Sept. 2023 Global News Quiz: What’s Trump’s Troubles in Georgia?

Former US President Donald Trump is back in the spotlight after a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, served him with a fresh set of charges on Aug. 15, 2023. The charges include a spicy mix of forgery, racketeering, and violating an oath of office. This legal saga stems from Trump’s relentless efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Trump pleaded not guilty on Aug. 31 and waived his right to a hearing in the Georgia criminal case, probably to avoid TV coverage.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head honcho of the Russian mercenary Wagner force and the failed June 2023 rebellion, often dubbed “Putin’s chef,” met his untimely end in a plane crash on August 23, 2023. Following the event, President Vladimir Putin, in a rare display of culinary critique, described Prigozhin as an adept entrepreneur who navigated a challenging destiny and made serious mistakes. Prigozhin was buried in St. Petersburg, away from public attention. Russian state television hardly covered the funeral.

On Sept. 12, 2023, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea’s supreme leader, didn’t just hop on a plane or drive to Russia. Instead, he chose his dark green, luxuriously decorated armored train for a 20-hour journey to Vladivostok, Russia. This slow-moving fortress comes complete with reddish-pink leather armchairs and an average 60 kph (around 37 mph) speed. The grand purpose? Meeting with Vladimir Putin to talk about sending a North Korean cosmonaut into space, building satellites, and cooperation on military-technical matters. Kim Jong-un took the opportunity to express his full support for Russia’s “just fight.”

Baltic nations, known for their serene landscapes and rich history, have added another feather to their cap. All three nations – Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania – are now led by dynamic women. Latvia is the latest to join the female leadership club, with Evika Siliņa taking the reins on Sept. 15, 2023. The 48-year-old Right-Centrist Silina is the second woman ever to hold the prime ministerial post in Latvia.

India recently stirred the pot (and not just a curry one) by referring to itself as “Bharat” in the Sept. 2023 G20 summit dinner invitations. For those who missed the memo, “Bharat” is an ancient Sanskrit term deeply rooted in India’s history and is also the name mentioned in the Indian Constitution. But why the sudden change in RSVP name tags? Well, with national elections looming, the ruling party, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to spice things up a bit. Some say it’s a nod to India’s rich Hindu past. Others believe it’s a political strategy to challenge the newly formed opposition alliance named “INDIA” (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance).

The Khalistan movement advocates for an independent homeland for Sikhs in India’s Punjab region. While the idea of Khalistan has been around for a while, it made headlines in 2023 due to the alleged assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Canadian Sikh leader and Khalistan advocate. This incident led to a diplomatic tiff between Canada and India, with ambassadors expelled. Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, even suggested there was “credible evidence” of India’s involvement in the assassination.

This meteorological marvel, named for its resemblance to the Greek letter Omega (Ω), is essentially a high-pressure zone sandwiched between two low-pressure zones. This atmospheric arrangement was responsible for Storm Daniel’s birth and path around Sept. 4, 2023. Storm Daniel later wreaked havoc in Greece, Libya, and other surrounding countries, causing unprecedented damage. More than 5,000 people were reported dead in Libya, and as many as 10,000 more are believed to be missing.

The 1918 Minnesota wildfires, better known as the Cloquet fire in Minnesota and Wisconsin, claimed a scorching 453 lives, making it the deadliest wildfire the US has ever seen. Fast forward to 2023, as the Maui Wildfires tried to compete, causing devastation in August and killing 89, earning the undesired title of second-deadliest wildfire in US history. The 2023 Maui wildfires are Hawaii’s most fatal natural disaster, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people.

Screenshot: NBC News – YouTube

The highest peak of the Atlas Mountains is located in Morocco. Specifically, roughly 40 miles south of Marrakesh. On Sept. 8, 2023, this region shook with a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, killing over 2,900 people. This was the deadliest earthquake in Morocco since 1960, when a quake killed more than 12,000. Marrakesh’s famous Koutoubia Mosque, the largest in the city and a UNESCO World Heritage site built in the 12th century, was severely damaged, as were the famous red walls surrounding the old city.

In a twist of events that Mother Nature probably found amusing, the 2023 Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada surprised attendees with a natural mud spa treatment as heavy rains transformed the festival grounds into vast cement-like mud puddles. This unexpected ‘feature’ left over 70,000 attendees stranded, turning their desert party into a muddy staycation. Looks like the climate protests over there had their point proven by the weather. As for the Ebola outbreak scare, that was a false rumor on social media, probably started by someone who missed the mud memo.

In the 2023 US Open at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, Novak “Never-Stop” Djokovic carved his name alongside tennis royalty. On Sept. 10, 2023, Djokovic clinched his 24th Grand Slam title, tying Margaret Court’s legendary record. He surpassed Serena Williams’s 23 titles, Rafael Nadal’s 22 titles, and Roger Federer’s 20 titles. This victory saw Djokovic become the oldest US Open men’s champion in the Open Era at the ripe age of 36.

Back in the days when the internet was still dialing up, and Y2K was the biggest scare, young Serena Williams was making waves at the US Open. Fast forward to 2023, and 19-year-old Coco Gauff follows in her footsteps, advancing to the quarterfinals of the US Open in consecutive years. On Sept. 3, 2023, Gauff showcased her prowess by defeating Caroline Wozniacki, reminding us that history repeats itself. By Sept. 5, she also became the first American teenager to reach the US Open semi-finals since Williams in 2001. On Sept. 10, she won her first grand slam title, becoming the first American teenager to win the US Open and the youngest American woman to reach the US Open final since 17-year-old Williams in 1999. This time, with much better internet.

Cristiano Ronaldo danced, dazzled, and delivered by scoring a whopping six goals in the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. In the August 12, 2023, final, his team, Al-Nassr, clinched their first-ever Arab Club Champions Cup title. This was Ronaldo’s first trophy with Al-Nassr.

The Palace of Versailles was originally a modest hunting lodge built by King Louis XIII in 1623. It was later expanded and transformed into a lavish royal residence by his son Louis XIV, who moved the court and the government there in 1682. The palace witnessed many historical events, such as the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I in 1919. To celebrate its 400th anniversary, the palace has opened a gallery that retraces its history with over 120 works. President Emmanuel Macron held a grand dinner in the Hall of Mirrors for King Charles III and Queen Camilla to celebrate the occasion on Sept. 20, 2023.

On Sept. 18, 2023, the US Military lost an advanced F-35B Lightning II jet, a plane so stealthy that even they couldn’t find it. So, in a move that sounds straight out of a sitcom, they turned to the most reliable source they could think of: the internet. Military officials made online appeals, asking the good folks of the internet to help them locate their pricey toy. The incident occurred over North Charleston, and while the pilot made a safe exit with a parachute, the $80 million jet seemed to have played an epic game of hide and seek. Searchers found the wreckage of the missing jet in South Carolina one day later.