Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the UK Parliament this week during a surprise visit to London.
Clad in his trademark outfit of military fatigues, the Ukrainian leader urged the UK to “give us wings for freedom” by supplying his country with fighter jets to fight invading Russian forces.
Rishi Sunak later told a news conference that “nothing is off the table” and that sending warplanes would remain “part of the conversation”. But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC that a “more realistic and more productive” scenario was for the UK to provide Ukraine with aircraft further down the line in order to ensure its security after the war with Russia ends.
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Global headlines have also been dominated by efforts to rescue survivors of two huge earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday. More than 21,000 people are confirmed to have been killed, and thousands more have been left homeless in sub-zero temperatures.
Countries worldwide have pledged financial support for the relief effort, along with medical aid and emergency supplies, as Turkey’s President Recep Erdoğan faces criticism over his government’s response to the disaster.
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. The number of new podcasts has dropped by how much in the past two years, according to latest data?
15%
30%
50%
80%
2. An episode of which cartoon that referenced Chinese labour camps was pulled from Disney’s Hong Kong streaming service?
Family Guy
Bob’s Burgers
The Simpsons
Gravity Falls
3. New research suggests that the ingredients in which alcoholic drink can help keep skin healthy?
Gin
Vodka
Champagne
Whisky
4. Birmingham Royal Ballet is to stage a new ballet about which heavy metal band?
Iron Maiden
Black Sabbath
Judas Priest
Metallica
5. Which Tom Jones ballad has been banned from Welsh rugby stadiums?
She’s A Lady
Great Balls of Fire
It’s Not Unusual
Delilah
6. Which national newspaper claimed on its front page that ‘now even God could be going gender neutral’?
The Guardian
Daily Express
Daily Mail
The Star
7. Which pop star has become the most awarded singer in Grammy history by bagging 32 wins?
Beyoncé
Harry Styles
Adele
Quincy Jones
8. Tory MP Lee Anderson kicked off his reign as the party’s new vice-chair after calling for what?
Cuts to immigration legal aid
Longer sentences for first-time offenders
Return of the death penalty
Random drug-testing in Parliament
9. Which classic British television comedy is to be revived?
Only Fools and Horses
Fawlty Towers
Are You Being Served?
Yes Minister
10. A botched demonstration of Google’s new Bard chatbot wiped how much off parent company Alphabet’s market value?
$1m
$1bn
$10bn
$100bn
1. 80%
New research from Chartr reveals that despite continuing high demand, only 219,000 new shows debuted last year, down from 1,109,000 in 2020. Find out more with The Week Unwrapped podcast.
2. The Simpsons
The episode, titled One Angry Lisa, was removed from Disney+ in Hong Kong amid growing concern about censorship in the Chinese territory.
3. Whisky
Researchers from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen found that pot ale residue from the whisky-making process can provide antioxidant benefits in skincare.
4. Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are “probably Birmingham’s biggest export”, according to director Carlos Acosta, whose new ballet will feature eight tracks by the rockers.
5. Delilah
The song has been an unofficial match-day anthem for decades but has now been vetoed by Welsh Rugby Union because the lyrics, about a man stabbing his unfaithful lover, are “problematic”.
6. Daily Mail
Church of England leaders are reportedly considering whether to stop referring to God as “He”, “Him” and “Father” in prayers and church services, amid growing calls for clergy to be allowed to use gender-neutral terms.
7. Beyoncé
Beyoncé won Best Dance/Electronic Music Album with Renaissance, but missed out on the top prize, Album of the Year, which went to Harry Styles for Harry’s House.
8. Return of the death penalty
Days before his appointment as vice-chair was announced, the Ashford MP told The Spectator that he supports the return of the death penalty because “nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed”.
9. Fawlty Towers
John Cleese will write and star alongside his daughter Camilla in the reboot of the show, which ended in 1979.
10. $100bn
An error during Google’s demonstration of its new rival to Microsoft’s ChatGPT instantly wiped 9% off the tech firm’s value.
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Sorcha Bradley is a writer at The Week and a regular on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. She worked at The Week magazine for a year and a half before taking up her current role with the digital team, where she mostly covers UK current affairs and politics. Before joining The Week, Sorcha worked at slow-news start-up Tortoise Media. She has also written for Sky News, The Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard and Grazia magazine, among other publications. She has a master’s in newspaper journalism from City, University of London, where she specialised in political journalism.
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