Test yourself on the week of June 6: Peru’s presidential race heads for a photo finish, Xi Jinping visits North Korea, and the World Cup kicks off.
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Test yourself on the week of June 6: Peru’s presidential race heads for a photo finish, Xi Jinping visits North Korea, and the World Cup kicks off.
By Syd Kuntz, a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy.
About a dozen men in green Team Mexico soccer uniforms embrace each other, jump, and cheer as they celebrate a goal. One man facing the camera is waving an open water bottle, spraying the others with streams of water. An out-of-focus crowd is visible in the background.
Mexican players celebrate the team’s first goal during the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 Group A match against South Africa at Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City on June 11. David Ramos/Getty Images
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June 12, 2026, 2:59 PM
The FIFA Men’s World Cup kicked off this week! Thankfully, whether you’re athletic or not, you can take your own shot at victory with our international news quiz.
Have feedback? Email [email protected] to let me know your thoughts.
The FIFA Men’s World Cup kicked off this week! Thankfully, whether you’re athletic or not, you can take your own shot at victory with our international news quiz.
1. The results of Peru’s presidential runoff election on Sunday were still too close to call at time of writing. How many presidents has the country had in the past decade?
Whoever wins will still face an uphill battle to govern effectively, as Peruvians have forced out six of those nine leaders, Foreign Policy’s Catherine Osborn reports in Latin America Brief.
2. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Southeast Asia on Monday. Which country was home to its epicenter?
The disaster struck just eight months after another major quake hit the Philippine province of Cebu, FP’s Joseph Rachman writes in Southeast Asia Brief.
3. On Monday, the European Union voted to expand its Operation Irini to inspect ships suspected of transporting oil from which country?
The move—along with the bloc’s latest sanctions package—marks a renewed effort to stifle the oil revenues funding Russia’s war in Ukraine, FP’s Keith Johnson reports.
4. Estonia hosted a summit for regional leaders on Tuesday. Which leader joined to discuss ways to shoot down drone incursions?
Ukraine has faced criticism for its drones straying into the airspace of Estonia, Lithuania, and other countries, and Zelensky has responded by offering to share his country’s counter-drone expertise, FP’s Alexandra Sharp reports in World Brief.
5. Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a visit to North Korea on Tuesday. When was the last time that Xi visited the country?
One of Xi’s priorities on this week’s trip was preventing Pyongyang from drifting too far into Russia’s orbit, FP’s James Palmer writes in China Brief.
6. Also on Tuesday, soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan announced that he had been denied entry to the United States, where he was supposed to officiate at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Which African nation is his home country?
The Trump administration’s prohibitive travel bans and crackdown on immigration threaten the success of the tournament, Antonio De Loera-Brust argued in December.
7. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on social media to take over Kharg Island and other Iranian oil infrastructure. How long did it take him to make another post backing down from the threat?
The administration’s flip-flops and false signals are symptoms of a situation spiraling out of Washington’s control, FP’s John Haltiwanger reports.
8. Officials from which country announced on Thursday that the rate of Amazon deforestation had dropped by 61.4 percent in the month of May compared to the previous year?
Deforestation and land theft in the Amazon have sparked another type of disaster: increased risk of forest fires, Antônio Sampaio wrote in 2024.
9. On Friday, Pope Leo XIV concluded a weeklong trip to Spain. Which other VIP was visiting the country this week?
On the visit, the pope prioritized addressing Europe’s migration crisis. Other recent issues on his agenda have included peace and artificial intelligence, the latter of which Christopher White wrote about in May.
10. Thursday saw the opening match of the World Cup, played in Mexico City between South Africa and Mexico. Including both the men’s and women’s tournaments, which player has scored the most goals in World Cup history?
With 17 career World Cup goals, the generational player, known mononymously as Marta, has revolutionized women’s soccer within Brazil and worldwide, SB Nationreports.
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Syd Kuntz is a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy.
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