As 2023 draws to a close, it is with a somber mood that we look back to reflect on the highs and lows of the past year. Some events stood out for their sheer absurdity in the midst of an ongoing war in Gaza where Israeli attacks have claimed more than 21,000 lives as of December 28. Other events were tethered to the effects of climate change, while some rung a bell because of their significance.
Here’s hoping that 2024 will be a more peaceful and prosperous year.
Global divide over the war in Gaza
While no words can describe the devastation, fear and loss reverberating globally about the Israeli aggression in the besieged Palestinian coastal enclave, the most important thought in all our minds is the end of the current war and lasting peace for all Palestinians.
Customers boycotting brands as well as wide-scale protests outside various retail outlets were registered at an unprecedented scale.
Spanish high street brand Zara stood out for its ‘tone-deaf’ and controversial ad campaign ‘depicting devastation in Gaza’. It removed the posts shortly after the backlash, calling it a “misunderstanding”. However, the physical stores worldwide continued to experience mass protests.
American coffee chain, Starbucks, also faced boycotts and protests, leading to a statement by its CEO.
Record travel amidst record temperatures
The post-pandemic travel boom continued amidst rising travel prices leading to overcrowding of popular tourist locations while also experiencing record heat waves in Europe.
Global travel demand: short-lived or will the trend sustain?
International travel reached around 90% of pre-pandemic levels this past year, according to the International Air Transport Association. Case-in-point: record tourists in France, Italy, Croatia among others, as Western and Southern Europe experienced record temperatures.
In Athens, the Acropolis had to limit visitors to prevent archaeological damage and to combat the heat – temperatures reached 41 degrees celsius – while Venice and Paris contemplated how to manage the influx of tourists.
France pledges to combat ‘overtourism’
The opening of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) and Jio World Plaza
In April, Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his wife, Nita opened NMACC – a multidisciplinary center, with a star-studded opening attended by many global celebrities. It was conceptualised with the aim of showcasing Indian arts and culture nationally and internationally, as well as being an inclusive centre for performers and visitors.
In attendance were Gigi Hadid, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Penelope Cruz.
In November, the retail arm of Reliance industries opened Jio World Plaza, a space designed to host a collection of high-end, global brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany with the aim of bringing curated global brands to India. The project is helmed by Isha Ambani.
It is India’s time on the global stage; Pakistan is nowhere near it
Barbie becomes first female-helmed billion-dollar movie, leads pack of Golden Globe nominations
With nine nominations under its belt, summer blockbuster ‘Barbie’ also holds the record for becoming the first billion-dollar film by a female director, Greta Gerwig.
Gerwig will also be heading the upcoming 77th Cannes Film Festival jury in May.
India’s moon landing
In August, India became the fourth country after the United States, Russia and China to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, signaling its continued rise. It also managed to do this at a fraction of the cost of previous missions carried out by different countries.
It also became the first country to land near the south pole – a notably difficult terrain, in a historic exploratory mission. It is speculated that this uncharted region’s ice could supply fuel, oxygen and drinking water for future missions.
“This is a victory cry of a new India,” cited India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the time, who was seen waving the Indian flag as he watched the landing from South Africa, where he was politicking at the BRICS summit.
Cultural icon Taylor Swift is TIME magazine’s Person of the Year
TIME magazine named US pop superstar Taylor Swift as its Person of the Year, calling the musical force of nature the “hero of her own story.”
Swift smashed industry records this year with both her tour and the film of the globetrotting musical cavalcade that is estimated to bring in almost $2 billion of revenue.
The choice quickly became controversial with many criticising the publication for not highlighting the ongoing war in Gaza. Soon after, many alternate covers began circulating online that portrayed the journalists on the ground in Gaza, such as Motaz Aziza who has garnered over 17 million followers since the beginning of the war.
Dubai experiences record tourists
The glitzy gulf city again saw record tourists this year in a push to become a veritable cosmopolitan hub in an effort to diversify its economy.
London ranked first, Dubai at 6th place among top cities to live and prosper in 2024
Dubai welcomed 13.9 million visitors from January to October 2023, up from 11.4 million during the same period last year, according to reports.
Pakistan was number ten in the rankings of countries from where the most visitors came into Dubai between Jan and Oct - some 286,000. India was in top place (1.9 million), followed by UK (954,000), Saudi Arabia (930,000), Russia (917,000) and Oman (860,000).
Dubai, Doha, London among top cities where international travellers loved to splurge in 2022
Losing beloved familiar faces
2023 was also the year we saw the loss of some beloved personalities and characters. Zia Mohyeddin, eminent actor and literary figure passed away early in the year.
He was best known for being the very first Pakistani actor to break into Hollywood with a role in British classic ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ in 1962, and for his contribution to Urdu literature and poetry.
More recently, Matthew Perry, or rather ‘Chandler’ from the hit television sitcom ‘Friends’, met an untimely death as he was found dead in his house at the age of 54.
Fans and friends flooded social media with their tributes and anecdotes about Perry, who had long struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
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