What in the World?
Test yourself on the week of Aug. 12: Niger indicts its ousted president, China turns on its diplomatic charm, and another tragedy rocks Ecuador.
We’ve reached the depths of the summer, but it’s still important to stay up to date. Have you been following the most recent headlines?
Have feedback? Email whatintheworld@foreignpolicy.com to let me know your thoughts.
We’ve reached the depths of the summer, but it’s still important to stay up to date. Have you been following the most recent headlines?
1. On Sunday night, Niger’s coup leaders said they would prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. For what crime are they planning to try him?
Read more about Niger’s coup in this week’s edition of Flash Points.
2. China’s foreign minister over the weekend visited which Southeast Asian country to reaffirm the two nations’ relationship?
The visit preceded the Aug. 22 ascension to the office of prime minister of Hun Manet, the son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, and likely included discussions about a Chinese naval base project in Cambodia. Alexander Wooley and Sheng Zhang documented Beijing’s similar projects around the world in detail last month.
3. A local Ecuadorian political leader, Pedro Briones, was killed on Monday. To which political organization did he belong?
The shooting happened less than a week after the assassination of a presidential candidate weeks ahead of Ecuador’s elections, which FP’s Catherine Osborn reported on last week in Latin America Brief.
4. The Russian Central Bank held an emergency meeting on Tuesday after the value of the ruble fell to a 16-month low against the U.S. dollar. What was the recorded exchange rate?
The currency’s collapse indicates Western sanctions and efforts to isolate Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 are taking a toll, FP’s Alexandra Sharp writes in World Brief.
5. China on Tuesday announced it would stop publishing which statistic for the foreseeable future?
China doesn’t like what it’s seeing and is trying to sweep the numbers under the rug, FP’s James Palmer writes in China Brief.
6. Spanish authorities on Thursday said a wildfire on the island of Tenerife that has burned thousands of acres had affected approximately how many people?
Amid a summer of frequent wildfires and heat waves, it’s important to learn how to safely combat climate change-related disasters. David Simon writes about what cities can teach countries on how to become more resilient.
7. Israel on Thursday clinched its largest-ever defense deal with Germany. How much is that deal worth?
The deal comes as Western nations search for ways to continue arming Ukraine as national weapons stockpiles run low, a topic Emma Ashford and Matthew Kroenig discussed on this week’s It’s Debatable.
8. U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday hosted leaders from which two nations for a trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland?
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida could be trying to mend ties in an effort to focus their collective resources on China, FP’s Robbie Gramer and Jack Detsch write in this week’s Situation Report.
9. England beat Australia on Wednesday to advance to the final of the Women’s World Cup for the first time in team history. Who will the Lionesses face in the Sunday showdown?
Sarina Wiegman became the first coach to lead two separate women’s teams to the World Cup final, following her 2019 run with the Netherlands, The Associated Press reports.
10. In a recent trip to Beijing, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen revealed that she ate a meal containing what ingredient?
According to Yellen, there were no aftereffects to consuming the fungus as any psychedelic properties were cooked away while the meal was prepared, CNN reports.
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Drew Gorman is a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy.
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