All eyes were on Donald Trump yet again this week, as he finally took the stand in his New York civil fraud trial.
The former president's appearance on the witness stand in a Manhattan court on Tuesday followed testimonies from three of his children at the ongoing trial against the family and their namesake Trump Organization. The Republican front-runner for the 2024 nomination approached giving evidence under oath "just as he had his real estate business and political career", said the BBC, "ignoring the rules and technicalities" and "blustering and bragging" – spurring the judge to warn that "this is not a political rally".
While Trump's various legal woes threaten to disrupt his official campaign calendar, he already appears to be gaining political ground on his likely presidential rival. Although Democrats won a string of off-year elections on Tuesday, and despite a roaring US economy, Trump is leading Joe Biden in five of the six most crucial battleground states, according to latest polling.
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In a separate political drama that began more than a decade ago, the late Silvio Berlusconi's notorious "bunga bunga" sex parties are back in the news as a result of a legal battle involving his heirs. The former Italian leader's five children have reportedly halted monthly cash payments and free housing given to around 20 models and dancers to compensate for "reputational damage".
Reputations are also a hot topic in UK politics, with Suella Braverman accused of being "out of control" after she published an article in The Times – seemingly without the prime minister's permission – branding pro-Palestinian demonstrators as "hate marchers". The same paper subsequently described the home secretary's political fate as "in the balance", as pressure grew on Rishi Sunak to deal a decisive blow.
But with grass-roots Tories now reportedly viewing Braverman as a "real contender" for the party leadership, the PM, like Biden, is being warned not to underestimate his potential rival.
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.
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1. Who was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive of 2023?
Pedro Pascal
Cillian Murphy
Harry Styles
Patrick Dempsey
2. US food giant Tyson Foods recalled 30,000lb (13,600kg) of which product over contamination fears?
Boneless chicken bites
Dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets
Chicken curly fries
Popcorn peppered chicken
3. Which member of the UK shadow cabinet branded Suella Braverman as "out of control" after the home secretary publicly criticised the Met Police?
Wes Streeting
Yvette Cooper
David Lammy
Rachel Reeves
4. Which baseball veteran did the Los Angeles Angels hire to replace Phil Nevin as manager?
Buck Showalter
Ron Washington
John Farrell
Benji Gil
5. The longest-ever strike by Hollywood actors ended after how many days?
82 days
95 days
107 days
119 days
6. Which US state became the 24th to legalise recreational marijuana?
Kansas
Idaho
Ohio
Minnesota
7. Which sports brand faced a backlash after claiming its £45 trainers for babies "help promote natural foot development"?
Nike
Adidas
Reebok
Puma
8. Which pop star used their WhatsApp fan channel to criticise an AI-generated TikTok song that mimics their voice?
Taylor Swift
Justin Beiber
Ariana Grande
Bad Bunny
9. The NHS is "repurposing" breast cancer treatment Anastrozole as a preventative pill after the drug was found to cut post-menopausal women's risk of the disease by how much?
15%
35%
50%
65%
10. Which two countries are hosting the 2023 Gay Games?
Taiwan and Brazil
Hong Kong and Mexico
Japan and Peru
India and Argentina
1. Patrick Dempsey The 57-year-old “Grey’s Anatomy” star said he was "glad it's happening at this point in my life", after being unveiled by People as this year's winner. Dempsey is the magazine's first Sexiest Man Alive since 2019 who isn't part of the Marvel Universe, with Chris Evans, Paul Rudd and Michael B. Jordan claiming the title over the past three years.
2. Dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets Tyson, the largest US meat producer by sales, announced the voluntary recall last weekend after some consumers reported finding small pieces of metal in the "Fun Nuggets". The US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said it had received one report of a "minor oral injury" related to the consumption of the chicken patties.
3. Yvette Cooper
Braverman claimed in an op-ed for The Times that there was a "perception" of senior officers in the London police force "playing favourites with protesters". In a tweeted response, shadow home secretary Cooper criticised the "highly irresponsible and dangerous attempt to undermine respect for the police during a sensitive time".
4. Ron Washington The 71-year-old is now the oldest manager in major league baseball and only the second active black manager, joining Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Former Angels boss Nevin was not re-signed when his contract expired last month, after one and a half losing seasons in charge of the long-struggling team.
5.119 days The SAG-AFTRA union, which represents more than 60,000 Hollywood actors, announced on Wednesday that the four-month strike was ending, after agreeing a tentative deal with studios and streaming companies.The proposed agreement would give actors larger minimum-pay increases, a streaming bonus and "consent and compensation" provisions against AI.
6. Ohio More than 2.1 million Ohio voters, or 57%, this week approved a measure legalising recreational marijuana, defying Republican legislative leaders who had failed to pass the proposed law. The passage of Issue 2 allows adults over the age of 21 to use, purchase and possess the drug for non-medical purposes.
7. Nike The sports giant claims its Swoosh 1 trainers "can help promote natural foot development", but experts said "the necessity of wearing trainers is questionable" for babies. For more stories from the stranger side of life, subscribe to our Tall Tales newsletter.
8. Bad Bunny The Puerto Rican rap and reggaetón star – real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – joins Drake and other artists in voicing concerns over AI-produced music. In a message posted on his WhatsApp channel on Monday, Bad Bunny said anyone who liked the soundalike song did not "deserve to be my friends".
9. 50% Anastrozole has been available for years as a breast cancer treatment, but will now be offered to tens of thousands of women as a preventative option after becoming the first drug to be relicensed as part of NHS England's Medicines Repurposing Programme. The 4p-a-day pill will be offered to women with a moderate to high risk of developing the disease, which is the most common cancer in the UK.
10. Hong Kong and Mexico The latest edition of the Gay Games, held every four years, was initially slated for last November but was delayed due to Hong Kong's strict pandemic curbs. The event, which celebrates LGBTQ+ sports and culture, finally kicked off last Friday, with the Mexican city of Guadalajara added as a co-host. Find out more with The Week Unwrapped podcast.
Harriet Marsden is a senior staff writer and podcast panellist for The Week, covering world news and writing the weekly Global Digest newsletter. Before joining the site in 2023, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, working for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent among others, and regularly appearing on radio shows. In 2021, she was awarded the “journalist-at-large” fellowship by the Local Trust charity, and spent a year travelling independently to some of England’s most deprived areas to write about community activism. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, and has also worked in Bolivia, Colombia and Spain.
