What in the World?
Test yourself on the week of March 11: Saudi Arabia posts big oil profits, a Dutch populist party triumphs, and foreign films make headlines at the Oscars.
It’s that time of the week! See what you can remember from the past seven days with our international news quiz!
Have feedback? Email whatintheworld@foreignpolicy.com to let me know your thoughts.
It’s that time of the week! See what you can remember from the past seven days with our international news quiz!
1. Over the weekend, Iran falsely announced an imminent prisoner swap with the United States. Who is not one of the Iranian Americans whose release from an Iranian prison is currently being negotiated?
Tehran has a history of arbitrary detentions, particularly of Iranian dual citizens, FP’s Stephen M. Walt detailed in February 2021.
2. Saudi Arabia’s Aramco announced on Monday that it brought in a record-breaking $161.1 billion in oil profits in 2022. Nearly how much of the company does the Saudi government own?
Despite the staggering profits, Saudi Arabia is slowly reducing its economic dependence on oil. It’s one of the many reforms Washington should reward the kingdom for, John Hannah argued in FP’s Shadow Government in January.
3. Japanese Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe died this month at the age of 88. Which Nobel Prize was he awarded in 1994?
The Nobel Committee celebrated Kenzaburo’s work creating worlds “where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today.” For more FP literary recommendations, check out our contributors’ favorite books of 2022.
4. More than 110 LGBTQ people in which country reported being attacked in February alone?
Many countries in Africa have a history of LGBTQ discrimination, including anti-gay legislation in Ghana and Nigeria, Chibuihe Obi Achimba highlighted in July 2021.
5. Ukraine invited which U.S. official to visit on Tuesday after they appeared to downplay Russia’s invasion?
Florida’s key geographic and electoral positions mean officials from the state have an outsized influence on U.S. foreign policy, Amelia Cheatham wrote in October 2022.
6. This week, Mexico launched a commission to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by the country’s military. Which of the following do the Mexican armed forces stand accused of?
The Mexican military’s use of Pegasus extends as far back as 2017, when a report revealed that the government had used the spyware to target opposition leaders, Kavitha Surana wrote at the time.
7. Which populist party proved to be the biggest winner in the Netherlands’ provincial elections on Wednesday?
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is partially responsible for the Netherlands’ populist streak, and his policies are often compared to those of former U.S. President Donald Trump, FP’s Caroline de Gruyter argued in 2021.
8. On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would invoke an obscure constitutional measure to pass which controversial bill?
The unpopular pension reform is a “make-or-break moment for Macron,” Michele Barbero reported in January.
9. Which international film won an Oscar for best original song on Sunday?
Despite its success, RRR affirmed global stereotypes about Indian films and reified upper-caste dominance, Mayukh Sen argues.
10. Why was Japanese parliamentarian Yoshikazu Higashitani fired on Wednesday?
Better known as GaaSyy on his celebrity gossip YouTube channel, Higashitani was elected more than seven months ago and failed to attend a single session of parliament, the Washington Post reported.
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Alexandra Sharp is the World Brief writer at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @AlexandraSSharp
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