From the death of Queen Elizabeth II to Elon Musk buying Twitter, these are the stories that made headlines
2022 has come to an end. For many, it was the first post-lockdown year, which was meant to signal a shift to new opportunities and recovery.
But the conflict in Ukraine and rising inflation has placed the world on the verge of economic downfall.
However, as 2023 nears there is optimism in the air as the world pauses to reflect on the biggest news stories this year.
War in Ukraine
In the early hours of 24 February, Russian troops stormed into Ukrainian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the offensive as a “special military operation”.
He said countries entering the conflict would be met with an “immediate” response “never faced in your history”.
At the same time, the United Nations was meeting in New York. Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations was grilled by Ukraine’s representative at the time.
In a matter of hours, air raid sirens rung across Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as families rushed to evacuate the warzone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky donned camouflage attire and rejected a U.S. evacuation offer. He reportedly said “I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Human rights groups have laid blame on Russia for committing alleged war crimes against citizens of Ukraine.
In September, President Putin claimed to annex four Russia-occupied areas in Ukraine’s Donetska, Luhanska, Zaporizka, and Khersonska regions.
Russian authorities purportedly held ‘referendums’ in these areas, with hastily staged ‘voting.’
On the backfoot, Mr Putin announced a partial military mobilisation’. It put 300,000 army reservists on standby as Ukraine continued to fight Russian forces on the frontlines.
Professor John Bryson from the University of Birmingham said success on the battlefield requires planning, strategy and logistics combined with a professional military.
“Russia does not have a professional military but relies on conscripts and mercenaries.”
“There is something very odd going on with Putin and his war with Ukraine.”
PROFESSOR JOHN BRYSON, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
“Putin has demonstrated that there are major problems with Russia’s military technology and capability, and this includes the all-important role logistics plays in warfare,” he said.
Death of Queen Elizabeth II
In September, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II passed away aged 96.
Days before her death, the Queen swore in his 14th British Prime Minister, Liz Truss.
“The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world. Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign.”
LIZ TRUSS, THEN BRITISH PRIME MINISTER
It led to an outpouring of grief from around the world. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the late monarch as one of his “favourite people”.
As the world paid a final farewell to Queen Elizabeth, King Charles III made his ascension to the throne. Her funeral was a show of dazzling pomp and pageantry.
King Charles III became the head of state across the UK and across 14 Commonwealth realms following his mother’s death.
Covid-19 protests in China
As much of the world moved on from the grips of Covid-19, China was staying firm on its pandemic policy.
The “draconian” measures, according to Human Rights Watch, saw apartment blocks shut off as Beijing pushed ahead with its Covid-zero strategy.
After protests at Chinese universities, Beijing loosened some of its quarantine measures.
Inflation worsens
As the world begins its recovery from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine sent global shockwaves.
It led to economic uncertainty, and a stark reality that inflation remains far too high.
Global markets buckled under stress, and interest rates continued to trend upwards.
“There is considerable uncertainty about what rate will be sufficient, although there is no doubt that we have made substantial progress, raising our target range for the federal funds rate by 3.75 percentage points since March,” said Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell.
“It makes sense to moderate the pace of our rate increases as we approach the level of restraint that will be sufficient to bring inflation down,” he explained.
The financial burden and uncertainty is expected to continue into 2023 as the world nears the brink of recession.
Costa is a news producer at ticker NEWS. He has previously worked as a regional journalist at the Southern Highlands Express newspaper. He also has several years' experience in the fire and emergency services sector, where he has worked with researchers, policymakers and local communities. He has also worked at the Seven Network during their Olympic Games coverage and in the ABC Melbourne newsroom.
He also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Professional), with expertise in journalism, politics and international relations. His other interests include colonial legacies in the Pacific, counter-terrorism, aviation and travel.
This week witnessed another milestone in the automotive industry as the legendary Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen embarked on its electric journey, aligning with global sustainability efforts.
Simultaneously, Toyota and Mazda debuted EV offerings tailored for the booming Chinese market, signalling a strategic shift towards collaboration with advanced Chinese partners.
While the electric G-Wagen promises both eco-friendliness and off-road prowess with its innovative design, questions arise about Japanese automakers’ perceived lag in EV development, countered by the strategic imperative to tap into the rapidly growing Chinese EV market. As automotive icons embrace electrification and traditional players adapt through partnerships, it’s clear that collaboration and innovation will drive the future of mobility.
As individuals face the daunting choice between paying off student debt, saving for a first home deposit, or exploring alternative options like rentvesting, careful consideration of various factors becomes imperative.
In the midst of these challenges, a couple in the inner north ingeniously employed a strategy to realise their dream of a larger home while managing HECS debt and affordability hurdles.
Rentvesting emerges as a viable solution for individuals grappling with the burdens of high HECS debt and property affordability issues.
Moreover, the decreasing income premium tied to a university degree is closely intertwined with changing economic dynamics and shifts in the job market, underscoring the need for innovative approaches to education and financial planning in today’s society.
TikTok users could soon find that the popular social media service is either under new ownership or could be outright banned in the United States.
President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that requires TikTok to find a new owner—or face a ban in the United States.
Over the past several months, Washington D.C. has been under pressure to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app.
Lawmakers and security experts have long raised concerns that the Chinese government could tap TikTok’s trove of personal data about millions of U.S. users.
TikTok’s CEO said the bill is disappointing and reiterated that the company has committed to challenge it.
David Zhang from China Insider. joins Veronica Dudo to discuss
