1) Who won Tuesday’s New Hampshire presidential primary?
a) Mitt Romney
Romney, who is from neighboring Massachusetts, won the primary easily with 39 percent of the vote. Ron Paul was a distant second with 23 percent of the vote. The next presidential primary will be held in South Carolina on January 21. https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204257504577152781062052486.html
2) A video of American soldiers created international controversy last week because it showed soldiers doing what?
a) Urinating on dead Taliban soldiers
The video came out at a time when the United States and the Taliban were making progress in peace talks about ending the war in Afghanistan.
3) William Daley resigned his position in the Obama White House last week. What position did he hold?
b) Chief of Staff
The Chief of Staff controls access to the president and also helps him implement his policies. Daley was immediately replaced by Jacob Lew, who was formerly the director of OMB. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-chief-of-staff-william-daley-will-quit-his-post/2012/01/09/gIQAz15xlP_story.html
4) A nuclear scientist from this country was killed by a car bomb last week. What country?
b) Iran
Iran is currently under sanction as the result of its nuclear program, and the scientist, Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, was the fourth Iranian scientist killed in the last two years. Iran has blamed the United States and Israel, but the United States has denied all involvement.
5) What country sentenced an American to death last week after its judicial system found him guilty of spying?
c) Iran
Iran claims that 28 year old Amir Mirzaei Hekmati was sent to Iran by the CIA. Hekmati’s family claims that he was there visiting his two grandmothers.
6) Thousands of workers have gone on strike (and many citizens have marched in the streets) to protest their government’s decision to end a popular fuel subsidy. In what country has this occurred?
b) Nigeria
The Nigerian Labour Congress agreed to end the worker strike on Monday after President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to partially reinstate the subsidy. Although the strike has ended, it is unclear if the Nigerian people will end their protest.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16464922
7) On his last day in office, Governor Haley Barbour caused a great deal of controversy by pardoning (or suspending the sentence of) over 200 convicted criminals, including at least four people convicted of murder. Barbour was the governor of what state?
d) Mississippi
Barbour has says his actions were influenced by his Christian belief in forgiveness. Barbour had considered running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, but he ultimately decided not to run.
https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-12/mississippi-barbour-pardons/52511486/1
8) A cruise ship with more than 4,000 aboard capsized last weekend, killing at least three. The ship was off the coast of what country when it went down?
a) Italy
The cruise line is blaming the incident on “captain error.” The captain has been charged with multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship.
9) It was announced last week that animals of this species, long believed extinct, may, in fact, still exist. What species?
c) Giant Tortoise
While scientists have not found a giant tortoise yet, DNA testing on other animals suggests that some of these tortoises are still alive somewhere.
10) What team was crowned college football’s national champion after winning Monday night’s Sugar Bowl?
d) Alabama
The Crimson Tide defeated the previously unbeaten LSU Tigers 21-0.
https://www.cnn.com/2012/01/10/sport/bcs-championship/index.html?hpt=hp_c1