Here this week’s news quiz! Good luck!

1. Which party did the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) agree to coalition with in Germany?

Spoiler
The Social Democratic Party, who recently governed the country. The CDU won federal elections in February but it was in need of a coalition partner, having sworn not to coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who won the second-most number of seats. This arrangement in German politics is known as a “grand coalition” as it brings together the parties of the center-right and center-left. This is the fifth time this has happened in German history.

2. Last week Sudan accused which country of being “complicit in genocide” before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

Spoiler
The United Arab Emirates. The Sudanese government has accused the UAE of aiding the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a war that has displaced more than 12 million people. Sudan argues that the UAE is helping the RSF displace non-Arab groups, which constitutes a genocide. The United States has also accused the RSF of genocidal behavior.

3. For years it has been said that Vietnam practices “bamboo diplomacy.” What does this mean?

Spoiler
The term, coined in 2016, refers to the Vietnamese government’s attempt to be friends with all nations. It also calls for avoiding entanglements that would cause it to pick a side in a geopolitical dispute. Experts argue that this is being tested by the Trump administration, which levied a high 46% tariff last week on Vietnamese exports.

4. There appears to be a fight brewing for a Republican Senate seat in Texas in 2026. Which two candidates are seeking the position?

Spoiler
Incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Two members of Texas’ House delegation have endorsed Paxton as a more conservative option to Cornyn. Paxton has blasted Cornyn for not being supportive enough of President Donald Trump. The National Republican Senate Committee has said that it will back Cornyn in the race.

5. A plant in which major industry did the British take over from a Chinese owner last week?

Spoiler
Steel. The British government passed a bill that allows Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds to take control of British Steel’s board of directions and workforce. The measure was justified out of fears that Chinese owners the Jingye Group started to take steps to shut it down, threatening 3,000 jobs and eradicating Britain’s ability to make steel from scratch.

6. How many U.S. states have thus far refused to certify that their schools are not using “illegal DEI practices” in accordance with an executive order from President Donald Trump?

Spoiler
10. Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts have refused to certify that they are in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which does not allow race-based discrimination in federally funded programs, in accordance with the Trump administration’s interpretation that DEI practices are a violation of them. States have until April 24 to make a certification and are at risk of losing federal funding is they do not comply.

7. Which two Democratic governors have developed podcast, which some believe may signal their plans to run for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination?

Spoiler
Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gavin Newsom of California. Some see them as a way for Democratic candidates to seem more authentic through a new medium which President Donald Trump used to his advantage in 2024 against Vice President Kamala Harris. Newsom’s podcast has been more overtly political, welcoming controversial far-right guests such as Steve Bannon.

8. What is the name of the U.S. resident who was wrongly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration?

Spoiler
Kilmar Abrego Garcia. He came to America from El Salvador in 2011. The Trump administration argues that he is part of the criminal gang MS-13 but has not provided evidence to back up that assertion. He has spent the last two months in El Salvador as part of alleged migrant gang ties. The Trump administration has worked out an agreement with El Salvador to pay them $6 million to house deported migrants. The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered Abrego Garcia’s return out of due process concerns but El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has said he would not return him.

9. This week Hungary’s parliament passed a constitutional amendment that does what?

Spoiler
The amendment allows the Hungarian government to ban public events by LGBTQ+ communities. The vote was 140-21 with politicians of the governing Fiesz-KDNP coalition voting for it. The amendment also said that male and female sexes will be officially recognized in the constitution. And Hungarians who hold dual citizenship in a non-European Economic Area can have their citizenship suspended for 10 years if they are deemed a threat to public order. Some see it as a play by Victor Orban’s Fidesz party to rally conservative support when polls show that they may lose to the centre-right Tisza party in next year’s elections.

10. Why have dozens of former student pilots sued United Airlines?

Spoiler
The students allege that United did not provide a well rounded training program as part of its United Aviate Academy due to staffing shortages. As a result, students could not finish their training within a year. United Airlines began the program in 2020 because of a shortage of airline pilots that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated.