Peoria Area World Affairs Council What in the World? Weekly Quiz – December 20-26, 2021

The rapid spread of the Omicron virus across Europe has sharpened concerns about holiday gatherings and has forced governments to consider new pandemic measures such as the lockdown on Sunday of THIS BENELUX nation. (#WACquiz)

President Xi of China met with President Putin of Russia in signs of increasing cooperation against the United States and the West. Xi called for the two to “more effectively safeguard the security interests of both parties,” as Russia threatens Ukraine and China threatens THIS nation. (#WACquiz)

Two Russian strategic bombers flew a patrol over Belarus, a signal of the their close cooperation as they both push back against the West. Belarus said it could host Russian nuclear weapons in response to NATO activities in Poland, just as THIS neighbor of both charged an invasion from Russia could come through Belarus (#WACquiz)

The Gulf Cooperation Council nations – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and UAE – met in their first summit since rapprochement with THIS member after tensions and a boycott by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE.  (WACA WWNU)

The presidential run-off vote in THIS South American nation is marked by deep divisions between left and right that hark back to the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, stemming from the 2019 widespread protests and the so-called "estallido social," or social outbreak. (#WACquiz)

Algeria defeated Tunisia to win the FIFA Arab Cup, a warm up for the 2022 World Cup set to be played in November in THIS Persian Gulf capital. (#WACquiz)

“K-Pop” videos and other South Korean entertainment are called a “vicious cancer” by THIS leader, and his country has executed at least seven people for watching them (#WACquiz)