Former President Duvalier of which Caribbean country died of a heart attack this week?

Haiti

Death of Former President• Duvalier was just 19 when in 1971 he inherited the title of "president-for-

life" from his father, the notorious Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier.

• He was accused of corruption, human rights abuses and repression in his rule, which ended in a 1986 uprising.

• Ruled for 15 years before outbreak of popular protests led him to flee to France in 1986.

• After years of exile in France, he returned to Haiti in 2011.

• At the time of his swearing in, Jean-Claude Duvalier was the youngest president in the world.

Haiti Quick Facts• The Republic of Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the

island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Les Cayemites, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, and is located east of Cuba

• Haiti shares Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. The total land area of Haiti is 10,714 square miles (27,750 square km) and its capital is Port-au-Prince on the main island of Hispaniola.

• A former French colony, it was the first country in the Americas after the United States to declare its independence.

• In spite of its longevity, it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

• Capital city is Port-Au-Prince.

Haiti Quick Facts

In Haiti there are four religions: Catholic , Protestant, Islamic , and Voodoo. Although the official religion of Haiti, as inherited from the French colonialists, is Roman Catholicism, about 50% of the population believes in Voodooism, a religion that arose from the slavery-era. (a religious cult involving witchcraft and communicating with ancestors)

Which northern European country has agreed to recognize the state of Palestine?

Sweden

Sweden

• Sweden is to "recognize the state of Palestine", Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has said, the first long-term EU member country to do so.

• "The conflict between Israel and Palestine can only be solved with a two-state solution," he said during his inaugural address in parliament.

• It should be "negotiated in accordance with international law", he said.

• Sweden last month voted out the centre-right Alliance coalition of Fredrik Reinfeldt after eight years.

• That allowed the Social Democrats led by Mr Lofven to form a government with other parties on the left including the Greens.

Sweden

• Sweden will join more than 130 other countries that recognize a Palestinian state.

• Most of the EU's 28 member states have refrained from recognizing Palestinian statehood and those that do - such as Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - did so before joining the bloc.

• The Palestinians have long sought to establish an independent, sovereign state in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem as its capital, and the Gaza Strip - occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.

• Correspondents say Sweden's move is likely to be strongly criticized by Israel and the US, who argue that an independent Palestinian state should only emerge through negotiations.

Sweden Quick facts

• Population:9,029,000• Capital:Stockholm; 1,697,000• Area:449,964 square kilometers (173,732 square miles )• Language:Swedish• Religion:Lutheran, Roman Catholic• Currency:Swedish krona• Life Expectancy:80GDP per Capita:U.S. $26,00• Literacy Percent:99• ECONOMY• Industry: Iron and steel, precision equipment, wood pulp and paper products, processed

foods• Agriculture: Barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat• Exports: Machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel

products, chemicals

Pro democracy protests entered the second week in which territory of China?

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

• On Saturday Hong Kong's leader warned that police would ensure government offices and schools reopened on Monday.

• Activists oppose China's plans to vet candidates in 2017 elections.

• During the overnight rally thousands chanted: "Democracy now! Democracy in Hong Kong!" as speakers from the pro-democracy movement urged them to persist in their campaign, AP news agency reported.

Hong Kong

• Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Following British rule from 1842 to 1997, China assumed sovereignty under the 'one country, two systems' principle. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's constitutional document, the Basic Law, ensures that the current political situation will remain in effect for 50 years. The rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong are based on the impartial rule of law and an independent judiciary.

Hong Kong

• At the south-eastern tip of China, Hong Kong covers Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, including 262 outlying islands. Between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula lies Victoria Harbor, one of the world's most renowned deep-water harbors.

• Total area: 1 104 square kilometres• Land developed: less than 25%• Country parks and nature reserves: 40%

Hong Kong

• Hong Kong's climate is sub-tropical, with temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius in winter and exceeding 31 degrees Celsius in summer. It is warm, sunny and dry in autumn, cool and dry in winter, and hot, humid and rainy from spring to summer.

• Average annual rainfall: 2 847.3mm• Wettest months: May Driest months: February

An ultra-marathoner in distress, trying to "run" from Florida to

which British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic was rescued?

Bermuda

Bermuda• Reza Baluchi, according to his website, has set a goal of running

across more than 190 recognized nations to encourage world peace.

• The Coast Guard first encountered Baluchi on Wednesday after receiving a report about a man in a bubble off the coast of Miami, disoriented and asking for directions to Bermuda, a Coast Guard press release said. It was not clear when he started his quest.

• A Coast Guard cutter found Baluchi. Officials described the craft as a "hydro pod bubble" and a man in a 2013 YouTube video called a Baluchi bubble "a big hamster wheel." It moved along the ground as Baluchi ran inside.

Bermuda

• Bermuda is a group of low-forming islands located in the Atlantic Ocean, near the western edge of the Sargasso Sea, roughly 580 nautical miles (1,070 km (665 mi)) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Bermuda• Bermuda's pink sand beaches and clear, cerulean blue ocean waters are popular

with tourists. Many of Bermuda's hotels are located along the south shore of the island. In addition to its beaches, there are a number of sightseeing attractions.

• Historic St George's is a designated World Heritage Site. Scuba divers can explore numerous wrecks and coral reefs in relatively shallow water (typically 30–40 ft or 9–12 m in depth), with virtually unlimited visibility. Many nearby reefs are readily accessible from shore by snorkellers, especially at Church Bay.

• Bermuda's most popular visitor attraction is the Royal Naval Dockyard, which includes the Bermuda Maritime Museum. Other attractions include the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo,[92] Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, the Botanical Gardens and Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, lighthouses, and the Crystal Caves with stalactites and underground saltwater pools.

• It is not possible to rent a car on the island; public transport is available or visitors can hire scooters for use as private transport.

Which famous American landmark is turning 87 years this year and is getting a makeover?

Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore

• The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (Lakota Sioux name: Six Grandfathers) near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States.

• Sculpted by Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum, Mount Rushmore features 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865).

• The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km2] and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level.

• The Monument is going to get new lighting.

Flight 93 Memorial fire occurred recently in which US state?

Pennsylvania

Flight 93 Memorial fire

• A fire at the Flight 93 National Memorial destroyed three administrative buildings on Friday, leaving officials concerned about some of the memorabilia and archival material stored there.

• Wind-whipped flames didn't touch the under-construction memorial and visitors center, which are about 2 miles away on the large property in rural western Pennsylvania, National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst said. No one was injured in the fire, whose cause is under investigation.

• The buildings comprised the park's headquarters, with conference facilities, storage space and the superintendent's office. About 10 percent of the memorial's archival collection was kept on site, and many objects were in fireproof safes, officials said.

PA Quick Facts• State Capital – Harrisburg• Largest City – Philadelphia• Major Industries - steel, farming (corn, oats, soybeans, mushrooms),

mining (iron, portland cement, lime, stone), electronics equipment, cars, pharmaceuticals

• Major Rivers - Allegheny River, Susquehanna River, Delaware River, Ohio River

• Major Lakes - Lake Erie• Highest Point - Mt. Davis - 3,213 feet (979 m) above sea level• Bordering States - New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West

Virginia, Ohio• Origin of the Name Pennsylvania - This state was named to honor Admiral

William Penn and his son, William Penn, Pennsylvania's founder.State Nickname - Keystone StateState Motto - "Virtue, Liberty, and Independence"