Squiz Quiz - 23 December 2023

1. A huge legal case against publisher Jimmy Lai has started in Hong Kong. What's he accused of?

Printing salacious gossip about Xi Jinping's private life

Breaching the national security law

Epic money laundering

Importing goods from Taiwan illegally

Correct! Wrong!

Pundits say it’s likely he will be convicted and will spend the rest of his life in prison.

2. The Red Sea is a critical global trade route. Why has it been in the news this week?

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Houthi rebels are attacking commercial ships

Those who oversee the route have asked commercial shipping companies to commit to a net zero emissions target by 2030

The route was closed after big storms off the coast of Africa

Egypt closed the Suez Canal to ships going to Israel

Correct! Wrong!

Australia was asked to send a warship to help keep the route open - the Albanese Government said no.

3. Which US state banned Donald Trump from being on their presidental ballot?

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California

Texas

New York

Colorado

Correct! Wrong!

This week, Colorado’s Supreme Court barred Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot under the US Constitution’s insurrection clause. It’s a whole thing…

4. Why did Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Flyes resign this week?

Her colleagues were plotting against her

Family reasons

Undisclosed shares

She doesn't have "enough in the tank" to continue

Correct! Wrong!

The shares she owns are in a mining company that does business in the Top End.

5. A new poll found that Aussies are keen to see the Albanese Government focus on what issue next year?

Climate change

Housing

Indigenous affairs

Cost of living

Correct! Wrong!

The poll by the Financial Review/Freshwater Strategy found that 71% of us rate it as the #1 concern.

6. A neighbour (of the political sort) popped over the Sydney this week. Name them...

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PNG PM - James Marape

NZ PM - Christopher Luxon

Former NZ PM - Jacinda Ardern

US President - Joe Biden

Correct! Wrong!

The pair caught up from their aviation days but also got into loftier things, including the AUKUS partnership and Indo-Pacific policy.

7. Aussie spin bowler Nathan Lyon became the eighth bowler in cricket’s history to take how many Test wickets?

500

1000

100

50

Correct! Wrong!

He said he was going to celebrate his record “in Warnie fashion”...

8. Other than chimpanzees, what non-human species knows how to use tools in the wild?

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Goffin's cockatoos

Elephants

Lemurs

Wild cats

Correct! Wrong!

They are known to pick and sequence tools to undertake a task, and have now been spotted dipping a rusk in water. Pretty clever...

9. Weather wise... which Aussie city is expected to have pretty good conditions for Chrissy day?

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Darwin

Perth

Sydney

Hobart

Correct! Wrong!

It's heading towards a 32C day with a low of 21C. The rest of the country is expecting cloudy/rainy.

10. The Oz Lotto jackpot will be drawn on Boxing Day... how much cash is on the table?

$500,000 million

$100 million

$90 million

$25 million

Correct! Wrong!

But a teeny tiny reality check - the odds of winning are about 1 in 62 million. May the odds be ever in your favour.