Who is good and who is bad in 2024

In a region known for natural disasters making global headlines, Asia adds thousands of ‘climate victims’ in 2024.

Unlike 20 years ago, when the devastating Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami on December 26, 2004, killed more than 200,000 people, 2024 has been a year of increased losses from typhoons, floods, heat waves and droughts.

In one example, Super Typhoon Yagi, one of the strongest storms to hit Southeast Asia in recent years, left a trail of death and destruction in November. From the Philippines to southern China and Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, the storm killed hundreds of people and destroyed communities and livelihoods.

Annual monsoon floods have also left millions stranded and killed hundreds in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Nepal, making this year one of the deadliest years in recent memory. And if it wasn’t for the record-breaking rains, it was accompanied by drought and scorching temperatures, leading to months of severe water scarcity.

With extreme weather events becoming the norm and their victims increasingly ignored and forgotten, the region’s climate losses earn the dubious distinction of Asia’s Worst Year.

Where have all the babies gone? Grandparents and other lovers of newborn babies in most of East Asia are in for a tougher year in 2024. and Hong Kong.

Birth rates remained well below the level needed for stability if not a growing population. The long-term economic consequences could be significant as nations grapple with shrinking labor forces and aging populations.

In East Asia, women have few or no children. Changing gender roles, long working hours, high housing, education and childcare costs are cited as some of the factors behind this demographic trend.

At the end of the year, South Korea was also officially declared a “super-aged” society, a concept defined by the United Nations, as the proportion of citizens aged 65 and over now stands at 20% of its population. Home Affairs and Security.

From India and Japan to South Korea and Indonesia, and from Pakistan and Sri Lanka to Taiwan, elections in 2024 dominated. At the end of the year, however, it proved to be a thoroughly turbulent year, not just for the politicians in office, but for democracy itself.

The year began with Bangladesh’s longtime leader and prime minister Sheikh Hasina retaining power in an election boycotted by the opposition, only to resign and flee the country following weeks of student protests.

Ominously, the year ends with South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol declaring martial law eight months after his party’s landslide defeat in the general election, only for the National Assembly to successfully move to both force the lifting of martial law and impeach him. The fate of the president is now before the Constitutional Court.

However, the elections cemented a vibrant democracy in Taiwan. He forced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to govern with a coalition, surprised the current president of Pakistan and heralded the peaceful transfer of presidential power to former General Prabowo Subianto in Indonesia. Diverse, mixed democratic trajectories for Asia’s democracies characterizing 2024.

K is for Korean. Whether you’re listening to K-pop music, streaming K-drama, trying out the latest K-beauty product from Sulwhasoo, or grabbing Korean fried chicken or other K-food, you’ve succumbed to Hallyu. Korea’s wildly popular wave of cultural exports. 2024 has been a good year for this expanding wave of business that goes well beyond superstar music groups BTS and Blackpink.

Saying that a female baby pygmy hippopotamus named Moo Deng is taking the world by storm in 2024 – “bouncy pig” in Thai.

A “hyper-viral” baby pygmy born in Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo in July this year has seen memes, photos and videos of him go around the world.

Fan accounts on X, TikTok and Facebook continue to grow. And even NBC’s long-running US comedy show Saturday Night Live has fallen into Moo Deng mania. Asian American star Bowen Yang mimicked a baby hippopotamus in the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, lamenting the dangers of instant fame.

Increasing his fame, Moo Deng correctly predicted the winner of the 2024 US presidential race, choosing a fruit and vegetable plate bearing Trump’s name over his opponent Kamala Harris.

2024 may have been the year of the Dragon on the lunar calendar, but it was clearly the year of the Hippo in the hearts and minds of Moo Deng fans across Asia and beyond. To bring some hope and joy to a region and world that could use more good cheer, 2024’s “Asia’s Best Year” designation goes to Moo Deng.

Here’s to a hopeful and joyful 2025.