Current Events March 2024 Flashcards
Obituary
Former Canadian Prime Minister, who led his country from 1984 to 1993, has died. He led Canada through the closing days of the Cold War and forged a free trade agreement with the US.
Brian Mulroney
(US NEWS) A former career US diplomat who had served as the US ambassador to Bolivia has pleaded guilty to working as an agent of this country for more than 40 years. Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, was charged with secretly passing information to the communist-run government since 1981 while working for the US state department. What country did he spy for?
Cuba
(WORLD NEWS) Around 1,000 police officers from this country are set to be deployed to Haiti in a bid to combat raging gang violence. In a statement, this country’s president said he and Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry had signed an agreement and discussed the next steps to enable the fast-tracking of the deployment.
In January, a UN envoy said that gang violence in Haiti had reached “a critical point”, with nearly 5,000 deaths reported last year, more than double the number seen in 2022. While in that month alone, more than 1,100 people were killed, injured or kidnapped.
Kenya
Obituary
Tanzania’s second president, was fondly known as Mzee Rukhsa - “Mr Permission”. The former leader, who died at the age of 98, had a reputation for allowing a long list of things which had been denied by his predecessor - such as multiparty democracy, independent media, free trade and the private ownership of televisions. In 1985, when he was first sworn in, Tanzania’s economy was struggling, reeling from the ruinous effects of founding President Julius Nyerere’s socialist policy known as ujamaa, as well as the war against neighboring Uganda that toppled Idi Amin. He opened up the economy, allowed other parties to run in elections, enabled independent media to exist and permitted the sale of televisions to individuals, which previously had only been communally owned. He also began talks with the International Monetary Fund about getting financial support. With the economy on the brink of collapse, the reforms were seen as having saved the economy.
Ali Hassan Mwinyi
World News
This city’s 21 million residents are facing a severe water shortage. Local authorities have imposed water rations as reservoirs hit historic low levels. Some residents said they’re going to extreme lengths to conserve the little they have. The most populous city in North America is in the grips of a severe water crisis, as lingering drought and years of low rainfall push the already-strained system that supplies the city with running water to its limit.
Mexico City
Business
This country is “easily” the fastest-growing economy in the world, IMF executive director Krishnamurthy Subramanian said, as the country’s third-quarter GDP growth blew past analysts’ estimates. At 8.4%, India’s economy expanded at its fastest pace in six quarters, data showed, on strong private consumption and upbeat manufacturing and construction activity.
India
(WORLD NEWS) This country swore in a new parliament. This country’s National Assembly swore in newly elected members of parliament in a chaotic scene as allies of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan shouted and protested what they claim was a rigged election. Lawmakers from Khan’s party repeatedly chanted “Vote-thief!” as Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to form the next government, entered the parliament with his brother Nawaz Sharif. Both men are former premiers. The parliament will elect a new prime ministewith Shehbaz Sharif facing only one rival in the vote. The new government will face challenges, including a surge in militant attacks and shortages of energy — as well as an ailing economy that will force the country to seek another bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
Pakistan
(WORLD NEWS) Biden announces the U.S. will airdrop food aid into this area of the Middleast as famine concerns grow. The White House is growing increasingly concerned about possible famine for a sizable portion of this area of the Middleast’s population. The president reiterated that the U.S. is trying to push for an immediate cease-fire between Hamas and Israel to allow more aid into this area of the Middleast, where he said “innocent people” have died.
Gaza
Obituary
This US fashion designer died aged 102. The self-described “geriatric starlet” was known for her distinctive cropped white hair, oversized glasses, bright lipstick and chunky beads. She reached the peak of her fame in the 1980s and 90s, but was a familiar face at Paris fashion shows for more than half a century. She worked as an interior designer for decades, including on restoration projects at the White House, before becoming a trend setter in her 80s and a professional model at 97.
Iris Apfel
Obituary
Award-winning ESPN NFL reporter died at 72. He was an award winning journalist who reported on the NFL for ESPN for more than three decades. He joined ESPN in 1991 and was a regular contributor to the network’s NFL shows and “SportsCenter.” He was a regular news breaker for ESPN, including the news in 2016 that quarterback Peyton Manning was retiring from the NFL. In 2016, he received the Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick McCann Award and was honored during the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s enshrinement ceremony in August that year.
Chris Mortensen
Sports
(College Football) NCAA considers new rule allowing this technology. Three decades after the NFL started using this technology college football may follow suit. The NCAA Football Rules Committee proposed a rule to use this technology. “In games involving Football Bowl Subdivision teams. This is being done in responce to teams stealling signals and signs form the coaches to the players on the fiels.
in-helmet communications
Sports
(Track & Field) Dutch star sets second 400-meter indoor world record in two weeks. Dutch track star continued her golden year, smashing her own indoor 400-meter world record at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. After leading the pack for the majority of the race, the 24-year-old streaked away on the finishing straight to record a time of 49.17 seconds, almost a second ahead of her compatriot Lieke Klaver in second place.
Femke Bol
Sports
(Basketball) Lakers’ star reaches 40,000 career points. He reached the milestone on the 62nd anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. In the locker room after the game, he posed for a photograph while holding a piece of white paper with “40,000” handwritten on it – a tip of the cap to Chamberlain’s iconic photo from March 2, 1962.
LeBron James
Sports
(Soccer/Football) World Cup winner , once one of the world’s top midfielders, banned for 4 years for doping. He said in a statement he believes “the verdict is incorrect.” He plans to appeal to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. It’s looking more and more like his career is heading to a premature end.
Paul Pogba
World Elections
This Counrty’s Conservatives dominate parliament, assembly elections. Preliminary indications put voter turnout at around 40 percent, the lowest levels since the country’s 1979 revolution. A range of conservative candidates have swept the parliamentary and religious assembly elections in as the country faces political and economic challenges. Final vote counting is under way after millions went to the polls on Friday to select 290 lawmakers and 88 members of the Assembly of Experts, a body tasked with choosing the supreme leader made up entirely of Islamic scholars.
Iran
(WORLD NEWS) The government of this Carribian Counrty declared a 72-hour state of emergency after armed gangs stormed a majorprison. At least 12 people were killed and about 3,700 inmates escaped in the jailbreak. Gang leaders say they want to force the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who had traveled abroad. The groups aiming to oust him control around 80% of the capitol city. Gang violence has plagued this country for years. The latest upsurge in violence began when the prime minister traveled to Nairobi to discuss sending a Kenya-led multinational security force to this counrty.
Haiti
Business
This person sued ChatGPT-maker OpenAI over Microsoft links. He is arguing it has breached the principles he agreed to when he helped found it in 2015. The lawsuit - which has also been filed against OpenAI boss Sam Altman - says the firm has departed from its original non-profit, open source mission. It says instead of trying to “benefit humanity” - as it was set up to do - it is focusing on “maximizing profits” for major investor Microsoft.
Elon Musk
Natural & Man Made Disasters
Rare blizzard conditions batter this states’s mountains with heavy snow and powerful winds, making travel dangerous. A dangerous winter storm is slamming this state’s mountains with rare blizzard conditions and fierce winds as it threatens to unload up to 10 feet of snow in the mountains and snarl travel. The storm is delivering heavy snow, reduced visibilities, toppled power lines and hurricane-force winds over 75 miles per hour. Over three feet of snow has been measured so far, and an additional one to two feet is likely in higher elevations and six to 10 inches elsewhere, according to the National Weather Service.
California
USA Elections
Supreme Court rules unanimously for this candidate in Colorado ballot disqualification dispute. Supreme Court decision to affect more than 30 states that have considered challenges to remove this candidate from 2024 ballot.
Donald Trump
World Elections
Pakistan Continued - This person was elected Pakistan’s prime minister. Lawmakers in Pakistan’s National Assembly on Sunday elected this person as the country’s new prime minister for the second time as allies of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan in parliament shouted in protest. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said this person secured 201 votes, defeating Omar Ayub of the Sunni Ittehad Council who got 92 votes. The winner only needs 169 votes to get a majority. Ayub was backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, whose candidates could not get enough seats to form a government on their own. The PTI refused to hold talks with its rivals to form a coalition.
Shehbaz Sharif
Sports
(College Basketball) Iowa’s star player passed Pete Maravich for the scoring record. In her last regular-season home game, the Iowa star passed the LSU and NBA legend for the most points scored by a Division I basketball player, men’s or women’s. On senior day at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Clark entered the game against Big Ten regular-season champion Ohio State needing 18 points to pass Maravich, who scored 3,667 points in his three seasons at LSU from 1967 to 1970.
Caitlin Clark
(WORLD NEWS) This Carribian nation’s government has for the first time asked the UN’s food programme for help as food shortages on the Communist-run island worsen. The World Food Programme (WFP) said it had received an unprecedented official request fromThis Carribian nation’s government for help providing powdered milk to children under seven years of age. The request is a sign of the seriousness of This Carribian nation’s economic crisis. As well as a shortage of milk, fuel and medicines are also running low. Milk is not the only thing This Carribian nation people are struggling to get hold of. A shortage of fuel led to the annual May Day parade - arguably the biggest annual mass celebration on the island - being canceled last year. The fuel that is available will cost five times as much when a price hike comes into effect.
Cuba
(WORLD NEWS) US sanctions this African Counrty’s president for corruption. The United States government has imposed sanctions on this African Counrty’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, along with other senior officials, for corruption and human rights abuses. The US government said leaders in this African Counrty were siphoning off public resources for personal gain. The US government said the egregious behavior of some of the most powerful people and companies in this African Counrty matched the actions of the worst human rights abusers and corrupt actors in the world.
Zimbabwe
(US NEWS) This Massachusetts Air National Guardsman pleads guilty to leaking sensitive national defense information. The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of posting a trove of highly classified intelligence reports and other documents on social media pleaded guilty to willfully retaining and disseminating national defense information. This Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, 22, pleaded guilty to all six counts he faced under the Espionage Act during a hearing. According to court documents, This Massachusetts Air National Guardsman ran an obscure chat room on the social media platform Discord called “Thug Shaker Central,” where members posted memes and talked about guns and religion. While at work at a military base on Cape Cod, This Massachusetts Air National Guardsman allegedly conducted unauthorized searches of government databases despite repeated warnings from his superiors not to. This Massachusetts Air National Guardsman first began posting messages that included classified information in the Discord chat, according to prosecutors, and eventually posted photos of documents marked as classified.
Jack Teixeira