A review of major news stories in 2024 includes an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, Iran and Lebanon, multiple elections across the world which had far reaching political consequences, as well as further devastating weather events attributed to climate change.
A series of high profile assassinations by Israel influenced Hamas and Hezbollah operations in the region as fighting continued throughout the year. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes in Gaza.
There was further instability in December as Syrian rebel forces seized control following a lightning offensive and the Assad family fled to Russia.
In the United States Donald Trump became the first former President to be convicted of a crime. He went on to win November’s election after Joe Biden ended his presidential campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
Climate-related disasters included Hurricane Beryl, the earliest-forming Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, followed two months later by Hurricane Helene which caused widespread destruction in Florida. Super Typhoon Yagi swept across southern China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar, while Spain suffered its worst flooding in decades. As the year ended, the most powerful cyclone in nearly a century hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte with casualties expected to be significant.
President Vladimir Putin secured his fifth term in office as the war in Ukraine continued. Russian troops on the ground were bolstered by reinforcements from the North Korean army.
On a more positive note, Taylor Swift became the first performer to win Grammy Awards for Album of the Year four times, China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft collected the first-ever soil and rock samples from the far side of the moon, and the largest diamond found in more than a century was unearthed in Botswana. In a world first, SpaceX caught its Starship megarocket with a pair of robotic arms, and Paris’ restored Notre-Dame cathedral officially reopened following a devastating fire.
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