AQUA aka A Quiz Using Acronyms

Answer: Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms

It should actually be a COBR meeting but that isn't as scary as being told you are the subject of a COBRA meeting, which is usually chaired by the Prime Minister. The first COBRA meeting was under Edward Heath in response to the miner's strike of 1972 and themeetings continue to be held as and when required, such as in response to the poisoning on UK soil of former Soviet spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in 2018.

Answer: World Meteorological Organization

The WMO has 191 members and part of its remit is to provide accurate weather forecasts and warnings of weather events, such as tsunamis and hurricanes, which could have a high impact on countries and people; allowing, therefore, precautionary measures to be taken to lessen the impact. The WMO was founded in 1950.

Answer: European Free Trade Association

EFTA countries are those which are in the European Single Market, operating alongside, but not a member of, the European Union. Of the original seven countries in EFTA, Austria, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden and the UK have all since joined the EU, while Iceland and Liechtenstein have become members of EFTA, joining original members Norway and Sweden.

Answer: Lacrosse

Following the 2014 Men's World Championship, England was ranked fifth behind Canada, the USA, Iroquois Nationals, and Australia, while the women fared slightly better after the 2017 Worlds with a ranking of third. The FIL is the only organisation in international sport to accept First Nations bands and Native American tribes as sovereign nations, recognising the importance of the sport to these peoples.

Answer: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

From figures released in 2016, the fourteen countries of OPEC account for 44% of global oil production. These countries are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya and Nigeria in Africa, and, from South America, Ecuador and Venezuela. Their headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.

Answer: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

The OPCW is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, and, according to their website mission statement, their aim is "a world that is free of chemical weapons and of the threat of their use, and in which cooperation in chemistry for peaceful purposes for all is fostered." In 2013, the organisation was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for, in the words of the committee, "extensive work to eliminate chemical weapons".

Answer: Food and Agriculture Organization

Diouf from Senegal was succeeded in 2011 by Brazilian José Graziano da Silva at the helm of this organisation which, as part of the United Nations, serves both developed and developing countries and aims to defeat hunger worldwide. Goodwill ambassadors involved in the Ending Hunger campaign include Ronan Keating, Carl Lewis, Celine Dion, Roberto Baggio, Raul, and Susan Sarandon.

Answer: Renewable Energy

IRENA stands for International Renewable Energy Agency and they are the "go to people" for all things concerning renewable energy as their expertise covers bioenergy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy. They have contributed greatly in the number of offshore wind farms off the coast of the UK.

Answer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA superseded NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) and, apart from exploring the universe, have, in my opinion, one of the best vision statements ever. "We reach for new heights and reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind." Admit it, that takes some beating.

Answer: ERNIE

ERNIE stands for Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment and is the affectionate name given to computer that selects the winning numbers. The premium bonds can be bought from the National Savings and Investments Agency and the government pays the interest on each bond.

This interest is then entered into fund from which ERNIE picks the lucky winners. As of 2018, there are two £1 million jackpots each month. They were originally introduced by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan to help control inflation and encourage people to save money.