AMERICA
Economic Tensions, Sports Achievements, Global Disputes, and Political Apathy Shape 2024
1. US-Canada Trade War Threat: Economic Consequences Loom
A 25% tariff on Canadian goods will be imposed by Donald Trump from January 20, unless Canada is willing to define a way to curtail illegal migration and drug flow. Experts predicted that this would push Canada into recession resulting in 150,000 job losses and inflation of up to 7.2%. Supply chains integrated to that extent would also suffer disruptions in the US. Even if Trump has some concessions to gain, retaliatory tariffs from Canada remain a possibility.
2. 2024 Basketball Highlights: A Year of Records and Milestones
In 2024, Basketball’s newest peaks were recorded-breaking moments coupled with global attention. Curry led Team USA in Olympic gold, LeBron and Bronny in a historic first-a father and son in the same NBA circuit. The growth of women’s basketball was phenomenal, and the global footprints of the game on the platforms were further enhanced by events like the Olympics.
3. Panama Rejects Trump’s Canal Claims
Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino has ruled out US President-in-waiting Donald Trump’s threats of taking back control of the Panama Canal, stating that it is “Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians.” Mulino said no such idea exists of reducing tolls for US vessels and dismissed claims of Chinese presence at the canal. Trump’s comments, including allegations of “unfair” fees, have sparked protests in Panama.
4. Political Fatigue in the US: Two-Thirds Tune Out News
According to a new poll asking Americans about their habits, 65% of adults in the US limit how much news they consume because they feel overwhelmed with too much political coverage. Most Americans would likely agree on having exhausted minds after the vigorous 2024 presidential election. All political affiliations have caught up with this trend. Despite the decreased number of viewers across networks such as Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, political burnout is being matched with years of division rhetoric, causing many not to engage.
ASIA
Asia Faces Crisis and Reflection: Cyber Attacks, Tragedies, Political Tensions, and Remembrances
1. Japan Airlines Hit by Cyber Attack, Delaying Flights
Japan Airlines or JAL reportedly had an attack done to its systems disrupting its domestic and international flights on December 26, 2024. The airline briefly cut off a troublesome router and entirely stopped publishing ticket sales for all kinds of services. Although more than a dozen flights had delayed, mass cancellation did not occur. All Nippon Airways, its rival, promptly announced that they were not affected by the said attack.
2. Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash in Kazakhstan
An aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crashed over the skies of Aktau in Kazakhstan on 25 December 2024, killing at least 38 people. This flight that left Baku and was heading for Grozny was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members. Azerbaijani, Kazakhstani, and Russian authorities are looking into the emergency landing. The plane crash took place near Aktau at a distance of about 3 in kilometers, at the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea.
3. Former Indian PM Manmohan Singh Dies at 92
Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, died at the age of 92. An architect of India’s economic reforms in the 1990s, and one of the key players to transform its economy, Singh was an economist as well as a former Central Bank governor. He had fallen ill after being treated for conditions connected to his senior years. His death brought sadness to the faces of leaders and citizens across India, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who stated Salutations to his achievements in the economy shaping of India.
4. George Soros: Target of Modi’s BJP Ahead of 2024 Elections
The ruling BJP of India stepped up its counter-offensives against George Soros, claiming that the opposition was using the famous international financier through monetary assistance in efforts to unsettle the country and degrade Prime Minister Modi. This has really picked up steam ahead of the 2024 elections, wherein the BJP linked Soros to several controversial investigations and then going all the way to insinuate ties with the US State Department. Detractors believe that this diverts attention from more important contemporary issues like the crisis in Manipur and economic downturns.
5. Asia Marks 20th Anniversary of 2004 Tsunami
Memorials were held throughout Asia on December 26, 2024, to pay tribute to the over 220,000 victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated fourteen countries in 2004. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand prepared mourning ceremonies in remembrance of those lost at mass graves and memorials. An earthquake measuring 9.1 years struck without forewarning, but modern advancement now has better early warning software.
MENA
Middle East Tensions Escalate: Military Strikes, Ambushes, and Criticism
1. US-Backed Gaza Famine Report Retracted Amid Criticism
This week, a politically charged import withdrawal prompted accusations of politically interference in the terms of FEWS NET, a US-backed report that warns of a possible famine in northern Gaza as a result of the war set by Israel. Funded by the USAID, the report claimed that Gaza had likely crossed the threshold of famine. The retraction drew criticism including those of pro-Israel bias and political influences in its withdrawal. It has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza with fighting continuing.
2. US Strikes Iraq Over Drone Attack, Tensions Rise
Airstrikes by America struck on sites used by Iran-aligned Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq after a strike on Erbil airbase disabled three US soldiers. The strike killed an Iraqi security officer and wounded 18 others. “Hostile acts” were the terms used by the Iraqi government to describe the strikes, whereas the US justified the strikes by a necessary requirement to protect American forces.
3. Syria: 14 Policemen Killed in Ambush by Pro-Assad Forces
The attack killed 14 Syrian police officers, following an ambush laid by the forces loyal to ex-President Bashar al-Assad in Tartous. The incident coincided with a series of protests that were ignited by an online video showing what would appear to be the vandalization of an Alawite shrine. The newly minted Syrian government swung into action by launching an allout crackdown on pro-Assad militias as tensions heightened in different regions. It is currently unstable, with information flowing in of clashes in areas such as Manbij.
4. Israel Strikes Houthi Targets in Yemen
Israel retaliated by striking Houthis targets in Yemen, including Sanaa’s airport, after missiles and drones were launched from there into Israel. The Israeli military targeted some of the key infrastructures of the Houthi regime, including power plants and ports. This came on the heels of an increased Houthi barrage of missiles into Israel, one of which made sirens scream across the center of the country. From Israel, a call was forwarded to the UN to act against the Houthi group and its Iranian backers.
EUROPE
Global Crisis and Change: From Security Arrests to Migration, Energy, and Hope
1. Russia Arrests Four Over Alleged Plot to Kill Military Officers
The FSB of Russia has arrested 4 individuals for attempting to kill senior military officials in Russia with the aid of the Ukrainians. The news comes immediately after the death of Lt Gen Igor Kirilov, who had been targeted with a hidden explosive device placed on an electric scooter. The suspects were considering carrying out assassinations using bombs, a car bomb, and an envelope device. FSB has already apprehended one suspect for the death of Kirillov, who has apparently confessed to having been recruited by Ukraine.
2. Over 10,000 Migrants Die at Sea in 2024 Trying to Reach Spain
Data revealed that, in 2024, no fewer than 10,000 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by sea, while 9,757 deaths occurred on the highly perilous Atlantic route between Africa and Spain. This was a hike of 58 percent compared to 2023. The count also included two-specified categories of victims: children–1,538- and women–421. Most are Mauritanian migrants, and their extremely bad conditions pushed Spain to pledge 210 million euros as international aid against increased human trafficking.
3. EU Renewable Energy Use Hits Record, But Falls Short of 2030 Goals
Renewable energy in the EU has now hit a record high of 24.5% in 2024, but it falls short of the target for 2030, which is 42.5%. Sweden has the largest renewable energy share worldwide, followed by Finland and Denmark. Spain remains the only big economy in the EU which stands above the average. Despite the advances, expansion in the use of renewable sources of energy must grow even faster to align with the standards of future goals.
4. Pope Francis Opens Holy Door at Prison with Message of Hope
Inaugurating the Holy Year at Rome’s Rebibbia prison, the Pope opened the second Holy Door of the Jubilee year-the first Christmas Eve gesture at St. Peter’s Basilica and one intended for the inmates. Hope is a promise as much as it’s a rhetoric tool for inmates’ lives. It is inextricably linked to significant events such as the aforementioned occasional Jubilee celebrations in the Catholic Church up until the age of a few decades. Francis, trained in prison ministry, will conduct a special Mass for inmates in December 2025.
