A year older, a year messier, the world has seen colder nights of war to sunniest days of massive heat waves. 2023 was a potpourri of India’s love to the moon and back, Taylor’s trends, heatwave hypes, tormenting earthquakes, and a heartbreak on pitch.

Israel-Hamas war

Before the world could fathom the bloody scars of the dragged Russia-Ukraine war, the dawn of early October brought the Gaza Strip and Israel on the threshold of war.

So far, the war has claimed the lives of 19,000 Palestinians and Israelis, including civilians, journalists, and UN workers.

The catastrophe began on Oct 7 when Palestinian militant group 'Hamas' fired more than 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.

The war has shattered Gaza and led to a severe humanitarian crisis where children's futures have turned into a smokescreen with shortages of food, water, medical supplies, and even fuel.

Currently, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to confirm a few days ago that new negotiations were under way to recover hostages held by Hamas.

As this man-made catastrophe will be dragged into next year, it reminds us of how natural disasters plagued the early months of 2023. While California's 'bomb cyclone' in early January resulted in property damage and at least 22 fatalities, February came with a worse fate.

The twin earthquake with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 shook southern Turkey near the Syrian border on Feb 6.

Almost 16% of Turkey’s population was reportedly affected, as over 41,000 people were reported dead.

Political porridge was almost poured on every continent. After a prolonged wait, the Brits got their coronated king of the United Kingdom. His ascension was followed by the death-record-breaking reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

While the coronation of King Charles III synced in May, in the same month, Pakistan lost its prime minister to detention in an alleged corruption case.

Pakistan’s downfall

The year 2023 was indeed a tough call for Pakistan, as, on the one hand, Imran Khan found him behind bars and the country sank into debt.

This year was crucial for the upcoming 2024 US presidential election's candidates. With Indian-origin candidates on board for the US presidential elections, the campaigns of three Indian-American leaders—Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, and Hirsh Vardhan Singh—are fighting for the Republican Party nomination.  

While On one hand, while sunshine fell on the glass walls of Expo City Dubai, where world leaders were discussing climate change at COP 28, climate change cast a shadow over 2023.

Heat waves, wildfires

The world experienced record-breaking temperatures, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. The World Meteorological Organisation declared 2023 the warmest year on record, continuing a troubling trend from the past nine years.

This takes us back to early August 2023, when a series of wildfires broke out in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The raging wildfires in Hawaii killed over 100 people and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina.

India’s events

While August gave pain to the west, it brought showers of joy among Indians as Chandrayaan-3 made a historic landing on the south pole of the moon on August 23.

However, a tragic triple-train crash shook India and the whole world in June. At least 275 people were killed and more than 1,000 were left injured in the horrific accident in Balasore district in India's Odisha.

In the part where India looked less, the eastern state of Manipur has been embroiled in ethnic violence since May 2023.

The tensions boiling between two groups, Kukis and Meiteis, have killed 175 people as of Sept 2023, according to government figures.

Submersible that suffocated the world

The month of June left the world haunted by the mysteries of the deep waters of the Atlantic, as everyone was awaiting the fate of the Titan submersible and its five occupants en route to see the Titanic wreckage.

Unfortunately, the lost submersible, which kept the agencies on their toes, reportedly imploded and led to the deaths of all those who were on board.

Amidst the tragic events, there was something in the world gaining gravity. Pop sensation Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was talk of the Gen-Z lane throughout the year.

Before the year could end on a happy note, it eclipsed Team India as Australia clinched the Cricket World Cup trophy. Australia won the match by six wickets.

For more such updates and news on the go, follow us on Instagram | YouTube | Facebook