What in the World?
Test yourself on the week of May 20: Russia captures a Ukrainian city, Thailand forms a governing coalition, and Sudan’s cease-fire holds—for now.
Doctors recommend at least one international news quiz per week—so get to it!
Have feedback? Email whatintheworld@foreignpolicy.com to let me know your thoughts.
Doctors recommend at least one international news quiz per week—so get to it!
1. Russia claimed it captured which Ukrainian city over the weekend?
The alleged victory came days after Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin took to his Telegram channel to castigate Russian soldiers for fleeing the eastern Ukrainian city, FP’s Jack Detsch reports.
2. Which of the following campaign proposals from Thailand’s Move Forward Party was not included in the agreement signed on Monday by the country’s new governing coalition?
The elections are a clear sign the Thai people want change, which spells trouble for the military and monarchy, Jessica Keegan and Martin Kunze write.
3. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with which head of state on Tuesday to strengthen ties between their two Muslim-majority nations?
The two nations recently signed a preferential trade agreement, another step in Iran’s pursuit of becoming a regional trading hub, Alex Vatanka wrote earlier this month.
4. What did France formally ban on Tuesday in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
As governments look for ways to mitigate the effects of climate change, some are also paying more attention to solar geoengineering. But Janos Pasztor, Cynthia Scharf, and Kai-Uwe Barani Schmidt argue that this lesser-known area of scientific research needs to be regulated before it becomes commonplace.
5. Ecuador’s National Electoral Council announced on Tuesday that early presidential elections would be held in which month?
The council’s decision follows President Guillermo Lasso’s move to dissolve the National Assembly in order to avoid impeachment, as FP’s Catherine Osborn detailed in Latin America Brief last week.
6. How much did the United States pledge in humanitarian aid on Wednesday to address the growing climate crisis confronting the Horn of Africa?
A severe, yearslong drought—the worst in over four decades—has compounded crises in one of the world’s most precarious regions, FP’s Robbie Gramer and Christina Lu reported in February 2022.
7. Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner slammed which international organization on Thursday, saying a program with it was holding back Argentina’s economy?
Argentina is among the countries exploring expanding currency swap lines with China as it pushes back against the dollar-dominated global economy, FP’s Christina Lu explained this month.
8. Which country, alongside the United States, brokered the latest cease-fire between Sudan’s warring factions?
Washington and Riyadh said on Friday that Sudan’s warring factions are adhering better to this cease-fire than previous ones. But, as FP’s Nosmot Gbadamosi writes in Africa Brief, fighting still broke out earlier in the week.
9. What has Dutch inventor Bob Hendrikx started “growing” by combining mycelium with hemp fiber?
The new coffins are a more sustainable alternative to traditional wood coffins, the Associated Press reports.
10. What did a Japanese man find in his takeout udon noodles while on a business trip this week?
The man only made the discovery after he had nearly finished his meal, Channel News Asia reports. The noodle chain apologized for “causing great trouble and worry.”
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Drew Gorman is a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy.
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