By J.M. Lindsay
- The space race continues: Japan landed SLIM (Smart Lander for Lunar Exploration) on a lunar crater; China returned soil samples from the far side of the Moon; NASA's Perseverance rover found possible evidence of microbial life on Mars; SpaceX, Starliner made a big splash.
The world is bracing for China Shock 2.0. China's success has come at a high cost to the United States, which has lost a million jobs. Washington is almost certain to raise tariffs in 2025, which could trigger a trade war.
The civil war in Sudan continues. - Developments in artificial intelligence continue to amaze and worry.
- Russia goes on the offensive in Ukraine.
- The established political parties are taking control of the situation. However, the right is growing in popularity, and many are wondering how democracy will develop if the problem is not with its leaders, but with the intractability of the problems they face?
- The climate continues to warm.
Middle East upheaval. The year began with Hamas attacking Israel, continued with wars in Gaza and against Hellbollah, and ended with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.
Rise of the axis of autocracies. The return of geopolitical competition is evident in the growing cooperation between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Donald Trump wins the US presidential election.
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