And now it's time to start another QFTCI Current Events game.
As usual, these rounds will be posted concurrently with other,
non-current-events games, and all current events rounds through
the season will be scored as a separate game.
These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on the dates
indicated below, and should be interpreted accordingly. If any
answers have changed due to newer news, you are still expected to
give the answers that were correct on those dates.
On each question you may give up to two answers, but if you give
both a right answer and a wrong answer, there is a small penalty.
Please post all your answers in a single followup to the newsgroup,
based only on your own knowledge. (In your answer posting, quote
the questions and place your answer below each one.) I will reveal
the correct answers in about 3 days.
All questions were written by members of the Bloor St. Irregulars,
and are used here by permission, but have been reformatted and may
have been retyped and/or edited by me. For further information
see my recent companion posting on "Questions from the Canadian
Inquisition (QFTCI*)".
* Game 1 (2016-05-16), Round 1 - Current Events
1. What was the rare astronomical phenomenon that took place
last Monday? Well, it's not really rare, but not common either;
let's say about 13 times a century. The previous time it
occurred was November 6, 2006, and the next time will be in 2019.
2. Also in astronomy news, a 15-year-old Quebec high school student,
using star charts and satellite images (and perhaps stone knives
and bearskins) gained media attention recently when he said he
may have discovered what?
3. When even the president has to defend a reporter as "not a
communist, but a Canadian", you know the guy must have been doing
something right. Which legendary journalist and Vietnam War
correspondent announced last week that he was retiring from his
long-time gig? (That president, by the way, was Lyndon Johnson.)
4. Charges against Jian Ghomeshi were withdrawn and his second
court case was resolved by way of what legal instrument last
week? No word on whether that night DJ job at Radio Tehran is
still available.
5. Which US state felt the Bern last week, as the Vermont senator
defeated Hillary Clinton in its primary? Dude could totally
win this thing, y'know?
6. Mayhem seems to follow the Eagles of Death Metal. Less dire
than a terrorist attack, what unusual physical assault allegedly
occurred at their concert at the Opera House the weekend before
last, according to Toronto police?
7. No extra money, but another way to spend it. The CIBC and
RBC last week introduced what payment method? Other big banks
to follow in coming weeks.
8. Not only did he win it for the second consecutive year, he is
the first unanimous winner. Which NBA player won the MVP award
last week?
9. Which iconic US brand is changing its name to "America" for
the duration of the current election cycle? No, the answer is
not Donald J. Trump.
10. David Cameron got in trouble recently for calling Nigeria and
Afghanistan "corrupt". Meanwhile, in another part of the
forest, his boss -- that being, shall we say, the indomitable
ship QE II, also caused a kerfuffle -- when she was caught on
video saying that *which country*'s officials had been "very
rude" to her ambassador?
* Game 2 (2016-05-30), Round 1 -- Current Events
1. What reason did Canadian musicians Belly and The Weeknd give for
canceling their scheduled appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" last
Wednesday?
2. Justin Trudeau and his wife celebrated their 11th anniversary
last week, and actually took the day off, leading to howls from
the usual quarters. What country were they in at the time,
where the Prime Minister also attended the G7 summit and met
business leaders?
3. Giant rodents abroad in the land! Two specimens of this large
rodent species slipped the surly bonds of High Park Zoo, and,
dubbed "Bonnie" and "Clyde" by the media, were still on the
lam as of press time. Name the species.
4. Last week an acclaimed Canadian musical group made the
distressing announcement that their front-man had been diagnosed
with terminal cancer, and also signaled their intention to
undertake one last tour. Name the singer.
5. Last week President Obama made the controversial move of lifting
the embargo on arms sales to a former enemy, or perhaps frenemy.
Which country was it?
6. Having already demonstrated her tough-gal bona fides, which
actress tweeted last week that she'd be interested in playing
the first female Bond?
7. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre was forced to rescind a ban on a
popular summer tourist activity after its proponents persuaded
a judge to issue an injunction. What is it?
8. No Canadian teams in the NHL playoffs, but at least Canada won
the IIHF World Hockey Championship last week. Which country
did we beat 2-0 in the gold-medal game?
9. Which popular clothing brand announced last week that it would be
opening two of its own retail outlets, including a
4500-square-foot store at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre?
10. Which notable person employed the Heimlich maneuver to save
the life of a choking 87-year-old woman at a Cincinnati seniors'
residence last Monday?
--
Mark Brader "It's simply a matter of style, and while there
Toronto are many wrong styles, there really isn't any
m...@vex.net one right style." -- Ray Butterworth
My text in this article is in the public domain.