to rise this week?
a. US
b. Australia
c. Hong Kong
d. India
9. By how much does the use of face-masks slow the growth in new cases of Covid-19?
a. 20%
b. 40%
c. 80%
d. 100%
10. Which bank was fined £64m for unfairly treating customers who were struggling to repay mortgages?
a. Halifax
b. Barclays
c. Lloyds
d. NatWest
Answers
1. c) Heathrow.
The introduction of a 14-day quarantine on arriving travellers is set to further damage the aviation industry. Heathrow, usually Europe’s busiest international airport, said passenger numbers were down by 97% in May compared to the same time last year.
2. d) End of 2022.
“The Fed left interest rates unchanged at 0-0.25% by a unanimous vote and pledged to continue buying Treasuries and mortgage-backed bonds at least at the current pace,” says the Financial Times.
3. a) 50%
Britain’s official death toll stands at 41,279.
4. b) Edward Colston
Colston was a merchant who profited from the slave trade. His ships are believed to have taken 80,000 Africans as slaves to the Americas between 1672 and 1689.
5. a) Under 30s
With little in savings and fewer chances to cut spending, under 30s have been hit hardest by the fall in their income during lockdown, says the BBC.
6. d) 20.4%
Official figures for GDP from the Office for National Statistics showed the first full month of lockdown triggered an economic crash “three times greater than the 2008 financial crisis”, says Richard Partington in The Guardian.
7. a) Burundi
Longtime leader Pierre Nkurunziza, 55, died weeks after an election had confirmed his successor.
8. b) Australia
The travel warning due to “a rise in racial discrimination” represents “a further fraying” in relations between the trade partners which began in mid-April when Australia criticised Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, says Alice Uribe in The Wall Street Journal
9. b) 40%
A German study which used the introduction of masks in shops and public transport as a natural experiment found face-masks slowed the spread of the virus by 40%.
10. c) Lloyds
-
Trouble brews in B&M as bargain shops take a hitOpinion Once a stock market darling, B&M's share price has slumped. What has gone wrong for bargain shops?
-
US and China reach a ceasefire in their trade war after talks in LondonThe US and China's trading relationship – the most important one in the global economy – is back on track. Will the truce last?
-
Trapped in a time of zombie governmentIt’s not just companies that are eking out an existence, says Max King. The state is in the twilight zone too.
-
America is in deep denial over debtThe downgrade in America’s credit rating was much criticised by the US government, says Alex Rankine. But was it a long time coming?
-
Bank of England raises interest rates to 5.25%The Bank has hiked rates from 5% to 5.25%, marking the 14th increase in a row. We explain what it means for savers and homeowners - and whether more rate rises are on the horizon
-
UK inflation remains at 8.7% ‒ what it means for your moneyInflation was unmoved at 8.7% in the 12 months to May. What does this ‘sticky’ rate of inflation mean for your money?
-
VICE bankruptcy: how did it happen?Was the VICE bankruptcy inevitable? We look into how the once multibillion-dollar came crashing down.
-
Would a food price cap actually work?Analysis The government is discussing plans to cap the prices of essentials. But could this intervention do more harm than good?
-
UK inflation slides to 8.7% - what does it mean for your money?News Inflation has dropped below 10% for the first time in months, but with food prices at a 45-year high, is this good news and what does it mean for your money?
-
Why the UK equity market is shrinkingAnalysis The crisis has been building for 25 years, says Max King, and it will take decades to reverse the trend.
