Thursday News Quiz: Test Your Knowledge – February 26, 2026

Put your knowledge to the test with this week’s topical news quiz, covering headlines, pop culture, and general knowledge. See how you measure up!

1. A baby monkey in Japan captured hearts around the world when videos of him befriending a stuffed orangutan, after bullying by other monkeys and rejection by his mother, went viral last week. What is his name?
   The monkey is named Yuu. Source: The Guardian
2. The head of which body has criticised the BBC for an entirely fictional scene in a drama programme in which some entirely fictional characters impersonate its staff?
   Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, criticised the BBC. Source: The Guardian
3. Where has received a hefty gift of gold bars worth £2.7m from an anonymous donor with a request for its specific use – to fix the city’s dilapidated water pipes?
   The city of Florence, Italy, received the gold bars. Source: The Guardian
4. The Thursday quiz is genuinely baffled at how long it has taken to build Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia. The final piece of the central tower has been laid in place. But when did construction of the whole thing originally start?
   Construction of the Sagrada Familia originally started in 1882. Source: The Guardian
5. A man (not pictured) in Catania, Sicily (pictured), trained his dog (not pictured) to do what?
   The man trained his dog to play the piano. Source: The Guardian
6. Residents of Mumbai are being driven crazy by the musical sounds of a novel road, which plays a tune when people drive under the speed limit. Which tune?
   The road plays the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” Source: The Guardian
7. Today is the birthday of Jaz Coleman, the lead singer of Killing Joke. Happy birthday, Jaz! Love Like Blood! What was the name of Killing Joke’s much-missed guitarist, who died in 2023?
   Killing Joke’s much-missed guitarist was Geordie Walker. Source: The Guardian
8. This week’s guest canine is Anoushka’s dog, Buffy. Awwwwwww. We imagine Buffy likes bones. But whose bones are being put on display to mark 800 years since their death?
   The bones of King Henry III are being put on display. Source: The Guardian
9. Farther or nearer with Geordie Alan Shearer! This week we imagine the England soccer legend wants to know, if he leaves his home town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which is farther or nearer – Reykjavik, Iceland, or Milan, Italy?
   Milan, Italy, is nearer to Newcastle-upon-Tyne than Reykjavik, Iceland.
10. Which band (not pictured) almost instantly sold out their comeback concert in Seoul after tickets were released on Monday?
    BIGBANG sold out their comeback concert in Seoul. Source: The Guardian
11. Which MP has rather unexpectedly claimed that the UK is ‘suffering from having a totally unregulated sexual economy’?
    Conservative MP Ben Bradley made the claim. Source: The Guardian
12. Least or most with Liberace’s ghost. This week the Thursday quiz imagines the ghost of Liberace would like to know: which athlete won the most gold medals ever at a Winter Olympic Games?
    Marit Bjørgen won the most gold medals at the Winter Olympic Games, with eight.
13. Fresh from hanging out at the Winter Olympics, the US rapper Snoop Dogg was given a guard of honour at which football club?
    Snoop Dogg was given a guard of honour at Celtic Football Club. Source: The Guardian
14. On this day with Brian May! And his badger! 26 February is the anniversary (just about) of Galileo Galilei being formally banned by the church from teaching that Earth orbits the sun. The Thursday quiz imagines Queen’s legendary guitarist wants you to tell him – and his badger – in which year …
    Galileo Galilei was formally banned in 1633.
15. And finally … what is the name of the dolphin that has moved into Venice lagoon?
    The dolphin is named Valentino. Source: The Guardian