Current Events Term 4 Week 2

Why has a New Zealand naval ship the HMNZS Manawanui, been in the news recently?

• It crashed into a navy dock in Sydney

• Australia sent ships to tow it to shore when it lost power out at sea

• It sank on a reef in Samoa

Answer explanation

c. It sank on a reef in Samoa - HMNZS Manawanui ran aground on the Tafitoala Reef on 6 October before catching fire and sinking the following morning. Locals say oil, rotten food and debris from the ship are now causing problems in the area. The ship was worth around $100 million.

From which country has Russia reportedly received troops to fight in Ukraine?

• Belarus

• North Korea

• Iran

Answer explanation

b. North Korea - According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), North Korea has reportedly sent around 1,500 troops to Russia to assist in the Ukraine war, with further reports suggesting this number could rise to 12,000.

North Korea has also been providing Russia with ammunition, including missiles and anti-armour rockets, as part of deepening military cooperation between the two countries.

The aviation industry is calling for Government intervention after new research found New Zealand is facing a future shortage of ...?

• Pilots

• Aviation engineers

• Planes

Answer explanation

a. Pilots - Research has found that NZ needs an average of 100 new pilots per year to meet demand. It also found the gap was anticipated to grow due to the Government capping the amount trainees could borrow at $35,000.

What long-term change has Google announced it plans to make to its Artificial Intelligence data centres?

• Using small nuclear reactors for energy

• Moving to undersea data centres

• Halving the number of its AI data centres

Answer explanation

a. Using small nuclear reactors for energy - Google has signed an agreement with Kairos Power to start using the first reactor this decade and bring more online by 2035. Technology firms are increasingly turning to nuclear sources of energy to supply the electricity used by the huge data centres that drive AI.

Residents of which New Zealand city have lodged more than 1000 insurance claims following heavy rain at the beginning of October?

• Hamilton

• Rotorua

• Dunedin

Answer explanation

c. Dunedin - The rain caused widespread flooding and slips, with some residents having to evacuate in the middle of the night. Almost 50 properties were red or yellow stickered in Dunedin as a result, leaving some residents struggling to find longer-term accommodation.

What diplomatic move signalled a positive step in the relationship between China and the United States?

• The signing of a Free Trade agreement

• Starting a joint scientific research project in Antarctica

• China sending pandas to a US zoo

Answer explanation

c. China sending pandas to a US zoo - China sent two new giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington. China's renewed 'panda diplomacy' with the US is a rare bright spot in the fraught relations between the world's two superpower rivals - which have been marred by tensions over trade, technology, geopolitics and more.

Kiwi Formula One driver Liam Lawson has secured a full time seat driving for a team owned by ...?

• Ferrari

• Red Bull

• McLaren

Answer explanation

b. Red Bull - The 22-year-old has been locked in to drive for the subsidiary team of Red Bull, VCARB, at the expense of Australian Daniel Ricciardo for the final six races of the season, after which he’s expected to secure the spot for the 2025 season. He becomes the first New Zealander to secure a full time seat in Formula One since Brendon Hartley in 2018.

Cuba is currently facing a nationwide blackout after its main energy plant failed.

In what body of water would you find the island nation of Cuba?

• Caribbean Sea

• Gulf of Mexico

• Gulf of California

Answer explanation

a. Caribbean Sea - Cuba is currently facing a power crisis after the Antonio Guiteras power plant failed. The blackout left the entire island without power, affecting 10 million people. The island has been experiencing lengthy blackouts over recent months, with worsening infrastructure and fuel shortages being major factors.

A video has been released recently showing Marokopa fugitive Tom Philips and his three children. Where were they filmed?

• In a boat in the Coromandel

• Tramping through bush in the Waikato’s west coast

• Buying groceries in a supermarket in Te Kūiti

Answer explanation

b. Tramping through bush in the Waikato’s west coast - A video captured by young hunters north of Awamarino showed a man followed by three children in wet-weather gear carrying camouflaged backpacks. Tom Phillips and his three children have been on the run for almost three years.

Who has released their medical records declaring them to be in “excellent health” and fit for office, while challenging the other candidate to do the same?

• Donald Trump

• Kamala Harris

• Neither candidate is prepared to release their medical records

Answer explanation

b. Kamala Harris - Kamala Harris is urging Trump to release his medical records after releasing her own which concluded she is in "excellent health" and fit for the presidency. Without revealing Trump's medical records, the former president's team responded by quoting his doctor as saying that he was in "perfect and excellent health”.