Questions:

Which US government organization has been partially shut down since February 14th due to a lack of funding?

1. National Park Service
2. Department of Testosterone Research
3. Federal Emergency Management Agency
4. Food and Drug Administration 

Five people were arrested in Cuba on March 14th for doing what?

1. Partially destroying government headquarters
2. Hosting violent anti-US demonstrations
3. Indecent exposure
4. Smuggling firearms out of the country

Which Latin-American political figure was recently hospitalized for pnuemonia?

1. Miguel Diaz-Canal, president of Cuba
2. Francia Marquez, vice-president of Colombia
3. Jorge Glas, former vice-president of Ecuador
4. Jair Bolsonaro, former president of Brazil

What major document did China unveil at the National People’s Congress on March 5, 2026?

1. A new Taiwan reunification framework
2. The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030)
3. A bilateral defense treaty with Russia
4. The Belt and Road Initiative Phase III expansion

In March 2026, U.S. allies in East Asia grew alarmed over reports that America might redeploy what defense system from South Korea to the Middle East?

1. Aegis Combat System destroyers
2. F-35 stealth fighter squadrons
3. Patriot missile batteries
4. THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) launchers

In March 2026, the INC ransomware group targeted which sector across Australia, New Zealand, and Tonga?

1. Banking and financial services
2. Healthcare and emergency clinics
3. National power grid infrastructure
4. Government immigration databases

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Answers:

1. 2: The entire Department of Homeland Security (including FEMA, ICE, and TSA) has been partially shut down since February 14th due to an inability to agree on new appropriations bills or pass temporary bills resuming past levels of funding. This has forced 90% of DHS employees to work without pay.
2. 1. Five Cubans were arrested for violently protesting outside a local Communist Party office and partially destroying the building in response to energy shortages and blackouts caused by the US oil blockade. Cuba is notably unable to receive oil from Venezuela, which previously made up 50% of the country’s oil supply.
3. 4. Jair Bolsonaro, former president of Brazil, was transferred from his prison to a hospital in Brasilia on March 13th. The 70-year-old was jailed in 2025 for planning a coup which involved killing Brazil’s president and vice-president. Despite his sentence, Bolsonaro holds significant political influence in Brazil, as he endorsed the campaign of his son, Flávio Bolsonaro, this year. Polls indicate the two candidates would tie in a popular vote.
4. 2. China’s NPC unveiled its 15th Five-Year Plan, which sets the economic and social blueprint for national policy from 2026 through 2030. Key provisions included a 17% carbon intensity reduction target and a planned increase of over 16% for government science and technology spending aimed at improving technological self-reliance.
5. 4: Recent reports emerged of THAAD launchers being seen moving out of a South Korean base, coinciding with the beginning of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung acknowledged the importance of U.S. assets to Middle East conflicts, but ultimately opposed the decision, citing that decreasing Indo-Pacific defenses could leave Taiwan vulnerable.
6. 2. INC is one of the most prolific ransomware groups operating in the Oceania region, with its success raising critical questions regarding the cybersecurity infrastructure of both private and governmental institutions. This past week, INC shut down and held government agencies and emergency clinics hostage across Australia, New Zealand, and Tonga.