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

1. What was the result of the recent Turkish presidential election?

Spoiler
The first round of the presidential race saw incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan best his main rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu 49.51% to 44.88%. Since no candidate earned more than 50% of the vote there will be a runoff, the first in Turkish history. That will take place on May 28. Turnout for the election was 88% and Erdogan did better than some analysts predicted in light of the country’s economic problems.

2. After Tucker Carlson as taken off the air at Fox News, he announced last week that his show would air on what platform?

Spoiler
Twitter. Carlson remains under contract with FOX News, which could block his attempt to air a program on the social media platform. News reports suggest that Carlson is trying to get out of that deal. Carlson was taken off the air after FOX lost a massive lawsuit to Dominion Voting Systems for alleging that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

3. What state held its gubernatorial primary on Tuesday?

Spoiler
Kentucky. A crowded Republican field was battling to see who would challenge incumbent Governor Andy Beshear in the fall. Beshear is seen as a possible Democratic presidential candidate in the future. His expected challenger is Kentucky Attorney General David Cameron, but turnout is expected to be less than 10% and could lead to former UN Ambassador Kelly Craft or Agricultural Commissioner Ryan Quarles getting the nod instead.

4. Which parties did well in Thailand’s recent election?

Spoiler
The Move Forward Party and the Pheu Thai Party. Move Forward is a progressive faction while the Pheu Thai Party is populist. It was the first Thai election in close to a decade after a military coup in 2014. Both parties won 286 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives but military rules allow an appointed Senate to choose the House’s prime minister.

5. Who is the new CEO of Twitter?

Spoiler
Linda Yaccarino. She is coming to the social media platform from NBCUniversal’s Advertising Sales business. Yaccarino played a part in launching NBC’s Peacock streaming service and generating advertising revenue for NBC programs. That experience is seen as critical for Twitter to generate revenue in digital advertising.

6. Which Middle Eastern nation is China helping with nuclear power?

Spoiler
The United Arab Emirates. The UAE signed three agreements with Chinese nuclear companies last week. The UAE is aiming to shift some of its power generation to nuclear to meet a zero carbon emissions target by 2050. Nuclear power agreements are seen by some analysts as a way for China to build stronger ties to various Middle Eastern nations.

7. How much did U.S. GDP grow in the first quarter of 2023?

Spoiler
1.1%. This was below an expected mark of 2%. According to the Commerce Department, the low figure was due to a withholding of private investment in the economy and declining inventories. It represents a second quarter of declining growth as the third quarter of 2022 had 3.2% growth and the fourth quarter had 2.6% growth.

8. What is AI singularity?

Spoiler
AI singularity is defined an event where artificial intelligence (AI) becomes self aware or becomes able to improve at a rate that evolves beyond the control of human beings. The term has been used frequently over the last few months as companies have increased their investment in AI fields and technologies.

9. Earlier this week, Ukraine claimed to have shot down what Russian weapon?

Spoiler
A hypersonic missile. Ukraine’s military claims that it shot down six Russian hypersonic missiles, which were promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russia’s advanced weaponry. Hypersonic weapons can move at a faster pace than traditional intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

10. Last week former President Trump was held civily liable for what?

Spoiler
For defaming and sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996. Carroll was awarded $5 million by a New York City jury after three hours of deliberations. The former president continues to insist that he does not know Carroll and has cast the lawsuit, along with others, as a polticial witch hunt.