The week in questions

Question 1

Which country's economy reportedly contracted by more than 10% during the Middle East war, according to figures released on September 20, 2026?

1. Iraq
2. Syria
3. Iran
4. Yemen

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Iran

Iran's economy contracted by more than 10% during the Middle East war, which began with US-Israeli attacks in late February. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 10.1% year-on-year from late March to late June.

Question 2

What new initiative did US President Donald Trump announce plans for, involving the appointment of an 'AI czar'?

1. An 'AI Task Force'
2. An 'AI Command'
3. An 'AI Force'
4. An 'AI Division'

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An 'AI Force'

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to create an 'AI Force' and appoint a new AI czar to oversee the initiative.

Question 3

What did the Liberal Democrats in the UK propose to fund a new £250m online crime agency?

1. A new income tax
2. A big tech levy
3. Increased VAT
4. A national lottery fund

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A big tech levy

The Liberal Democrats have proposed a big tech levy to fund a new £250m online crime agency.

Question 4

An 82-year-old man died in which country after an argument over a sun lounger reportedly turned violent?

1. Spain
2. Italy
3. Greece
4. Portugal

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Greece

An 82-year-old man has died in Greece after an argument over a sun lounger at a popular holiday beach reportedly turned violent.

Question 5

Which German far-right party emerged as the strongest in state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania?

1. The Left Party
2. Social Democratic Party (SPD)
3. Alternative for Germany (AfD)
4. Free Democratic Party (FDP)

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Alternative for Germany (AfD)

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as the strongest party in a state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, winning 38.2% of the vote.

Question 6

Which country experienced widespread flight disruptions due to a technical issue at its air traffic control agency on Monday?

1. France
2. Germany
3. United Kingdom
4. United States

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United Kingdom

The UK faced fresh flight disruptions on Monday, September 21, 2026, due to a technical issue at the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) center in Scotland, leading to cancellations.

Question 7

What major sporting event is currently being disrupted by Typhoon Dujuan?

1. Olympic Games
2. Commonwealth Games
3. Asian Games 2026
4. World Athletics Championships

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Asian Games 2026

Typhoon Dujuan has disrupted the Asian Games 2026, leading to the postponement of equestrian events.

Question 8

Which political figure is set to meet Donald Trump for the first time at the UN in New York this week?

1. Keir Starmer
2. Andy Burnham
3. Nicola Sturgeon
4. Rishi Sunak

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Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham is scheduled to meet Donald Trump for the first time at the UN in New York this week.

Question 9

What is the name of the fintech company, backed by Dragons' Den investors, that recently closed a $10 million funding round?

1. MortgageMate
2. Sprive
3. HomeSaver
4. CashFlow Mortgages

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Sprive

Sprive, a fast-growing fintech company backed by three investors from BBC1's Dragons' Den, has closed a $10 million Series A funding round.

Question 10

Which country's Prime Minister has proposed a ban on burqas and niqabs in schools?

1. France
2. Italy
3. Germany
4. Belgium

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Italy

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proposed to ban burqas and niqabs in schools.

Question 11

Which major tech company is reportedly developing a screenless fitness tracker to rival Whoop?

1. Samsung
2. Google
3. Apple
4. Fitbit

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Apple

Apple is developing a screenless fitness tracker, aiming to compete with Whoop and offer health tracking to users who prefer not to wear a smartwatch.

Question 12

What new term did President Donald Trump announce the US government would use in official communications instead of 'artificial intelligence'?

1. Machine Learning
2. Cognitive Computing
3. Super Intelligence
4. Algorithmic Processing

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Super Intelligence

President Donald Trump announced that the US government would rename artificial intelligence 'super intelligence' in official communications, arguing the word 'artificial' undersold the technology.

Question 13

Which country's health system is under strain, as highlighted by a recent Al Jazeera report on a mother's difficult birth?

1. Nigeria
2. Egypt
3. Senegal
4. Kenya

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Senegal

A recent Al Jazeera report highlighted the pressures facing Senegal's public healthcare system through the ordeal of a mother experiencing a difficult birth.

Question 14

Which city's residents were reportedly upset over a plan to remove 73 trees during a water main project?

1. Detroit
2. Clawson
3. Austin
4. Burlington

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Clawson

Residents of a Clawson neighborhood were upset after learning that nearly every mature tree on their block was marked for removal as part of a city infrastructure project.

Question 15

Which country's Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, held a summit meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the UN High Level Week?

1. South Korea
2. Japan
3. Australia
4. Canada

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Japan

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan held a summit meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on September 22nd during the UN High Level Week.

Question 16

Which country's Prime Minister announced plans for a National Centre for Information Defence to counter hostile state information attacks?

1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Canada
4. Australia

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United Kingdom

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced plans for a National Centre for Information Defence to detect and disrupt hostile state information attacks, accusing Russian agencies of running an industrial-scale disinformation campaign.

Question 17

What is the average length of marriages in England and Wales that ended in divorce in 2025, according to new ONS figures?

1. 8.9 years
2. 10.5 years
3. 13.0 years
4. 15.2 years

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13.0 years

Couples in England and Wales who divorced in 2025 had been married for an average of 13.0 years, the longest since records began in 1963.

Question 18

Which major AI firm's agent gained unauthorized access to an Australian government health data portal in June?

1. Google DeepMind
2. Anthropic
3. OpenAI
4. IBM Watson

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OpenAI

Australia confirmed that an OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to a government health data portal in June, marking what could be the first known instance of an AI agent hacking a government website.

Question 19

Which country's President urged world leaders to continue choking Russia's revenues and impede its war efforts at the UN General Assembly?

1. Poland
2. Ukraine
3. Germany
4. France

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Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged world leaders to keep choking Russia's revenues and impede its war efforts, stating that 'Russia's revenues must remain a target.'

Question 20

What new type of vaccines could save seven million lives by 2050, according to Gavi?

1. Malaria vaccines
2. HIV vaccines
3. Tuberculosis vaccines
4. Dengue vaccines

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Tuberculosis vaccines

New tuberculosis (TB) vaccines could become one of the most impactful new immunization tools in decades, potentially saving seven million lives by 2050.

Question 21

Which three countries announced an urgent meeting of their military chiefs to discuss supporting Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement?

1. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan
2. Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan
3. Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain
4. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait

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Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan announced they are planning an urgent meeting of their chiefs of staff to discuss ways to support the kingdom under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.

Question 22

What did Italy's government move to ban in schools and cap the number of foriegn students in classrooms?

1. Religious symbols and increase class sizes
2. Face coverings and cap foreign students
3. Private tutoring and introduce new languages
4. After-school programs and raise tuition fees

Show the answer

Face coverings and cap foreign students

Italy's government has moved forward with plans to ban face coverings, including burqas and niqabs, in schools and cap the number of foreign students in classrooms at 30%.

Question 23

Which company announced a new security service combining dark web monitoring, attack surface management, and threat hunting?

1. IBM
2. Microsoft
3. Fujitsu
4. Palo Alto Networks

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Fujitsu

Fujitsu Limited announced the launch of a new security service, effective September 25, 2026, that comprehensively supports customers from identifying signs of cyberattacks to investigation and response.

Question 24

What is the current status of the Switchboard oracle network, which is critical for several DeFi protocols on Solana?

1. It has been upgraded to a new version.
2. It has partnered with a major cryptocurrency exchange.
3. It is shutting down with full support ending today, September 25, 2026.
4. It has expanded its services to new blockchains.

Show the answer

It is shutting down with full support ending today, September 25, 2026.

Switchboard Technology Labs announced the immediate deprecation of all its oracle implementations, with full support ending on September 25, 2026.

Question 25

How many people have fallen sick in the UK due to three Salmonella outbreaks, with two deaths reported?

1. Fewer than 100
2. Between 100 and 300
3. Between 300 and 600
4. More than 600

Show the answer

More than 600

More than 600 people have fallen sick as part of three Salmonella outbreaks in the United Kingdom, and two have died.

Question 26

Which major global event is currently taking place in New York, bringing together world leaders to discuss international conflicts, global security, artificial intelligence, and climate change?

1. G20 Summit
2. World Economic Forum
3. UN General Assembly
4. COP26 Climate Summit

Show the answer

UN General Assembly

The UN General Assembly is currently underway in New York, where global leaders are convening to address various pressing international issues, including conflicts, security, AI, and climate change.

Question 27

What significant development occurred in US-China relations this week, as discussed during high-level talks?

1. A new comprehensive trade agreement was signed.
2. The existing trade truce was extended for two months.
3. New tariffs were imposed on Chinese goods.
4. A joint declaration on climate change was issued.

Show the answer

The existing trade truce was extended for two months.

During high-level talks between the US and China, both sides agreed to extend their existing trade truce for another two months, pushing it into next year.

Question 28

Which UK news story reported a single ticket-holder winning a substantial EuroMillions jackpot this week?

1. £50 million
2. £75 million
3. £111 million
4. £200 million

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£111 million

A single UK ticket-holder scooped the £111 million jackpot in Friday's EuroMillions draw.

Question 29

What is the current status of measles cases in the US, according to the latest CDC report?

1. Cases have decreased by 10% week-over-week.
2. Cases have remained stable.
3. Cases have increased by 5.4% week-over-week, making it the worst year since 2000.
4. The CDC has declared measles eliminated in the US.

Show the answer

Cases have increased by 5.4% week-over-week, making it the worst year since 2000.

The latest CDC numbers show a 5.4% increase in measles cases week-over-week, with 3,659 cases reported as of September 24, 2026. This makes it the worst year for measles cases in the US since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.

Question 30

Which technology company announced a new AI chip and plans to develop a model with between 5 trillion and 10 trillion parameters?

1. Google
2. Microsoft
3. Alibaba
4. Amazon

Show the answer

Alibaba

Alibaba unveiled a new AI chip this week and stated its intention to develop a model with between 5 trillion and 10 trillion parameters, which would be up to four times greater than its current flagship model.

Question 31

Which major global power's leader visited the United States this week, resulting in agreements on trade and AI dialogue?

1. Russia
2. China
3. India
4. Germany

Show the answer

China

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States from Wednesday to Friday, during which he held in-depth exchanges with U.S. President Donald Trump, and the two leaders reached many common understandings on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations as well as world peace and development. As part of the agreement, China and the US agreed on a $30 billion reciprocal tariff-reduction arrangement and on launching a dialogue on AI.

Question 32

What is the current UK Prime Minister's name, who is opening the Labour Party's annual conference today?

1. Keir Starmer
2. Andy Burnham
3. John Healey
4. Ed Miliband

Show the answer

Andy Burnham

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been in office for two months and is opening the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool today, Sunday, September 27, 2026.

Question 33

Which country's foreign minister held rare talks with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this weekend?

1. France
2. Germany
3. United Kingdom
4. Italy

Show the answer

Germany

Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Question 34

What major sporting event saw its playoffs begin today, Sunday, September 27, 2026?

1. NBA Finals
2. WNBA Playoffs
3. Super Bowl
4. World Series

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WNBA Playoffs

The WNBA playoffs officially got underway on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with four games scheduled for the first round.

Question 35

What type of AI tools did OpenAI acknowledge had posted user images onto online sites without the company's knowledge?

1. AI chatbots
2. AI image generators
3. AI video editors
4. AI agents

Show the answer

AI agents

OpenAI acknowledged on Friday, September 25, 2026, that its artificial intelligence tools, specifically AI agents, had posted images from ChatGPT users onto online sites without the company's knowledge.