QUESTIONS

1) A leading organization warned that which European economic powerhouse could slip into recession?

2) While Bill Clinton addressed the DNC, where was his wife?

3) What are prisoners in Brazil doing, to shorten their sentences?

4) In France, heavy rains and late frosts have meant the worst yields in 20 years for which harvest?

5) What do new gravestones have in the UK?

6) Who said his new job was almost "impossible"?

7) Which country got a billion dollars in debt relief from the U.S.?

8) People from which country withdrew a record $94 billion from their banks in July?

9) The Prime Minister of which country was misquoted and misunderstood by the State Department?

10) What was unusual about an Arabic anchorwoman's appearance this week?

11) What did Japan offer to buy - for $26 million?

12) Who rope-climbed down the exterior of a 1000-foot-high skyscraper?

13) Which foreign leader was said to be playing "the role of the alpha male"?

14) Name the base in Afghanistan where Prince Harry landed.

15) Who is Pauline Marois?

16) Name an item you can order at the Veggie-only McDonald's in India.

17) Which sport did ABC's Jean Fievet call the most dangerous at the Paralympic Games?

ANSWERS

1) The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Germany - Europe's largest economy - could slip into recession by year's end.

2) Hillary Clinton was in East Timor, praising that young nation for holding fair elections this year.

3) The LA Times reports that inmates are now encouraged to ride stationary bikes, a move that generates power and keeps them out of trouble. For every three days bike riding shifts, the inmates shave one day off their sentences.

4) France 24 reports that wine producers are gearing up for their smallest grape harvest since 1991.

5) Barcodes. A unique barcode on the grave marker will provide an instant link to a memorial internet page with pictures and biography. The QR markers cost up to £300, with an additional charge of £95 for the online memorial which is administered by Chester Pearce.

6) New Syrian envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

7) Egypt.

8) Spain.

9) New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. Presumably confused by his accent, the State Department issued a transcript stating the Prime Minister welcomed the chance to cooperate with the US "in the next conflicts". What the Prime Minister actually said was: "we welcome the opportunity to cooperate. In that context…"

10) Fatma Nabil anchored a news program on Egyptian state television wearing a veil; that was a first.

11) The Japanese government reached a tentative agreement to purchase the disputed Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu in Chinese) for 26 million dollars. The news angered many Chinese, who claim the barren islands as their own.

12) Britain's Prince Andrew.

13) Vladimir Putin.

14) Camp Bastion.

15) Ms. Marois is the newly-minted premier of Quebec - the subject of an apparent assassination attempt while she was giving a speech.

16) The McVeggie (a patty of carrots, peas with potato); the McAloo Tikki (a deep-fried patty of spicy mashed potatoes); and McSpicy Paneer (not sure about that one).

17) Wheelchair rugby.