Timeline (The World As We May Know It)

NOTE: This is no longer accurate.
This is the timeline of events in The World As We May Know It.
== 2024==
A new year comes, as the Russo-Ukrainian and Israel-Hamas wars continue to rage on with no end in sight. In Russia, incumbent president Vladimir Putin is reelected to an unprecedented fifth term in the 2024 electionVladimir Putin cements Russian rule for another six years, which is considered by many nations and independent organisations to have been unfairWest condemns ‘undemocratic’ Russian election as results show Putin landslide, especially due to Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory being forced to vote for Putin or be deportedUkrainians living under Russian occupation are coerced to vote for Putin. Regardless, Russia's allies congratulate Putin for his landslide victoryRussian election garners congratulations and condemnation. On 22-23 March 2024, at the Crocus City Hall concert, an unknown number of gunmen allegedly working for the Islamic State shoot 60 people Gunmen Kill 60 at Concert Hall Outside Moscow, Russian Authorities Say, forcing Russia to enact several counterterrorist measuresRussia Weighs Tighter Migrant Worker Rules After Moscow Attack; several people of Tajik descent are detained9 detained in Tajikistan in connection with Moscow concert hall attack, Russian state media report and all suspects captured are brutally tortured and publicly displacedDisplay of Battered Men Was Russia’s Warning to the Public, Analysts Say. Tajikistan protests this decision, demanding a fair trialTajikistan Denounces “Torture” of Tajik Suspects in Moscow Attack, Urges Fair Trial, but Russia - as usual - simply ignores it.
Tensions in the Middle East only continue to rise, especially after Israel attacks the Iranian embassy in Syria on 1 AprilIsraeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria killed 2 generals and 5 other officers, Iran says, and Iran promptly responds with drone strikes on 13-14 AprilIsrael’s war on Gaza updates: Iran sends drones, missiles towards Israel, which Israel and its allies successfully interceptUS military says it destroyed dozens of drones fired from Iran, Yemen. Despite attempts by the United States and its allies to relax the situationThe Latest | World leaders urge Israel not to retaliate for the Iranian drone and missile attack, Israel strikes many Iranian military bases in western Iran in late AprilIsrael vows to ‘exact a price’ after unprecedented Iranian attack while world leaders call for restraint, resulting in many military casualties. This leads to public outcry against the decaying situation, with many news headlines shouting "World War III". Iran further responds to this with a missile strike in Tel AvivIran warns Israel against 'reckless' retaliation, which Israel intercepts and shoots down near Syria, injuring many people in the region. Eventually, both powers back down after intense pressure from the United States, although tensions still remain high between the two countries, as both Israel and Iran blame each other for starting the conflict. In response to the crisis, Israel amps up its campaign in the Gaza, as its highly-anticipated Rafah offensive goes ahead in mid-MayIsrael-Hamas war: Netanyahu sets 'date' for Rafah offensive, resulting in many casualties. International outcry increases, as Spain, Ireland, Norway, Malta, Slovenia and Belgium group together to recognise the State of Palestine as a legitimate stateIreland, Spain, Norway moving closer to recognising a Palestinian stateSpain leads European push to recognise Palestine, risking Israel’s wrathWhy has Belgium vowed to back the ICJ’s verdict on Gaza ‘genocide’?, while Biden increases pressure on both Hamas and Israel for a ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aidJoe Biden calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza and says Israel must protect civilians to keep US support.
In Africa, things are both good and bad. In Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye is elected President, and begins making mass reforms. Throughout the first few months of his presidency, an audit of the oil, gas and mining sectors is conductedSenegal's new president announces oil, gas and mining sector audit, and the new president advocates for a diplomatic resolution to the Nigerien crisis. Meanwhile, over in the Horn of Africa, [TBA]
On 7 May, Putin is officially inaugurated for his fifth term. Later, on 9 May, Russia - wanting to capitalise on public support on Victory DayUkraine's top commander says Russia aims to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9 - launches its expected offensive in eastern UkraineRussia planning major new offensive in Donetsk region in coming months, ISW says; the first few days are widely successful, as Ukrainian forces retreat away from Luhansk Oblast, allowing Russian forces to recapture all of the state, advancing further into Kharkiv Oblast. However, due to Russian flaws in planning, including the rushed supply chain, and renewed aid from the Czech Republic-led initiativeZelenskyy thanks Pavel for Czech shells-for-Ukraine initiative, the offensive eventually halts after two weeks as the new Ukrainian defense line solidifies. Many Western experts now predict that Russia has wasted a lot of resources in this one offensive, and has no chance of conducting another proper offensive. The war has entered a new stalemate, as the Ukrainian military begins preparing for a new counteroffensive. The effectively failed Russian offensive renews calls for aid to Ukraine from the United States, with President Joe Biden stating that "the failure of this offensive presents to the world that Ukraine can still win", as the House moves closer to a deal. Eventually, by mid-May, the Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act is successfully passed by the HouseHouse Speaker Mike Johnson says he will push for aid to Israel and Ukraine this week, with far-right Republicans voting against it. 
Back in the United States, former president Donald Trump's legal issues continue to haunt him, as all his attempts at delaying or cancelling all trials failNew York appeals court rejects Donald Trump’s third request to delay Monday’s hush money trial; from April to June, the New York Supreme Court holds the "hush money" trial regarding falsified reports and alleged financial payments to silence any potential scandals during the 2016 electionTrump's hush-money trial begins with haggling over evidence. On 7 June, a significant decision is made, as Trump is convicted on all charges, being sentenced to twenty years in prison due to his significance as a former federal officerFormer federal prosecutor says Trump could be jailed if convicted for falsifying business records. The decision is protested by both Trump and his supporters, who demand the federal Supreme Court to intervene; the Court continues with its insurrection trial against Trump, but doesn't make any decision regarding the New York decision. Trump's conviction is a huge win for Biden, as many independent voters originally being left in the middle or reluctantly voting for Trump now move towards the DemocratsTrump conviction could hand victory to Biden, Super Tuesday exit polls show. However, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also increases his popularity, although he is still significantly less popular than both Biden and TrumpBiden closes gap on Trump but third-party candidates pose danger, polls show. Eventually, the Supreme Court rules in United States v. Trump that Trump had indeed encouraged insurrection and that the New York ruling was legitimate, and most notably that under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, Trump would be disqualified from the 2024 election, forcing the Republicans to restart their primaries; Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley emerge as the frontrunners in the quick primaries, although eventually many former Trumpists elect DeSantis as the new Republican candidate. 
Elon Musk meanwhile finds himself in legal issues, as in March he is sued by Parag Agrawal, Ned Segal, Vijaya Gadde, and Sean Edgett, the four former executives of Twitter, now 'X', who state that Musk unilaterally fired them to avoid paying severanceElon Musk and X sued by ex-Twitter GM Nick Caldwell over millions in unpaid severance. The lawsuit trial is held throughout late April and May, and ultimately the court rules in favour of the former executives, requiring Twitter to pay them $128 million as financial compensation. While Musk just laughs it off publicly, his troubles keep mounting, as his various attempts to silence various human rights groups for criticism of his app simply failJudge dismisses Elon Musk's suit against hate speech researchers. In 2022, when Musk purchased Twitter, it costed him $44 billion - by June 2024, it is now worth a mere $11 billionSee X's value plummet 72% in one chart, as more investors move away from Twitter as a result of the lawsuit. 
In Europe, many things occur, besides the Ukraine War. In May 2024, the 68th Eurovision is held, with Switzerland's Nemo winning the contestEurovision 2024: Switzerland’s Nemo continues to rule the betting odds; around the same time, a Dutch cabinet is finally established, with Pieter Omtzigt of the New Social Contract Party becoming Prime Minister. From 6 to 9 June 2024, elections for the European Parliament are held, with the European People's Party Group maintaining its plurality of seatsEU election 2024; however, the far-right Identity and Democracy group secures big wins in France, Austria and the Netherlands, showcasing a new era in EuropeA sharp right turn: A forecast for the 2024 European Parliament elections. Later in July and August, the Summer Olympics are held in FranceMacron Has a Lot Riding on the Paris Olympics, with the United States topping the medal table once again, its fourth time in a row, while China comes in secondForecasts for Paris 2024: The United States will win the medal table again and France expects its best performance in 120 years. Despite fears of potential Russian interference in the OlympicsParis 2024: Russia seeking to undermine Games, says Emmanuel Macron, the Olympics goes on relatively smoothly. In Autumn, two elections take place in Europe. In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party - dancing on its victory in the Austrian portion of the European Parliament - wins a plurality of seatsAustria is sleepwalking toward a far-right victory, although it is forced to form a coalition with the People's Party in order to gain the seats needed for a firm majority. In the United Kingdom, the Labour Party firmly kicks out the governing Conservatives from powerUK general election opinion poll tracker: Labour leading as election looms, forming the first Labour government since 2010. Back in Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany loses popularity due to protests earlier in the year against its alleged program of deporting immigrants from GermanyGermany's far-right AfD sees drop in popularity. In October, Mark Rutte, former Dutch prime minister, is appointed as NATO Secretary-GeneralStoltenberg’s successor: The selection and the priorities awaiting the new NATO Secretary General
And lo and behold, the 2024 elections in the United States are here. Biden wins a massive victory against DeSantis, competing with him on LGBT+ issues, abortion, immigration and further aid to Ukraine. DeSantis blames Biden for the Ukraine War, and promises he can peacefully end the war, while Biden states that Ukrainian victory will come eventually, remarking "all in good time". Following the election, DeSantis - despite being visibly annoyed about losing the election, concedes to Biden, stating that "American democracy has prevailed". As a result of this, many Trumpists who had backed DeSantis see him as a traitor of MAGA, and protests erupt; however, they ultimately end up nowhere, as Biden has fully won himself a second term, despite all odds against him. The Democrats increase their majority in the Senate and barely retake the HouseDemocrats' Chances of Flipping the House in 2024 Election. Jimmy Carter meanwhile dies on 19 November 2024 at the age of 100, becoming the first former president to reach the age of 100.
==2025==
Biden and Harris are officially inaugurated to a second term on 20 January, promising in his inauguration speech to continue aiding Ukraine "until the very end". Meanwhile, the 119th Congress is inaugurated, with Hakeem Jeffries becoming the Speaker of the House of Representatives. After his second inauguration, Biden flies to Warsaw to meet up with Zelenskyy (who has also flown to Warsaw), where he once again swears to send aid to Ukraine. The world sighs a breath of relief as Ukraine continues to fight with American and European lend-lease. 
==References==