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

1. Over the weekend, the U.S. assumed custody of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi. What does he stand accused of?

Spoiler
Mas’ud, a Libyan intelligence official, is accused of making the bomb that exploded aboard Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. The act of terrorism killed all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground when debris fell from the sky. Of the 259 that were killed, 190 were Americans. The Justice Department said that Mas’ud will face charges in Washington, D.C.

2. How did Dina Boluarte become Peru’s first female head of state last week?

Spoiler
Boluarte assumed the job after President Pedro Castillo was impeached and removed from office after an attempt to dissolve the Peruvian Congress. Castillo’s effort was not backed by the military and later in the day he was impeached and removed from office and arrested. Boluarte, a former communist, is vowing to root out corruption and quell the growing political tensions in the country.

3. Last week, the Biden administration made the decision to swap who for WNBA star Brittney Griner?

Spoiler
Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death.” Bout had been in U.S. custody since 2010 and was serving a 25-year prison sentence for conpsiracy to kill U.S. citizens and officials.

4. What is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hoping to do with Syrian refugees in the country?

Spoiler
Relocate them to Northern Syria after pushing aside Kurdish groups that have congregated on the Turkish-Syrian border. Erdogan argues that these groups are responsible for a November 13 bombing in Istanbul and is in talks with Russia to create a 19-mile security corridor that would push Kurdish groups away from their bases of operation. There are currently 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.

5. Who is the new mayor of Los Angeles?

Spoiler
Karen Bass. Bass, a progressive Democrat, was serving in Congress before her election this November. She is the first female mayor of Los Angeles and the second African American to hold the post. Bass defeated billionaire developer Rick Caruso last month to win the job.

6. What economic figure was arrested in the Bahamas this week?

Spoiler
Sam Bankman-Friend, the founder and CEO of FTX Cryptocurrency Derivatives Exchange. Prosecutors for the Southern District of New York charged Bankman-Fried with eight criminal counts that include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and security fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to avoid campaign finance regulations. FTX collapsed last month and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

7. The European Parliament has been reeling from corruption scandal that concerns what?

Spoiler
Bribes paid by Qatar, the nation hosting this year’s World Cup. Four suspects have been charged by Belgian investigators in the scandal, one of whom is Greek MEP Eva Kaili. She was serving as one of Parliament’s fourteen vice-presidents.

8. Which U.S. senator recently announced that they would be leaving the Democratic Party and become an independent?

Spoiler
Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who represents Arizona. Sinema has been under fire by progressive groups for the last two years after she refused to vote to change the Senate’s filibuster rules and refused to vote for a larger “Build Back Better” package. There were reports she could face a primary challenge in 2024. Even though Sinema is leaving the party she is not going to caucus with Republicans, which means that Democrats will still control the Senate’s operations. Sinema is the first senator to change parties since Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter switched from Republican to Democrat in April 2009, a move that was consequential for the eventual passing of the Affordable Care Act.

9. Which country recently enacted a lifetime ban on cigarettes for its next generation?

Spoiler
New Zealand. New legislation will gradually raise the country’s smoking age to prohibit anyone from buying cigarettes if they were born after January 1, 2009. The legislation also reduces the number of stores that can sell cigarettes from 6,000 to 600.

10. It was reported yesterday that the Biden administration is poised to send what weapons system to Ukraine?

Spoiler
A Patriot missile defense system. Ukraine has been calling for Western anti-missile defense systems for much of the conflict, a plea that has grown more urgent after Russian missile attacks on infrastructure and civilian centers in recent months.