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

1. Which nation is mediating peace talks between Ukraine and Russia?

Spoiler
Turkey. Yesterday, Russian and Ukrainian delegations arrived in Istanbul for peace talks. Turkey also hosted a gathering of Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers earlier in the month and the Turkish foreign minister visited Moscow and Kyiv.

2. What controversial statement did President Biden made last week about Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Spoiler
While giving a speech in Poland on Saturday, President Biden went off script and said that Putin “cannot remain in power.” The comment was walked back by White House advisors, who said that President Biden was not calling for Putin’s immediate removal from office, but it alarmed European allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron, who said that he would not have used such a phrase and it could lead to unnecessary escalation between NATO and Russia.

3. Why did Will Smith cause a stir at the Oscars on Sunday?

Spoiler
Smith, who ended up capturing the award for Best Actor, walked onto the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada. He apologized for the act later, but it caused a stir about security at the Academy Awards and whether Smith should have been removed from the ceremony or arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department.

4. How big is the budget that President Biden submitted to Congress this week?

Spoiler
$5.8 trillion. The budget proposes a 7% increase in domestic spending for housing and manufacturing, with money allocated to solve supply chain problems that have led to inflation. There is also a 10% increase in defense spending to counter China and Russia. Observers note that the budget is not calling for another “Build Back Better”-like policy, a reflection of Democratic struggles as the midterm elections approach.

5. Which prominent Chinese city was recently put into lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic?

Spoiler
Shanghai. The city is China’s largest and its financial capital, with 26 million residents. China is doing a lockdown in two phases, its most extensive since the Wuhan lockdown in early 2020. The People’s Republic is facing rising cases, calling into question its “zero-COVID” strategy that has disrupted international supply chains.

6. Mass gang violence in which Central American nation left 62 people dead on Saturday?

Spoiler
El Salvador. In response to the killings, the nation’s worst since escaping a civil war more than 30 years ago, the government detained 576 people in poor neighborhoods around the capital city of San Salvador. Parliament also approved of an emergency decree for the next 30 days that suspends some civil liberties and gives the government wide ranging powers of arrest and surveillance. There are some fears that the government could try to extend the state of emergency and crackdown on political dissidents, with some already warning that the government is going too far.

7. What would the proposed security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China allowed China to do?

Spoiler
The accord, if approved, would allow China to put warships close by and put troops in the country if there was a domestic crisis. Australia and New Zealand are critical of the arrangement, viewing it as China’s attempt to make inroads into the South Pacific, which Australia views as its own territory. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare went after critics of the proposal yesterday, saying that concerns were “very insulting.”

8. What movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture and why was this significant?

Spoiler
CODA. The film, which chronicles the story of a seventeen-year-old girl who is the hearing child of deaf parents, made Apple TV+ the first streaming service to win a best picture Oscar. It is also the first film with a largely deaf cast to win the category.

9. Which five nations recently met with Israel in the Negev desert and what did they talk about?

Spoiler
Israel met with diplomats from Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States. Topics of discussion included Iran’s nuclear program; America’s role in the Middle East; Russia’s war with Ukraine; and how to avoid violence in Israel and its occupied territories with important holidays for Jews, Muslims, and Christians on the horizon. Israel wants to continue to broaden ties with Arab governments, some of whom have been willing to reciprocate the offers but polls show that nearly two-thirds of Arabs do not want their government recognizing Israel.

10. According to government reports, how much of the $800 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was stolen?

Spoiler
$80 billion. CNBC reported on Monday that the staggering amount mirrors similar fraud that stole $90 billion to $400 billion that is also believed to have been stolen from the COVID unemployment relief program and another $80 billion from another COVID disaster relief program. Government regulations cite a lack of controls that did not vet those applying enough.