What in the World? Weekly Quiz – January 11-17, 2021

Child marriages and informal unions of girls under 18 accounted for one-third of women aged 20-24 in THIS Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. President Luis Abinader signed a law banning under-18 marriages on Wednesday in Santo Domingo, a move that UNICEF estimates will cut the poverty rate by 10%.

The attack against the United States Capitol on January 6th led to international outrage among America’s friends and giddiness among America’s foes. THIS regional grouping of Western Hemisphere nations noted, “The exercise of force and vandalism against the institutions constitutes a serious attack against democratic functioning.” [“Daily Chatter” Question of the Week]

The January 3rd anniversary of the killing of Iranian Republican Guards Corps leader Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad airport by U.S. Forces has placed THIS country in a difficult balancing act between Iran and the United States. [USIP Question of the Week]

Saudi Arabia and other Arab states in the Gulf Cooperation Council welcomed Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani of THIS nation to its Summit on January 5th after three years as an outcast.  IT had lost diplomatic recognition and was blockaded by members of the alliance over charges IT was too cozy with extremist groups, too close to Iran and supported the Al Jazeera broadcast network, an irritant to some of its neighbors.

The release of census date in THIS East Asia country last week showed deaths exceeded births and backed up reports that the fertility rate was .9% in 2019, with 2.1% necessary to replenish a population. Moon Jae-in is President of THIS country with the world’s lowest fertility rate.

A Sriwijaya Airlines 737-500 jet leaving Indonesia crashed at sea with 62 passengers aboard on January 9th. Although it did not have the same software system that led to the grounding of THIS company’s 737 MAX jets after the crash of a Sea Lion Air flight in the Java Sea, it was a reminder of the recent resumption of MAX jet service.

Tibetan exiles voted January 3rd in Dharmsala, India, base of the government in exile, for a new president. Their leader will be chosen in the second round of voting in April as President Lobsang Sangay completes his term. Sangay called the election proof that Tibetans in exile are free and prefer THIS type of government.

Iran banned two COVID-19 vaccines from two Western countries labeling them “completely untrustworthy” according to Supreme Leader Khamenei. WHICH country along with the United States does Khamenei call out as producing untrustworthy vaccines?