Year-ender 2024 | Ballots and bullets dominated global politics; natural disasters wreaked havoc

As the year comes to a close, let's take a look at what happened on the global stage.

There wasn’t a moment this year when the international arena wasn’t buzzing with activity. From elections that changed the very foundation of many countries to wars that only escalated by the minute, 2024, one can say was a year that brought about change.

The world witnessed a shift in the political fortunes of a large number of existing powers that be, as the year saw a record number of elections with more than 60 countries going to polls and half the global population exercising their right to franchise. For some nations, the elections brought a complete turn around in their governing disposition, while others favoured a continuance of existing regimes, albeit with a slight tweaking in a few cases.

The other facet that dominated 2024 and was woven into the fabric of international politics was war. Talks of long range missiles, targeted killings and collapse of various regimes drove fear and sowed seeds of uncertainty in the hearts of people.

A black chapter in the race to the White House

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally.

The much-awaited United States Presidential Elections took place in November with the Republican party putting forth former president Donald Trump as their candidate. The 78-year old went on to become the first US president-elect to have been convicted of felony charges. 

The Democrats, on the other hand, found their footing in the campaign much later. The first presidential debate turned into a major faux pas as it saw Joe Biden fumbling on his words, and the 82-year-old's stumbling at various public events led many to question his ability to lead.

After much deliberation and discussion, Biden decided to step down and the Democrats instead named his right-hand (wo)man Kamala Harris, the then VP, as the candidate for the elections. 

Not to anyone’s surprise perhaps, Trump won the elections by a wide margin. But it wasn’t the elections that got everyone’s attention.

While speaking at an open-air campaign rally in Pennsylvania, a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump. He opened fire at the former president but was fortunately tackled by the security present at the spot. The bullet however managed to nick Trump behind the ear. 

This incident led to a fiery debate among people as to whether this was an intentional act orchestrated by the mercurial Trump or not.  Nevertheless, this got the former president the limelight he so desired, and the incident may well have helped considerably in catapulting him back into the White House. 

But even in the last leg of his presidency, Biden decided to fulfil a few promises. Acting as both father and head of the state, Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, who had been convicted of making false statements on a gun background check and illegally possessing a firearm and had pled guilty to federal tax charges.

As the year came to a close, Jimmy Carter who served as the 39th President of the United States, passed away on December 29, 2024. Among his many achievements, including re-orienting US foreign policy towards a more humantarian direction, Carter also held the distinction of being the longest-living president in US history. Carter died at the age of 100, with Biden declaring January 9 as the national day of mourning. 

West Asia teeters on brink

An anti-war protestor during a demonstration against Israel's war with Hamas.

The effects of the Israel-Hamas war spilled across West Asia this year, with Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah and joining in, each with an axe to grind against Israel.

After more than 365 days of being at war and losing more than 45,000 of their people, Gaza has a new enemy to face: famine. With access to food blocked, the United Nations has warned that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deteriorating further.

But, Israel has rubbished these claims and instead increased their attacks in the Palestinian region with an aim to eliminate Hamas. Following through with their promise, Israel killed Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian militant and the mastermind behind the October 7 Hamas attack.

But as the smoke from the war clears, other players on the chess board are slowly emerging. On October 1, Iran carried out a ballistic missile attack on Israel and fired more than 180 missiles at the country. Ironically, the only person who died in this attack was a Palestinian. Iran said it attacked Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah who was eliminated by Israel in a bomb blast in Beirut. Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh too was killed in an explosion in Tehran in July.

This missile attack was the second in the year. In April, Iran had sent 300 drones and missiles hurtling towards Israel in response to an Israeli air strike on an Iranian consulate complex in Damascus that had killed 13.

Lebanon wasn’t spared either. In a devastating attack that no one saw coming, thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies exploded across the country, killing dozens of people and injuring many more. Israel’s aim was to target not only Hezbollah leaders but also their communications systems.

The blasts took place on the streets of Lebanon, ranging from supermarkets to cars with grievous injuries being reported. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate after this incident.

After the pager blasts and the killing of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon, pushing back Hezbollah forces.

The tensions between Israel and Hezbollah which were already running high, skyrocketed after these two incidents.

Amid the risk of even further escalation, a US- and France-mediated ceasefire deal was brokered between the two countries. The deal called for a two-month halt to fighting and required Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while the Israeli troops were asked to return to their side.

Though this deal has reduced hostilities to a simmer, normalcy has yet to return to the West Asian region and the prospect of peace still seems like a far-fetched dream.

Hasina’s great escape paves way for Yunus' homecoming

Chief Adviser to Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus(L) and former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. 

General elections held on January 7, 2024 saw the Awami league winning 224 seats while independent candidates won 62 seats, once again making Sheikh Hasina the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

But this victory was short lived, as Sheikh Hasina was ousted from the country and fled to India, seeking sanctuary.

Things came to a pass in August when the Bangladeshi Supreme Court gave a judgement that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the country’s War of Independence in 1971. This led to widespread protests across the nation which culminated in Hasina’s ouster and subsequent escape.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who was in self-imposed exile, took charge as chief advisor and is currently the de-facto head of the state. Since this change of regime, there have been multiple reports of persecution of the minorities in Bangladesh, charges which the government vehemently denies.

United Kingdom chooses Labour

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. Two years of tumultuous politics within the Conservative Party itself came to an end in July, when the electorate of the United Kingdom voted out RIshi Sunak and welcomed in a new Labour government headed by Keir Starmer.

Sri Lankan government changes in a snap

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

In September 2024, Sri Lanka went to polls and saw the Left-wing leader Anura Kumar Dissanayake emerge victorious in the presidential election.

After winning, he called for snap elections soon after, where his party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna-led National People’s Power (JVP-NPP) coalition swept the parliamentary elections by winning 159 out of the 225 seats

This victory was a stark difference from his performance in the 2019 elections where he won just 3 per cent of the votes. But a deplorable economy, poor polices and general dissatisfaction with leadership among the people paved the way for Dissanayake to come to power with nearly 62 per cent of the vote.

Elections and resignations plague France

French President Emmanuel Macron.

Amidst concerns about an unstable economy and growing immigration, the EU parliament went to polls in June and saw the right-wing National Rally (RN) winning the vote. However, in a shocking move, President Macron dissolved his own National Assembly and called for snap elections plunging the country into a state of chaos and confusion.

Though the polls predicted National Rally to be victorious, they were able to foresee that the party would not be able to attain a clear majority. Thus, the elections ended with France having a hung parliament which led to Michel Barnier heading the government and assuming the role of Prime Minister.

This too was short lived, as a few months later Barnier resigned after opposition lawmakers voted to topple his government.

After weeks of searching, Macron named Francois Bayrou as his fourth prime minister of 2024, tasking the veteran centrist with steering the country out of its second major political crisis in the last six months.

1000 days and counting: Ukraine-Russia war rages on

An image from war-torn Ukraine.

The Russian offensive against Ukraine which began on February 24, 2022 crossed 1,000 days this year. Despite both countries enduring heavy casualties, talks which should have pivoted towards peace have instead gravitated towards authorisation to use long-range weapons to strike across borders.

Earlier in the year, Ukraine mounted a big offensive against Russia, sweeping up swathes of land in Russia’s Kursk region. They even managed to assassinate the chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops—Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov. Ukraine accused Kirillov of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against their troops.

However, Ukraine now risks losing its grip on the lands it was able to take from Russia due its dwindling manpower, which is also facing off against about 12,000 North Korean troops reinforcing the Russians.

A new dawn for Syria?

People gather at Saadallah al-Jabiri Square as they celebrate, after Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended.

The civil war that had plagued the country since 2011 finally came to an end on December 8 when Syria’s president Bashar-al Assad was overthrown by the rebel forces, bringing an end to a more than two decade long rule.

Assad, along with his family fled the country and rushed to Russia asking for sanctuary.

Although the president/dicator's ouster left citizens of the country celebrating, a certain uncertainty regarding the new administration now looms over a country long ravaged by war.

As it stands, rebel factions have come to a consensus and dissolved themselves to form a new group under one banner. The de-facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has stated that fighters have been brought under the authority of the Defence Ministry.

But, will this new ‘government’ bring a new beginning for Syria or is it fated to repeat the mistakes of the past regime? Only time will tell.

Russia accused of shooting down passenger plane

A drone view shows emergency specialists working at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan. 

In December, Flight J2-8243 crashed in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people onboard. A few days after the crash, preliminary findings into the disaster accused Russia of causing the deadly crash.

The plane flew from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, in Russia's southern Chechnya region, before veering off hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea and crashing opposite the shore.

The plane repeatedly tried to land at Grozny airport in Chechnya, but the Kremlin stated that Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian drones, which had engaged Russian air defence systrems.

Preliminary results showed the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S missile system. The aircraft's communications equipment was paralysed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Grozny.

Though Putin apologised to Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, for the "tragic incident", he just stopped short of taking responsibility

But Azerbaijan’s president wasn’t one to remain silent. He accused Russia of causing the crash and urged Putin to take responsibility for the attack.

He acknowledged Putin’s apology but reprimanded him for the initial cover up of the incident. He emphasised that Russia must "must admit its guilt" and pay compensation.

Of impeachments and instability: Uncertainty surrounds South Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

South Korea plunged into political uncertainty after its President Yoon Suk Yeol called for the imposition of martial law in the country.

Yoon said the measure was taken in order to safeguard free and constitutional order, as opposition parties had taken hostage of the parliamentary process. Though he reversed this order only hours later, the damage had been done. 

Enraged at the order, the opposition and even the people of the country at large called for his impeachment. Yoon was impeached by parliament on December 14, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stepping in as acting president. 

But Haan’s tenure proved to be short lived, as he too was impeached by opposition lawmakers after he refused to appoint three judges to fill vacancies in the Constitutional Court, the body that will be deciding whether to reinstate or formally remove Yoon.

Now, the baton has passed on to finance minister and deputy prime minister, Choi Sang-mok, who has been named the new acting president. 

Petty rivalry: Hallmark of South and North Korea's relationship

A balloon believed to have been sent by North Korea, carrying various objects including what appeared to be trash, is pictured at a park in Incheon, South Korea.

While other countries were busy launching missiles at their enemies, North Korea decided to adopt a slightly different tactic. South Korean authorities reported receiving large balloons filled with faeces and garbage from its neighbour.

Pyongyang defended itself by accusing the South of flying propaganda leaflets which criticised their leadership across North Korean territory. The North couldn’t let such an ‘attack’ go unanswered and hence restored to sending poop balloons. These ‘stinking’ balloons were dropped in front of residential buildings, rice fields and streets.

But South Korea wasn’t going to let North Korea win this one so easily. Dragging their humungous speakers all the way to the border, South Korea blasted K-pop music along with weather forecasts and news regarding Samsung; they even started a broadcast on anti-Pyongyang propaganda.

Whoever said petty rivalry isn’t worth keeping certainly knew nothing about politics.

Nature wreaks havoc

People cross a river after the deadly floods following heavy rainfall, in Bethanchowk, Kavre, Nepal.

Rain-induced floods and landslides wreaked havoc across Nepal leaving around 200 people dead and many missing in September. In the month following, flash floods ravaged eastern Spain leaving 140 people dead. The toll later climbed to 224 with many describing it as the worst floods the country has ever faced.

France too became a victim of a natural disaster. Cyclone Chido ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on 14 December, leaving 172 dead and thousands missing in the region. Chido was the worst storm to hit the territory in 90 years.

Philippines too was struck by a storm christened Trami which caused extensive flooding and landslides, killing more than 100 people. In September, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across five states of the US killing at least 89 people and injuring even more. The storm left devastation in its wake causing massive power outages and leaving many people homeless.

Ethiopia became a victim of the deadliest landslides in July this year, which claimed the lives of more than 250 people. The landslides hit thousands of people in the Gofa Zone. Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country.

In September, floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi claimed the lives of more than 500 people in East and South East Asia. Papua New Guinea too saw a massive landslide which claimed the lives of 670 people

In the first week of January, Japan was hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit its western coastline, killing 213 people. On the other side of the world, wildfires ravaged Chile in which 51 people perished.

Pope’s trip to Belgium turns sour

Pope Francis.

Pope Francis didn’t have the easiest time when he visited Belgium this year. At numerous state events, the Pope was called out for turning a blind eye towards reforms that would address the problem of clerical sexual abuse of children and even some adults.

Belgium's King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo also called on the Pope to take more concrete actions to help survivors of abuse by the Catholic clergy. In another incident, officials present at events at two Catholic universities denounced his stance on the role of women in the Church and society.

Hundreds perish in S Korea's deadliest plane crash

People stand as the wreckage of an aircraft lying on the ground after it went off the runway and crashed at Muan International Airport is pictured, in Muan, South Korea.

Days after the deadly Kazakh crash, a South Korean jet carrying 175 passengers and six crew members burst into flames after it crash landed at Muan airport in South Korea.

All 175 passengers and four of the six crew were killed when the Boeing 737-800 crash-landed at the aiport.

Witnesses present at the site recounted the horrific scenes saying they saw flames erupt in the jet's engine and heard multiple explosions before the incident. Bird strikes and poor weather are among possible reasons South Korean investigators are examining for the crash.