Places in the News Quiz, Summer 2002
In June 2002, Helmut Kohl addressed a political gathering for the first time in several years. He is the former leader of what country?
- Helmut Kohl became Germany's chancellor in 1982, serving until his defeat in the 1998 elections. A scandal involving fundraising for Kohl's Christian Democratic party forced him to leave politics altogether in Jan. 2000. His reemergence on the German political scene indicates the scandal may be over.
In June 2002, U.S. authorities said they were especially concerned about terrorists from what nation?
- Following the arrest of an American citizen, Abdullah al Muhajir, on charges that he planned to detonate a radioactive bomb in the U.S., law enforcement officials indicated that native-born terrorists pose a particular threat. American citizens familiar with U.S. culture can usually move about the country without arousing suspicion. Experts estimate that as many as 2,000 members of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization over the past ten years may have carried U.S. passports.
Former members of paramilitary groups blocked roads around the Mayan ruins at Tikal in June 2002 demanding that the government pay them for their help during the long civil war. In what country is Tikal located?
- Members of paramilitary organizations that fought for the government of Guatemala during the 36-year civil war blocked roads around the famous Mayan ruin of Tikal in June 2002.
Residents of this town are mourning the loss of a 460-year-old white oak tree that toppled over in a storm June 6, 2002. The tree was believed to have been the oldest white oak in the country. It was located in:
- Known as the Wye Oak, the tree drew 50,000 tourists a year to Wye Mills, Md., a small mill town across Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis.
The center-right coalition scored a big political win in parliamentary elections in June 2002. In the presidential vote earlier, an extreme right-wing nationalist stunned the political establishment by beating the socialists to come in second behind the moderately conservative incumbent. In what country did this take place?
- The conservative coalition won a landslide in French parliamentary elections on June 16, 2002. The following day, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin formed a new government. In April 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen of the extreme right National Front surprised observers by beating the socialists to come in second behind President Jacques Chirac.
During June 2002, Japan co-hosted the World Cup soccer championship with what other nation?
- South Korea and Japan played host to the World Cup, each hosting a number of the matches during the month-long championship.
Veteran politician Armando Guebuza was chosen in June 2002 to lead the largest political party in what former Portuguese colony?
- Armando Guebuza was named the new leader of Frelimo, the largest political party in the African nation of Mozambique. Guebuza will likely be elected president in 2004, replacing President Joaquim Chissano, who has served for 16 years and is not seeking a third term.
The U.S. Department of Energy wants to move 6 ? tons of plutonium from the Rocky Flats facility in Colorado to what state for processing into nuclear reactor fuel?
- The plutonium is scheduled for transfer to the Savannah River Site, near Aiken, S.C., where it is to be processed into fuel for nuclear reactors. On June 14, 2002, a federal court ruled against South Carolina's efforts to block the project.
A part-time employee of the National Forest Service was charged with starting a major fire that forced thousands of people to leave their homes in what state?
- Terry Lynn Barton, a part-time National Forest Service employee, has been accused of igniting a fire that burned 100,000 acres, making it the largest wildfire in Colorado history.
In June 2002, 16 people went on trial for negligence in connection with a train fire that killed 155 people in 2000. The train was going to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, which is in what country?
- Rising to a height of 10,560 ft, the Kitzsteinhorn glacier is located 60 miles south of Salzburg, Austria. It offers year-round skiing and spectacular views.
