Trump makes
a strong comeback
After surviving two assassination attempts, Donald Trump made a comeback in the 2024 election, regaining the US presidency. Having defeated his opponent Kamala Harris, Trump became only the second president ever elected to serve non-consecutive terms. His decisive victory raised concerns among economies globally, as he has promised to impose tariffs on all imports. In addition, the President-elect has also vowed to carry out a massive deportation exercise to send back "illegal immigrants".
Syrian Uprising
Ends Assad
Dynasty
The Middle East witnessed a seismic shift with the toppling of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. The Assad dynasty, which had ruled Syria for nearly half a century, rapidly collapsed on December 8 in a shocking turn of events as rebel forces led by chief of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Abu Mohammed al-Golani seized the Syrian capital.
The fall of the Assad regime has also brought Syria's civil war to a halt. The fighting, which started in 2011, has left at least 300,000 dead and 100,000 missing, according to the UN.
Israel's war in Gaza continues
Following the October 7 attacks by Hamas in 2023, Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza that has continued to date, with the enclave remaining under siege. More than 45,000 people have died in Gaza since the fighting began, according to estimates released by the Hamas-run health ministry. The relentless bombing and total blockade of the enclave has turned the lives of its 2.1 million inhabitants into a living hell, leaving them with nowhere to hide and nowhere to go.
UNPRECEDENTED HEAT DURING HAJJ
Saudi Arabia faced one of the most extreme heat waves in its history, tragically resulting in the deaths of over 1300 pilgrims during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage. The mercury in Mecca and Medina, the two central cities for the pilgrimage, soared up to 52 degrees Celsius. This heat stress claimed the lives of pilgrims, with the majority of fatalities being from Egypt, Jordan, and Iran.
NASA'S PARKER
SOLAR PROBE
MAKES HISTORY
The US space agency, NASA, announces that its Parker Solar Probe survived its closest approach to the Sun's surface, breaking its previous record by flying just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) above the surface of the Sun. The Probe hurtled through the solar atmosphere at a blazing speed of 692,000 kilometers per hour -- faster than any human-made object ever moved.
Sri Lanka's Turning Point
Left-leaning politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake has won Sri Lanka's presidential election in September after the country's economic collapse. The election was the first to be held since mass protests unseated the country's leader, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in 2022 after Sri Lanka suffered its worst economic crisis. Dissanayake, who promised voters good governance and tough anti-corruption measures, emerged as winner after a historic second round of counting.
Democracy in Peril in South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by parliament following his failed attempt to impose martial law. On December 3, Yoon took the country by surprise as he declared that he was imposing martial law, citing the need to protect the country from "anti-state" forces. Following his impeachment, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became the acting president. But two weeks later, Han was also impeached by parliament.
SOUTH KOREA AIR DISASTER
South Korea saw its deadliest air accident ever on December 29, which killed 179 people. A Jeju Air flight belly-landed and veered off the runway, erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall at Muan International Airport. The flight arrived from the Thai capital Bangkok with 175 passengers and six crew on board.
Tragedy Strikes Iran
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi died after a helicopter carrying him and other officials crashed in a mountainous and forested area of the country in poor weather in May. The 63-year-old, a figure representing conservative and hardline factions in Iranian politics, was president for nearly three years, and appeared on track to run for re-election next year.
BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE
A container ship collided with one of the pillars supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore, US, closing one of the country's busiest ports. Cars using the bridge fell into the Patapsco River, while six workers were missing and presumed dead. The ship, named the Dali, is 300 metres long. The Singapore-registered vessel left Baltimore and was heading for Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Julian Assange freed
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleads guilty to US charges of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security information. He is subsequently freed from a British prison and allowed to return to Australia, his home country.
Assange founded WikiLeaks in 2006 as a platform to share leaked materials, shedding what he believed was a necessary light on secretive and powerful organisations, including governments and companies. In 2010, the site published a cache of military and secret documents leaked by Chelsea Manning, the former US army intelligence analyst who, while serving in Iraq, copied hundreds of thousands of military incident logs and about 250,000 diplomatic cables.
SUMMER OLYMPICS IN PARIS
France hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and in metropolitan cities
across France. The 33rd Summer Olympic Games officially opened on July 26, marking the first time in modern history that the opening ceremony was held outside a stadium. The French capital became the second city in the world, after London, to host the Summer Olympics at least three times. And the Paris Games also made history as the first edition of the event to achieve full gender equality. The US emerged at the top of the medal tally with 126 medals, followed by China (91 medals), the UK (65), host France (64) and Australia in fifth spot with 54 medals.
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