The November Quiz

This month’s November current affairs quiz is packed with questions from the airline and motor industries, and plenty about the BRIC economies. And a Premier League football club has proved you can’t run a business at a loss, however much you think your star players are worth.

How many of the 46 questions can you answer? Take the November quiz to find out…

The November Quiz

1. Which English-speaking nation became the first country in the world to ban the use of logos and branding on cigarette packaging?

2. Dutch bank ABN Amro has reported a 54m euros (£46m) three month loss due to bad debts to which EU country?

3. Which Swiss bank is to reduce its number of investment bankers by another 425, bringing the total to 2,000 losing their jobs over the next five years?

4. Which Brazilian fashion model comfortably topped Forbes’s 2011 list of the world’s highest earning models with a pay packet in excess of $45 million (£29bn) thanks to her endorsement of brands including H&M, Dior and Versace?

5. Which Japanese car maker announced it would be investing more than £100m, creating up to 1,500 jobs at the firm’s Derbyshire factory in the UK?

6. Which struggling European telecoms equipment maker is cutting 17,000 jobs, 23% of its workforce?

7. The currency of which BRIC economy has fallen to a record low against the US dollar (having depreciated rapidly in the past three months amid doubts about the strength of the economy and a slump in foreign investment)?

8. Which BRIC economy has decided to allow 51% foreign direct ownership (FDI) of multi-brand retail stores, allowing supermarkets like Tesco and Walmart to open stores in the country?

9. Which MIST country recorded an economic growth rate of 10.2% in the first half of 2011, outstripping that of all the BRIC economies?

10. The economic crisis has been blamed by Thomas Cook for the collapse of its share price after the British company, founded in 1841, sought to negotiate a second round of debt financing (within the last month) and delayed the publication of its annual results. What industry is it in?

11. The Australian government has approved the sale of the country’s best known beer brand to British brewer SABMiller for AUD9.9bn (£6.5bn). Name the beer brand.

12. Name the US handbag maker that is the latest global luxury brand to turn to Hong Kong as a way of tapping into China, with an expected 293 million shares to be issued next month?

13. Name the jeweler whose initial public offering of HK$22.05 billion (£1.77bn) next month is expected to be the biggest in HK this year.

14. Which English Premier League (football) club has reported an annual loss of £194.9m for 2010-11, the biggest in English football history?

15. Forbes’ new Rich List reveals Aliko Dangote (of Dangote Cement) tops the list with a fortune of $10.1bn (£6.4bn). Which West African footballing nation is Dangote from?

16. Which videogame has broken the global sales record for a videogame, grossing $775m (£490m) in its first five days?

17. Which US internet giant has launched its own online music store, in an ambitious attempt to challenge Apple’s iTunes?

18. Which Chinese internet / search engine giant has seen its third quarter profits surge by 80%?

19. Which US technology giant has announced that it will now keep its personal computer division (PCs, laptops and tablets) after reviewing a plan by its former chief executive to sell it?

20. Name the American car giant that is set to mass produce voice-activated (Putonghua) motor vehicles in China.

21. Which Japanese carmaker reported its quarterly profits declined by 32%, due to a strong yen and the flooding in Thailand, where it builds some parts and vehicles?

22. Which Italian clothing company is at it again with another unethical marketing campaign titled ‘Unhate’ which features fake photos of political leaders embracing and kissing each other?

23. Due to the on-going debt crisis, Silvio Berlusconi resigned in November as Prime Minister of which EU country?

24. Name the British music group - home to the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Coldplay - sold its recorded music unit for £1.2bn to Universal Music?

25. Which continent is the fastest-growing mobile market in the world with almost 20% annual growth in the number of subscribers over the past 5 years, according to a GSM Association (association of worldwide mobile phone operators) report?

26. PPR, a French luxury-goods group that owns some of the world’s best-known fashion houses, including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, confirmed that it was buying Brioni? What does Brioni sell?

27. Sébastien Loeb wins which sporting event (sponsored by Nokia and Michelin) for a record eighth consecutive years?

28. According to Forbes magazine, which female actress has been named as the most ‘overpaid’ in Hollywood?

29. According to a recent study by The Brookings Institution in Washington DC, which G7 country has seen the number of people in extreme poverty rise by 33% in the last decade?

30. Which German carmaker has said its pre-tax third quarter profits rose 21% to 1.6bn euros (£1.4bn), driven by high demand in China?

31. Which struggling EU nation recorded a staggering youth unemployment rate of 48%?!

32. Which new Brisbane-based budget airline, with a fleet of just 7 aircraft, will soon launch a service to fly to routes that major airlines have few or no routes?

33. Which Asia-Pacific airline will give away 100,000 tickets worth $20 million (£12.9m) as its way of saying “sorry” to passengers affected by the grounding of its entire fleet?

34. Which German airline is selling British Midland (BMI) to International Airlines Group (IAG) – the group that owns British Airways and Iberia?

35. Lion Air has bought 230 Being 737 planes in a new record deal worth US$21.7bn (shattering its previous record sales in the same month from Emirates Airlines in a deal worth $18bn). Which Southeast Asian nation does Lion Air come from?

36. Shares in which Indian airline, the nation’s second largest, hit a record low amid continuing debt fears?

37. Global miner Anglo American is set to take control of which diamond exploration and mining giant in a $4.9 billion (£3.15bn) deal?

38. Name the company overtook Apple as number 1 in the global sales for smartphones.

39. The US has placed anti-dumping tariffs of up to 37% on some fridge freezers from Mexico and which Southeast Asian nation?

40. Parents from across the world are outraged by which girls’ toy launched by Mattell?

41. Which US toy maker has announced a deal to buy HIT Entertainment, owner of Thomas the Tank Engine and other popular children’s brands, for $680m (£438m)?

42. Which EU nation has found itself 55bn euros (£48bn) richer after discovering an accounting error at Hypo Real Estate (HRE), the troubled bank it nationalised in 2009?(!)

43. Which G7 country was hit by flooding caused by torrential rain in the northern city of Genoa?

44. It finally happened… which cash-strapped Swedish carmaker signed a deal to be taken over by two Chinese firms for 100m euros (HK$1.1bn)?

45. A Spanish consortium has won a contract to build a high-speed rail link in which oil rich nation for 6.7bn euros ($72.3bn)?

46. Which BRIC economy has launched the world’s first cash machine to dispense diamonds as well as gold and silver coins?

ANSWERS

1. Which English-speaking nation became the first country in the world to ban the use of logos and branding on cigarette packaging? Australia

2. Dutch bank ABN Amro has reported a 54m euros (£46m) three month loss due to bad debts to which EU country? Greece

3. Which Swiss bank is to reduce its number of investment bankers by another 425, bringing the total to 2,000 losing their jobs over the next five years? UBS

4. Which Brazilian fashion model comfortably topped Forbes’s 2011 list of the world’s highest earning models with a pay packet in excess of $45 million (£29bn) thanks to her endorsement of brands including H&M, Dior and Versace? Gisele Bündchen (Heidi Klum, the world’s second highest earning model had a salary of ‘just’ $20 million)

5. Which Japanese car maker announced it would be investing more than £100m, creating up to 1,500 jobs at the firm’s Derbyshire factory in the UK? Japan

6. Which struggling European telecoms equipment maker is cutting 17,000 jobs, 23% of its workforce? Nokia Siemens

7. The currency of which BRIC economy has fallen to a record low against the US dollar (having depreciated rapidly in the past three months amid doubts about the strength of the economy and a slump in foreign investment)? India

8. Which BRIC economy has decided to allow 51% foreign direct ownership (FDI) of multi-brand retail stores, allowing supermarkets like Tesco and Walmart to open stores in the country? India

9. Which MIST country recorded an economic growth rate of 10.2% in the first half of 2011, outstripping that of all the BRIC economies? Turkey

10. The economic crisis has been blamed by Thomas Cook for the collapse of its share price after the British company, founded in 1841, sought to negotiate a second round of debt financing (within the last month) and delayed the publication of its annual results. What industry is it in? Travel

11. The Australian government has approved the sale of the country’s best known beer brand to British brewer SABMiller for AUD9.9bn (£6.5bn). Name the beer brand. Fosters

12. Name the US handbag maker that is the latest global luxury brand to turn to Hong Kong as a way of tapping into China, with an expected 293 million shares to be issued next month? Coach

13. Name the jeweler whose initial public offering of HK$22.05 billion (£1.77bn) next month is expected to be the biggest in HK this year. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery

14. Which English Premier League (football) club has reported an annual loss of £194.9m for 2010-11, the biggest in English football history? Manchester City

15. Forbes’ new Rich List reveals Aliko Dangote (of Dangote Cement) tops the list with a fortune of $10.1bn (£6.4bn). Which West African footballing nation is Dangote from? Nigeria

16. Which videogame has broken the global sales record for a videogame, grossing $775m (£490m) in its first five days? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

17. Which US internet giant has launched its own online music store, in an ambitious attempt to challenge Apple’s iTunes? Google

18. Which Chinese internet / search engine giant has seen its third quarter profits surge by 80%? Baidu

19. Which US technology giant has announced that it will now keep its personal computer division (PCs, laptops and tablets) after reviewing a plan by its former chief executive to sell it? HP

20. Name the American car giant that is set to mass produce voice-activated (Putonghua) motor vehicles in China. Ford

21. Which Japanese carmaker reported its quarterly profits declined by 32%, due to a strong yen and the flooding in Thailand, where it builds some parts and vehicles? Toyota

22. Which Italian clothing company is at it again with another unethical marketing campaign titled ‘Unhate’ which features fake photos of political leaders embracing and kissing each other? Benetton

23. Due to the on-going debt crisis, Silvio Berlusconi resigned in November as Prime Minister of which EU country? Italy

24. Name the British music group - home to the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Coldplay - sold its recorded music unit for £1.2bn to Universal Music? EMI

25. Which continent is the fastest-growing mobile market in the world with almost 20% annual growth in the number of subscribers over the past 5 years, according to a GSM Association (association of worldwide mobile phone operators) report? Africa

26. PPR, a French luxury-goods group that owns some of the world’s best-known fashion houses, including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, confirmed that it was buying Brioni? What does Brioni sell? Upmarket Italian menswear

27. Sébastien Loeb wins which sporting event (sponsored by Nokia and Michelin) for a record eighth consecutive years? World Rally Championship

28. According to Forbes magazine, which female actress has been named as the most ‘overpaid’ in Hollywood? Drew Barrymore; Eddie Murphy was the most overpaid male actor (pay measured against the budget and earnings of their last three movies)

29. According to a recent study by The Brookings Institution in Washington DC, which G7 country has seen the number of people in extreme poverty rise by 33% in the last decade? USA

30. Which German carmaker has said its pre-tax third quarter profits rose 21% to 1.6bn euros (£1.4bn), driven by high demand in China? BMW

31. Which struggling EU nation has recorded a staggering youth unemployment rate of 48%?! Spain (Greece has 43.5 youth unemployment)

32. Which new Brisbane-based budget airline, with a fleet of just 7 aircraft, will soon launch a service to fly to routes that major airlines have few or no routes? Air Australia

33. Which Asia-Pacific airline will give away 100,000 tickets worth $20 million (£12.9m) as its way of saying “sorry” to passengers affected by the grounding of its entire fleet? Qantas

34. Which German airline is selling British Midland (BMI) to International Airlines Group (IAG) – the group that owns British Airways and Iberia? Lufthansa

35. Lion Air has bought 230 Being 737 planes in a new record deal worth US$21.7bn (shattering its previous record sales in the same month from Emirates Airlines in a deal worth $18bn). Which Southeast Asian nation does Lion Air come from? Indonesia

36. Shares in which Indian airline, the nation’s second largest, hit a record low amid continuing debt fears? Kingfisher

37. Global miner Anglo American is set to take control of which diamond exploration and mining giant in a $4.9 billion (£3.15bn) deal? De Beers

38. Name the company overtook Apple as number 1 in the global sales for smartphones. Samsung (Nokia is now number 3)

39. The US has placed anti-dumping tariffs of up to 37% on some fridge freezers from Mexico and which Southeast Asian nation? South Korea

40. Parents from across the world are outraged by which girls’ toy launched by Mattell? A tattooed Barbie doll

41. Which US toy maker has announced a deal to buy HIT Entertainment, owner of Thomas the Tank Engine and other popular children’s brands, for $680m (£438m)? Mattell

42. Which EU nation has found itself 55bn euros (£48bn) richer after discovering an accounting error at Hypo Real Estate (HRE), the troubled bank it nationalised in 2009?(!) Germany

43. Which G7 country was hit by flooding caused by torrential rain in the northern city of Genoa? Italy

44. It finally happened… which cash-strapped Swedish carmaker signed a deal to be taken over by two Chinese firms for 100m euros (HK$1.1bn)? Saab

45. A Spanish consortium has won a contract to build a high-speed rail link in which oil rich nation for 6.7bn euros ($72.3bn)? Saudi Arabia

46. Which BRIC economy has launched the world’s first cash machine to dispense diamonds as well as gold and silver coins? India