2010 in 100 questions

1 According to the Holy See's chief exorcist, who has been living rent-free in the Vatican?

2 On October 19, Google announced plans to publish which ancient text online?

3 Which American actor has teamed up with Google and the United Nations to watch the border between north and south Sudan, to prevent a civil war?

4 Who criticised the intentions of Hollywood filmmakers who 'worship at the altar of the 18- to 25-year-old male and his penis'?

5 What was recognised as a religion for the first time in Britain on October 2?

a) Druidry b) Falun Gong c) X Factorism

6 On June 29, Iceland became the ninth country to legalise what?

7 The national football team of which country was ambushed by gunmen, leaving three dead and nine wounded, in Angola last January?

8 What was the title of the beauty pageant that was shut down by Beijing police an hour before it was due to start?

9 Who did Dublin Zoo offend when it offered them free entry in honour of Orangutan Awareness Week?

10 In February, Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi declared a holy war on which European nation?

11 China became the world's largest exporting country last year, pushing which nation from first place?

12 Which body of water laps the shores of eight Southeast Asian nations?

13 What is UDFy-38135539?

14 Finland won the 2010 men's World Championships in the sport, but what, exactly, is floorball?

15 Last year, United States State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley described a world leader's comments as 'lots of words, not necessarily a lot of sense'. About whom was he speaking?

a) Fidel Castro b) Muammar Gaddafi c) Kim Jong-il

16 In March, the Eyjafjallajokull ice cap blew, causing substantial disruption to air traffic across Europe. Eyjafjallajokull had been dormant since which decade?

17 Name the man pictured below.

18 Who was the first woman to win the best director Academy Award?

19 Which flame-haired British aristocrat was left red-faced after being caught offering her former husband's services for cash?

20 Who became the women's world No 1 tennis player during last year's China Open?

21 'Deng Xiaoping, former president of China, promised that Hong Kong would not change for 50 years after transitioning from British rule to China, but it has only been 13 years. There are 37 more years. This proves that there have been enormous changes in Hong Kong,' said Chen Eryou in June, after her husband, Chen Weiming, had been denied entry into Hong Kong. What is Chen Weiming's profession?

22 Which polygamous world leader married his fifth wife last January?

23 According to the United Nations, how many people use mobile phones?

24 It's deafening, it's annoying, it's made in China and only a sadist would call it a musical instrument, but more than the roaring crowds it was the defining sound of the 2010 football World Cup. What is it?

25 Who said the following and to what were they referring? 'Somebody said [it] was like the match between Argentina and South Korea, but my wife said I was even worse than South Korea - at least they made it to the other half of the field.'

26 Complete the progression: Carl von Ossietzky; Andrei Sakharov; ...; Liu Xiaobo.

27 Which two airlines merged last year to create the world's largest carrier?

28 Which reclusive author, who, in his own words, was reluctant to engage with the 'big s***ty world', passed away on January 27 last year?

29 Complete the June 11 front-page SCMP headline: 'Richard Li's big Bulgarian ...'

30 Last January, 19-year-old Norwegian Magnus Carlsen was confirmed as the youngest-ever world No1 what?

31 What is the optimistic-sounding name of the new Nigerian president?

32 Wing Lee Street owes its preservation to the success of which film?

33 What was unique about the opening ceremony for the 2010 Asian Games, held in Guangzhou?

a) It was the first opening ceremony for a major sports event at which the audience was forbidden from clapping.

b) It was the first opening ceremony for a major sports event streamed live on Facebook.

c) It was the first opening ceremony for a major sports event not held inside a stadium.

34 Name the current Asian Football Confederation Champions League champions.

35 Leftist businessman and philanthropist Tsui Tsin-tong, who died in Beijing aged 69 last year, was known for his fondness for what?

36 Last year, the region saw the strongest typhoon since 1991's Yuri. What was it called?

37 Australian actress Isla Fisher converted to which religion before she married comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, saying, 'I would do anything - move into any religion - to be united in marriage with him. Religion comes second to love as far as we're concerned'?

a) Judaism b) Jediism c) Scientology

38 After a 27-year effort by an international team of scholars and experts, which religious work, first published in 1919, was finally updated last year?

39 Who is 'Brilliant Comrade'?

40 In November, national cuisines were included on Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for the first time. The food of which two countries was honoured?

41 In the annual Tsim Sha Tsui fun run organised by the World Cancer Research Fund, competitors must try to catch a runner dressed as what?

42 Name the red-headed real estate agent who partied it up at trendy New York nightspots until she and nine others were unmasked as Russian spies. (Shipped back to Moscow, she stripped down to pose semi-nude for the Russian edition of Maxim, making the magazine's list of the country's 100 sexiest women.)

43 The daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono became what last year?

44 Eight-year-old Princess Aiko of Japan missed several days of school last year because of what?

45 Unearthed near the ancient capital of Xian on December 13 was a 2,400-year-old what?

a) Medal awarded for the promotion of peace b) Pot of soup c) Mummy d) Bottle of Po Chai Pills

46 Jerome Kerviel published a book last year, L'engrenage: M?moires d'un Trader. For what is he famous?

47 Which gay celebrity got a baby for Christmas?

48 In November, Russia half-heartedly marked the centenary of the death of which literary giant?

49 Hong Kong police raided the offices of which developer as part of an investigation into suspicious flat sales at 39 Conduit Road?

50 The oldest death-row inmate in the US, Viva Leroy Nash, died of natural causes last year. How old was he?

51 What was the moniker given to the shopping-tour bus guide who, in July, harangued a group of mainland visitors for not spending enough at a local jewellery store? ('It's you who owe me here, not me owing you ... If you don't repay the debt in this life you will have to repay it in your next.')

52 Mehmet Ali Agca was released from prison last year after serving almost 30 years behind bars for what crime?

53 Last January, the Legislative Council approved HK$66.9 billion of taxpayers money in funding for what?

54 Angry protesters took to the streets after the Guangdong government announced plans to make a key change to prime-time television programming. What was it?

55 Malcolm McLaren, the manager of the Sex Pistols, died in April. On his deathbed in a Swiss clinic, his last words were, 'Free ...' who?

56 Which former Manchester United footballer made his debut with Hong Kong's South China team last year?

57 Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev was forced to resign and flee his country amid violent protests in April. He had come to power in 2005 following which revolution?

58 After 18 months of wrangling and public acrimony, the city's Provisional Minimum Wage Commission recommended how much as the minimum hourly wage for more than 300,000 workers?

59 Last year, Hong Kong became the first city to offer what McDonalds product?

60 Which racehorse was named Hong Kong's Horse of the Year 2010?

61 Uganda's only cultural World Heritage site, which was built in the 19th century for kings of the Buganda region, was destroyed by fire on March 16. What was it?

62 In a speech celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Shenzhen as a special economic zone, Premier Wen Jiabao stirred hopes and controversy by encouraging the development of what in China?

63 In May, the Rolling Stones achieved their first British No 1 album for 16 years. Name the record.

64 As a child, Lech Kaczynski, the late president of Poland (who was among 96 killed when their aircraft crashed in western Russia last year), starred in the film The Two Who Stole the Moon (1962) alongside whom?

65 Japanese authorities arrested the captain of a Chinese trawler that collided with two Japanese patrol boats near which islands? And what would you call them if you were Japanese?

66 List the top three countries by medal haul at last year's Commonwealth Games.

67 American Alexandria Mills had thought she'd be in Vietnam in October but she found herself where, instead?

68 How many policemen does the niece of a senior judge have to slap before she gets a prison sentence?

69 After 6,120 episodes, which American talk show came to a close on December 18?

70 Which 12th-century monastery was severely damaged in April's Qinghai earthquake?

71 What is the Treskilling Yellow?

72 A study by Chinese University's Mood Disorders Centre found that 570,000 Hongkongers - about one in 12 citizens - persistently misdiagnose themselves when they are really suffering from what?

73 China threw a surprise 86th birthday party in February for which world leader?

74 Who, in the Philippine general election, was elected as representative of Sarangani?

75 Which Asian city celebrated its first millennium on October 10?

76 In the new True Grit film, who plays Rooster Cogburn?

77 Belilios Public School teacher Ng Mei-lan hit the headlines in May by doing what?

78 Which band replaced U2 at last year's Glastonbury Festival after the Irish rockers had to pull out because Bono needed spinal surgery?

79 Martina and Michael Ma were bereaved last year when Tina Leung passed away. How are they related?

80 Last year, jailed billionaire Wong Kwong-yu - sentenced to 14 years in prison for bribery, insider trading and illegal business dealings - failed to win back control of the electronics company he founded. What is it called?

81 On March 23, the ROKS Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship carrying 104 personnel, sank near Baengnyeong Island, the country's westernmost point. What does Baengnyeong mean?

82 Few can pronounce his surname correctly and fewer still can spell it but try naming the long-time chief executive of HSBC who suddenly announced he would retire last year.

83 Widely praised for maintaining confidence in Hong Kong's independent judiciary since the handover, Chief Justice Andrew Li Kwok-nang retired last year, saying he would spend some of his free time indulging in his fondness for:

a) bridge b) tennis c) the clarinet d) all of the above

84 How many men were trapped underground in Chile's Copiapo mining disaster?

85 John Knoll, who has worked as visual-effects supervisor in films such as Avatar and the Pirates of the Caribbean series, is best known for developing which graphics editing tool with his brother 20 years ago?

86 Who became the first European golfer to win the US Open since 1970?

87 King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who celebrated the 60th anniversary of his marriage to Queen Sirikit last year, is known for his command of which musical instrument?

88 The Polish city of Swiebodzin received the world's largest statue of whom last year?

89 Hong Kong Ballet marked last Lunar New Year by staging an adaptation of which ballet?

90 Who or what is Mavi Marmara?

91 Actress Kate Winslet and director Sam Mendes separated after nearly seven years of marriage last year. What was the title and theme of the last film they worked on before they announced their break up?

92 Which British entertainer claimed to have averted a third world war in 1999?

93 Like buses, you wait for a British royal wedding for ages and then two come along at the same time. Name the non-royal soon-to-be spouses.

94 In November, Susan Boyle became only the third act to have conquered both the US and British album charts twice in a year. Name the previous two.

95 After 86 days gushing 189 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico in the largest environmental disaster in US history, BP capped the well on which rig?

96 The body of Tassos Papadopoulos was mysteriously stolen from his grave a year after his death, only to be found 90 days later. Papadopoulos had been president of which country?

97 Quotes by which Chinese national treasure - and staunch anti-gambling advocate - are printed on tickets for the mainland's state-run lottery?

98 Which two teams played in the opening game of the 2010 football World Cup?

99 Oh, and after four weeks and 63 games involving 32 countries, which nation's football team failed at the final hurdle, losing in the final to Spain?

100 Following his detention in Britain, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released on bail last month. Who stumped up the cash?

a) Victoria Beckham

b) Stanley McChrystal

c) Michael Moore

Bonus question: How many new year's resolutions have you broken already?

Answers:

1 The Devil, 2 The Dead Sea Scrolls, 3 George Clooney, 4 Actress Helen Mirren, 5 a, 6 Same-sex marriages, 7 Togo, 8 Mr Gay China, 9 Redheads, 10 Switzerland, 11 Germany, 12 The South China Sea, 13 The most distant galaxy that can be seen from Earth, 14 Indoor hockey played on a gym floor, 15 b, 16 The 1820s, 17 Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Comrade Duch, a former leader of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge 18 Kathryn Bigelow, 19 Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, 20 Caroline Wozniacki, 21 Sculptor (he sculpted Hong Kong's Goddess of Democracy), 22 South Africa's Jacob Zuma, 23 4.6 billion (two-thirds of the world population), 24 Vuvuzela, 25 Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen; his debate with Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, 26 Aung San Suu Kyi. They are the four laureates to have won the Nobel Peace Prize while in prison, 27 Continental and United, 28 J.D. Salinger, 29 '... venture flounders', 30 Chess grandmaster, 31 Goodluck Jonathan, 32 Echoes of the Rainbow, 33 c, 34 South Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, 35 Chinese art and antiques, 36 Typhoon Megi, 37 a, 38 The Chinese Union Version Bible, 39 Kim Jong-un, the favourite to succeed his father as North Korean leader, 40 France and Mexico, 41 A banana, 42 Anna Chapman, 43 A man, 44 Bullying, 45 b, 46 Losing an estimated Euro4.9 billion through 'rogue' trades at Societe Generale, 47 Elton John, 48 Leo Tolstoy, 49 Henderson Land, 50 94, 51 Bus Auntie, 52 Shooting Pope John Paul II (in May 1981), 53 The Hong Kong portion of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail link, 54 Replacing Cantonese with Putonghua, 55 Leonard Peltier; an imprisoned activist and member of the American Indian Movement, 56 Nicky Butt, 57 The Tulip Revolution, 58 HK$28, 59 McWeddings, 60 Sacred Kingdom, 61 Kasubi Tombs, 62 Democracy, 63 Exile on Main St (the re-released version), 64 His identical twin brother, Jaroslaw, 65 Diaoyu Islands; Senkaku Islands, 66 1) Australia, 2) India, 3) England, 67 Sanya, Hainan; Mills won the 60th Miss World pageant, which had been scheduled to be held in Nha Trang but was relocated to the southern Chinese province, 68 Four, 69 Larry King Live, 70 Thrangu Monastery, 71 The world's most expensive postage stamp. The 1855 stamp was auctioned in May, 72 Hypochondria, 73 Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, 74 Boxer Manny Pacquiao, 75 Hanoi, 76 Jeff Bridges, 77 By challenging Henry Tang Ying-yen over democracy when the chief secretary visited her school, 78 Gorillaz, 79 They are the same person (Ma has had gender-reassignment surgery), 80 Gome, 81 'White wing', 82 Michael Geoghegan, 83 d, 84 33, 85 Adobe Photoshop, 86 Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, 87 Saxophone, 88 Jesus, 89 The Nutcracker, 90 The Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship that was stormed by Israeli commandos, 91 Revolutionary Road; a portrait of a failing marriage, 92 Singer James Blunt, who said that, as a soldier in Kosovo, he refused an American order to attack Russian troops, 93 Kate Middleton and Mike Tindall, 94 The Monkees and The Beatles, 95 Deepwater Horizon, 96 Cyprus, 97 Confucius, 98 South Africa and Mexico, 99 The Netherlands, 100 Michael Moore.