Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. Which two candidates qualified for the runoff round of the French presidential election?
Spoiler
President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. This will be a rematch of France’s presidential election in 2017 where Macron trounced Le Pen 66%-34%. Experts expect the next election to be closer as Le Pen may gather votes from dissatisfied leftist critics of Macron, as well as votes from other far-right candidates that did not make the runoff. Macron is trying to become the first French president to win re-election since Jacques Chirac in 2002, who defeated Le Pen’s father in a runoff. If Le Pen wins, she would become France’s first female president.
2. Which U.S. city re-imposed its indoor mask mandate this week?
Spoiler
Philadelphia. The city reported that COVID-19 cases rose by more than 50% in 10 days, which triggered a new mask mandate. City health officials believe that the rise in cases is from the B.A.2 subvariant of omicron. Philadelphia had ended its indoor mask mandate on March 2, mirroring similar moves by other cities and states.
3. Who is the new prime minister of Pakistan?
Spoiler
Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N Party. Sharif is from a political dynasty as his younger brother, Nawaz, was once prime minister. Sharif was installed after a no-confidence vote was lodged against Imran Khan’s government over the weekend. He is expected to lead the nation until a new general election is held next year.
4. Who is the President of Sri Lanka?
Spoiler
Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa has governed the country since November 2019 and now faces massive protests over economic difficulties and energy shortages. Yesterday, the country announced that it was suspending foreign debt payments. Protesters allege that Rajapaksa has purged the government of good managers and replaced them with relatives and loyalists, plunging the nation into economic crisis.
5. President Biden held a conversation with which world leader on Monday as part of a strategy to put economic pressure on Russia?
Spoiler
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Biden administration does not want India to increase its energy purchases from Russia, which it fears could weaken global economic pressure on the Russian government. India still buys more military equipment from Russia than any other country, though, and it abstained in the General Assembly last week when a vote was taken to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.
6. Members of which religious group are suing the Marine Corps because of its restrictions on beards?
Spoiler
Sikhs. The U.S. Marine Corps has refused to allow Sikhs to wear beards on combat deployments or boot camp, saying that the rule saves lives (as troops could be prevented from safely wearing a gas mask) and is needed for combat uniformity and effectiveness. Marine Captain Sukhbir Singh Toor and three other Sikhs have sued over the regulation, saying it violates their First Amendment right to freedom of religious expression.
7. What are “ghost guns”?
Spoiler
A ghost gun is an untraceable firearm that does not have a commercially-applied serial number. Many ghost guns today can be bought online in kits without a background check and assembled. The Biden administration recently argued that law enforcement agencies recovered 20,000 of the firearms last year and announced an executive order to ban their sale this past Monday.
8. Which European Union (EU) member was the first to end imports of Russian gas?
Spoiler
Lithuania. Last week it suspended all gas imports from Russia due to Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. Lithuania was ahead of the curve of most of its EU partners, starting its move away from reliance on Russian natural gas years ago. For example, in 2014 Lithuania imported all of its natural gas from Russia.
9. Why has Peru seen violent street protests in recent weeks?
Spoiler
Rising fuel and fertilizer prices. Last Monday, President Pedro Castillo declared a state of emergency. Inflation in the country is registering as the highest in more than 20 years, hurting poor Peruvians who are vulnerable to food and fuel price hikes. The protests are a continued threat to Peru’s political stability. The nation has seen five presidents come and go over the last five years.
10. Which three Republican senators voted for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court?
Spoiler
Senators Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Mitt Romney (Utah) all voted to confirm Justice Jackson to the Supreme Court, joining all 50 Democratic senators. The final confirmation vote was 53-47, more evidence of growing partisanship over Supreme Court hearings and confirmation votes.