2022 – War in Europe rocks global economy May: Sri Lanka riots Sep: Queen mourned Jul: Abe assassination Feb: Russia invades Ukraine Jul: Europe heatwaves Aug: Pakistan floods Jun: U.S. abortion ruling Sep: Iran protests Dec: Zelensky honour JAN 14 A volcanic eruption in Tonga triggers tsunamis across the Pacific Ocean 16 Tennis star Novak Djokovic is deported from Australia for not meeting coronavirus requirements FEB 4 The Winter Olympics open in Beijing, the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games 24 Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea in the biggest such attack in Europe since World War II MAR 4 A spent rocket booster smacks into the far side of the moon 9 Australia declares a national emergency in response to devastating floods along much of its east coast 27 Best actor winner Will Smith slaps host Chris Rock at the Academy Awards for making a joke about his wife APR 10 Imran Khan is ousted as Prime Minister of Pakistan in a motion of no-confidence 24 Emmanuel Macron is the first president of France in 20 years to win a second term 25 Twitter agrees to a $44 billion takeover offer by business magnate Elon Musk MAY 9 Sri Lanka’s prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns amid mass protests over the worst economic crisis in decades. Ongoing unrest forces out his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in July 11 The U.S. surpasses 1 million deaths attributed to Covid-19 15 Finland and Sweden announce they will apply to join NATO in the face of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine JUN 2 Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, marking her 70-year reign 17 The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, removing the federal right to an abortion JUL 7 UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson agrees to step down after mass resignations in parliament over his leadership 8 Shinzo Abe, former prime minister of Japan, is assassinated while campaigning for a political candidate 19 Persistent heatwaves through the summer affect much of western Europe, causing huge wildfires, mass evacuations and heat-related deaths AUG 2 U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flies into Taiwan despite Chinese threats of military action in response 29 Heavier than usual monsoon rains leave around one-third of Pakistan underwater, affecting 33 million people SEP 8 Queen Elizabeth II dies at age 96. On her death her eldest son becomes King Charles III 16 Widespread protests break out in Iran after 22 year-old Mahsa Amini is beaten to death by the religious police for not properly wearing her hijab 25 Italy gets its first female prime minister following right-winger Giorgia Meloni’s election win 30 Russia annexes four regions of Ukraine following sham referendums OCT 1 Soaring food and energy prices worsen cost of living crises in rich and poor nations alike, affecting millions across the globe 22 Xi Jinping is confirmed as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party for an unprecedented third term 24 Rishi Sunak becomes Britain’s third prime minister in 50 days, after Liz Truss is forced to resign when her economic policies lead to financial chaos 29 A deadly crush in Seoul kills over 150 mostly young people as they celebrate Halloween 30 Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva makes a stunning comeback to win Brazil’s presidential election NOV 8 A Republican “red wave” in the U.S. midterm elections fails to materialise as the Democrats retain control of the Senate 10 Russia abandons the city of Kherson, the only provincial capital captured during its invasion, marking a strategic victory for Ukraine 15 The world population reaches eight billion 15 Mass protests break out in mainland China over stringent anti-Covid measures DEC 8 Time names Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky its Person of the Year 11 NASA’s first Artemis flight splashes down after a 26-day mission to orbit the moon 13 Scientists in the U.S. achieve a long-held goal of producing energy from nuclear fusion Pictures: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS