TL;DR
The Guardian’s 250th Thursday news quiz features questions on Liz Truss’s political period, historic apples, and boar groupings. This article summarizes the key confirmed facts and what remains unclear.
The Guardian has released its 250th edition of the Thursday news quiz, featuring 22 questions on current events, history, and pop culture, including confirmed references to Liz Truss’s political tenure, Thursday news quiz: station to station, and doing the locomotive after Ted Lasso., ancient apple varieties, and boar groupings.
The quiz, a longstanding feature of the Guardian, marks its 250th edition with a special bumper format. It includes questions about Liz Truss, the former UK Prime Minister, and references her political mistakes, with confirmed attribution to her political career. It also features questions about an ancient tree that produced the first known example of a particular apple variety, which is under threat after its garden was sold, according to the quiz’s context. Additionally, the quiz references collective nouns for boars, asking Derren Brown to identify one, though this remains a playful prompt rather than a confirmed fact.
Other questions delve into topics like a meteor explosion over an US state, legal advice given to lawyers at the Hay Festival, and historical figures such as Keith Chegwin and Queen’s guitarist Brian May. The quiz also mentions a cave art discovery near Mumbles, Wales, which contains Britain’s oldest cave art, depicting what remains unconfirmed but is part of the quiz’s trivia. The questions span pop culture, history, science, and current affairs, reflecting the quiz’s broad scope.
Why It Matters
This special edition underscores the Guardian’s long-standing tradition of engaging readers with topical and historical questions, serving as a cultural touchstone. The references to Liz Truss highlight ongoing interest in her political legacy, while questions about ancient apples and cave art emphasize the public’s curiosity about history and archaeology. The quiz also showcases the blending of serious and humorous content, making it a reflection of current societal conversations and collective interests. For readers, it offers a way to connect with recent events and cultural moments in a light-hearted format.

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Background
Liz Truss served as UK Prime Minister from September to October 2022, a notably short tenure marked by economic turmoil and political instability. The ancient apple tree, over 200 years old, is linked to early horticultural history, with its first variety not specified but of interest to fruit historians. The cave art discovery near Mumbles is part of ongoing British archaeology efforts to uncover prehistoric art, with the oldest examples dating back tens of thousands of years.
“The Thursday news quiz, No 2501, celebrates its milestone with questions spanning politics, history, and pop culture, engaging readers in a wide array of topics.”
— Guardian Life

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What Remains Unclear
Many questions in the quiz are designed to be playful or speculative, such as identifying collective nouns for boars or the exact depiction in cave art, which are not confirmed facts. Specific details about the ancient apple’s variety or the precise nature of the cave art remain unverified outside the quiz context. Additionally, some references, like the meteor explosion, are based on recent events but may have evolving details.

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What’s Next
Readers can expect further coverage of the topics mentioned, including updates on the archaeological discoveries, environmental threats to historic trees, and ongoing political developments related to Liz Truss. The Guardian may also publish follow-up articles analyzing the historical and cultural significance of these topics, and the next edition of the quiz will continue to explore current events and trivia.

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Key Questions
What is the significance of Liz Truss in this quiz?
Liz Truss is referenced due to her recent tenure as UK Prime Minister, which was notably short and marked by political controversy. The quiz includes questions about her political mistakes, reflecting ongoing public interest in her legacy.
What is special about the ancient apples mentioned?
The quiz refers to a tree over 200 years old that produced the first known example of a particular apple variety, which is now under threat after its garden was sold. The specific variety is not identified but is of historical horticultural interest.
What do we know about the cave art near Mumbles?
It is believed to contain Britain’s oldest cave art, depicting unknown images. Details about what exactly is depicted are not confirmed outside the quiz, and researchers are still studying the site.
Are the questions in the quiz based on verified facts?
Many questions are based on current or historical facts, but some are playful or speculative, such as identifying collective nouns or interpreting cave art. The quiz blends fact with light-hearted trivia.
Source: Guardian Life