From the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the repeal of abortion laws in the United States, here’s a roundup of the biggest events of 2022.
War in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the biggest offensive in Europe since World War II when he sent troops into Ukraine on February 24 to “demilitarize and de-Nazify” the country, prompting millions of Ukrainians to flee abroad. Done.
The West imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow and sent billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, which repelled Putin’s bid to seize the capital Kyiv and topple the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the south, however, Russian forces have captured much of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, including the port of Mariupol, which has been devastated by a three-month siege.
In April, Russian forces were accused of massacring several civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.
As of September, Ukrainian forces are resurgent in the northeast and south. Putin hastily annexed four Russian-controlled territories, a move condemned as illegal by the United Nations.
In November, Ukrainian forces scored their biggest victory yet as Russian forces retreated from the southern port of Kherson, ending an eight-month occupation.
Nightmare on Downing Street
Britain has had a Conservative prime minister for the fifth time in six years.
Rishi Sunak takes office in October after his tax-cutting predecessor Liz Truss immolated herself after just 44 days – the shortest tenure for a British leader.
Truss’s fall from grace, fueled by a disastrous mini-budget, makes 2022 a tumultuous one in the UK. The year has been marked by the death of its longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, aged 96, and the forced resignation of Brexit prime minister Boris Johnson after a series of scandals.
2022 US abortion shock
The U.S. Supreme Court caused global shock in June when it overturned its landmark 1973 “Rove v. Weed” decision that ensured nationwide access to abortion.
Following the ruling, Republicans have banned abortions in 16 US states, home to 26.5 million women.
The issue affects the November midterms.
The gains for Donald Trump loyalists in the Republican camp are less than expected, as American voters in several states side with candidates who advocate for abortion access. Trump nevertheless announced that he would run for president again in 2024.
Food cement control
President Xi Jinping consolidated his grip on China’s leadership after winning a historic third term as leader of the world’s second-largest economy in November.
But the Chinese are losing patience with the snap lockdowns, mass testing and movement restrictions that came with its signature zero-covid strategy.
In Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Urumqi, Wuhan and other cities, thousands of people have been taking part in protests against the restrictions for several days. Some even dare to call for Xi’s resignation.
Xi’s growing unbridled power is also causing alarm in Taiwan, after China conducted large-scale military exercises around the island.
Heat wave after heat wave
Europe is experiencing its hottest summer in recorded history, with Britain topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time.
Parts of the Arctic and Antarctic, China and the United States are also experiencing record temperatures.
Extreme weather events linked to climate change are wreaking havoc in developing countries.
Floods in Pakistan have affected large parts of the country, Nigeria is suffering its worst floods in a decade and parts of drought-stricken Somalia are at risk of famine.
At the United Nations Climate Summit (COP27) in Egypt, developing nations finally managed to agree to pay wealthy polluters into a “loss and damage” fund to compensate poor countries for climate damage.
Inflation is biting.
The invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions against Russia created an energy crisis not seen in half a century, with gas and electricity prices rising globally.
Britain sees its energy bills double over the course of a year. Rising energy prices are also a factor in Sri Lanka’s inflation crisis, which forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee abroad in August.
Inflation has been rising globally, prompting central banks to raise interest rates aggressively, sparking fears of another major debt crisis.
Right on the march
The far right has made unprecedented gains in Europe.
Voters in Italy elect Giorgia Meloni, the post-fascist firebrand since World War II, as their most far-right leader.
The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats are big winners in general elections that bring the country’s conservatives to power.
In France, right-wing President Emmanuel Macron has secured his parliamentary majority between the far-right and hard-left stripes.
But the right is in decline in Latin America.
Veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made a stunning comeback in Brazil, ousting far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Leftist leaders also come to power in Colombia and Honduras.
Iran protests
In Iran, the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini sparked the biggest protests in years after she was arrested for alleged violations of the country’s dress code.
Peace in Ethiopia
After two years of conflict that has killed countless civilians and left Tigray near famine, the Ethiopian government and Tigray rebels have agreed to a historic peace deal.
The agreement allows for the resumption of critical humanitarian aid in the northern region.
2022 World Cup in the desert
Controversy led to the run-up to the Middle East’s first football World Cup.
Some fans boycotted the tournament in Qatar due to human rights concerns and the high number of deaths of migrant workers involved in the construction of the eight new stadiums.
The decision by the conservative Islamic State to ban alcohol from stadiums also leaves a bitter taste, but as the tournament progresses, attention turns to on-pitch drama.