'What in the World?' Weekly Quiz -- Jun 10-16, 2018

As the G-7 held its annual summit in Quebec this week, U.S. president Donald Trump's calls for Russia to be reinstated in the group of nations representing the world's most advanced economies were not successful. Russia was suspended from participation in the G-7 in 2014 in response to THIS act:

The downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

The annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula

Interference in the U.S. Presidential elections

The poisoning of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko

In an election surprise that saw the end of a 15-year long Liberal Party government, the Progressive Conservative Party, led by Doug Ford—the brother of former scandal-ridden Toronto mayor Rob Ford—swept provincial elections, making Mr. Ford premier of THIS province, Canada's most populous:

British Columbia

Ontario

Quebec

Alberta

The Taliban announced a 3-day ceasefire, the first since 2001. The ceasefire will coincide with Eid-el-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five obligations Islam demands of its followers: Which of the following is NOT one of the other four?

Zakat, or giving to the poor

Salaat, or praying five times a day

Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca

Jihad, or holy war

THIS European nation's new government announced a push against radical Islam that includes shutting down seven mosques and expelling dozens of imams:

Germany

Austria

France

Poland

After days of protests rocked Jordan's capital, Amman, King Abdullah II asked for the resignation of the nation's prime minister, Hani al-Mulki. After multiple austerity measures were put in place to resolve the nation's economic crisis, al-Mulki's government proposed THIS additional measure, angering Jordanians and inspiring them to take to the streets:

Raising utility rates

Levying additional taxes on food

Levying an income tax on all citizens

Establishing an additional housing tax

U.S. President Donald Trump left the G-7 Summit early this week to attend another summit, this one historic because it marks the first time a U.S. President will meet with a leader of North Korea. The ultimate goal of the meeting is convincing Kim Jong Un to end his nation's nuclear program. Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim will meet on the resort island of Sentosa, part of THIS country:

Malaysia

Indonesia

Japan

Singapore

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's summit in China this week. Before heading to the Russian and Chinese-led security bloc's event, though, Mr. Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who presented Mr. Putin with THIS award, China's first ever, and praised Mr. Putin by saying, "I see this as an acknowledgement and evaluation of Russia's efforts to develop a comprehensive, strategic partnership with China":

The Friendship Medal

The Leadership Plaque

The Economic Security Award

The Military Strength Award

New eruptions from the Fuego volcano prompted additional evacuations in THIS country; 4,000 people remain in shelters, and over 100 people are dead a week after the volcano began spewing hot sediment, lava, and ash:

Guatemala

Mexico

Honduras

Panama

Swiss voters struck down Vollgeld, a proposed change in the nation's monetary system. The proposed policy would have reformed the Swiss franc in which of the following ways?

The Swiss franc would have become a world commodity currency

Switzerland would have joined the euro zone

The Swiss franc would have returned to the gold standard

Switzerland's banks could no longer create money from debt

The tennis championship commonly called "The French Open," concluded this week. One of the four grand-slam tennis championships—along with the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open—the French tennis tournament also goes by THIS name, which comes from the premier clay-court venue where it takes place:

Parc des Princes

Roland-Garros

Bercy

Chaban-Delmas

"What in the World?" Weekly Quiz -- Jun 10-16, 2018

More Quizzes