[February 2025] Current Affairs Quiz

Fumio Matoba

Fumio Matoba, a popular jockey known as the “Emperor of Oi,” has announced that he will retire from competition in March 2025. Over the course of his career, he has earned numerous victories, particularly excelling at Oi Racecourse.

Hundreds of Millions of Light Years

The song chosen as the entrance march for the 2025 Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournament is Omoinotake’s “Ikuoku Kounen” (“Billions of Light Years”). This latest hit has attracted attention for its forward-looking lyrics.

Sirius

Tenrōsei drew fan attention by defeating Kōmusashi in their bout on Day 3 of the 2025 New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. The match also attracted interest because Tenrōsei is the nephew of former yokozuna Asashōryū, while Kōmusashi is the nephew of former yokozuna Musashimaru—making it a clash between nephews of ex-yokozuna.

crested ibis

The crested ibis was once on the brink of extinction, but thanks to conservation efforts its population is recovering. A release into the wild within Ishikawa Prefecture has been scheduled with a target around fiscal year 2026, and initiatives are underway to support the species’ return to the wild.

Doomsday Clock

The Doomsday Clock is a clock adjusted annually since 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, set to symbolically represent the level of danger facing humanity. In 2025, it was announced to be 89 seconds to midnight, the shortest remaining time in the clock’s history, which drew significant attention.

about 14.2 billion yen

Aiming to sign him in the summer of 2025, Chelsea are reported to have set a transfer fee of approximately 14.2 billion yen for Kaoru Mitoma. A transfer fee reflects a player's market value, and the size of this amount highlights the level of attention Mitoma is receiving.

stink bug

Students at the University of Hyogo Junior High School created an air freshener using the distinctive odor of stink bugs. This project was part of a class activity at the school. Based on research showing that each stink bug species has a different smell, they used components from the species Plautia stali and Leptoglossus occidentalis.