What links chess, water and dead? The Saturday quiz

From Snowqueens Icedragon to Simon May, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz

Questions

1 Whose murder in 1610 was the first to be called an assassination?
2 Who wrote Twilight fan fiction under the name Snowqueens Icedragon?
3 Which US decision-making body has 538 members?
4 What is Britain’s most colourful corvid?
5 Which African language is named from the Arabic for “coastal”?
6 A cosmic year is the time taken to do what?
7 Which classic dystopian film is set in 2022?
8 Iznik ware came from which country?
What links:
9 Miriam; Deborah; Huldah; Noadiah; Anna?
10 Eric Spear; Simon May; Tony Hatch?
11 Luvironza River, Burundi, and Lake Tana, Ethiopia?
12 Dead; Chess; Sermon; Water; Said?
13 373; 100; 212?
14 Gila monster; Komodo dragon; Mexican beaded lizard?
15 Wrong (plant pot); Lucky (gingham bonnet); Snooty (topper); Snow (bowler)?

Answers

1 King Henri IV of France.
2 EL James (origin of Fifty Shades series).
3 Electoral college.
4 Jay.
5 Swahili.
6 The solar system to revolve once around the centre of the Milky Way (c225m years).
7 Soylent Green.
8 Turkey (Ottoman empire).

9 Female prophets (named in the Bible).
10 Wrote TV soap theme tunes: Coronation Street; EastEnders; Crossroads, Emmerdale and Neighbours.
11 Origins (probable) of the White and Blue Niles.
12 The Waste Land poem: last words of the five sections.
13 Boiling point of water: kelvin; celsius; fahrenheit.
14 Venomous lizards.
15 Headwear of Mr Men and Little Misses.