With less than a week until the UK’s general election, the Westminster betting scandal continues to generate more headlines than party policies. By contrast, the two front-runners in the US presidential race continue to hog the spotlight. Joe Biden struggled in last night’s TV debate, giving frequently meandering answers that were a blow to Democrats hoping to see Donald Trump put in his place.
To get all the news that matters delivered to your inbox every day, sign up for our new daily digital editions: US readers can find out more here, and here if you’re a reader in the UK.
And now, find out how closely you’ve been paying attention to the latest news and other global events by putting your knowledge to the test with our Quiz of The Week.
1. The mayor of Barcelona announced plans to ban what from the city by 2028?
AirbnbE-scootersUberVapes
2. The Vatican put Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò on trial accused of what crime?
Schism BlasphemyLying Treachery
3. Julian Assange walked free following a court hearing in which US Pacific territory?
GuamMarshall IslandsNorthern Mariana IslandsAmerican Samoa
4. What did US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declare as an urgent public health crisis?
Car accidentsGun violenceClimate changeSocial media consumption
5. A “transformative” gene therapy drug called Hemgenix was approved by the NHS to treat which condition?
Haemophilia AMarfan syndromeSickle cell diseaseHaemophilia B
6. Hundreds of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti’s capital to launch what mission?
Providing humanitarian aid Protecting former prime minister Ariel Henry Combatting gang violence Training Haitian police forces
7. Dozens of people died after drinking bootleg alcohol in which Indian state?
Uttar PradeshTamil NaduWest BengalGujarat
8. The US Supreme Court will hear arguments challenging a law restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors in which state?
AlabamaTexasSouth CarolinaTennessee
9. A new study suggested that people who live near what may be at a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and dementia?
AirportsNuclear plantsSchools Wind turbines
10. Bolivian military commander General Juan José Zúñiga was arrested for allegedly committing what crime?
FraudAttempted coupCorruption chargesDrug trafficking
(Image credit: The Week)
1. Airbnb
Mayor Jaume Collboni says he will refuse to renew licences for the 10,100 properties in Barcelona currently approved for listing on Airbnb, as part of a wider push to reduce over-tourism and prevent locals from being priced out of housing.
2. Schism
Archbishop Viganò, a former Vatican ambassador to the US, is on trial for the “crime of schism” and “denial of the legitimacy of Pope Francis” after he denounced the Pope in increasingly harsh terms — referring to him as a liberal “servant of Satan”.
3. Northern Mariana Islands
The islands, a US commonwealth territory, were chosen to host the Assange hearing partly due to their relative proximity to Australia, where Assange’s wife and their two children were waiting to celebrate his release.
4. Gun violence
The US Surgeon General has urged the nation to address the physical and psychological harms of gun violence with the same tools and intensity used to promote quitting smoking, seat belt use, and other nonpartisan public health interventions. More than 48,000 Americans died from firearms injuries in 2022, the latest data shows.
5. Haemophilia B
A clinical trial showed that an infusion of the gene therapy drug Hemgenix can remove the need for weekly injections of blood-clotting enzymes. It will now be offered to some of the 2,000 people in the UK living with the condition.
6. Combat gang violence
The 400 Kenyan police officers constitute the first wave of an expected 2,500-person law enforcement initiative authorised by the UN to combat gang violence. The mission is the “fourth major foreign military intervention in Haiti” since 1915.
7. Tamil Nadu
Contaminated bootleg alcohol is a recurring problem in India, particularly in states where the sale of alcohol is restricted or banned. Drinkers in Tamil Nadu can only buy alcohol at state off-licences, creating a black market for cheaper but unregulated spirits.
8. Tennessee
The Supreme Court announced it will review a Biden-backed challenge to a Tennessee law restricting puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors, even with parental permission. Hearings are expected to commence in the autumn, with a decision anticipated by next summer.
9. Airports
The increased risk, reported by a study commissioned by campaign group Transport and Environment, is thought to be linked to ultrafine air pollution particles emitted by planes. Find out more on this week’s episode of The Week Unwrapped podcast.
10. Attempted coup
Zúñiga was arrested after he led soldiers and armoured vehicles into La Paz’s central Plaza Murillo and tried to occupy the presidential palace. But the soldiers pulled back after a newly installed army commander ordered them to return to their barracks.