Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

1. What is the name of the pipeline project that President Biden recently said would be blocked if Russia invaded Ukraine?

Spoiler
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which links Russia to Germany. President Biden said Monday that if Russia invaded Ukraine that he and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz would block the pipeline, which was completed in September and awaits final approval from German regulators. The United States and other European countries have been wary of Nord Stream 2 since it would make Germany more dependent on Russian natural gas.

2. Why did Iraqi lawmakers fail to elect a new president on Monday?

Spoiler
Key factions boycotted the presidential vote in parliament, which was supposed to take place on Monday. The Iraqi Constitution requires a two-thirds quorum of the legislature’s 329 members to elect a new leader. However, only 58 legislators showed up after powerful factions, the most prominent of which was backed by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, boycotted.

3. What is the new U.S. unemployment rate?

Spoiler
4%, a slight increase from December’s 3.9%. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic (BLS), the U.S. added 467,000 new jobs in January. The new unemployment number might solidify the Federal Reserve’s expected decision to raise interest rates.

4. What is Turkey’s present inflation rate?

Spoiler
48.7%. The number is a 20-year high. Economist argue that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s policies are to blame because he has pushed for interest rates to remain low. In addition, Turkey’s currency, the lira, crashed late last year, suffering a 44% drop in value. Goldman Sachs argues that Turkey could see inflation rise to 55% for most of the year.

5. Which budget airline is buying budget airline Spirit?

Spoiler
Frontier Airlines. Frontier is buying Spirit Airlines for $2.9 billion in cash and stocks, an acquisition that will make Frontier the fifth-largest airline passenger carrier in the country.

6. Where did U.S. commandos kill ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hasimi al-Qurashi?

Spoiler
Syria, in the opposition-held town of Atmeh, which is close to the Turkish border. Last week, U.S. forces raided Qurashi’s compound, killing him as well as six children and four women. Qurashi reportedly detonated a suicide vest as U.S. forces closed in, increasing the casualty total.

7. West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin recently endorsed which political figure’s re-election bid in 2022?

Spoiler
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. What made the endorsement notable is that Murkowski is a Republican. It is not the first time that Manchin endorsed a candidate across the aisle as he did the same for Senator Susan Collins of Maine in 2020. Murkowski faces a contested primary because former President Donald Trump is upset that Murkowski voted to convict him during his second impeachment trial after the January 6 Capitol riot.

8. Who is the new, interim leader of the Canadian Conservative Party?

Spoiler
Candice Bergen. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole was ousted last week, which observers felt was an attempt by the Conservative Party to move farther to the political right after protests against COVID measures disrupted life in the capital city of Ottawa. The party will now hold a new leadership election.

9. Why did CNN part ways with chief executive Jeff Zucker last week?

Spoiler
Zucker, CNN’s president, resigned last week after having a consensual relationship with a colleague. Zucker’s resignation shocked the news industry and leaves CNN in a precarious spot as Discovery merges with WarnerMedia. It also comes on the heels of prime time commentator Chris Cuomo being fired for improperly advising his brother, then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, over sexual harassment allegations.

10. In 2021, which four African countries witnessed successful military coups?

Spoiler
Chad, Mali, Guinea, and Sudan. This year has another one in Burkina Faso. There were eight successful military coups in Africa during the 2010s, so experts are alarmed at how quickly the number is rising. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned against rising coups in Africa, arguing that a lack of international unity to oppose them is to blame.