What in the World?

Test yourself on the week of March 23: Senegal votes, the U.S. abstains from a critical U.N. resolution, and Haiti and the Amazon get new funding.

By , a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy.
Polling station officials count ballots at a polling station in Ziguinchor, Senegal.
Polling station officials count ballots at a polling station in Ziguinchor, Senegal.
Polling station officials count ballots at a polling station in Ziguinchor, Senegal, on March 24, during the country’s presidential election. Muhamadou Bittaye/AFP via Getty Images

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Have feedback? Email [email protected] to let me know your thoughts.

Are you up to speed on global headlines? Find out with our weekly news quiz.


1. Who won Sunday’s presidential election in Senegal?

Faye was released from prison just 10 days before the election. At 44, he will become the youngest president in Senegal’s history, FP’s Nosmot Gbadamosi writes in Africa Brief.


2. The U.N. Security Council on Monday passed a resolution calling for what?

The resolution—which the United States abstained from, rather than vetoing—also called for the release of hostages held in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged strip. But the distribution of such assistance is an unwieldy, multifaceted problem of its own, Raphael S. Cohen writes.


3. The United States and United Kingdom on Monday announced new sanctions and criminal charges against a hacking group linked to which country’s government?

Despite a yearslong campaign to collect sensitive information, Chinese foreign interference often isn’t very effective, as it prioritizes volume over quality, FP’s James Palmer writes in China Brief.


4. How much did the Brazilian and French presidents pledge to invest in conservation and sustainable agriculture in the Amazon on Tuesday?

The deal is noteworthy because it includes significant financing from both governments, rather than relying mostly on the private sector, FP’s Catherine Osborn writes in Latin America Brief.


5. U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday approved up to $10 million in emergency funding for Haiti. To which sector of Haitian society will the money go?

Resilience is a part of Haiti’s DNA, FP’s Howard W. French writes. Foreign governments must listen to the Haitian people about how best they can help the country.


6. Thousands of people protested in Budapest on Tuesday to demand the resignation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Protesters based their demands on what allegations?

It’s a politically sensitive time for Orban, with election season in Europe underway, and the prime minister has one refrain: Blame George Soros, FP’s Caroline de Gruyter writes.


7. A bridge in which U.S. port city experienced a sudden and dramatic collapse on Tuesday after a cargo ship crashed into it?

The disaster is a reminder of the enormous logistical demands that come with global shipping—a network that is usually invisible to most consumers, FP’s Elisabeth Braw writes.


8. Thailand’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill in favor of legalizing what?

The bill now goes to the Senate for review on April 2. If passed in that chamber and endorsed by Thailand’s king, the amendment would become law 120 days later, FP’s Alexandra Sharp reports in World Brief.


9. After a lackluster winter in 2023, recent reports suggest Canada’s maple syrup reserve has hit a 16-year low. Approximately how many pounds of maple syrup does Canada have left?

Quebec, where the maple syrup warehouses are located, is responsible for more than two-thirds of global maple syrup production, the Toronto Star reports.


10. “Desperate” Norwegians have invaded Sweden to stock up on what product ahead of Easter?

A domestic egg shortage has caused Norwegians to flock across the border to the Nordby shopping center located just 62 miles south of Oslo, The Associated Press reports.

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Drew Gorman is a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy.

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