The White House hogged the airwaves this week with a parade of pressers and meetings. Did you look beyond the spectacle and keep up with the globe’s other headlines?
1. About what percentage of votes did Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party win in federal elections on Sunday?
Although other parties have said they will refuse to work with the AfD, it is now firmly entrenched in German politics, Paul Hockenos writes.
2. At the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that the Taliban return U.S. military equipment left in Afghanistan. What dollar value has been placed on the equipment?
Trump may condition the return of the weaponry on continued U.S. assistance to Afghanistan—or he may be looking for additional leverage over the regime, FP’s Michael Kugelman writes in South Asia Brief.
3. In which Middle Eastern country did a national dialogue conference begin on Monday?
As conferencegoers assemble in Damascus, the Trump administration must ensure that Syria’s reconstruction efforts get the attention they deserve, Steven Simon and Jonathan Stevenson write.
4. On Monday, Bolivia opened its first plant to produce which resource?
Steel is made from iron ore. The project, which cost more than $500 million, was financed in large part by Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, FP’s Catherine Osborn writes in Latin America Brief.
5. British Prime Minister Kier Starmer announced on Tuesday that the United Kingdom would increase its defense spending to 3 percent of GDP by no later than what year?
Starmer said the increase in expenditure would come from slashing international foreign development funding, mirroring steps taken by Trump, FP’s Alexandra Sharp reports in World Brief.
6. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid unveiled a plan on Tuesday for postwar governance in Gaza that would see which country temporarily assume control of the enclave?
Under his proposal, Cairo would take control of internal civilian and security affairs in the enclave while leading a peace force in partnership with Gulf states and the international community, FP’s John Haltiwanger reports.
7. On Wednesday, Taiwan dispatched air, land, and sea forces in response to unannounced Chinese military exercises about how far off the island’s coast?
As tensions with Beijing ratchet up, Taipei is also experiencing a domestic constitutional crisis, Hilton Yip wrote earlier this month.
8. On Friday, Malawi revised its growth forecast for 2025 down from 4 percent to what figure?
The country is beset by high inflation, a booming black market for foreign currency, and government corruption, Madalitso Wills Kateta wrote last summer.
9. Pakistan’s national cricket team was unceremoniously bounced from the Champions Trophy tournament over the weekend after a loss to India. How many days did it last in the competition?
The ouster is a bitter one for Pakistan, which is co-hosting the 19-day event, Al Jazeera reports.
10. A festival in Cuba began on Monday to celebrate which famous domestic product?
In 2024, Cuban cigar sales surged to $827 million, a 16 percent increase over the previous year, the Associated Press reports.
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