Quiz

This week in FP’s international news quiz: The Taliban seek international recognition, a scandal rocks the IMF, and Iraq holds elections.

Employees of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission count votes Employees of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission count votes

Employees of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission conduct a manual count of votes following the parliamentary elections in Baghdad’s Green Zone on Oct. 13. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images

October 15, 2021, 5:26 PM

Think you know what’s new in the news? Test yourself with our weekly quiz!

Have feedback? Email whatintheworld@foreignpolicy.com to let me know your thoughts.

Think you know what’s new in the news? Test yourself with our weekly quiz!

1. Since taking control of Afghanistan in August, the Taliban have made a diplomatic push for international recognition—thus far to no avail.

Which of the following countries recognized the Taliban as the official Afghan government during the group’s previous stint in power two decades ago?

Pakistan has yet to establish diplomatic relations with the Taliban this time around, but its ambassador to Kabul told FP’s Lynne O’Donnell that conversations are ongoing.

2. Who became the first African leader to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday?

3. The party of Prime Minister Andrej Babis faced an unexpected loss in which country’s elections last weekend?

4. After facing accusations of interfering in a major report, the economist leading the International Monetary Fund managed to keep her position this week. What is her name?

For more on the scandal, check out Foreign Policy’s new economics podcast, Ones and Tooze, featuring Adam Tooze and Cameron Abadi.

5. What record-low percentage of voters turned out in Iraq’s parliamentary elections on Sunday?

The biggest loser in Iraq’s election is Iran, FP’s Mina Al-Oraibi argues.

6. On Tuesday, over two dozen countries signed on to a pledge to cut emissions of which greenhouse gas?

The Global Methane Pledge is just one step in the climate fight. For the bigger picture, check out a review of the new book Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis by FP’s Christina Lu.

7. Delegations from the United States, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates gathered this week to celebrate the recent first anniversary of which diplomatic deal?

8. The International Court of Justice at The Hague began hearing arguments this week in a case between which two countries?

Sheila Paylan lays out what international justice might look like in the aftermath of the two nations’ recent war.

9. Chilean President Sebastián Piñera is facing impeachment proceedings after being implicated in the Pandora Papers leak. What enterprise is at the center of the corruption allegations?

10. Ali Makhlouf, the cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and son of a U.S.-sanctioned business mogul, was recently caught on camera in Los Angeles by a popular Instagrammer who interviews sports car drivers.

What sweet $300,000 ride was he spotted in?

Makhlouf appeared to be driving with an Israeli model, which Vice notes would be “in violation of Syrian law, which prohibits contact with any citizen of the ‘illegal Zionist [entity] to the south,’ as Syria refers to Israel.”

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Nina Goldman is a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @goldmannk

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