From Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, 2022 was full of big news stories
In 2022, world-changing events made headlines. To name a few; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Elon Musk’s rise to prominence as Twitter’s “Chief Twit,” and protests across Iran following the death of 22-year-old woman.
Here are a few top newsmakers of 2022:
Elon Musk
Elon Musk completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in October, which had everyone on edge. After acquiring the company, he immediately fired its senior executives, including the Chief Executive Officer, Parag Agrawal, and the Chief Legal Officer, Vijay Gadde. His staff had to quickly restore a few employees after he fired more than half of Twitter’s 7,400 workers, including the company’s management. Musk has resurrected former US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, which was suspended for inciting violence in January 2021. One of the proposals he intends to implement is the creation of a powerful app comparable to China’s WeChat that would encompass everything from social networking to banking.
Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak made history by becoming the first British prime minister of South Asian descent. When his predecessor, Liz Truss, resigned in less than two months, making her the British Prime Minister with the shortest tenure in history, Sunak was appointed as the prime minister of Britain. He is the son-in-law of Infosys so-founder Narayana Murthy. Sunak is the first British-Indian prime minister and the youngest leader in more than two centuries.
Droupadi Murmu
Droupadi Murmu, who was elected India’s second female president, is a member of a tribal community and the country’s first tribal president. She succeeded Ram Nath Kovind as the youngest president of India and the first one born after independence. She took the oath and was inducted on July 25, 2022.
Johnny Depp
Hollywood actor, Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard went through a highly publicised defamation battle over alleged domestic abuse, which was highly publicised. The US jury found that both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard had defamed each other but awarded the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor with far stronger support.
King Charles
After almost 70 years, Prince Charles ascended to the thrones of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries. His mother Queen Elizabeth, who passed away in September, reportedly held the throne for the longest period of time of any heir in British history. Charles, who is 73 years old, faces the challenge of being a monarch with Camilla, his second wife, by his side. The public is still divided about Camilla. He is the oldest ruler of a thousand-year-old dynasty.
Vladimir Putin vs Volodymyr Zelensky in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
President Putin of Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24 this year. His invasion has sparked the deadliest European conflict since World War II, as well as the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West. Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky became a worldwide figure due to his country’s valiant resistance to the Russian invasion. Zelensky kept the world’s attention on this big story with his daily speeches and posts on social media. His efforts led to the international government mobilising against Russia and global corporations withdrawing from the country in favour of Ukraine. The long conflict that began in February when Putin invaded Ukraine has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, destroyed many villages, and cost billions of dollars in infrastructure damage.
Mahsa Amini’s death
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, was allegedly beaten to death by Iran’s Islamic moral police for violating the laws of hijab. The Iranian government reported on September 16 that Amini died in police custody of a heart attack. Multiple stories, however, asserted that she was beaten by police, after which she fell into a coma. Her killing sparked demonstrations across the country, which have subsequently evolved into one of the most significant threats to the religious leadership since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Edited by: Tanmoy Mitra
