July 12 Weekly News Quiz: Who’s Britain’s New Prime Minister?

After leading the Labour Party to a historic victory on July 4, 2024, Keir Starmer is the current UK Prime Minister. He succeeded Rishi Sunak, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Starmer is known for his background as a barrister and former Director of Public Prosecutions and his commitment to public service. After taking office on July 5, 2024, Starmer appointed Rachel Reeves as the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer and Angela Rayner as Deputy Prime Minister.

Victoria Starmer is the first Jewish spouse of a UK Prime Minister in modern times. She maintains Jewish traditions with her family, such as Friday night dinners and attending the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St John’s Wood. While Benjamin Disraeli, who served as Prime Minister in the 19th century, was of Jewish heritage, he converted to Christianity and identified as an Anglican. His wife, Mary Anne Disraeli, was not Jewish.

Masoud Pezeshkian was a heart surgeon before entering politics. He has a distinguished medical background and was the head of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Pezeshkian’s transition from medicine to politics saw him join the Iranian parliament. He served as Iran’s Health Minister under President Mohammad Khatami. Pezeshkian is known for his reformist stance, advocating for better relations with the West, a return to the nuclear deal, and less enforcement of the hijab law.

Project 2025 is a comprehensive conservative agenda developed by the Heritage Foundation. It aims to prepare for a future Republican administration by outlining detailed plans to reshape the US federal government. The project focuses on restoring conservative principles in various policy areas, including family values, national sovereignty, and individual freedoms. Despite being associated with former Trump administration officials, Donald Trump has publicly distanced himself from the project, calling some of its proposals “ridiculous and abysmal.”

The New Popular Front (NPF) is a coalition of left-wing parties in France, including France Unbowed, the Greens, and the Socialists. In the July 7, 2024, legislative elections, the NPF secured the most seats in the National Assembly, pushing the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen to third place.

Saks Global is the integrated company resulting from the merger of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, announced on July 3, 2024. This $2.65 billion deal, backed by Amazon and Salesforce, aims to create a dominant player in the luxury retail market. Marc Metrick will lead the newly created entity, focusing on enhancing the luxury shopping experience with advanced technology and operational efficiency. The merger also includes significant real estate holdings.

The oldest known narrative art piece is 51,200 years old. It was discovered in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and depicts a wild pig interacting with three human-like figures. The discovery predates the oldest European cave paintings and provides the earliest evidence of storytelling through art. This significant finding was made possible using a uranium-based dating technique, which provided a more accurate age for the artwork.

Jon Landau was the mastermind producer behind the iconic films “Titanic” (1997) and “Avatar” (2009), both directed by James Cameron. Landau’s collaboration with Cameron began with “True Lies” (1994), and together they achieved monumental success. “Titanic” won 11 Academy Awards, and “Avatar” became the highest-grossing film of its time. Tragically, Jon Landau died on July 6, 2024, at 63.

Caesar salad was invented on July 4, 1924, by Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini at his restaurant, Caesar’s Place, in Tijuana, Mexico. Cardini created the dish during Prohibition to cater to Americans seeking to escape alcohol restrictions. The salad’s unique blend of whole Romaine leaves, garlic-flavored oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemons, eggs, and Parmesan cheese quickly made it a culinary favorite. Tijuana celebrated the salad’s centennial on July 4, 2024, with a three-day festival.

In July 2024, Mark Zuckerberg posted a viral 4th of July video, which showed him surfing while holding an American flag and a beer,

John Cena is not only a major Hollywood star but also one of the most accomplished professional wrestlers in WWE history. Known for his “Never Give Up” mantra, Cena has won the WWE World Championship 16 times. He announced his retirement from wrestling on July 7, 2024, but remains influential in the wrestling community. Cena has starred in blockbuster films like “The Suicide Squad,” “Bumblebee,” and “Fast & Furious 9,” balancing his wrestling career with a successful transition to acting.

The picture shows Lionel Messi holding a baby Lamine Yamal. The photo was taken in 2007 during an FC Barcelona charity photoshoot for a Christmas calendar. Messi was around 20 years old then, and Yamal was just a few months old. The image resurfaced in July 2024, coinciding with Yamal’s rising football career and his record-setting participation in Euro 2024.