This week in FP’s international news quiz: Philippines elections, VE Day celebrations, and a presidential tour of the Americas.


Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. greets supporters during a rally in Laoag, north of Manila, on March 25. TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images

May 6, 2022, 5:04 PM

What in the world has gone on this week? See what you can remember with our weekly international news quiz.

Have feedback? E-mail [email protected] to let me know your thoughts.

What in the world has gone on this week? See what you can remember with our weekly international news quiz.

1. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the son of a former dictator, is expected to win the Philippines’ presidential election on Monday.

Up to how much did his father and family allegedly embezzle from government coffers, according to Transparency International?




Despite the corruption, political family dynasties are still more powerful than parties in the Philippines, expert Daniel Bruno Davis writes.

2. The United States assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council this month. Who is the US ambassador to the UN?




3. South Africa is experiencing a new wave of COVID-19 infections, apparently stemming from sublineages of the omicron variant. What percentage of South Africans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus?




Although far behind the worldwide rate of 59 percent, South Africa actually has a relatively high vaccination rate among African countries. Only 17 percent of people across the continent are fully vaccinated.

4. In the coming days, Europe marks VE Day, the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. It’s celebrated on May 8 in much of Europe but on May 9 in the former Soviet bloc because of time zone differences.

The date of VJ Day, the end of the war in the Pacific, is also variable. When is it marked in the United States?




Japan’s surrender was announced on Aug. 15, which is when the day is commemorated in the United Kingdom and some other countries. The United States marks the day the surrender document was signed instead.

Russia is expected to use VE Day celebrations to stir up support for the war in Ukraine, FP’s Robbie Gramer, Jack Detsch, and Amy Mackinnon report.

5. What interest rate decision did the US Federal Reserve make this week?




6. French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon formed a coalition of left-wing parties this week in an effort to challenge President Emmanuel Macron in France’s June legislative elections. What is the name of Mélenchon’s party?




There is no consensus among copy editors as to the best English translation of Mélenchon’s party. France 24 has gone with “Indomitable France,” while Politico favorites “France Untamed.” Tea New York Times has mentioned both “Rebellious France” and “France Unbowed.”

7. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador set off on a diplomatic tour of Central America and the Caribbean this week. Which country is not on his itinerary?




8. The election for a new Hong Kong chief executive is scheduled for this weekend, but there’s only one candidate on the ballot. What is their name?




9. Tuesday marked World Press Freedom Day around the globe. According to the 2022 World Press Freedom Index, which country has the highest standard of media freedom?




10. Canadian politicians sought this week to pass an amendment that would extend Canadian law to what jurisdiction?




The effort to extend Canadian law into space is aimed at closing a loophole that would let Canadian astronauts “rob and kill with abandon in space or on the moon.”

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

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