Weekly quiz questions: 16 March 2026

Hello quizmanics! Oscar night finally arrived, the Paralympics wrapped up, March Madness brackets dropped, and NATO had a very busy week intercepting missiles. Oh, and someone's pet learned to drive. Just another normal seven days on planet Earth.

The questions

1Which film won Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night, picking up six Oscars in total including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay?

Answer:One Battle After Another(click to reveal)

Paul Thomas Anderson's film swept the ceremony. After 30 years of making movies and 14 nominations without a win, Anderson finally took home three Oscars in one night. His acceptance speech ended with: "What a night, you guys. Let's have a martini."

2Michael B. Jordan won his first Oscar for Best Actor on Sunday. Which Ryan Coogler film earned him the award?

Answer:Sinners(click to reveal)

The film landed a record 16 Oscar nominations and took home four on the night, including Best Original Screenplay for Coogler. Jordan plays twin brothers Stack and Smoke in the horror drama, which grossed over $369 million worldwide.

3Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her role in Hamnet, making history as the first woman from which country to win the category?

Answer:Ireland(click to reveal)

She plays the wife of William Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao's adaptation, dealing with grief after the death of their son. She'd already swept the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Critics Choice on her way to the Oscar.

4NATO air defences intercepted multiple Iranian ballistic missiles this week over which member country's airspace, with debris falling in Gaziantep province?

Answer:Turkey(click to reveal)

Three separate missiles were shot down over Turkish territory between March 4 and March 13. Ankara demanded clarification from Tehran, as the missiles appeared to be heading towards the NATO radar station at Kurecik.

5The 2026 Winter Paralympics closed on Sunday in Italy after nine days of competition. Which country topped the final medal table?

Answer:China(click to reveal)

They finished with 15 golds, 13 silvers and 16 bronzes, their best ever performance at an overseas Winter Paralympics. The US came second with 24 medals, boosted by the sled hockey team winning their fifth straight gold.

6The NCAA March Madness bracket was revealed on Selection Sunday. Which university was named the number one overall seed?

Answer:Duke(click to reveal)

The Blue Devils secured the top spot after a 74-70 win over Virginia in the ACC Tournament title game. Arizona, Michigan, and Florida filled out the other three number one seed slots.

7António José Seguro was sworn in as president of which European country on March 9, after winning the presidential runoff with nearly 67% of the vote?

Answer:Portugal(click to reveal)

The Socialist Party-backed candidate took office at the Assembly of the Republic, succeeding Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The ceremony was attended by heads of state from Spain, Angola, Mozambique, Timor-Leste, and Cape Verde.

8NATO conducted military exercises involving over 25,000 troops from 14 nations in which territory, partly as a response to tensions over Trump's attempts to acquire it?

Answer:Greenland(click to reveal)

The Cold Response 26 exercises ran from March 9 to 19 and included troops from Denmark, the US, and 12 other NATO allies. The drills fell under the broader Operation Arctic Sentry, aimed at bolstering NATO's presence in the high north.

9A major snowstorm hit the Upper Midwest this weekend, dumping over 20 inches of snow on some areas. Which US state bore the brunt of it?

Answer:Minnesota(click to reveal)

The city of Wabasha saw around 20.5 inches, with Rochester getting about 14 inches. The storm was part of a broader system that also brought damaging winds across the Plains.

10A Dutch computer engineer set a Guinness World Record on Italian television by building a motion-sensing car for his pet, called Blub. What type of animal is Blub?

Answer:A goldfish(click to reveal)

The car contains a water tank with a motion-sensing camera, so when Blub swims to one side, the car moves that way. Blub covered 12.28 metres in one minute on the set of the Italian show Lo Show dei Record. The engineer noted the technology could actually help people with disabilities.

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Oscars, missiles, March Madness, and a fish behind the wheel. That's your week sorted. See you next Monday!