Quiz

This week in FP’s international news quiz: climate change red flags, a looming Taliban takeover, and one risky helicopter landing.

Taliban fighters stand on a vehicle. Taliban fighters stand on a vehicle.

Taliban fighters stand on a vehicle along the roadside in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Aug. 13. Stringer/AFP via Getty Images

August 13, 2021, 12:54 PM

Grab your coffee and rub the sleep from your eyes—it’s time to test your international news knowledge!

1. A new report from the U.N.-appointed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reveals the world is getting hotter—much faster than previously thought. Which of the following is not one of the top three carbon emitters in the world?

2. Mediterranean countries are currently facing extreme weather conditions due to climate change. Which climate catastrophe prompted evacuations—and even caused numerous deaths—this week?

3. Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, made his first phone call to a Western leader to discuss nuclear negotiations on Monday. Which country did Raisi reach out to?

4. On Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on his country’s civilians to join the military and fight the TPLF, an ethnic nationalist opposition group. What does TPLF stand for?

5. The European Union has accused Belarus’s government of intentionally creating a migrant surge in Eastern Europe to retaliate against EU sanctions. Who is Belarus’s embattled president?

6. The U.S. Senate passed a budget plan that would fund climate change and social programs. How much does the plan cost?

7. The Taliban—which have rapidly taken many of Afghanistan’s biggest cities over the past week—are now within 100 miles of the country’s capital, Kabul. What has the U.S. government asked the Taliban to do as they advance?

8. Haitian police have made little progress in determining who was behind the July assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Of the more than 40 suspects currently detained, half are linked to which Latin American country?

9. Unable to hold their newborn baby relatives due to COVID-19 restrictions, some Japanese families are turning to what instead?

10. A Canadian man was charged with dangerous operation of an aircraft after landing a helicopter in a school parking lot. Why did he land there?

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

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

Grab your coffee and rub the sleep from your eyes—it’s time to test your international news knowledge!

1. A new report from the U.N.-appointed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reveals the world is getting hotter—much faster than previously thought. Which of the following is not one of the top three carbon emitters in the world?

2. Mediterranean countries are currently facing extreme weather conditions due to climate change. Which climate catastrophe prompted evacuations—and even caused numerous deaths—this week?

3. Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, made his first phone call to a Western leader to discuss nuclear negotiations on Monday. Which country did Raisi reach out to?

4. On Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on his country’s civilians to join the military and fight the TPLF, an ethnic nationalist opposition group. What does TPLF stand for?

5. The European Union has accused Belarus’s government of intentionally creating a migrant surge in Eastern Europe to retaliate against EU sanctions. Who is Belarus’s embattled president?

6. The U.S. Senate passed a budget plan that would fund climate change and social programs. How much does the plan cost?

7. The Taliban—which have rapidly taken many of Afghanistan’s biggest cities over the past week—are now within 100 miles of the country’s capital, Kabul. What has the U.S. government asked the Taliban to do as they advance?

8. Haitian police have made little progress in determining who was behind the July assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Of the more than 40 suspects currently detained, half are linked to which Latin American country?

9. Unable to hold their newborn baby relatives due to COVID-19 restrictions, some Japanese families are turning to what instead?

10. A Canadian man was charged with dangerous operation of an aircraft after landing a helicopter in a school parking lot. Why did he land there?

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

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.

Alexandra Sharp is a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @AlexandraSSharp

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