Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. Which nations are in the trilateral security agreement known as AUKUS?
Spoiler
The United States, Great Britain, and Australia. The agreement was announced on September 15. It is seen as a way to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.
2. Why is French President Emmanuel Macron unhappy about AUKUS?
Spoiler
Macron is upset that the agreement resulted in Australia scuttling an agreement to purchase French submarines for nuclear-powered submarines from the United States and Great Britain. Experts argue that the AUKUS pact may ruin Australia’s bid at a free trade agreement with the European Union. Macron also recalled France’s ambassadors from the United States and Australia.
3. The Biden administration has deported migrants in Texas that came from what country?
Spoiler
Haiti. The administration expelled more than 300 Haitians who had set up a border camp around a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. It is expected that the Biden administration will deport an additional 14,000 Haitian migrants over the next month. The move has received criticism from the United Nations. However, even though many of the migrants are of Haitian origin, they have largely been working in South America over the last decade.
4. Which party won a plurality of seats in Canada’s recent election?
Spoiler
The Liberal Party. This is the party of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau called a snap election in hopes of winning a majority, but projections only show the Liberals keeping a plurality instead of a majority of seats in the Canadian Parliament. As a result, the Liberals will have to keep governing the chamber as a minority government.
5. Which social media platform received criticism due to the #deviouslicks trend over the past week?
Spoiler
TikTok. The viral phenomenon encouraged students to destroy and steal property from their schools and teachers. Schools across the United States reported thousands of dollars in damages, often to bathrooms because of it. TikTok is purging the use of the hashtag and others like it, but the issue has raised concerns about social media’s influence on young people and how social media giants are not doing an effective job policing their platforms.
6. Global stock markets have recently fallen due to concerns about this in China.
Spoiler
The Chinese property market. There are worries that Chinese real estate developer Evergrande may not be able to make debt payments, with some arguing that Evergrande’s problems could foreshadow a meltdown in Chinese property and investment securities like what happened with Lehman Brothers in the United States in 2008. Eyes are now turning to the Chinese government to see if it will step in to prevent a default.
7. Why did General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, come under fire last week?
Spoiler
Milley was attacked by the political right after it was revealed that he contacted China in the last days of President Donald Trump’s tenure of office out of concern for Trump’s mental instability. It was reported by journalist Bob Woodward’s new book Peril that Milley took it upon himself to block any potential order from President Trump on the use of the nation’s nuclear arsenal. Milley’s critics say that he was usurping civilian control of the military, while his defenders argue that he was doing what was best for U.S. national security, especially after the January 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill.
8. Facebook was criticized last week after the company’s internal documents showed that this app is harmful for teenagers, especially girls.
Spoiler
Instagram. The company’s research showed that 13% of British teenagers and 6% of American teenagers traced suicidal throughts to the app. The research also showed that 14% of boys in the U.S. said the app made them feel worse about themselves. All of this research matters because of reports that Facebook is working to build a version of Instagram for children under thirteen.
9. Earlier this week, which African nation experienced an attempted coup?
Spoiler
Sudan. Reports say that twenty-one officers and their soldiers tried to overthrow the nation’s government. Sudan’s government is in a period of perilous transition after President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for three decades, was ousted after mass protests two years ago. It is alleged that the coup plotters were allies of the former president.
10. President Biden recently lifted a travel ban for vaccinated individuals from which places?
Spoiler
Great Britain and the European Union. It also applies to Ireland, China, Brazil, South American countries, and India. The change will take place in early November and is expected to provide a boost for the world’s airline industry.