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2023 Year in Review: World-Shaping Stories

To recap 2023, NewsForKids.net is taking a look back at some of the most interesting stories we’ve covered this year.
Today we’re looking at some of the events that have most affected the world in 2023.

Balloon Sinks US-China Relations

The Chinese balloon drifts over Myrtle Beach shortly before being shot down.
The United States has shot down a large Chinese balloon that floated across the country. The US believes China used the balloon for spying. Relations between the two countries were already tense. The disagreement over the balloon has made things worse.


Are AI Tools Becoming Too Powerful?

An image purporting to illustrate artificial intelligence. It shows an outline of a human head with the brain visible, inside a circle surrounded by circuit boards.
Artificial Intelligence tools have become extremely powerful, surprising even their creators. Now, some people say there should be a pause in AI work to make sure it doesn’t become dangerous. Not everyone agrees.


French Workers Protest Over Pension Changes

May 1 march in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, 2023.
On Monday, people across France turned out to protest against the government of President Emmanuel Macron. The protests were part of a larger May Day celebration, but the focus was on the government’s decision to raise the country’s retirement age.


United Kingdom to Crown Its King

St. Edward's Crown, and the sovereign's orb, sceptres and ring.
In the United Kingdom on Saturday, Charles the III will officially be crowned king in a special “coronation” ceremony. It’s the first time the country has crowned a monarch in 70 years. People across the nation will be watching and celebrating the historic event.


WHO Says Covid-19 Global Emergency is Over

WHO leader Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shown during a WHO meeting in May, 2022.
On Friday, the World Health Organization announced that the coronavirus pandemic is not a global emergency anymore. The disease is now spreading much more slowly than before. The WHO says Covid-19 is still a problem, but the hardest part of the pandemic is over.


Heat Waves Around the World

This image uses data from the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission’s radiometer instrument and shows the land surface temperature across Europe and parts of northern Africa in the morning of 10 July 2023. Land surface temperatures hit 46°C in Rome, Italy, while Madrid and Seville reached 46 and 47°C, respectively.
Recently, people around the world have been experiencing some of the hottest weather ever recorded. In some places, the weather has been so hot that it’s been dangerous. The extreme weather is being caused by climate change.


US Auto Workers Go on Strike

Striking UAW workers march by roadside holding signs.
On Friday, thousands of workers at three of the largest US car companies went on strike. The workers are part of the United Auto Workers union, and they’re looking for better pay and job security, as car companies make the move to electric cars.


Global Protests to End Fossil Fuels

People protesting against fossil fuels in New York City on Sunday.
Over the weekend, people around the world turned out in huge numbers to protest the burning of fossil fuels. The protests – the largest since before the coronavirus pandemic – were meant to send a strong message to political leaders: “Take climate action now.”


Hamas Attacks Israel, Israel Strikes Back

Map showing October 2023 Gaza−Israel conflict
On Saturday, the militant Palestinian group Hamas surprised Israel with a large, violent attack. Hundreds of people were killed, and over 150 were taken prisoner. Israel has responded by declaring war on Hamas, killing hundreds in its attacks on the Gaza Strip.


COP28 Agrees To Move Away from Fossil Fuels

COP28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, and others celebrate after deal is reached.
The world’s countries have reached a new climate agreement. For the first time, the deal clearly calls on countries to move away from using fossil fuels to create energy. But many people say the agreement doesn’t go far enough to protect the planet from global warming.

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