What in the World? Weekly Quiz – May 18-24, 2020

The United States circulated a draft UN resolution calling for indefinite extension of an arms embargo on Iran which drew this response from Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, “It expires in October. ... And for us that’s clear, that’s clear. I do not see any reason why an arms embargo should be imposed on Iran.” The current embargo was a provision of THIS agreement.

The Department of Justice’s move to drop prosecution of General Michael Flynn over his charges of lying to the FBI was in the news last week. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying about his interactions with THIS person.

An anti-ship missile struck a ship of THIS Persian Gulf nation’s navy in an accident that claimed 19 sailors, wounding 15 more. The country was condemned in January over the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner by a surface-to-air missile battery near Tehran.

The war of words between Beijing and Washington added another skirmish May 17^th as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned China about THIS, which he summed up saying, “Any decision impinging on Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms as guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law would inevitably impact our assessment of One Country, Two Systems and the status of the territory.” 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement on May 15^th threatening to “exact consequences” against THIS organization, created by the “Rome Statute,” over Palestinians qualification as a sovereign state and jurisdiction over the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

President Trump was said to be ready to resume U.S. Support to THIS international organization that was the subject of a controversial aid freeze last month. However, press reports indicate Trump’s position on aid has hardened after two Fox News hosts who learned a resumption was possible castigated THIS organization over the weekend.

“If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk and that will certainly not go without repercussion,” according to an Iranian news agency release that addressed American threats over shipments of oil to THIS beleaguered, pariah country.