Farewell to 2017: The International Edition

It’s coming to that time of the year when we say goodbye to 2017 and welcome in 2018.  And we do it with a review of the ‘big’ news stories of the past 12 months.

Radio Today looks at some of the events that shaped world events in 2017.

It’s been a big year with US President Donald Trump dominating the news cycles since taking the Oath of Officer in January.

He’s argued about the size of his inauguration crowd and was the inspiration of the Women’s March on DC. The FBI continues to investigation links with Russia, while he continues to tweet, accusing the media of ‘fake news’.

Then there’s the ongoing war of words with North Korea, his battle with the Senate and a strained relationship with other world leaders – the former reality TV star is barely of the headlines.

2017 also saw Mother Nature at her devastating worst, unleashing a series of Hurricanes through the Caribbean and the United States.

Australia wasn’t exempt with Tropical Cyclone Debbie tearing through northern Queensland, knocking out power to more than 140,000 properties and leaving a trail of destruction.

While some tragedies can be blamed on nature, others in 2017 have been man-made.

ISIS-inspired terror attacks across Europe and the UK claimed many lives and left many people injured.

In May, 22 people died when a suicide bomber detonated an explosion at Ariana Grande’s concert in Manchester.  More than 60 others were injured in the blast.

A month later, pedestrians were run down on London Bridge.  The assailants then attacked people in the Borough Markets. Eight people were killed including Australians Kirsty Boden and Sara Zelenak.

In August, a van was again the weapon of choice in Barcelona, where 13 people were mown down. Seven-year-old Julian Cadman was the sole Australian victim.

Other attacks were recorded in the US, with terrorists targeting New York City in two separate incidents.

The United States also saw more gun violence in 2017.

In Las Vegas, a gunman opened fire on a country music festival, killing 58 people and wounding more than 500 others.

That was in October. And just weeks later, a man with a gun opened fire inside a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.  26 people were killed and 20 other parishioners were injured.

And in Hollywood, allegations about producer Harvey Weinstein began to emerge.  To date, more than 100 women have come forward with stories of his behaviour.

Other stars have been dragged into the scandal, including Academy Award-winning actor, Kevin Spacey, who is at the centre of allegations on both sides of the Atlantic.

While the entertainment world tries to recover, thousands of women around the world began to stand up against abuse, harassment and assault.

The #MeToo campaign has been recognised as one of the most powerful movements in decades, earning some of those behind it Time Magazine’s “People” of The Year.

Next, we look at some of the big news that made news in Australia. From the citizenship saga to “Cocaine Cassie” to marriage equality, it’s hardly been a boring year in Australian news.