World Affairs Councils of America WorldQuest Weekly – July 19-25, 2021

Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “The German language has no words, I think, for the devastation,” referring to THIS catastrophe. 

Only 60,000 people, all Saudi citizens, have been permitted to participate in THIS pilgrimage due to Covid-19 fears. Over two million Muslims normally participate in the once-in-a-lifetime travel to Islam’s holiest sites.

Malware known as Pegasus sold by a surveillance firm in THIS country to authoritarian governments was used to target rights activists, journalists and attorneys.

The U.S., NATO and other nations charged THIS country with a years-long hacking campaign that included cyber theft of data to benefit its companies. The cyber attacks also focused on Microsoft earlier this year.

Plans for a summit between two American allies in Asia set to take place during a visit to the Tokyo Olympics were dashed apparently over crude remarks from a Japanese diplomat aimed at THIS leader. The countries have a history of feuding over territorial claims and wartime crimes.

Vigilante groups have emerged to battle unrest in THIS African nation that followed the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma.

Changing lifestyles during the Covid-19 pandemic are one factor that has led to a shortage of THIS product mostly produced by TSMC in Taiwan and Samsung in South Korea.

The United Arab Emirates, one of the first signatories of the Abraham Accord normalizing relations with Israel, opened an embassy in Israel a month after Israel opened an embassy in THIS capital of the UAE.