What in the World?

This week in FP’s international news quiz: Ukraine remains under threat, Barbados holds elections, and North Korea opens its border a crack.

By , a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy from 2018-2022.
A Ukrainian protester holds a sign that says "Say NO to Putin."
A Ukrainian protester holds a sign that says "Say NO to Putin."
A demonstrator holds a placard during an action dubbed #SayNOtoPutin in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 9. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

It’s been another busy week in world news. Test your knowledge with our weekly quiz!

Have feedback? Email whatintheworld@foreignpolicy.com to let me know your thoughts.

It’s been another busy week in world news. Test your knowledge with our weekly quiz!


1. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met this week with his counterpart from Moscow in an attempt to stave off a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

What is the Russian foreign minister’s name?

Dive deeper with all of Foreign Policy’s latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.


2. Meanwhile, troops from the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization withdrew from a peacekeeping operation in which country this week?

As unrest in Kazakhstan subsides, ordinary citizens are left to pick up the pieces, Akbota Karibayeva writes.


3. Which militant group claimed responsibility for an attack on Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, earlier this week?

The Biden administration—which removed the Houthis from the U.S. terrorist list after taking office last year—is now considering redesignating the group as a terrorist organization, FP’s Robbie Gramer and Jack Detsch report in this week’s Situation Report.


4. Who was elected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday?


5. On Wednesday, Barbados held its first general election since becoming a republic last year. What is the country’s ruling party, which retained its parliamentary majority?

Last year, Stéphanie Fillion broke down what Barbados’s move toward republicanism means for the country and the region.


6. Which country is the controversial host of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament?

In this week’s Africa Brief, FP’s Nosmot Gbadamosi explains how Cameroon’s ongoing conflict has affected the tournament.


7. News broke this week that Israeli authorities have reportedly targeted their own citizens with military-grade spyware. Which Israel-based technology firm is behind its production?


8. On Monday, North Korea opened its borders for the first time since early 2020, resuming trade with which country?


9. In recent years, some U.S. overseas officials have reported a mysterious set of symptoms whose origins stumped U.S. intelligence agencies. Now, a new CIA analysis says the symptoms were likely not the result of a coordinated campaign by a malicious foreign actor.

What is this supposed syndrome called?


10. A couple in China decided to get married this week after getting to know each other in what unusual situation?

You scored

It’s a big world out there! Brush up on global goings-on by subscribing to Morning Brief, Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter.

You scored

Great job! Now, dig deeper by subscribing to Foreign Policy’s one-stop regional newsletters: Africa Brief, China Brief, Latin America Brief, and South Asia Brief.

You scored

Perfection! You’re a pro who needs the in-depth insights offered in Situation Report, our newsletter on national security and defense.


Have feedback? Email whatintheworld@foreignpolicy.com to let me know your thoughts.

Nina Goldman was a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy from 2018-2022.

Read More On Politics

Join the Conversation

Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription.

Already a subscriber? .

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now.

Not your account?

Join the Conversation

Please follow our comment guidelines, stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs.

You are commenting as .

More from Foreign Policy

The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.
The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose

Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet

As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.