* Russian invasion of Ukraine: The Russian military invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The invasion has been met with strong international condemnation, and has led to widespread sanctions against Russia. The war is ongoing, and has resulted in significant loss of life and destruction in Ukraine.
* COVID-19 pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic continued to have a major impact on the world in 2022. The pandemic led to widespread lockdowns, travel restrictions, and economic disruption. New variants of the virus also emerged, leading to new waves of infection.
* Climate change: Climate change continued to be a major concern in 2022. The year saw a number of extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods. These events caused widespread damage and loss of life.
* Economic instability: The global economy faced a number of challenges in 2022, including rising inflation, supply chain disruptions, and the war in Ukraine. These factors led to a slowdown in economic growth and increased economic uncertainty.
* Political unrest: There was significant political unrest in a number of countries in 2022. This included protests, riots, and even coups d'état. Some of the countries affected by political unrest included Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka.
2021
* COVID-19 pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic continued to be the dominant global news story in 2021. The pandemic led to widespread lockdowns, travel restrictions, and economic disruption. New variants of the virus also emerged, leading to new waves of infection.
* Climate change: Climate change continued to be a major concern in 2021. The year saw a number of extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods. These events caused widespread damage and loss of life.
* Political instability: There was significant political instability in a number of countries in 2021. This included the fall of the Kabul government to the Taliban, the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, and the military coup in Myanmar.
* Economic recovery: The global economy began to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. However, the recovery was uneven, with some countries doing better than others.
* Technological advances: There were a number of significant technological advances in 2021. These included the development of new COVID-19 vaccines, the launch of new space missions, and the continued growth of artificial intelligence.