What in the World?

Test yourself on the week of Oct. 24: Brazil, Israel, and Serbia vote; China’s fifth plenum begins; and Trump campaigns ahead of the midterms. A man stands on the roof of a dark vehicle with his arms raised, holding the Brazilian flag and surrounded by a dense crowd of people filling a city street. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva raises the constitution and flag of Brazil during a rally in São Paulo on Oct. 24. Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images Politics October 30, 2026, 1:47 PM Halloween is tomorrow! If you haven’t determined what your costume will be this year, perhaps you will find inspiration in the spooky events covered in this week’s news quiz. Have feedback? Email [email protected] to let me know your thoughts. Halloween is tomorrow! If you haven’t determined what your costume will be this year, perhaps you will find inspiration in the spooky events covered in this week’s news quiz. 1. How did right-wing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro react to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s runoff election victory on Sunday? Lula became the first Brazilian presidential candidate in history to come from behind to win the election’s second round, FP’s Catherine Osborn reports. Bolsonaro, the subject of several criminal probes, subsequently fled to Miami, where he called himself “the leader of Brazil.” 2. Student-led protests in Serbia that began in November 2024 culminated in the defeat of longtime right-wing leader Aleksandar Vucic in elections on Sunday. What incident sparked the original demonstrations? The student protesters’ improbable victory against the Vucic regime could be instructive for their counterparts in the United States and European Union, Edward P. Joseph writes. 3. The Chinese Communist Party’s fifth plenum began on Monday. Traditionally focused on economic policy, what is the priority for this year’s gathering? The shift in focus is a sign that Chinese President Xi Jinping is worried that his anti-corruption campaigns aren’t paying off, FP’s James Palmer writes in China Brief. 4. Early results show no clear winner from Israel’s parliamentary elections on Tuesday. But what is clear is that voter turnout was at its highest this century. About what percent of Israel’s registered voters turned out to cast a ballot on Tuesday? Even if the opposition bloc succeeds in forming a governing coalition, there is little indication that Israel’s policies toward Palestinians will dramatically change, FP columnist Steven A. Cook writes. 5. At a Texas rally on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump floated adding a 51st state. What territory or country did he suggest? Trump’s “America First” foreign-policy agenda has been wildly unpopular with voters, as recent polling indicates, Jonathan Monten, Jordan Tama, and Josh Busby write. 6. The third Russia-Africa Summit began on Wednesday in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that Moscow would champion greater African involvement where? African leaders’ attendance has dipped since its high point in 2019, partially driven by Moscow’s unfulfilled promises on the continent and the forced recruitment of Africans into Russia’s military ranks to fight in Ukraine, FP’s Nosmot Gbadamosi reports in Africa Brief. 7. Why were three French nationals sentenced to life in prison in Iraq on Thursday? The arrests highlight how conflicts and divisions that may feel distant to Washington remain alive and pressing in the Middle East. Earlier this month, Hekmat Aboukhater wrote about how the Trump administration is inflaming sectarian divisions in Iraq. 8. Ireland said on Friday that it will set up a government body that, for the first time, would research and prepare for the possibility of what? The announcement comes as Scotland and Wales also push for greater autonomy from London, which has reeled from years of dysfunction, Jamie Maxwell wrote in May. 9. Contestants gathered in Belgium on Monday to participate in a competition to see who could craft the most impressive sculpture made from what material? Among the chocolate creations were birds, an elf, and a praying mantis, as photographed by The Associated Press. 10. An Australian court ruled on Monday against an inmate’s claim that his inability to have this product violated his right to “enjoy his culture as an Australian.” What product did the inmate sue to access? The court found the ban on Vegemite, a yeast-based spread, was justified because of the product’s potential to impair drug-sniffing dogs’ ability to detect narcotics as well as its possible use in brewing alcohol, 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. OTHER SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS Stories Readers Liked Go to slide 1 Go to slide 2 Go to slide 3 Go to slide 4 Go to slide 5 Go to slide 6 Go to slide 7 Go to slide 8 Go to slide 9 Go to slide 10 Three people rest on a sandy beach while a large, partially submerged and tilted ship sits out in the water in the background. The sky above is a hazy gray with cloud cover. A Taiwanese crowd protests while waving flags of the Republic of China. U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, left, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, right, stand during a press conference at NATO headquarters. Rutte is looking over at Colby, whose fingers are pressed together in a steeple gesture in front of him. Both men are wearing dark suits and ties, standing in front of a blue backdrop and U.S. and NATO flags. A camera rig and a red light are partially visible in the foreground, slightly obscuring the center of the frame. Xi (left) and Trump (right) are shown up close, with Xi looking at Trump. Putin and Xi are both seen in profile as Putin walks to the right and away from Xi, just a few feet of space between them. Xi, meanwhile, is also faced away from Putin, standing and looking down at his feet or the red carpet beneath them. Both men wear dark suits. A man wearing a dark suit jacket, light blue button-down shirt, and patterned red tie sits on a dark gray couch against a textured dark blue wall. He is looking off to the side with a mild smile, next to a teal pillow. The Twilight of the Francis Fukuyama Era By Jeremi Suri An illustration in red and blue tones depicting five silhouetted figures running forward through a dark corridor flanked by large, textured Russian lettering on the walls and floor. Light radiates from the far end of the tunnel behind them A statue of a seated, bearded man with a bare torso and draped cloth around his waist, holding a scroll in one hand, positioned in front of a row of large classical columns. Negotiators from the United States, Canada, and five European countries converse after finishing the draft of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington on March 18, 1949. Trans-Atlanticism Isn’t Dead—It’s Being Renegotiated By Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer An aerial photo shows Doha in the booming petrostate of Qatar.