Quiz of the week 20-26 June

1. The US Treasury mistakenly sent over $1.4bn in pandemic rescue funds to which group, who is unable to claim it?

A. DACA recipients B. Minors C. Dead people D. TPS recipients

2. How much money is still owed to Welsh consumers after holidays and events were cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic?

a. £2.5m b. £1.8m c. £3.4m d. £1.5m

3. Chinese company Huawei was given clearance this week to build a £1bn facility dedicated to what in England?

a. Developing 5G signal towers b. For chip research and manufacturing c. Data mining d. Mobile phone production

4. Which European country is extending its emergency paid leave schemes for an additional three months after unions called for more generous measures?

a. France b. Italy c. Portugal D. Spain

5. When did Liverpool FC last win the Premier League?

a. 1990 b. 1988 c. 1980 d. 2000

6. Health secretary Matt Hancock said this week he had the power to close down which public spaces if people did not respect social-distancing rules?

a. Pubs b. Parks c. Beaches d. Shops

7. German technology group Wirecard filed for insolvency this week, owing how much money in “one of Europe’s biggest corporate failures”, according to The Times?

a. €2.5bn b. €3.5bn c. €3.2bn d. €4.5bn

8. UK retailers paid only how much of the sector’s £2.5bn quarterly rent bill due this week?

a. 50% b. 14% c. 5% d. 33%

9. When is the vast majority of England’s hospitality sector reopening?

a. June 27 b. June 30 c. July 1 d. July 4

10. What country became the first to lose its triple-A credit rating because of the economic downturn triggered by the coronavirus pandemic?

a. Canada b. Australia c. Norway d. Finland

Answers

1. c) Dead people. The US Government Accountability Office found the Treasury Department, in charge of mailing stimulus cheques to American families, failed to check death records before sending them.

2. a) £2.5m. Trading standards officials said they have been “deluged” with complaints about refunds, and as much as £2.5m is outstanding in claims for compensation.

3. b) For chip research and manufacturing.

4. d) Spain.

5. a) 1990. The team won its first league title in 30 years after Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1, securing Liverpool the title for the first time since 1990.

6. c) Beaches. A major incident was declared after around half a million people flocked to the beach due to soaring temperatures, with Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood calling on the government to step in and help the council deal with the crisis.

7. b) €3.5bn. It is the first company in Germany’s prestigious Dax, the FTSE 100 equivalent, to file for insolvency after an accounting scandal that led to the arrest of its chief executive. The company was valued at €13bn last week before revelations that €1.9bn of cash was missing.

8. b) 14%. Retailers paid only 14% “as the high street crisis triggered by the lockdown reverberated through the property industry”, says Zoe Wood in The Guardian.

9. d) 4 July.

10. a) Canada. Fitch ratings downgraded Canada’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating from AA+ to AAA, saying the decision “reflects the deterioration of Canada’s public finances in 2020 resulting from the coronavirus pandemic”, says Paul Vieira in The Wall Street Journal.