What in the World?
Test yourself on the week of Feb. 11: Turkey issues arrest warrants, the United States downs UFOs, and Scotland’s first minister resigns.
Have you been paying attention to the world this week? Find out with our weekly international news quiz!
Have feedback? Email whatintheworld@foreignpolicy.com to let me know your thoughts.
Have you been paying attention to the world this week? Find out with our weekly international news quiz!
1. Turkish officials issued how many arrest warrants on Saturday in connection to the construction of buildings that collapsed during last week’s devastating earthquake?
Critics decry the government’s moves as a smokescreen to shift blame ahead of May elections. That’s because Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a record of allowing developers to skirt construction regulations, Tessa Fox reports.
2. As of Monday, a total of three border crossings into Syria are now open to allow aid into the earthquake-stricken regions. Which is not one of the crossings?
Border reopenings won’t prevent Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from obstructing aid to rebel-held regions of the country, Annie Sparrow and Hazem Rihawi write.
3. How many unidentified flying objects over North America has the United States shot down in the last two weeks—including China’s alleged spy balloon?
Turning the balloon episode into a hysterical event won’t protect U.S. interests, FP’s Howard W. French argues.
4. Why did New Zealand’s government declare a state of emergency on Tuesday—only the third in the country’s history?
It’s not yet clear how the issue of climate change will impact New Zealand’s October elections, which FP’s Allison Meakem previewed in January.
5. On Tuesday, the United States arrested four additional people allegedly tied to the 2021 assassination of which country’s leader?
The island nation is on the brink of state failure as it battles gang violence, government corruption, and a cholera outbreak, Robert Muggah explains.
6. What is the name of Scotland’s first minister, who announced their surprise resignation on Wednesday?
Though she is Scotland’s most powerful political figure, a failed independence bid proved disastrous for Sturgeon’s career, FP’s Azeem Ibrahim argues.
7. In more resignation news, who left their post as World Bank president this week roughly a year before their term was up?
In 2019, then-U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Malpass for the role despite his track record of criticizing the institution, FP’s Keith Johnson wrote at the time.
8. On Wednesday, the Nicaraguan government stripped how many people of their citizenship for being “traitors” and “fugitives from justice”?
This comes just one week after Nicaraguan authorities allowed 222 political prisoners to be released to the United States, a group whose citizenship Nicaragua’s legislature has also moved to revoke, FP’s Catherine Osborn writes in Latin America Brief.
9. A new Israeli law that passed on Wednesday would do what to Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of occupied East Jerusalem who are convicted of terrorism offenses and received financial aid from the Palestinian Authority?
This legislation comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to weaken Israel’s Supreme Court, FP’s Dan Ephron explores on FP Live.
10. A German ballet director was suspended on Monday for doing what to a journalist after she called one of his productions “boring” in a review?
The dog feces was freshly provided by Gustav, the director’s dachshund, German media reported. FP’s reporters are thankful they’re not covering anything as controversial as German dance.
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Alexandra Sharp is a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @AlexandraSSharp
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