March Headlines

_______ tops UN World Happiness Index for 5th year in a row.

Answer explanation

The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network released its 10th annual World Happiness Report on Friday, CNN reported.

According to NPR, the study asks approximately 1,000 respondents from each country to assess their lives on a scale of zero to 10, "with zero being the worst possible life they could have expected to have, and 10 being the best."

Nordic countries continued to dominate the rankings. Finland topped the list for the fifth consecutive year, with an average life evaluation of 7.821. Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway also made the top 10.

NPR, however, points out that some Nordic commentators suggest Scandinavians report high levels of satisfaction not because "of the country's sterling quality of life, but because people in those countries have a lower bar for what they think their best possible life could have been."

Writing for The Week in 2017, James Pethokoukis argued that Americans, by contrast, "are demanding, complain when dissatisfied, and, by the way, also produce the hard-driving entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates who push the technological frontier so Europe doesn't have to."

The United States ranked 16th in the 2022 report with a score of 6.977, between Canada (15th) and the United Kingdom (17th).

Putin quotes _____ to justify invasion of Ukraine.

Answer explanation

During a pro-war rally in Moscow on Friday night, Russian President Vladimir Putin invoked the words of Jesus Christ in order to justify his invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow police said more than 200,000 people attended the rally, Al Jazeera reported. Polling shows that a majority of Russians support the war in Ukraine, which has already left numerous Ukrainian civilians displaced, injured, and dead.

Speaking to the crowd in a turtleneck and down winter coat, Putin said he ordered the invasion "to get people out of their misery, out of this genocide, that is the main reason, the motive and purpose of the military operation that we began in Donbas and Ukraine," according to The Washington Post. Russia has repeatedly accused the Ukrainian government of committing genocide in separatist-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine.

"And this is where the words from the Scriptures come to my mind: 'There is no greater love than if someone gives his soul for his friends,'" Putin continued, paraphrasing John 15:13.

Both the Post and ABC News translate the Russian word душу (dushu) as "soul," but most English translations of the passage use "life." The verse is part of a long discourse Jesus delivered to his disciples as they traveled to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he was arrested and taken to be crucified after ordering Simon Peter not to use force to defend him.  

Putin identifies as a Russian Orthodox Christian but has expressed discomfort with speaking publicly about his faith.

Grammys drop _____ from performance lineup due to 'concerning online behaviour'.

Answer explanation

Kanye West has been dropped from the performance lineup for the upcoming Grammy Awards due to his "concerning online behavior," the Yeezus rapper's rep told Variety.

Variety speculated that, if allowed to perform, West "might use the stage to continue his online harassment of Pete Davidson, his estranged wife Kim Kardashian's new boyfriend." Earlier this month, West released a claymation video for his song "Eazy," which depicts him kidnapping Davidson, burying him, and holding his severed head.

Kardashian, who dropped the last name "West" after a court declared her legally single, has previously warned West that his handling of the divorce is "creating a dangerous and scary environment," The Guardian reported.

The Grammys are set to air on April 3. West has been nominated for Album of the Year (for his own DONDA and separately for his production work on Lil Nas X's Montero), Best Rap Album (DONDA), Best Rap Song ("Jail"), and Best Melodic Rap Performance ("Hurricane").

_________ at both of Earth’s poles alarm climate scientists.

Answer explanation

Startling heatwaves at both of Earth’s poles are causing alarm among climate scientists, who have warned the “unprecedented” events could signal faster and abrupt climate breakdown.

Temperatures in Antarctica reached record levels at the weekend, an astonishing 40C above normal in places.

At the same time, weather stations near the north pole also showed signs of melting, with some temperatures 30C above normal, hitting levels normally attained far later in the year.

At this time of year, the Antarctic should be rapidly cooling after its summer, and the Arctic only slowly emerging from its winter, as days lengthen. For both poles to show such heating at once is unprecedented.

West hits Vladimir Putin’s ____ news factories with wave of sanctions

Answer explanation

Twelve key disinformation outlets used to bolster Vladimir Putin have been hit with sanctions in an online crackdown on “false and misleading” reports claimed to be orchestrated by Russian intelligence.

The Foreign Office announced last week that sanctions would be imposed on the Internet Research Agency, the notorious Russian-based troll factory. Two other alleged disinformation websites, New Eastern Outlook and Oriental Review, were also targeted.

The Internet Research Agency has been exposed in the past for paying Russia-based bloggers £500 a month to flood the internet with pro-Putin comments on chat forums, social networks and the comment sections of western publications. Government investigators also claim Russian intelligence supports international news and analysis websites which promote the Kremlin’s view of the Ukraine invasion.

India celebrates festival of _______ as Covid cases dip.

Answer explanation

Millions of Indians are celebrating Holi - the festival of colours - amid a sharp dip in Covid-19 cases in the country.

The festival saw restricted celebrations last year due to the pandemic.

Holi marks the last full-moon day of the lunar month. It's a time of great cheer and fun as people smear bright colours on each other. It also symbolises new beginnings.

____ have boosted international visitor arrivals in Singapore, but number of tourists still low.

Answer explanation

SINGAPORE - The number of international visitor arrivals is on the rise as Singapore readies to open up its borders to all vaccinated travellers.

But industry players and observers are still waiting for a significant recovery in inbound tourism, with tourists currently a fraction of the travellers entering under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme.

The bulk of short-term VTL arrivals comprises people visiting friends and relatives in Singapore, which would have a minimal impact on tourism spending, such as on accommodation, they said.

_____ people in Singapore lured by fast buck to be money mules.

Answer explanation

The promise of easy money on gambling websites and in advertisements on social media has lured many young people into becoming money mules who allow money to flow through their bank accounts for illicit purposes.

An MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, Mr Don Wee, raised the matter in Parliament during the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) budget debate earlier this month.

He noted that more than 7,000 scammers and money mules were investigated and arrested last year, and money mules "seem to become younger than before".