“What in the World? Weekly Quiz" | Jan 4-10, 2021

A global affairs awareness service provided by the
Tennessee World Affairs Council

CLICK IMAGE FOR QUIZ

Thanks to quiz master Matthew Jackson, for this week’s quiz.

LAST WEEK’S QUIZ WINNERS

Charles Bowers, Nashville, TN
David Hillinck, Huntsville, AL
Judy Hollinger, Houston, TX
Steve Freidberg, Boston, MA
Barbara Gubbin, Jacksonville, FL
Jim Shepherd, Nashville, TN
Pete Griffin, Nashville, TN
Austin Travis, Nashville, TN
Mary Raffety, Nashville, TN
Jack Pantin, Nashville, TN
Debbie Barnard, Cookeville, TN
Beverly Ketel, Peoria, IL
Laurie Bergner, Normal, IL
Herb Marsh, Lincoln, NM
Yezzie Dospil, Nashville, TN
Peter Barclay, Peoria, IL
Bernie Drake, Peoria, IL
Peter Sharadin, Blandon, PA
Vikas Bhargava, NJ
Kenania Whiawary, Tigaraksa, Banten, Indonesia

WELL DONE!

Hey! Dozens of quiz takers are on our weekly winners list. You will be eligible for our end of month quiz prize if you become a TNWAC member. Join today to be in the running for the December quiz prize.

The World Affairs Council needs your support now more than ever. With a suggested donation of $100, you can help the Council continue to offer free and public programming to discuss critical global issues affecting Americans’ security and prosperity.

You can give in one of several ways:

Pay with your credit card via the donation button below.
Mail a check to the TNWAC Office (Fidelity 304A, Belmont University, 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212)
Planned giving through a bequest. Consult the attorney who assisted with your estate planning.
Request a distribution from your Donor Advised Fund
Check with your employer to see if they will match your gift!

With the passing of the CARES Act, most individual taxpayers will become eligible for significant tax benefits for charitable contributions made this year. Two of these benefits will be:

A $300 Above-the-Line Charitable deduction, meaning that individuals who do not itemize their deductions will be eligible to claim up to $300 of charitable deductions in 2020, on top of the standard deduction
Modified Limitations on Cash Charitable Contributions – for 2020, the 60% AGI limitation on cash contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations, such as WACA, is suspended

Please give to support global affairs awareness programs in the community and in your schools.

December 2020 – Quiz Prize Winner

Angela Weck

The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal

Ambassador William Burns

LAST WEEK’S QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What in the World? Quiz – Week of Dec 28, 2020-Jan 3, 2021

1. Negotiators for the United Kingdom and European Union concluded 11th hour Brexit talks on Christmas Eve with THIS result.

A. The UK will hit the New Year 2021 deadline without a Brexit deal.
B. Negotiators agreed to extend the Brexit deadline to March 30, 2021.
C. Boris Johnson and EU leaders agreed to a final Brexit pact.
D. The UK and EU agreed to implement Brexit terms but resolution of the Irish “backstop” question will continue to be discussed.

Correct Response: C. Boris Johnson and EU leaders agreed to a final Brexit pact.
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/26/950360170/great-britain-and-the-european-union-finalize-brexit-trade-deal

2. The Israeli Parliament was dissolved last week after the unity government gave in to infighting. The development will force a new election, fourth in the last two years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, head of THIS party, and Benny Gantz blamed each other for the failure.

A. Likud
B. Blue and White
C. Shas
D. Joint List

Correct Response: A. Likud
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/world/middleeast/israel-election-netanyahu.html

3. A new mutation of the COVID-19 virus has appeared worldwide, apparently originating in THIS country. This variant is more transmissible than previous forms of the virus but is no deadlier. The new variant has caused new travel restrictions.

A. France
B. Italy
C. United Kingdom
D. Spain

Correct Response: C. United Kingdom
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55452262

4. Recent attacks in southern Niger that killed 28 people and burned 800 homes are attributed to THIS jihadist, militant group affiliated with the Islamic State. The group, whose name means non-Islamist education is forbidden, is known for its kidnappings and terrorism in Nigeria but appears to be extending its reach. [“Daily Chatter” Question]

A. Al Qaeda
B. Hezbollah
C. Boko Haram
D. Al-Shabaab

Correct Response: C. Boko Haram
“Daily Chatter,” December 24, 2020

5. The Biden Administration plans to reengage the parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the so-called Iran nuclear deal but it has a narrow window for dealing with Iran. The country shuts down for two-weeks in March for Nowruz, the Persian new year followed by presidential campaigning for the June 18th election. THIS incumbent Iranian President, who oversaw the JCPOA process, will not be on the ballot due to a two-term limitation. [USIP Question]

A. Hassan Rouhani
B. Qassem Soleimani
C. Mohammed Javad Zarif
D. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Correct Response: A. Hassan Rouhani
https://www.usip.org/publications/2020/12/nuclear-diplomacy-iran-whats-ahead-biden-administration

6. Loujain al-Hathloul was sentenced to a five-year prison sentence for seeking to change the political system and harming national security. Rights groups and her family said she was an activist pushing for women’s right to drive and the end of the male guardian system, and that she had been tortured in confinement. The case may be an early test between the President Biden administration and THIS crown prince in Riyadh.

A. Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)
B. Salman bin Abdulaziz (SBA)
C. Mohammed bin Nayef (MBN)
D. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz (ABA)

Correct Response: A. Mohammed bin Salman (MBS)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-rights-women/saudi-court-hands-prison-sentence-to-womens-rights-activist-idUSKBN2920T7?il=0

7. The United Nations has announced that every year on February 4th, the International Day of Human Fraternity will be observed. This international day was inspired by the friendship between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar in Cairo. THIS country submitted this proposal that was approved unanimously by the UN?

A. Egypt
B. Kuwait
C. Sudan
D. Qatar

Correct Response: A. Egypt
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2020/12/22/international-day-human-fraternity-pope-francis-239578

8. The Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 and Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 was part of a package signed by President Trump on Sunday. The legislation, which angered Beijing as interference in its affairs, among other provisions, threatens sanctions against Chinese officials who obstruct the selection of a successor for THIS spiritual leader, exiled from Tibet.

A. Nyanassamvara Suvaddhana, 19th Somdet Phra and Supreme Patriarch
B. Swami Gahanananda, President, Ramakrishna Mission, Vedanta Society
C. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
D. Ariyavongsagatanana, 20th Somdet Phra and Supreme Patriarch

Correct Response: C. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-china/u-s-bolsters-support-for-taiwan-and-tibet-angering-china-idUSKBN2920JZ

9. Argentina has recently approved the Sputnik vaccine and has received nearly 300,000 doses, expecting more in early 2021. Sputnik was developed in THIS country.

A. Ukraine
B. Kazakhstan
C. Latvia
D. Russia

Correct Response: D. Russia
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-argentina-vaccine-idUKKBN29100A

10. THIS island country in East Asia has banned non-resident foreign nationals from entering the country and Prime Minister Suga urged people to stay home. The travel ban has been put in place after a new more transmissible COVID-19 was detected in the country.

A. Taiwan
B. Philippines
C. Malaysia
D. Japan

Correct Response: D. Japan
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/japan-bans-new-entries-of-foreigners-after-virus-variant-arrives-189748

THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS AWARENESS AND EDUCATION OUTREACH

THE MISSION of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Tennessee World Affairs Council is to promote international awareness, understanding and connections to enhance the region’s global stature and to prepare Tennesseans to thrive in our increasingly complex and connected world.

THE VISION of the Tennessee World Affairs Council is a well-informed community that thinks critically about the world and the impact of global events.