Big news stories in the last 12 months

Here are some of the biggest news stories from the last 12 months (January 2022 to December 2022):

  1. Russia-Ukraine War: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated in February 2022, with Russia launching a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has resulted in thousands of deaths, widespread destruction, and a massive humanitarian crisis.
  2. COVID-19 Omicron Variant: The Omicron variant of COVID-19 was first detected in November 2021 and spread rapidly around the world, causing a surge in cases and hospitalizations. The variant has been linked to increased transmissibility and has led to renewed public health measures.
  3. US Midterm Elections: The 2022 United States midterm elections took place in November 2022, with Republicans gaining control of the House of Representatives and Democrats maintaining control of the Senate.
  4. FBI Raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago: In August 2022, the FBI raided former US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, seizing documents and other materials as part of an investigation into Trump's handling of classified information.
  5. Queen Elizabeth II's Death: Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch in history, passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. Her son, King Charles III, succeeded her as monarch.
  6. Hurricane Ian: A powerful hurricane made landfall in Florida in September 2022, causing widespread destruction and flooding, particularly in the city of Fort Myers.
  7. China's Zero-COVID Policy: China's strict zero-COVID policy, which aimed to eliminate the virus from the country, has been widely criticized for its economic and social impacts. Protests and demonstrations have taken place across the country, calling for greater freedoms and an end to the policy.
  8. Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover: In October 2022, Elon Musk completed his acquisition of Twitter, a social media platform with over 440 million users. Musk has made significant changes to the platform, including introducing a new verification system and relaxing content moderation policies.
  9. North Korea's Nuclear Tests: North Korea conducted a record-breaking number of nuclear tests in 2022, including a test of its largest and most powerful nuclear weapon to date.
  10. Iran Protests: Protests have been taking place in Iran since September 2022, sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code. The protests have been met with a violent crackdown by the authorities.
  11. NASA's Artemis Program: NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2024, made significant progress in 2022, including the successful launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft.
  12. Climate Change and Extreme Weather: 2022 was marked by extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, and floods, which have been linked to climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report in August 2022 warning of the urgent need for action to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

These are just a few of the many significant news stories from the last 12 months.