Oct 31, 2012

Q.762



What you see in this visual was, literally, at the centre of something that caused a great deal of controversy and consternation in India during the end of October 2012. Where would you see this logo, and during which event was this seen in India, causing all the hullabaloo?

Image: Wikipedia

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This day last year: Q.396

Oct 30, 2012

Q.761



Seen in this visual is a televised debate held in October 2012 involving four candidates: Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, Virgil Goode, and Rocky Anderson. The debate was moderated by former television host Larry King. For what post are these candidates vying for?

Image: C-SPAN/Salon.com

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This day last year: Q.395

Oct 29, 2012

Q.760

IZzie for the week (what is an IZzie?)

In October 2012, football's governing body, FIFA, approved the use of two technological systems to be used as goal-line technology in December's FIFA Club World Cup (which features each continental association's current champion). This will be used to automatically detect whether a ball has crossed the goal.

One of them is "GoalRef", which is the other?

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This day last year: Q.394

Oct 28, 2012

Q.759

The Permanent International Peace Bureau was the first. Next was the International Committee of the Red Cross, which also has the most: three. The next highest is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with two.

Which is the latest?

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This day last year: Q.393

Oct 26, 2012

Q.757

According to President Obama's re-election campaign, this 'condition' is a political affliction in which a candidate forgets his stated position on issues and presents a different stance while talking to different audiences. (Obviously, only his opponent Mitt Romney has been diagnosed with this ailment.)

What catchy portmanteau word is being used by the campaign to disparage Romney?

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This day last year: Q.391

Oct 25, 2012

Q.756

In the film "Heroine", it was by Kareena Kapoor. In "Gangs of Wasseypur", by Manoj Bajpai. For most films, it was by one of the lead actors. Since September 2012, all films that meet a certain criterion need to have this, if they are to obtain certification from the the Central Board of Film Certification.

Filmmakers seem to prefer this, rather than a scrolling ticker in the middle of their films. What is this new addition to Indian films?

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This day last year: Q.390

Oct 24, 2012

Q.755

These people joined an exclusive (but very large) group of people, in October 2012. As a result, what term can now be applied to them, and thus be prefixed to their names?
  • Pedro Calungsod (1654-1672, Filipino)
  • Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680, Native American)
  • Jacques Berthieu (1838-1896, French)
  • Marianne Cope (1838-1918, American)
  • Giovanni Battista Piamarta (1841-1913, Italian)
  • Maria del Monte Carmelo Salles y Barangueras (1848-1911, Spanish)
  • Anna Schaeffer (1882-1925, German)
[+ Show Answer] This day last year: Q.389

Oct 22, 2012

Q.753

This week's IZzie (what is an IZzie?)

Indian Law Minister Salman Khurshid was in the midst of controversy in October 2012, with allegations of corruption against a trust that he runs. This trust is named after his maternal grandfather, who was also India's first Muslim President.

Who is this former President?

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This day last year: Q.387

Oct 21, 2012

Q.752

Which Head of State, who was elected President of his country in 2012, made a semi-official visit to London during the Olympics in August 2012? Accompanied by British PM David Cameron, he attended the judo competitions and watched Tagir Khaibulaev win gold in the 100 kg category.

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This day last year: Q.386

Oct 20, 2012

Q.751



Often heralded as one of the best short story writers from the Indian subcontinent, the world of South Asian literature is celebrating his centenary year in 2012. The event is being commemmorated in many ways. This book, a translation of his works by Aatish Taseer, was issued in paperback in 2012 as well.

Which writer?

Image: Flipkart

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This day last year: Q.385

Oct 19, 2012

Q.750

Identify the subject of this documentary about an Indian film-maker, which is expected to be completed in 2012.





Image: The movie's Facebook page

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This day last year: Q.384

Oct 18, 2012

Q.749

In these visuals (taken from a ceremony held on November 29, 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad), what honour is Brian Lara receiving? More importantly, what is the connection to a current affairs event?





Images: SMH.co.au/Reuters, zimbio.com/Phil Walter/Getty Images AsiaPac

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This day last year: Q.383

Oct 17, 2012

Q.748

The author was a graduate of the University of Manchester. Given that his tale of Alex and his droogs completes fifty years in 2012, it was fitting that the University unveiled a commemmorative plaque in his honour at its premises.

Which author, and which work (which is one of the most influential books of the twentieth century)?

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This day last year: Q.382

Oct 15, 2012

Q.746

This week's IZzie

(what is an IZzie?)

The editor M.S.Shinde (who passed away in 2012) is perhaps best known to quizzers for being the only member of the "Sholay" crew to win a Filmfare Award (for the year 1975). That year, the big awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Story went to another film.

Incidentally, the director of that film also has a film release in 2012 - which, ironically, shares its name with something to do with "Sholay". Which was the 1975 film and director?

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This day last year: Q.380

Oct 13, 2012

Q.744

Samuel Zemurray, an American businessman owned the Cuyamel Fruit Company, and also took over the United Fruit Company in the 1930s. He bought lots of land in the Republic of Honduras for his business ventures (and probably didn't need any loans for it). He got involved in local politics and ended up aiding a coup that overthrew the liberal President of the day.

Primarily, what kind of fruit did Zemurray specialise in exporting to the US? (and what is the current affairs connection?)

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This day last year: Q.378

Oct 12, 2012

Q.743

Given his record of seventy four Tests and a hundred and seventy four one day internationals, he will never win the "Silver Bails" or "Golden Bails". Well, unless he changes his mind, like Shahid Afridi does every year. He has won the "Bronze Bails", however.

Who?

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This day last year: Q.377

Oct 11, 2012

Q.742

The Americans have had this post for the last fifty years, beginning with Robert Cutler upto Tom Donilon, the current man playing the role. Brijesh Mishra (who passed away in September 2012) was the first to serve as this, when India instituted this in 1998. Shivshankar Menon is the incumbent.

Which post?

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This day last year: Q.376

Oct 10, 2012

Q.741

This Asian currency has taken a massive monetary hit, with a decrease in value of over forty percent (against the dollar) in October 2012. Partly affected by UN sanctions and partly by poor economic policy, this has led to economic unrest in the country.

The etymology of the currency is most likely derived from the Spanish word for 'royal' which, in the old days, was used for Spanish and Portuguese coins backed by their rulers.

Which currency and country?

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This day last year: Q.375

Oct 9, 2012

Q.740





This teaser announced the collaboration of George Lucas's "Star Wars" franchise with this other, much more recent, franchise (this was posted on the latter's Tumblr page). Exactly what these two have cooked up together was revealed at "Toys R Us" in October 2012.

Which is the other franchise? (BTW, don't forget to see the laser).

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This day last year: Q.374

Oct 8, 2012

Q.739

IZzies
This blog sees quite a few young quizzers visiting it. Unsurprisingly, some of them find the quesions a little difficult, as the questions are mostly targeted at an older age group. So, starting today, each Monday will have a current affairs question better suited to our younger friends. Older quizzers, who are grumpily beginning a new work-week, may also be thankful for the lighter cerebral start to a new IZ week!

We hope you enjoy these questions.





Adel Abdessemed is an Algerian sculptor who has an exhibition of his work at the Pompidou Museum in Paris in September 2012. Which Algerian-born player do you see depicted in this sculpture - an unforgettable moment in sport?

Image: CNN

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This day last year: Q.373

Oct 7, 2012

Q.738

Named for a former Chief of Air Staff (who came up with this idea), this football tournament is for school teams (in U-14 and U-16 categories). Of late, foreign teams have also been invited to take part.

This year's tournament was held in New Delhi and had its share of interesting moments, one of which was an Afghan player assaulting a referee during a match against the Ukrainian side of Dynamo Kiev (who would win the U-17 tournament). The U-14 section was won by a Nagaland team.

Which tournament is this?

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This day last year: Q.372

Oct 6, 2012

Q.737



This is a 2012 documentary on the life of William G. Wilson, who was better known as "Bill W.". Many of the people interviewed in the film are not shown, to maintain their anonymity. In 1935, Bill W. founded something with Dr. Bob (Dr. Bob Smith), who had a similar issue to overcome as Bill.

What did Bill W. co-found?

Image: Wikipedia

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This day last year: Q.371

Oct 5, 2012

Q.736

Vikram Seth is best known for his writing of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. He is also a keen calligrapher and musician, and dabbles in several other forms of art. In 2012, he showcased his painting skills with three works for the Absolut Art series.

Each of these consists of a visual with some words around them. Two of them have lettering in Hindi (Devanagari) and in Urdu (Nastaliq). What is the third language, something that Seth is very fluent in and has formally learnt calligraphy in?

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This day last year: Q.370

Oct 4, 2012

Q.735

IZ 584 reported the squabble between the Central government and the Bihar state government over the location of the Central University of Bihar. In the end, it was resolved by allotting two such Universities.

The one at Motihari has been called "Central University North Bihar". Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called for it to be named after someone for whom the place would be his "karmabhoomi".

Which person, who became associated with Motihari in 1917?

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This day last year: Q.369

Oct 3, 2012

Q.734



To mark fifty years of a certain creation, the Campbell Soup Company issued this limited edition set of soup cans in mid-2012. The design palette consisted of loud colour schemes and a portrait of the artist behind the 1962 creation.

Which artist and what was the creation?

Image: Mel Evans (AP)/USA Today

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This day last year: Q.368

Oct 2, 2012

Q.733



To illustrate a serious point about a country's nuclear programme at the 2012 meeting of the UN General Assembly, this Prime Minister (who reportedly loves using graphical aids) pulled out a cartoon depiction of a bomb. While some thought it a smart way to get publicity, many others (most of them on the internet) just made fun of the idea. And compared the whole thing to a Wile E. Coyote cartoon.

Nicknamed the "Bibi Bomb", who was this Prime Minister?

Image: The New Yorker

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This day last year: Q.367

Oct 1, 2012

Q.732

(Infinite Zounds turns two years old today. Many thanks to all our readers for taking the blog past this little milestone.)

Two entities, a confectionary and a person, became yoked together in an unlikely alliance of homophones in 2012. One apparently gets its Oriental name from a resemblance to snow. The other is a British garage entrepreneur who manufactured four-valved equipment that bore his name and gained popularity for its simplicity in the household.

What's the connection?

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This day last year: Q.366