Political manoeuvring has been a hot topic on both sides of the Atlantic this week, as Rishi Sunak embarked on a major cabinet reshuffle while Joe Biden sought to mend ties with China.
The UK's ministerial rejig was triggered by the sacking of Suella Braverman on Monday from her role as home secretary, following a string of disagreements with the prime minister. He wasted no time in launching his reshuffle, replacing Braverman with James Cleverly.
But it was Cleverly's replacement as foreign secretary that dominated the headlines. Former PM David Cameron's shock return to front-line politics was "a genuine 'marmalade dropper' moment", said Sky News's political editor Beth Rigby.
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Cameron was speedily furnished with a peerage in order to take up his new role, having resigned as an MP in 2016 after his EU referendum gamble backfired. Amid speculation about what he now has planned for UK foreign policy, the former Tory leader's track record on the world stage is under renewed scrutiny.
Cameron, Cleverly and Co. are already facing a fresh hurdle in the government's drive to tackle illegal immigration, after the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the controversial Rwanda deportation policy was unlawful.
Over in the US, Biden appeared to be having more success in achieving his international goals. The president and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, met for the first time in a year, as part of a push to stabilise relations between the two superpowers.
To find out how closely you’ve been paying attention to the latest developments in the news and other global events, put your knowledge to the test with our Quiz of The Week.
1. Which word did Donald Trump use to refer to his political enemies during his Veterans Day speech?
Animals
Snowflakes
Vermin
Pests
2. Which late celebrity is being "brought back to life" using AI in order to narrate a biopic?
Marilyn Monroe
Édith Piaf
Frank Sinatra
Ingrid Bergman
3. Thousands of people were evacuated from the Icelandic town of Grindavik amid fears of an eruption by which volcano?
Fagradalsfjall
Eyjafjallajökull
Katla
Snæfellsjökull
4. Which UK parcel delivery company delivers the worst customer service, according to a new study?
Evri
DPD
ParcelHero
Yodel
5. Xi Jinping met with Joe Biden in which city during the Chinese leader's first visit to the US in six years?
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Washington D.C.
New York City
6. How much did “The Marvels” make at the box office in the film's opening weekend?
$25 million
$31 million
$47 million
$60 million
7. What was the final score in last weekend's Premier League classic clash between Chelsea and Manchester City?
3-2
3-3
4-2
4-4
8. Which US institution this week released its first-ever code of conduct?
National Security Council
Congressional Budget Office
Federal Reserve Board
Supreme Court
9. A lion prowled the streets of which Italian seaside town last weekend after escaping from a circus?
Lecce
Ladispoli
Lignano Sabbiadoro
Levanzo
10. Who became the UK's sixth health secretary since the 2019 elections?
Steve Barclay
Victoria Atkins
Ben Wallace
Jeremy Hunt
1. Vermin During a nearly two-hour Veterans Day address in New Hampshire last weekend, the former US leader vowed to “root out” opponents who “live like vermin within the confines of our country”. His speech was condemned by critics including Joe Biden, who warned that Trump's rhetoric was reminiscent of that used by the Nazis.
2.Édith Piaf
Warner Music Group has announced that artificial intelligence will be used to recreate the "voice and image" of the "La Vie en Rose" singer, who died in 1963, for the upcoming 90-minute biopic. Titled "Edith", the film is billed to tell the story of how she became “a symbol of female empowerment and one of France's most iconic artists of all time”. 3.Fagradalsfjall
Iceland has recorded hundreds of small earthquakes this week, with tens of thousands of tremors reported in the southwest region of Reykjanes. Scientists warned of a "high" chance that the tremors could disrupt the volcano, which is about 12 miles north of Grindavik.
4. Evri
A Citizens Advice-commissioned survey of more than 8,000 people found that more than one in three had experienced a delivery problem with the last parcel they received. Evri, formerly Hermes, was reported to be the worst provider, followed by Yodel.
5.San Francisco The two leaders met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, in a bid to stabilise US-China relations. Find out more about why Apec matters with The Week Unwrapped podcast.
6. $47 million
The superhero film, which reportedly cost $250 million to make, scored the lowest opening-weekend takings in the 15-year history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By comparison, 2019's “Captain Marvel” debuted with $153 million.
7. 4-4 Chelsea's Cole Porter scored the equalising goal against his former club in a 95th-minute penalty, following a nail-biting clash at London's Stamford Bridge that saw City lead three times.
8.Supreme Court
The most powerful legal body in the US has issued ethics rules governing its nine justices amid increasing scrutiny following reports of undisclosed property deals and gifts. In a one-sentence press release, the court said the code was merely the "codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct".
9. Ladispoli
Video footage posted on social media showed the lion, called Kimba, prowling the streets of the resort town, near Rome, on Saturday night after escaping from a local circus. Residents were warned to stay at home while police and circus staff tried to capture the eight-year-old big cat, which was eventually cornered and sedated. For more stories from the stranger side of life, sign up to our Tall Tales newsletter.
10. Victoria Atkins
The former criminal barrister was appointed as Steve Barclay's successor during Rishi Sunak's cabinet reshuffle on Monday. Atkins previously served as financial secretary to the Treasury.
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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.
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