What in the World?

Test yourself on the week of Sept. 5: A German state votes, Philippine police make a high-profile arrest, and Nigeria appoints a new military commander. The Alternative for Germany election watch party in Magdeburg, Germany. The Alternative for Germany election watch party in Magdeburg, Germany, on Sept. 6. Sean Gallup/Getty Images Politics September 11, 2026, 3:56 PM School is back in session in much of the world, so it feels appropriate to proctor a quiz for our readers. Find out if you’ve kept up with the globe’s latest developments! Have feedback? Email [email protected] to let me know your thoughts. School is back in session in much of the world, so it feels appropriate to proctor a quiz for our readers. Find out if you’ve kept up with the globe’s latest developments! 1. The far-right Alternative for Germany party won a state election on Sunday but fell short of the majority needed to form a government without a coalition. If the party succeeds in coalition-building, it would be the first far-right party to lead a German state since when? The rise of the far right in Germany signals the end of German postwar democracy as we know it, John Kampfner argues. 2. Philippine police arrested a lawmaker and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday over his alleged involvement in a massive corruption scandal concerning what? Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez was officially charged with plunder and personally accused of misappropriating $118 million, FP’s Joseph Rachman reports in Southeast Asia Brief. 3. Jamaica’s culture minister traveled to London on Monday to petition King Charles III to refer a series of questions to a committee on the Privy Council, which serves former colonies. What topic did the questions concern? The petition asked the highest court of appeal of the Commonwealth countries whether Britain’s trafficking of enslaved Africans was unlawful and whether London owed financial reparations to Jamaica, FP’s Catherine Osborn reports in Latin America Brief. 4. On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced about $20 billion worth of tariffs on the United States as retaliation for what? The duties mimic recent tariffs that the White House has imposed on Ottawa, FP’s Alexandra Sharp reports in World Brief. 5. Which country did Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis attack on Tuesday? Riyadh’s lack of strategic forethought and poor judgment have placed it squarely in the middle of conflicts with both Iran and the Houthis, FP’s Steven A. Cook argued last month. 6. Opposition lawmakers in Argentina called a special legislative session on Wednesday to consider a variety of measures intended to help Argentines do what? (Hint: One measure concerns interest rates.) Financial strains continue to mount for regular Argentines, despite the government negotiating numerous multibillion-dollar arrangements, including a credit line from the United States, which FP’s Keith Johnson wrote about last October. 7. Nigeria appointed a new military commander on Wednesday who is now responsible for doing what? Boko Haram is among the extremist groups in West Africa endangering the stability of the entire region; the West is ignoring these groups’ rise at its own peril, FP’s Howard W. French argued in May. 8. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that he expects that Russian forces will do what to weaken Ukraine? As the threat from Russia appears to increase across Europe, commentators have criticized Germany’s relatively muted response to a recent attempted drone attack that has been attributed to Moscow, FP’s John Haltiwanger and Sam Skove report. 9. A group of thieves broke into the Renoir Museum in France on Tuesday and escaped with what? The thieves originally took four paintings but had to abandon two as they fled, The Associated Press reports. 10. Scientists on Thursday reported that something is happening to the planet Mercury faster than expected. What is occurring? The planet may have shrunk 30 percent more than previously believed, partially due to how its oversized iron core repeatedly cools and contracts, The Associated Press reports. You scored It’s a big world out there! Brush up on global goings-on by subscribing to World 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 [email protected] to let me know your thoughts. Politics Drew Gorman is a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy. 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