Answers to Ian’s Trivialus 26 October 2025
Answers
Space Shuttle Columbia.
The Louvre in Paris – eight items of the crown jewels have disappeared, and the robbers are still at large. The crime is the latest in a recent spate of thefts targeting French museums.
Sumo wrestling – a Grand Sumo Tournament was held in the Royal Albert Hall in London last week which featured 40 of the World’s best wrestlers.
a) – 21
Lord Haw-Haw
It became clear that Putin was not serious about reaching a peace agreement. Trump wished to avoid another Alaskan meeting which was simply a PR event for Putin. A new raft of sanctions (specifically oil companies) against Russia has been announced as a result of its intransigence.
Egypt’s
Mangetout
Iceland – together with Antarctica it has always been mosquito-free. The recent strain are described as being better adapted to the cold and are believed to have arrived on ships.
It is short for the letter W (double U) and refers to a win.
Nile, Congo, Niger.
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Jaguar Land Rover. – the attack which halted all production, began at the end of August. Currently JLR is only now restarting sections of its production processes.
Weaver
c) – feet
b) – Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese star of the LA Dodgers baseball squad. Described as a generational player, Ohtani is not only an exceptional batter, but also an outstanding pitcher – which is rare in in baseball. Last Friday, he hit three home runs and struck out ten batters. Nobody has ever done this in a single game. Ledecky is a prominent swimmer who has dominated the sport since 2012 while Pogacar is a multiple winner in cycling.
It refers to an absence (e.g. from work) without proper authorisation. It comes from an 18th century French custom of leaving a party without thanking or saying goodbye to one’s host or hostess.
R E M – Losing My Religion.
b) – most historians recognise Augustus (previously known as Octavian) as the first Roman Emperor and regard 27 BC as the beginning of the empire. Julius Caesar preceded him and was technically the ruler of Rome until his assassination in 44 BC. Caesar had appointed Octavian (his grandnephew) as his heir in his will.
False – a sizeable number of the world’s rivers do flow south, but not the majority. The direction of flow for a river is determined by topography and gravity.