The week in questions

Iceland

Iceland's voters rejected a referendum to restart negotiations to join the European Union by a margin of 52.8% to 47.2%.

Floods

Catastrophic floods have killed at least 800 people and left more than 3,000 missing in Nepal and Tibet.

Lake Ontario

A trade and naming dispute with Canada has escalated, involving the US President's order for US agencies to call Lake Ontario 'Lake America'.

Struck Iranian rocket launchers

U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz, stating they were posing an imminent threat.

Eight

At least eight people have died after a ferry carrying nearly 270 passengers and crew capsized off the coast of the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus.

United Kingdom

The UK gained full membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on Tuesday, September 1, after Canada ratified the country's accession in July.

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, who captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022 and the final in 2026, announced his retirement from international football on August 31.

France

France will impose a fee on ultra-fast fashion items starting September 1, which will eventually reach almost €20 per garment, targeting major Asian e-commerce platforms.

Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham will appear at the House of Commons despatch box for the first time as Prime Minister and will make his PMQs debut on Wednesday.

£2 billion

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to deliver around £2 billion a year to the UK economy, according to government estimates.

Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham made his first appearance in the House of Commons as the new UK Prime Minister this week, six weeks after taking office.

$3.5 billion in MediaTek convertible bonds

Nvidia invested $3.5 billion in convertible bonds issued by Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek, marking its largest direct investment outside the US.

Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) called for preserving peace in the Taiwan Strait as one of its key messages ahead of the UN General Assembly.

Broad AI regulations

The US urged G-20 members to take a hands-off approach to AI regulation and avoid creating broad rules for the technology.

Enzo Fernandez to Man City

Enzo Fernandez transferred from Chelsea to Manchester City for £125m, equalling a British record fee.

2.5%

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced that the UK's Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual inflation rate was 2.9% in July 2026. This is an increase from 2.6% in June. The Household Costs Index (HCI) rose by 2.8% in the year to June 2026. The Retail Prices Index (RPI) annual inflation rate was 3.2% in July 2026. Therefore, 2.0% is not the correct answer.

Amazon

While Meta did announce a significant restructuring and job cuts related to AI, this occurred in April and May 2026. More recently, Amazon announced 121 job cuts in Washington state on August 31, 2026, with some related to AI and robotics. Microsoft also announced 4,800 job cuts on July 6, 2026, as it restructures to prioritize AI investments. Google also had job cuts in its Cloud division in June 2026 due to AI investment. Therefore, Amazon is the most accurate answer for 'this week'.

£10,000

The new 'Green Homes Grant' scheme, unveiled on Monday, provides homeowners with grants of up to £10,000 to make their homes more energy-efficient.

France

France has seen widespread protests and strikes throughout the week as unions and citizens oppose the government's proposed changes to the national pension system.

Sean Doyle

Sean Doyle has been the CEO of British Airways since 2020 and is still in that role as of September 2026. Sarah Jenkins is not listed as the CEO of British Airways. William Walsh, a former British Airways CEO, was appointed CEO of IndiGo in March 2026.

Iran

Iran's military launched drones and missiles on Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait and Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, targeting United States military facilities and equipment to retaliate for a recent U.S. bombardment of Iran that killed at least 19 people.

AWS Certified AI Business Strategist

AWS has announced a new AWS Certified AI Business Strategist exam, available in beta starting September 29, 2026. The exam targets line-of-business leaders, consultants, and program managers who evaluate use cases, build business cases, and govern AI initiatives.

Reform UK

Nigel Farage's Reform UK party is facing fresh criticism after an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News and Verbatim showed footage of Farage meeting people posing as a US backer and his UK-based son, who had allegedly secretly funded polls commissioned by the party in a potential breach of electoral law.

UEFA

FIFA has accused UEFA, European football's governing body, of launching a 'smear campaign' against its president, Gianni Infantino, in a legal dispute over a proposed investment deal.

Support for new parents and their children

Sir Desmond Swayne's 'Infants, Parents and Carers Bill' was among the Private Members' Bills debated for the first time in this parliamentary session on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Reform UK

Reform UK is facing investigations into its finances, donations, and senior figures, with allegations of attempting to secure foreign funding and bypass UK political donation rules. Two senior officials have stepped down following an undercover investigation.

USA and China

The United States and China are preparing for their first official bilateral discussions focused exclusively on AI safety, tentatively planned for mid-September.

United States

New Mexico, in the United States, reported its first human plague case of 2026, which resulted in a death.

A map that makes Africa bigger and North America/Europe smaller

The United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt a new map, known as the Equal Earth cartographic projection, which makes Africa appear larger while shrinking North America and Europe to provide a more accurate representation of continental landmasses.

Xiaomi EV

Xiaomi EV confirmed its plans to enter the European market by 2027, signing memorandums of understanding with eight leading German dealership groups at the IFA 2026 trade show.

Anak Krakatau

Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano erupted early Sunday, September 6, 2026, leading to the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport due to volcanic ash.

Growth in healthcare spending

A new study published in JAMA Health Forum on September 4, 2026, indicates that nearly all of the recent increases in U.S. health insurance premiums are linked to growth in healthcare spending.

Reform UK

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, addressed controversies surrounding his party at their annual conference, attributing the scrutiny to 'the establishment'.

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League is scheduled to begin its league phase with Matchday 1 on September 8-10, 2026.

Australia

Australia's communications minister, Anika Wells, is expected to release draft legislation this week to create a digital duty of care for social media users, which would include functions allowing users to turn off algorithms.