Here is this week’s news quiz! Good luck!

1. What are some of the terms in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire that was agreed to last week?

Spoiler
The ceasefire has three stages. In the first stage, which will take 42 days, 33 Israeli hostages will be released and there will be a number of Palestinian prisoners released as well. Israeli troops will also pull out of populated areas in Gaza. The second stage will release the remaining living hostages in Gaza for more Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and Israel will fully withdraw from Gaza. And in the third stage, Gaza will be reconstructed, a process that experts say could take years as much of the area has been destroyed and almost all of the areas 2.3 million people have been displaced.

2. Which international agreement did President Trump sign an executive order to remove the U.S. from shortly after being inaugurated?

Spoiler
The Paris Climate Accord. It is the second time that Trump has done so as he issued a directive to remove the U.S. from the global agreement to reduce climate change in 2017. Trump has vowed to unleash American energy in a new term, arguing that the Paris Climate Accord and other international climate change movements are not in America’s best interest.

3. Why has Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (DOGE) been hit by several lawsuits?

Spoiler
The lawsuits, which were filed quickly after Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, allege that the organization violates federal transparency laws on its operations and hiring. The 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requires open meetings for advisory committees and that they have a balanced membership. Plantiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of Teachers, VoteVets Action Fund, and Citizens for the Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

4. Russia signed a 20-year military co-operation treaty with which nation last week?

Spoiler
Iran. The treaty pledges both nations to cooperate to handle military and security threats, along with promises to engage in joint military exercises. They also promised not to let their territory be used as a staging ground for attacking the other. Currently, Iran provides drones to Russia and Russia has created closer ties since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian natural gas industry also sees Iran as a viable market for expansion.

5. Nepal’s government said last week that it may have too many of which animal in its country?

Spoiler
Tigers. Nepal has more than 350 tigers but the government noted that 40 people died and 15 were injured in tiger attacks between 2019-2023. Nepal has received praise for being able to triple its tiger population over the past decade. Environmentalists have criticized the government’s statements that the tiger population should be reduced, arguing that areas that they live in should be expanded.

6. Which prominent political figure was sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption last week?

Spoiler
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He has been detained since August 2023 and has faced a multitude of corruption charges that he argues are politically motivated. Khan received the maximum charge for a case where he and his wife were accused of receiving land as a bribe from a real estate investor. His wife received seven years in the case.

7. Who did Ohio Governor Mike DeWine name to replace J.D. Vance in the U.S. Senate last week?

Spoiler
DeWine chose Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, a Republican. Husted will serve until there is a special election in November 2026, with the winner serving the final two years of Vance’s term.

8. What did President Biden proclaim was a new constitution amendment last week?

Spoiler
The Equal Rights Amendment. Biden announced last week that the amendment, which has been ratified by 38 states, has been added to the Constitution. The problem with that, though, is the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) had a time limit and that expired after an extension in 1982. At that time it was four states short of ratification. In addition, five states withdrew their ratification of the amendment by that time. There have been ongoing scholarly disputes about whether a time limit can be applied to a constitutional amendment, along with whether states can rescind ratification of an amendment once approval is given. If there is a legal battle over Biden’s proclamation to get the amendment officially added to the Constitution, the Trump administration is unlikely to lead the charge.

9. Who is President-elect Donald Trump’s “border czar”?

Spoiler
Tom Homan. The position does not require Senate confirmation as Homan will advise Trump on border policy. Homan is a former acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has been a vocal critic of lax border policies for years. He announced last week that immigration raids would begin quickly under a Trump presidency.

10. Why did Bolivian judges order an arrest warrant of former President Evo Morales last week?

Spoiler
An arrest warrant was issued for Morales on Friday for a case alleging that he had a relationship with a teenage girl in 2016 and committed statutory rape. Morales has denied the allegations, arguing that he is the victim of political warfare waged by former ally Luis Arce, who is currently Bolivia’s president. Morales governed Bolivia from 2006-2019 and was reportedly looking at running in next year’s presidential election.