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Correct to 30th March, 2014 - Post 693

January 2, 2017: Fox News anchor Gerald Rivera announces he will run for Governor in his home state of New Jersey.

January 3, 2017: On the one year anniversary of renewed chemical weapons exchanges in Syria, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani proposes to facilitate tentative peace talks between all combatants, on the precondition that Bashar al-Assad be able to attain political amnesty in some form. The motion draws outrage from human rights organisations and Saudi Arabia, but the severity of the civil war, and the ensuing intervention have galvanised many in both the Western and Eastern spheres into seeking any sort of end to the conflict. The government of Istanbul is surprisingly receptive of the proposition, as concerns over mounting fleeing Syrians and growing Kurdish separatism have aligned Turkish-Iranian interests. Refusal of the proposal, said Rouhani, “would only warrant further unpleasant events - as we see now and we as we may continue to see.”

Also on January 3, 2017. President Mar Roxas and the Philippine government announces his intentions to enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Philippine economy has grown over the last years of Benigno Aquino III's Presidency (albeit slower since the crash of 2015), which many attribute to the economic and political reforms he has done over the six-years of his tenure.

January 4, 2017: Cambodia, and the other Mexican summit nations announce interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

January 10, 2017: Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) releases the i11, the German automaker’s third iteration of its all-electric vehicular line, to critical and consumer acclaim. Vastly improving upon previous generations, the i11 is capable of distancing over 510 kilometres on a full battery, which with current technology is recharged in under 5 minutes. Priced at only $21,000, the i-series introduces its most cost-friendly model yet, with estimates for this intro year’s global sales to surpass a record 306,000. Maintaining a carbon-fibre body and integrated autonomous driving, the i11 hits the road in competition with industry giant the Nissan Leaf – the Renault-Nissan Alliance itself in possession of just over half the world EV marketplace. Meanwhile, strong entries by Audi to Honda continue to make huge strides as the number of renewable vehicles worldwide surpasses 9 million

January 11, 2017: The government of Iceland announces that it will be adopting the Canadian dollar as its official currency citing its stability and strength throughout the constant crises of the past decade.

January 16, 2017: Former President Jimmy Carter dies at his home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 92.

January 22, 2017: In a widely criticized move, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe appoints himself to the vacant Senate seat left by Vice President Mark Warner.

January 24, 2017: Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is confirmed as Secretary of State after being appointed by President Dean. Richardson is the first Hispanic to hold this position.

February 5, 2017: Super Bown LI The New England Patriots surprisingly win yet another Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons at overtime (33-21) at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

February 7, 2017: Caving to popular demand, Disney and DreamWorks jointly announce that a new Frozen-Rise of the Guardians crossover film (starring both Queen Elsa and Jack Frost) is in the works, and will be released somewhere around 2019-2020.

February 10, 2017: Fighting in Guatemala has died down as cartels are sent underground. A historical photo was taken of two soldiers, a Mexican and an American, smiling despite their wounds after carrying a pregnant woman from a nearby village to a hospital during a firefight.

February 12, 2017: The Canadian government unveils the design of its new destroyers (the first of three successive designs) under the Canadian Destroyer eXperimental Program. The destroyers are 520 feet (158.5 meters) in length, 66 feet (20.12 meters) wide, have draft of 21 feet (6.4 meters), displace round 10,000 tons. They are armed with the AEGIS combat system a pair of 155mm AGS naval guns on a twin mount turret, 2 64-cell VLS, 2 x 30mm Phalanx MC2 CIWS, 2 x Mk.32 12.75“ triple fire torpedo tubes, 4 M242 Bushmaster autocannons, and 6 Diemaco C25 14.5mm machine guns. It will also carry two CH-148 Cyclone helicopters. The destroyers will also be powered by a quartet of General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines and have a maximum speed of 35 knots (64.82 km/h).

February 13, 2017: Canada's new destroyers are named HMCS Haida (DDG-284), HMCS Cayuga (DDG-285), HMCS Seneca (DDG-286), and HMCS Blackfoot (DDG-287).

February 14, 2017: In a surprise address to a crowd in Manila, President Roxas announces an ambitious transportation project, that will boost the Philippine economy and provide hundreds of thousands of jobs. Chief among them is a high-speed rail line between Baguio and Legazpi through Manila, Angeles City, Batangas, and Naga City.

February 18, 2017: The HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of Britain's new class of carrier, is commissioned and deploys for sea trails. Evaluators praise the new warship, and note that the carrier provides Britain with power projection capabilities not seen since the decommissioning of the old Ark Royal.

February 21, 2017: The Guatemalan civil war is declared over after Intervention forces captured the leader of the Guatemalan Cartels, A Armano Rodregez, in Mixco. Rodgregez would go to give information on all the cartels hiding in Guatemala. What is called by historians as the “Clearing” phase of the Cartel Wars.

March 3, 2017: The crisis in the Central African Republic is getting worse by the day, with the Bokassists gaining ground against French peacekeeping forces in the southwestern part of the country.

Meanwhile, construction of Manila's first underground subway has begun for a stretch of subway between the centre of Manila and Ninoy Aquino International Airport. When complete around 2028 (in time for the 2028 Olympics), the Manila Metro would stretch some 300 miles over 6 lines and 175 stations across Metro Manila.

March 6, 2017: The USN announces the names of the next seven Gerald R. Ford-class super-carriers: USS Intrepid (CVN-81), USS Hornet (CVN-82), USS Saratoga (CVN-83), USS Constellation (CVN-84), USS Yorktown (CVN-85), USS Reprisal (CVN-86), and USS United States (CVN-87).

March 10, 2017: What are now being called the Olympic protests have continued and expanded to other cities within Brazil with the expressed goal of reducing inequality and improving the plight of the poor. Unlike the Occupy movement years ago the Olympic protests of explicit goals of higher minimum wage, work place regulation, protection of Brazil Jobs, and expanding welfare. Heloísa Helena moves to co-opt the protests and joins in with them while campaigning.

March 13, 2017: In the wake of the Olympic Protests, Prince Pedro Carlos announces his intentions to run for President in the Brazilian elections next year.

The former Prince is running under his own party, the Movement for Progress and Liberty (MPL), in which he supports some of the tenets of the Olympic Protests, like the expansion of welfare and higher minimum wages.

Meanwhile, despite French peacekeepers' efforts, the Bokassists are now gaining ground in the brutal 4-way civil war. So far, up to 450 peacekeepers have been killed during this conflict, with 3 killed in the latest clashes.

March 15, 2017: The JS Iwate (DDH-184) is commissioned into the Japanese Naval Forces as the second Izumo-class helicopter destroyer.

March 18, 2017: Alabama US Representative Bradley Byrne resigns from the congress following a sex scandal.

March 19, 2017: The British government announces that it will build a third Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier (named the HMS Duke of Edinburgh (R10)), 16 more Type 45 destroyers, expand the order of Type 26 frigates to 24, and order a further nine Astute-class submarines.

April 3, 2017: The British government announces that the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers will remain in the STOBAR configuration. They also announce that they are unterminating the F-35B purchase and are increasing it to an order of 144 F-35Bs.

April 6, 2017: The Bokassist advance continues, with their armies now 25 km from the capital of Bangui. Despite the advance, they are facing stiff resistance from the Séléka-backed government.

Work is started on the Peter Lougheed Nuclear Generating Station in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The plant will have eight ACR-1000 nuclear reactors providing a maximum load of 9,600 megawatts, enough to provide power for over 10 million homes. In addition to the electric power, the steam from the facility was piped to many of the Tar Sands plants for usage in the process, further increasing the energy efficiency improvements in the facility making environmentalist happy. The project is expected to cost 24 billion Canadian dollars.

April 24, 2017: Former University of Alabama Quarterback AJ McCarron who failed to make it in the NFL announces he will run in Alabama's 1st District for Bradley Byrne's vacated seat as a Republican.

May 4, 2017: Facing a weak economy and increasing opposition over his intervention in the C.A.R. (which is increasingly becoming a quagmire), François Hollande loses his re-election bid to former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who lost to Hollande in 2012.

Meanwhile, Canada takes the option for a third Berlin-class replenishment vessel and names it the HMCS Oswego (AOR-513).

May 5, 2017: In a surprise vote, a slim majority of Britons (around 53.1%) vote to remain in the European Union.

In the US, President Dean selects popular Senator Tammy Duckworth to replace retiring Wesley Clark as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

May 8, 2017: Republican Illinois Governor Dan Rutherford appoints Representative Adam Kinzinger to fill the vacancy in the senate left open by the retirement of Tammy Duckworth to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

May 9, 2017: During a 16-hour filibuster of a government surveillance bill introduced by Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Senate Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) sings the Mean Kitty Song. A few minutes later he yields to a question by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) who is also opposed to the bill, who asks him a question about cats stating she just got a cat who is supposedly messing up her house and doesn't know what to do. Senator Thune answers Senator Gillibrand's “question” and goes on to talk about other random subjects.

May 10, 2017: Eurovision Song Contest 2017 The UK hosts the Eurovision Song Contest in London. In a push to increase participation, the EU accepts Egypt as a member and splits Cyprus into North and South (as so in Turkvysion) which turns out to be a controversial topic spoken about the contest that year. In the end Finland wins with a run-away score with the UK coming second.

May 12, 2017: Bill O'Reilly praises Senator Thune and Senator Gillibrand for their interchange in the senate as they worked together to filibuster a bill they both disliked despite their great ideological difference. He called it as a “rare example of modern bipartisanship in America.”

May 15, 2017: French President Nicolas Sarkozy finally announces the complete withdrawal of all French peacekeeping troops. Despite the Bokassists' advance 5km southwest of Bangui, and calls from the international community (especially South Africa) to remain, the war is very unpopular with the French people (so much so, that is was the main reason behind the downfall of former President François Hollande).

Meanwhile in the US, Senator Carper's bill fails with a vote of 41 for and 59 against.

May 16, 2017: President Howard Dean signs the American Infrastructure Rebuild Act into law authorizing the spending of 7.8 trillion dollars over ten years to completely rebuild and modernize the entirety of America's infrastructure.

May 21, 2017: Chuck Berry dies peacefully in his sleep, at the age of 90. Tributes from all over the music world pour in, with a tribute concert being attended by acts such as The Rolling Stones and Jeff Lynne. His death leaves Jerry Lee Lewis, suffering from liver cancer, and “Little” Richard Penniman as the last survivors from the beginning of Rock 'N' Roll.

May 26, 2017: Nicaragua petitions and is quickly accepted to become an observer-candidate to the burgeoning Latin American trading bloc, the Alianza del Pacífico, becoming the first of the Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América (ALBA) to do so. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro comments on the move, calling it “…an unfortunate, but not necessarily unexpected development.” Having yet to have signed an all-inclusive FTA with full members Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica and Panama, Nicaragua joins Paraguay, Guatemala, and a host of others in-line for greater participation in the body, thought to be in direct competition with the Brazilian-dominated Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR) and the aforementioned ALBA. Ecuador, another ALBA member caught in the regional tug-of-war, states its intention to follow within the coming months, as the value of the Pacific Alliance has grown enormously, valued at over two trillion dollars.

To mark the fortieth anniversary of the original Star Wars film, Disney releases Han Solo, a film about the early adventures of the character made famous back in 1977 by Harrison Ford. Although Ford features in the film as the narrator, the actual role of Han Solo is played by Jake Short. It’s the first Star Wars not to feature the name of the series in the title.

June 4, 2017: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gets easily re-elected President by a wide margin. The deal with the West over the country's nuclear program and signs of political reform proves to be popular within the country.

Madonna dies in a plane crash in Moscow, Russia following the final show of her Queen of Pop Tour, which was promoting her No.1 album Reinvention.

In Colorado, Governor John Hickenlooper signs a bill raising the state age of consent from 17 to 18.

June 5, 2017: Bokassist troops finally assume full control of the capital city of Bangui. A declaration by the leader of the Bokassist forces restores the Central African Empire under Crown Prince Jean-Bédel Bokassa as Emperor Bokassa II.

Despite their control of Bangui and a huge swath of the southwestern CAR/CAE, they are still fighting armies of Séléka and pre-Séléka rebels, as well as the Maoists who control the south.

June 8, 2017: Kim Kardashian gives birth to another daughter. Her and the girls father, Kanye West, decide to name her Karrie.

June 12, 2017: Sir Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber dies of a heart attack during a preview to his upcoming show School of Rock. As the theatre industry mourns, School of Rock is delayed for 3 months.

June 14, 2017: Kylie Minogue announces that she is retiring from music in 3 years time to focus on family. She intends to use the 3 years to release a final studio LP, plus a greatest hits, and a massive farewell tour.

Meanwhile, Former NBA Star Charles Barkley announces that he will run for Governor of Alabama as an independent.

June 15, 2017: The Montreal Canadians defeat the Edmonton Oilers in seven games to win the Stanley Cup. They become the first team in the NHL to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. The series is also notable for being the first Stanley Cup Finals to feature two Canadian teams since 1989. All the while, protests and grass-roots movements to bring a second team to Québec have continued.

June 16, 2017: Wanger, starring Ben Stiller in the title role is released. The film is a not-to-subtle satire of washed-up US Politician Anthony Wiener and the various sex scandals he has been involved in over the years.

June 18, 2017: The Australian government announces that it will construct sixteen nuclear power plants across Australia as part of an initiative to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

June 28, 2017: Radical Serbian nationalists (led by Dragan Todorović) stage massive protests against the country's European integration, and its “acquiescence towards recognizing the rebel province of Kosovo”. However, they are diffused when former Crown Prince Alexander backs the government and rejects the nationalist movement, even meeting with President Tomislav Nikolić the day after.

Due to his unwavering support for European integration, Crown Prince Alexander becomes more popular then ever, with some even suggesting a restoration of the Serbian monarchy, similar to Montenegro's restoration several years earlier.

July 1, 2017: Canada celebrates one hundred years since confederation. Festivities and special events are held across the country to mark the occasion.

July 4, 2017: Lockheed Martin Skunk Works unveils the prototype high beta fusion reactor to the world.

July 7, 2017: Vincent Viola declares that the Florida Panthers of the NHL have filed for bankruptcy. Speculation begins that he team will move.

July 10, 2017: After a weekend of dealings, Pierre Karl Péladeau announces the he has bought the Florida Panthers and plans to move them to Québec City. Fans of the long departed Québec Nordiques rejoice at finally getting another NHL team

July 14, 2017: President Peña Nieto officially declares the end of the Cartel Wars after a solid 2 months of little to no cartel activity. Intervention forces are scheduled to leave Guatemala in December. Though the Cartels are not gone many have been dismantled and organized Crime in the Americas has been effectively broken. Trading around the world soars after the successful news.

July 16, 2017: 129th IOC Session The 129th IOC Session votes in Perth, Australia. Dark Horse candidate Charlotte, North Carolina, USA wins in a close 50-46 vote over Casablanca to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Mayor Patrick Cannon welcomes the challenge for the so-called Queen City, promising to hold “a very memorable Games.”

In a surprise vote, the IOC awards the 2028 Summer Olympics to Manila, Philippines. In a statement just after the selection, President Mar Roxas welcomes the challenge for the “Pearl City of the Orient”, promising to hold “one of the most memorable, if not THE most memorable Games”.

July 20, 2017: The race for the XXV Winter Olympiad is on with the submitting of applications in preparation for the 121st IOC Session set for 2019. The lineup of cities is diverse and goes as follows: Beijing, China; Santiago, Chile; Lviv, Ukraine; and Québec City, Canada. Most observers are quick to narrow down the favourites to the Chinese and Canadians, with both embarking on an international media campaigns highlighting culture and history.

July 24, 2017: Little Mix announces that following the collapse of their record deal with Simon Cowell, they will be going on a 2 year hiatus. Member Perrie Edwards, however, will not be taking a break since she's just signed a deal with Universal Records, with first album due in 2018.

July 28, 2017: Former Eurovision Song Contest winner, N-Dubz member and X-Factor UK judge Tulisa is seriously wounded in prison, being transported to a hospital in the Greater London area.

July 29, 2017: Tabloid newspapers report on Tulisa’s injury gained in prison and announce she is in critical condition, but likely to make a recovery. They also reveal that she was stabbed by a fellow in-mate who confessed that she had been smuggling contraband into the jail.

August 1, 2017: While on a hiking trip with her family, Debbie Stabenow, the senior senator from Michigan trips and falls to her death. She was 67.

August 4, 2017: Disney releases an animated film Star Wars: R2-D2's Mission, featuring the famous robot. The film also features voice work from Star Wars alumni Mark Hamill.

August 5, 2017: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder appoints Representative Justin Amash to the senate seat left open by Senator Stabenow's death.

August 11, 2017: August 11, 2017: Based on the first instalment of the young adult book series by Richard Paul Evans, the widely anticipated film Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 opens in American theatres. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence and stars Luke Benward as Michael Vey, Daniel Craig as Dr. Hatch, Olivia Holt as Taylor Ridley, Robert Capron as Ostin Liss, David Henrie as Jack and Ali Larter as Sharon Vey.

August 13, 2017: Michael Vey is the #1 highest grossing movie of the weekend with critics praising it and calling it the next Harry Potter

August 15, 2017: Jorge Herrera Caldera, former PRI governor of Durango, is Elected as the President of Mexico on the promises to work closer with “our American Brothers”

August 17, 2017: A tribute album to Madonna, titled Lady With Attitude, is released featuring covers from Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Jessie J and Beyoncé. The album tops the charts worldwide. Only one single comes from it, Jessie J's version of Ray of Light, which only does well in the UK.

September 3, 2017: The Nations of Chiles, Bolivia, Argentina, and Venezuela All seek to join in the summit in San Francisco.

September 6, 2017: Bokassist troops storm the Séléka stronghold of Bambari, killing several thousand Séléka rebels. With several towns falling to Bokassists, the self-proclaimed Central African Empire now controls all of the C.A.R. west of the so-called “Kabo-Kaga-Bakala-Bambari Line”

the New Caledonian independence referendum takes place. After the long campaigns from both sides, the independence side manages to win by a slim majority (just .6% above the 51% threshold).

With the results now favouring independence, the French begin preparations for the transfer of sovereignty to the independent New Caledonian government on 5 November this year.

Angela Merkel's CDU wins a plurality of seats in the Bundestag, leading to a grand coalition with the SPD.

September 24, 2017: A new reality show premiers on Animal Planet called Vegas Vets starring disgraced former Nevada US Senator John Ensign revolving around his veterinary practice in Las Vegas.

October 1, 2017: The People's Republic of China conducts naval war games in the South China Sea with the Russian Navy, with both countries contributing an aircraft carrier. The exercise is closely watched by Japan and the United States, both of which are wary of growing military friendliness between China and Russia.

October 4, 2017: Cliff Richard announces his retirement from music, with immediate effect, after being diagnosed with pneumonia just days after finishing a run at the Royal Albert Hall.

October 5, 2017: In a surprise ceremony, the governments of the Russian Federation and People's Republic of China sign the Agreement of Mutual Assistance. It is a significant economic and military partnership, bringing the two countries closer economically but, more importantly to Tokyo and Washington, bringing China and Russia together as official military allies. Both countries, considering themselves victims of an aggressive American foreign policy, are feeling increasingly threatened and so have banded together to present a stronger defence against America as a deterrent against aggression.

On the 55th anniversary of the release of “Love Me Do”, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr announce they will perform in a small number of shows worldwide, using hologram technology to portray John Lennon and George Harrison. The tickets for these shows are brought quickly, breaking the world record for the fastest selling out of a show. The opening show, in Liverpools Echo Arena, is televised worldwide. Critics praise the performance itself, but some call the obvious gap between the youthful projections and the visibly aged Ringo and Paul, both now approaching their 80's, “disconcerting”.

October 6, 2017: Construction begins on the new Manila Olympic Stadium that will serve as the venue for athletic sporting events during the 2028 Olympics. Constructed on reclaimed land to the south of the city centre (along with the rest of Olympic Park), it is one of the many projects by the Philippine government to prepare the city for the 2028 Games.

October 7, 2017: Work has officially started on a massive, ambitious project by the Kazakh government to return the North Aral Sea to its pre-1960 levels. The project calls for 2 massive dikes across the western and eastern edges of the former Kokaral Island that would retain water from the Syr Darya, and thus refill the North Aral seabed.

October 18, 2017: Disney announces that they have acquired Dreamworks Animation in a $2.6 billion deal. The deal comes on the heels of the announcement of the Frozen/Rise of the Guardians crossover. Dreamworks' properties, including Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, and Rise of the Guardians, become property of Disney and most of its employees are absorbed into Disney and Pixar. A crossover between Brave and How To Train Your Dragon is also announced for 2020, while a release month of November 2019 is given for the Frozen/Rise of the Guardians crossover.

October 19, 2017: Disney announces an overhaul to the Disney Princess brand and Jennifer Lee, director of Frozen, is named as the new creative director of the brand. Among the creative changes announced include a change in focus to reflect more modern ideals, with the “girly girl” aspects of the Princess brand to be toned down in favour of a more gender-neutral approach. In addition, the Princesses will now be allowed to interact with one another in official works, with the new Disney Princess Adventures cartoon announced for the Disney Channel in fall 2018, in which Disney heroines (not just official Princesses, but others such as Esmeralda, Megara, and Jane, along with Dreamworks females like Astrid), find themselves in a variety of adventures and have to work together to save the day.

October 21, 2017: Reinvention II: Still the Queen is released as a posthumous album by Madonna, featuring songs left over from the Reinvention sessions as well as other previously unreleased tracks. Lead single Goodbye, the last recording before her death, becomes a world-wide smash hit.

October 23, 2017: The relocated Florida Panthers, now officially the Québec Nordiques play their home-opener at the New Colisée in Québec City.

October 27, 2017: 2017 World Series After a bruising season, the Boston Red Sox triumph once more against the San Francisco Giants 37-21 at Game 6 at Fenway Park, giving them their second World Series title at Fenway since their win in 2013.

October 30, 2017: Mexico announces plans to purchase 36 Boeing F/A-18E/F Advanced Super Hornets for the Mexican Air Force.

November 7, 2017: As Chris Christie is term-limited, Republican Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno defeats her Democratic opponent Louis D. Greenwald and independent candidate Geraldo Rivera in a three way race becoming the next governor of New Jersey.

November 20, 2017: A Japanese F-2 fighter jet is shot down near the Senkaku Islands, triggering an international incident. Both China and Japan deploy forces ready for conflict, as does the US, while Russia puts its forces onto standby.

November 24, 2017: Return of the Argentina grand prix since last race in 1998, now taking place on Autódromo Oscar Cabalén.

November 25, 2017: F.A.S. Nations offer a mixed level signals to the potential Stand off with countries like Argentina, and Venezuela wanting the US to back off and others such as Mexico and Peru offering Military support if necessary.

December 6, 2017: Both the Turkish and Armenian governments hold the first in a series of talks and discussions aimed at restarting both the stalled rapprochement between the two countries, as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process (which both Russia and the U.S. will take part)

These discussions are hailed by the West (especially the EU) as “the first step towards regional peace and cooperation”. However, protests begin in Azerbaijan, where President Ilham Aliyev vows to “disrupt the process as much as it can”.

December 9, 2017: In tune with projections laid out by the International Monetary Fund, China officially surpasses the GDP of the United States, with official statistics running at $20.71 trillion in favour of China over that of the United States' own $19.25 trillion, adjusted for purchasing parity (PPP). These numbers now cement the world's most populous nation as the world's largest economy, and come in on the heels of early figures citing economic growth in China to have rounded off at 8.8% for 2017 - beating the plateau induced by the global recession of the early 2010's. Experts point to the immense growth of the middle class, propping up domestic consumption over dependence on foreign investment.

December 11, 2017: Cross-referenced numbers from a variety of global technological analysts are announced, declaring that global internet usage has reached 3.7 billion users, or just under half the global population. The spread of mobile phones across the developing world and the surge in personal computer purchases in key markets such as Nigeria, Brazil, and Ethiopia highlight the emerging growth of 'Eastern' economies and their citizens. 1.4 zettabytes are estimated to have been exchanged within the past year alone, or more than the total 1.2 zettabytes recorded to have been transferred online between 1984 and 2012. Much of this growth is attributed to the explosion in video services across the net as television and blockbuster companies increasingly turn towards digital distribution.

December 13, 2017: Al-Shabaab lays claim to an attack on the African Union's headquarters in Addis Ababa after a bomb-laden truck bypassed security perimeters during the 29th Annual A.U. Summit. Despite failing to reach the Assembly, the intended target, the vehicle managed to detonate only 100 metres away, killing over 83 delegates and diplomatic staff - including Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome. In a televised statement, top commander Ahmed Abdi Godane would say the ”…illegal occupation of Ogaden,“ and Ethiopia's”heinous gall“ in being participant to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) warranted retaliatory actions “of the highest order.” AMISOM operations in Somalia have been under increasing scrutiny by critics with seemingly little progress achieved in eradicating the al-Qaeda-backed group from the country - as AU contingents have been stuck in cyclical advance and retreat for years due to insufficient manpower.

December 25, 2017: The film, The Third Son, about slain Senator Robert F. Kennedy is released starring Matt Damon in the final role, and directed by Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood.

January 1, 2018: The quarterly Report comes out for Brazil showing the slowest growth rate since the Great recession at 0.3%. El Universal (A Mexican city News paper) does a piece on the fleeing Brazilian upper class to the US and Mexico cite president Helana's reforms as the cause of sluggish growth.

January 3, 2018: Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei dies of a stroke while attending Friday prayers. President Hassan Rouhani declares seven days of mourning for the fallen ayatollah.

January 7, 2018: An accord signed between the Free Papua Movement and the Indonesian government ends the West Papua conflict that has been raging since 1963. According to the accords, Indonesia would cede more powers to a new devolved Assembly in Papua (West Papua would be dissolved as a result, and merged into the rest of Papua.

January 8, 2018: The East African Community's Joint South Sudanese Taskforce (JSST) is elevated to become the East African Security Taskforce (EAST) in the aftermath of last month's attacks in the Ethiopian capital, solidifying the organisation's military arm into a concrete entity. Drawing off successes in the South Sudanese conflict, EAST is approved by the African Union to mobilise 31,000 of its forces into Somalia, relieving AMISOM of its responsibilities and establishing jurisdiction over foreign-held strongholds in Mogadishu, Kismayo, and Baidoa. Former AMISOM commander Silas Ntigurirwa of Burundi returns to take the helm of the Somali mission, but cautioned that “A strong-handed, but carefully coordinated approach” would be required to oust al-Shabaab. Non-EAC troops will remain stationed in the state, and along with the Somalia National Army (SNA), work under EAST direction. Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, quelling popular unrest, pledged to raise the country's presence in Somalia to 6,300 in response to December's ”…flagrant and cowardly assault.“

January 10, 2018: In a surprise session, Iran's Assembly of Experts has elected moderate cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to be the next Supreme Leader.

January 16, 2018: 2018-19 NHL Season The NHL announces it has plans to add two expansion teams in the western conference, in time for the 2018-19 season. The team locations are not announced, but speculation is heavy that Seattle, Portland, Houston, Kansas City and even Saskatoon are possibilities.

January 22, 2018: Natural gas begins crossing Russo-Chinese borders with the wrapping-up of pipeline construction by Gazprom and fellow energy giants Rosneft and Novatek. The 4,000 plus kilometre pipeline network, named the 'Power of Siberia,' is set to step up pumped volumes from the initially agreed 38 to 60 billion cubic meters per year as part of fast-tracked efforts by Beijing to sate exponentially growing liquefied gas needs (buoyed in due part to the domestic demand for energy substitutes - triggered by the gradual government closure of coal facilities nationwide). However, shale gas production has increasingly helped to anchor down the Chinese gas deficit, as the country's unprecedented 1,115 trillion cubic feet of reserves have only just begun to be capitalised on in the basins of Ordos, Tarim, Sichuan, and elsewhere.

February 6, 2018: 2018-19 NHL Season It is unveiled that the two next cities to get NHL franchises will be Seattle (in the Pacific Division) and Kansas City (in the Central Division).

February 17, 2018: Crossing the lengths of Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria, the $20 billion Trans-Sahara gas pipeline reaches completion with the last segments laid down connecting to the existing Trans-Mediterranean, Maghreb–Europe, Medgaz and Galsi pipelines through the nexus town of Hassi R'Mel. From the petroleum hub of Warri on the Niger Delta, the project is to commence transport of over 30 billion cubic metres per annum of natural gas to European markets, which have sought to offset Russian dependence through supply diversification. Bankrolled by a consortium of state companies consisting of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Algeria's Sonatrach, and Niger's Société Nigérienne des Produits Pétroliers (SONIDEP), in addition to Russia's Gazprom, the 4,128 kilometre pipeline has also been constructed under the approval of the European Investment Bank and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

February 28, 2018: A Wal-Mart in suburban Portland, Oregon successfully votes to unionise. Senator Ron Wyden personally meets with the leaders of the union and vows to take action if Wal-Mart attempts to shut the store down.

March 3, 2018: A bill introduced by Representatives Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Pete Visclosky (D-IN) to repeal the Patriot Act passes in the House.

March 12, 2018: Brazilian officials crack down on corruption in law enforcement and public officials.

April 4, 2018: In a controversial decision, President Dean selects former President Barack Obama to become a Justice on the Supreme Court, replacing the retiring Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Meanwhile Dream: The MLK Story a biopic on American Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King, Jr. is released fifty years after King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. The film stars Jamie Foxx as King and Zoe Saldana as Coretta Scott King.

April 12, 2018: Musician Ted Nugent announces he will run for President as a Republican.

April 20, 2018: Oak Grove HS Sophomore Julian Lee suffers a major stress-induced heart attack during 3rd period math. Lee lingers for an hour or two but eventually dies at Hattisburg General Hospital. This sparks a major debate on work levels and stress tolerance in middle and high school across America.

May 14, 2018: Attorney Wendy Long announces she will run for President as a Republican.

May 25, 2018: Star Wars:Episode VIII:A Time of Fear, is released. It is the second film in Disney's Sequel Trilogy.

June 1, 2018: After the final show at London's O2 arena, Paul and Ringo announce their retirement from live performance. Paul is eager to make it clear that he is not retiring from music, saying that he plans to write a follow up to 2011's “Ocean Kingdom”, while Ringo declares that he had “no plans of recording any time soon”

June 12, 2018: On the 1st anniversary of Lord Webber's death, an memorial concert at the London Palladium, entitled The Music of the Lord, takes place, featuring the popular songs of all his well-known shows and some of his unreleased works which will be produced in the years to come.

On the same day, actress and singer Selena Gomez (25) announces her engagement to her boyfriend of three years singer Hunter Hayes (26).

June 18, 2018: The Colorado Avalanche defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games to win the Stanley Cup.

June 19, 2018: The Supreme Court decides in Martin v. Carter, in favor of Elizabeth Carter, a woman who had been sued for writing Game of Thrones fanfiction. The Supreme Court rules, by a 7-2 margin, that non-profit fanfiction is protected speech under the fair use copyright clause.

June 21, 2018: The Supreme Court rules in Galvin v. Iowa in a 5-4 decision, overturning Jason Galvin's conviction for possession of obscene pornography. Galvin was convicted for owning a large collection of obscene manga images featuring child characters in sexual acts, though he possessed no pornography of actual children. Obscene drawings depicting under-age characters were made illegal by the PROTECT Act of 2003, this ruling strikes down those provisions of the law.

July 7, 2018: 2018 FIFA World Cup 2014 champions Brazil attain third place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, winning 2-1 over Belgium.

July 8, 2018: 2018 FIFA World Cup A day later, Germany wins its fourth FIFA World Cup title and first as a united country, beating Italy 3-2 in possibly the most memorable final since the 2006 penalty kick-off. Hosts Russia had fallen to Belgium in the quarter-finals.

July 27, 2018: The film Spawn of Godzilla is released, serving as the sequel to 2014's Godzilla. The film does well at the box office and plans for the third film are confirmed to form a trilogy.

August 1, 2018: The Patriot Act repeal passes in the Senate 57-43. Both parties were split on the vote.

August 5, 2018: President Howard Dean signs the Patriot Act repeal into law.

August 8, 2018: The collaborative single Peace by Radiohead and Muse is released and enters at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

August 22, 2018: A plane carrying Prince William and Princess Catherine of Cambridge along with their three young sons crashes during an emergency landing at London Heathrow. The only causality is Prince William with two of their sons gaining serious injuries.

August 25, 2018: A group calling themselves the Scottish National Liberation Army claims responsibility of the death of Prince William in the crash of the royal plane in London Heathrow through sabotage. In a video, they stated their cause as the royal family being “a clear symbol of the tyranny of the United Kingdom”.

September 28, 2018: Investigations by the AAIB (Air Accidents Investigations Branch) into the plane crash that killed Prince William reveal human error as the suspected caused, making the claim by the Scottish National Liberation Army invalid. The ground crew of the flight, originating from a foreign airport, may have not filled the plane with enough fuel to reach the airport.

October 6, 2018: The first episode of the Disney Princess Adventures premiers on the Disney Channel, to immense success. Many Disney/DreamWorks heroines (like the Princesses, Astrid, Megara, even Isabella García-Shapiro and Hannah Whitehouse) make an appearance in the first episode.

October 9, 2018: The Seattle Emeralds play their first regular reason home game at Sonics Arena. Many in the city and the state of Washington celebrate the the arrival of a professional hockey team to the city. The old Seattle Metropolitans were actually the first American team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917, and many are hoping future glories away the new team.

October 11, 2018: The new Kansas City Scouts play their first regular season home game at the Sprint Centre. The game marks the return of the NHL to Kansas City, since the old Kansas City Scouts moved to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies (who later moved to New Jersey to become the Devils).

October 15, 2018: 2018 World Series After a spectacular start of the season by the new NL/AL South teams, the Baltimore Orioles win the series against the Louisiana Lillies 28-13 at Game 5 in Baltimore's Camden Yards ballpark.

October 25, 2018: 2018 Formula 1 Season In the 2018 Formula 1 season, new comer from All-Japan Formula 3; Takamoto Katsuta, is overall champion. Changes to circuits include the move of the British Grand Prix from Silverstone to the newer Circuit of Wales.

November 6, 2018: A large day for American politics occur with 3 events happening on this day;

Senator Justin Amash (R-MI) who was instrumental in helping pass the Patriot Act repeal in the senate, comfortably defeats his Democratic challenger Gretchen Whitmer in the Senate Special Election. On the same day, Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley (R) is elected governor of Michigan to succeed the term-limited Rick Snyder (R).

Republican Van Ormy, TX mayor and founder Art Martinez de Vara defeats incumbent Democratic Representative Pete Gallego, and is elected the representative for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas.

In the Virginia US Senate special election, Terry McAuliffe who appointed himself to Mark Warner's old seat is defeated by his Republican challenger Representative Robert Hurt. In the same day, Virginia's other senator Democrat Tim Kaine wins re-election to a second term.

November 19, 2018: Frozen: The Musical opens on Broadway, based on Disney's hit 2013 animated film. Award-winning singer Lorde stars as the Snow Queen Elsa, while actress/singer Darcy Rose Byrnes plays Anna.

November 22, 2018: After the Republicans took control of the senate in the 2018 midterm elections, Senator Angus King (I-ME) announced that he would switch to caucusing with the Republicans in the 117th congress.

December 4, 2018: Ground is first broken on the Charlotte Olympic Stadium. Funding for the stadium is mostly between the Carolina Panthers and Speedway Motorsports, Inc.

December 7, 2018: The World Health Organization announces that polio has been successfully eradicated (the third disease to do be eradicated, alongside smallpox and rinderpest)

December 11, 2018: Senator Justin Amash announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination in 2020.

December 25, 2018: The Government of the United Kingdom announces criminal charges for manslaughter for the ground crew of the flight that crashed, killing Prince William. In a special Christmas Message to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations, the queen shows her grief of losing Prince Philip in 2015 and now Prince William in 2018 but encourages the Commonwealth to keep strong, especially referencing Scotland.

January 5, 2019: Failed US Senate candidate and professor David Deming announces he will run for president in 2020.

February 5, 2019: Medvedev announces rump Georgia and Armenia will became autonomous provinces of the Russian Federation claiming “Syria proves that being part of a larger nation is the only way to protect these small Christian countries.”

Iran formally annexes Azerbaijan the same dày claiming to be “reclaiming historic Iranian territory and protecting Shia from suffering the fate of thèir brethren in Syria and Lebanon.”

February 6, 2019: Dean condemns the Russo-Iranian annexations as a “land grab planned before the successful end to the Syrian civil War.”

However, the USA is currently to unpopular in many parts of the world for the wars in Pakistan and Syria for Dean consider further sanctions, apart from existing ones, against Russia and Iran. These annexations are a silent fiat accompli and a sign that iridescent expansionism has come into vogue in the 21st century.

February 8, 2019: Prince Harry of Wales is seen dating actress Jennifer Lawrence in public for the first time.

February 19, 2019: Kristin Cavuto, a 24-year-old substitute English teacher from Centennial, Colorado is arrested for statutory rape after it is revealed that she is in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student.

February 24, 2019: Just days after the story made the press, Bryce Hartmann, the high-school senior Kristin Cavuto was in a relationship with comes forward, identifies himself, and angrily states that he and Cavuto (whom he refers to as his girlfriend) are deeply in love, their relationship was completely consensual (and in fact his idea), Cavuto is by no means a “rapist,” and a “third party like the Colorado State Government has absolutely no right to infringe upon” their love. Hartmann also warned the media that referring to him as a “victim” is “stupid, ignorant and bigoted,” and accused both the media and Colorado State Government of ageism. It is noteworthy that Hartmann's parents barely played a role in his statement, and Hartmann acted on his own for the most part.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Mumbai disaster, Russian president Medvedev announces a multibillion dollar deal between Rosatom and Delhi to help India build nuclear power stations as part of its nation-wide infrastructure program.

Rosatom takes particular interest in India's abundant thorium reserves which could be used to power clean fourth generation thorium fission reactors. Indian researchers in Bangalore are fast at work on a prototype reactor along with their Chinese, Russian, European and American colleagues.

The Indian prime minister announces plàns to generate 25% of India's electricity from nuclear power by 2035.

In culture; Jamie Foxx wins the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the film Dream: The MLK Story.

February 26, 2019: Two days after Bryce Hartmann's scathing statement, The National Youth Rights Association (NYRA) issues a video in complete support of Hartmann. In the video the NYRA President Jeffery Nadel calls imprisoning Kristin Cavuto for her relationship with Hartmann and referring to their loving relationship as rape “completely disgusting.” He goes on to compare people not tolerating “age-illegal” couples such as Cavuto and Hartmann to how same-sex and interracial couples were illegal and not tolerated in the past. He goes on to end his rant by saying “because of bigotry, Mr. Hartmann and Miss Cavuto had to keep their healthy, stable and full of love relationship private, and in the end, their love caused Miss Cavuto to be labelled as a “rapist” and Hartmann as a “victim” while their relationship was completely consensual. Where has the world gone. I really hope all young people are listening because we truly need another civil rights movement.”

February 30, 2019: In less than a week, Bryce Hartmann's statement and the NYRA response have both gone viral on YouTube with the original statement having 28 million views and the response with 9 million.

March 2, 2019: Sean Hannity writes a controversial editorial on the Bryce Hartmann incident, stating that this is what same-sex marriage legalization is going to lead to, the legalization of child-adult relationships. He is immediately lambasted by conservatives and liberals alike, though many right-wing social conservatives agree with his statements.

March 4, 2019: 2012 and 2016 Libertarian nominee and former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson announces he will not seek the Libertarian nomination in 2020.

March 8, 2019: Florida Senator Marco Rubio announces he will seek the Republican Nomination for President of the United States.

March 16, 2019: New statistics show that in the past year, especially after the Shivaji Nagar disaster on 18 September, India’s unemployment and Income Inequality has decreased because of many new jobs made across the country for the new infrastructure. This brings India closer to a Developed Country status and some ministers toss around ideas and rumours of holding some form of international event to show how Developed India has become.

March 20, 2019: After low polling numbers, Former Nevada governor Brian Sandoval officially withdraws from the race and endorses Christine Jones.

April 4, 2019: Lousiana Governor John N. Kennedy announces he will run for the Republican nomination for president in 2020.

April 11, 2019: Former gubernatorial candidate R. Lee Wrights of Texas he will run for the Libertarian nomination in 2020.

April 16, 2019: A unmanned Skylon spaceplane makes it first successful launch and reaches orbit from the Guiana Space Centre. The British Prime Minster praises 'superior British and European engineering'.

In America, Former gubernatorial candidate and civil rights activist John Monds of Georgia announces he will run for the Libertarian nomination in 2020.

April 18, 2019: Arizona Governor Christine Jones announces she will run for President, sparking much discussion on 24 hour news networks.

April 20, 2019: Former Florida Governor and 2016 Republican nominee Jeb Bush endorses Marco Rubio. Florida US Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto also becomes one of the first senators to endorse her colleague Marco Rubio.

Meanwhile, 2016 Libertarian Vice-Presidential nominee and former gubernatorial candidate Robert Sarvis of Virginia he will run for the Libertarian nomination in 2020.

April 23, 2019: Three days after his brother endorsed him, former President George W. Bush endorses Rubio.

May 6, 2019: Former Senate candidate Alexander Snitker of Florida announces he will run for the Libertarian nomination in 2020.

May 9, 2019: Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval announces he is exploring a presidential run. Singer Billy Joel celebrates his 70th Birthday on this day.

May 11, 2019: Two days after turning seventy, Billy Joel releases an updated version of his 1989 hit, We Didn't Start the Fire. The updated single is the same melody as his old song (with a more electronic beat to it) but features key events and people from Joel's birth in 1949 until 2019.

On the same day, Former Senator and 2008 Republican nominee John McCain endorses Christine Jones.

May 18, 2019: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launches the world's first ever space junk cleanup operation, deploying a flexible magnetic 'net' into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) after liftoff from Tanegashima. Hailed by most astronomical scientists as a necessary step in ensuring the future safety of off-earth missions, as well as the continued operation of orbital communications satellites, increasing space traffic has multiplied the amount of space debris into the tens of thousands in recent years. With the casting of the 'net', JAXA chief administrator Naoki Okumura promises a full-fledged cleanup system as early as this December, with the primary goal being to preclude the possibility of the dreaded 'Kessler Syndrome.' Representatives from the ESA and the CNSA report studies into their own such projects, the latter hinting at the possibility of scientific collaboration with JAXA - the first such overture between either respective agency.

May 29, 2019: Senator Lisa Murkowski endorses Brian Sandoval.

June 1, 2019: June 1, 2019: Billy Joel's updated We Didn't Start the Fire replaces Lorde's Majestic as #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming Joel's fourth number one hit in his lifetime and first since the original We Didn't Start the Fire was released thirty years earlier.

Senator Lindsey Graham endorses Marco Rubio.

June 9, 2019: Lorde wins the Tony Award for Best Performance By A Leading Actress In A Musical for her performance in “Frozen”. At 22, she becomes by a significant margin the youngest entertainer to ever complete the EGOT.

June 21, 2019: House Majority Leader Paul Ryan endorses Marco Rubio.

June 27, 2019: Senator Rob Portman endorses Marco Rubio.

July 7, 2019: Former representative Jim Longley announces his run for the Republican nomination for President.

July 8, 2019: Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson endorses Christine Jones saying “She's the best woman possible to be the first woman president”.

July 9, 2019: President Dean selects William L. Thomas to become a Justice on the Supreme Court, replacing the retiring Anton Scalia and becoming the first openly gay Supreme Court justice.

July 14, 2019: Nebraska governor Beau McCoy endorses John N. Kennedy for president.

July 17, 2019: Former New Mexico governor Susana Martinez endorses Christine Jones.

July 18, 2019: Senators Steve Stockman and Tim Scott endorses John N. Kennedy for President.

July 28, 2019: New Jersey Governor Kim Guadagno and her popular predecessor Chris Christie both endorse Christine Jones.

August 1, 2019: Ohio US Senator Mary Taylor endorses Christine Jones deviating from her colleague Portman who endorsed Rubio.

August 3, 2019: For the first time in human history, the Arctic Ocean is free of sea ice.

August 4, 2019: Failed US senate candidate and mayor of Muskogee, Olahoma Carrie Underwood announces that she will run for president as an independent.

August 7, 2019: China completes a massive new desalination plant powered by natural gas in the northern city of Tangshan with the capacity to supply nearly a third of Beijing's drinking water. With the population of Beijing approaching 30 million, China plans additional desalination plants in parched and heavily populated northern China. A more ambitious proposal calls for diverting 6 trillion litres of water a year from the Yangtze and its tributaries to northern China through a series of canals and dams. Hundreds of water treatment plants will mitigate the effects of air pollution on drinking water.

August 8, 2019: In a primary debate, Christine Jones expressing interest in selecting a female running mate, offering up the names of Margaret Hoover, Kelly Ayotte, and Lisa Murkowski.

August 12, 2019: In a surprise, Louisiana senator Chas Roemer endorses Christine Jones instead of fellow Louisianian John N. Kennedy.

August 15, 2019: House Speaker Eric Cantor endorses Marco Rubio.

August 20, 2019: Death Valley records a world record high temperature of 138 degrees Fahrenheit.

On the same day, Bob Conley announces he will challenge incumbent US President Howard Dean for the Democratic Nomination.

August 21, 2019: Former Outkast member, rapper Antwan Patton better known by his stage name Big Boi announces he will run for the Libertarian nomination in 2020.

August 25, 2019: A car bomb explodes in front of the New York Public Library. Miraculously, no one is killed in the blast, as the bomb had been discovered minutes before and the library had been evacuated completely, with police and the bomb squad in the process of returning to the bomb just as it detonated. The historic building is heavily damaged in the blast and two firefighters are injured, one seriously.

August 27, 2019: Another car bomb explodes, this time in front of a crowded hardware store in San Antonio. 13 are killed in the blast.

August 28, 2019: Three of the terrorists responsible for the New York bombing are taken into custody, another commits suicide before he could be taken in. The men are discovered to be working for the same Chechen terrorist group responsible for the Marburg biological attack in Russia three years before.

September 1, 2019: Indiana Governor Mike Pence announces he will run for President in 2020.

Republican presidential candidate Christine Jones states publicly that climate change may indeed be a serious concern, drawing fire from a number of conservative pundits.

Republican Oklahoma US Representative John Tyler Hammons who was himself a former mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma endorses independent candidate Carrie Underwood.

September 2, 2019: Senator Ted Cruz draws controversy when he rails against members of his own party for repealing the Patriot Act, blaming the repeal for the recent terrorist attack. That same day, Rand Paul makes sharply-worded comments toward Ted Cruz, saying that “sometimes even my fellow Republicans don't realize that we're supposed to be the party of small government”.

September 3, 2019: the last Séléka and Maoist units surrender to the Bokassists. With that, the civil conflict in the Central African Empire comes to an end.

Despite this, plus the Western powers' quiet and reluctant acceptance, most governments in Africa (especially South Africa and Kenya) except Ethiopia and Morocco refuse to recognize the new government.

September 5, 2019: Senator Rand Paul who was among the 23 senate Republicans to vote for repeal of the Patriot Act issues a harsh statement toward Cruz calling him not a true Republican.

Meanwhile Christine Jones is overheard at a meeting of Arizona Republicans saying that “if this climate change continues the way it's going, Phoenix will be uninhabitable by the end of the century”.

September 6, 2019: Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida speaks out against Arizona Gov. Christine Jones's recent overheard comments about climate change, saying, “they seem pretty uneducated to me.”

September 7, 2019: Washington state governor Kim Wyman endorses Christine Jones.

September 8, 2019: Former President George W. Bush calls the 2020 primaries a “fresh start” for the GOP because the election includes no candidates from the 2012 and 2016 elections, as well as the fact that both a woman and a Hispanic are major candidates in the race.

September 11, 2019: A near shouting match erupts on the Senate floor between Rand Paul and Ted Cruz concerning the Patriot Act repeal as Cruz attempts to propose new security measures in the wake of the recent terror attacks while Rand Paul and other Senate Republicans shout him down. Al Franken is shown in later news reports stifling laughter at several points.

September 12, 2019: The Laotian Kunming-Vientane rail link finishes construction, cementing the 193 kilometre per hour transportation corridor as the first real regional thoroughfare for the landlocked nation. Spurring off from Chinese Jinghong, the $7.4 billion railway traverses from northern Luang Namtha through the UNESCO former Lao capital Luang Prabang, all the way to the Thai border to the reach the ports of Bangkok, ferrying passengers and industrial goods. The bill is largely footed by the Lao government through loans provided by the Export-Import Bank of China, in exchange for mineral, timber, and agricultural concessions – as the whole project is part of the grander scale Pan-Asia Railway, through which HSR is further connected with Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The journey from Yunnan to Singapore is cut to a mere 12 hours, as commercial-consumer fares are set to formally take shape by next year.

September 13, 2019: News reports are filed mentioning that Senator Paul, has been talking in private to Representative Martinez de Vara. This causes many people to speculate that Paul was trying to draft Martinez de Vara (who voted for repealing the Patriot Act) to challenge Senator Cruz for the Republican nomination when he is up for re-election in 2024.

September 14, 2019: In a tweet, bride-to-be Selena Gomez endorses Republican Arizona Governor Christine Jones stating “I think she will move this country in the right direction.”

September 18, 2019: In a interview with Bill O'Reilly, Gomez states that her endorsement of Jones has to do with her acknowledgement of climate change, proposals for immigration reform as governor, and support of “good American values.”

September 19, 2019: “The Freedom to Dance” by Daft Punk Featuring Kanye West is released as the first single off of their new album, it becomes the most successful song ever on the Billboard charts, running at #1 for 28 weeks.

September 20, 2019: Tweeting back to Selena Gomez, Arizona governor Christine Jones announces she will make Gomez's 2013 hit “Come and Get It” her official campaign theme. At the same time, Oklahoma US Senator J.C. Watts endorses John N. Kennedy.

October 13, 2019: Two-term Democratic incumbent North Carolina US Senator announces she will retire after her second term in office and not seek election to a third term in 2020.

October 14, 2019: Calling President Dean an “outdated failure”, Senator Al Franken announces he will run for president under the Justice party.

October 16, 2019: 2019 World Series: After an unlikely and dramatic season, plus a spectacular Game 1, the Chicago Cubs finally win the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays (32-31) at Game 7 in Tampa's Tropicana Field, finally ending the 111-year Curse of the Billy Goat

October 18, 2019: In a debate, Governor Christine Jones states that while she supports heightened border security, she is willing to make an easier path to immigration, saying “As a businesswoman, I know it never hurts to review a policy and see what changes can be made.”

October 20, 2019: Russian troops engage in a firefight in Chechnya against a group of terrorists linked to the Marburg attack and the American car bombings. Most of the terrorists are killed, two of them are captured. There are no casualties among the Russian soldiers.

October 24, 2019: Senate Majority Leader John Thune endorses Marco Rubio.

October 28, 2019: US Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) announces that he won't run for re-election next fall and that he plans of retiring from politics.

November 3, 2019: Senator Heath Shuler endorses Bob Conley for the Democratic nomination over Howard Dean. Montana Senator Chuck Baldwin (R) endorses John N. Kennedy for President.

November 4, 2019: Construction begins on the new Luzon Link high-speed rail line from Baguio to Matnog, Sorsogon with stops in Dagupan, Angeles-Clark Airport, Manila, Calamba, Batangas, Naga, and Legazpi, with additional lines extending to both Cabanatuan and Olongapo and Subic Bay.

This is part of a massive transportation project by President Mar Roxas, which also includes a potential road/rail tunnel across the San Bernardino Strait.

November 8, 2019: Former General Colin Powell endorses Christine Jones for President. Former New York governor David Paterson announces he will run for president under the Reform party.

November 9 2019: A Skylon C1 launches a constellation of ESA satellites weighing close to 15 tonnes into orbit.

November 10, 2019: Former Senator John E. Sununu announces he will challenge two-term incumbent Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who defeated him in 2008, in the upcoming US Senate election in New Hampshire to win back his old senate seat.

November 13, 2019: Deviating from his predecessor Martinez, New Mexico governor John Sanchez endorses Marco Rubio.

November 19, 2019: Kentucky State Senator Sara Beth Gregory (R) announces she will run in the 2020 US Senate election to challenge the extremely unpopular Democratic incumbent Alison Lundergan Grimes.

November 20, 2019: Minnesota State Senator Tara Mack announces she will run for US senate in 2020 as a Republican for the seat left open by Al Franken who will retire and not seek a third term in senate to mount a third party presidential campaign.

November 21, 2019: Peter Julian, Canadian MP for Burnaby-New Westminster in British Columbia announces he would not seek another term in the 2020 Federal Election after being charged with several ethics violation. Meanwhile Arizona US Senator Jeff Flake endorses Christine Jones.

November 23, 2019: Former New Hampshire US Senator John E. Sununu announces he will challenge two-term incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen in the 2020 US Senate Election to win back his old senate seat. This will mark the third time Sununi and Shaheen faced each other in a senate election after 2002 and 2008.

November 24, 2019: Citing poor poll numbers and several weak debate performances, Mike Pence drops out of the presidential race.

December 1, 2019: Wisconsin governor Rebecca Kleefisch endorses Christine Jones alongside Former Senator Charles Djou, saying “she may be a moderate but she's a smart one”.

Gary Johnson states that if Senator Justin Amash receives the Republican nomination, he will endorse him over the Libertarian candidate.

December 4, 2019: Former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney endorses Christine Jones along with his wife Ann and five sons including New Hampshire Governor Tagg Romney and Utah Governor Josh Romney.

December 9, 2019: New Hampshire US Senator Kelly Ayotte endorses Christine Jones.

December 10, 2019: After much speculation, former Republican North Carolina US Senator Richard Burr who was narrowly defeated by Heath Shuler in 2016 officially announces he will run for the retiring Kay Hagan's senate seat in 2020.

December 12, 2019: West Virginia US Senator Joe Manchin becomes the second Democratic senator to endorse South Carolina governor Bob Conley over President Dean following Heath Shuler who announced his endorsement in 2019.

December 14, 2019: When asked about former Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, presidential hopeful Christine Jones says “He'd be a welcome addition to my cabinet, regardless of what party he affiliates with.”

December 19, 2019: Jazz Singer Michael Bublé announces he will run as a Conservative to replace the retiring Peter Julian in his Canadian parliamentary constituency.

December 20, 2019: During the Christmas shopping period, multiple bombs detonated in Birmingham city centre, being one car bomb and 2 backpack-bombs. The attack occurred in the Bullring Centre, specifically the Selfridges store and St. Martins Square, as well as a car bomb in the Queen Drive entrance to Birmingham New Street Station. It was instantly titled the largest and most infamous attack on the United Kingdom since the 7th July bombings and the Murder of Lee Rigby. Despite the news reports and panic caused by the attacks, the death toll only finished at 32, a majority (19) coming from Birmingham New Street. A group calling themselves Yawm ad-Dī took responsibility for the attack and introduced themselves as a group based in Western Europe with branches connected via the dark-net.

December 22, 2019: A protest against Muslim immigration into Britain takes place by the English Defence League in London, numbering over 30,000. It turns violent when the protest reaches Westminster, with police breaking up the protest and arresting over 900 people. Counts of Islamophobia was recorded officially as rising higher than after the Murder of Lee Rigby with Mosques being attacked and vandalised and many Muslims being threatened or assaulted.

December 23, 2019: Senator Rand Paul and his father Ron Paul both endorse Justin Amash.

December 30, 2019: The Guardian publishes leaked emails between the Prime Minister and Home Secretary in which the Prime Minister ask whether Britain could and should “temporarily” halt immigration by Muslims. In the subsequent uproar, there are soon calls on both sides of the political spectrum for his resignation.

January 1, 2020: General-Director Abwaku Englama of the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) inaugurates the West African Monetary Zone’s (WAMZ) employment of the Eco currency, entering circulation in Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Guinea, Gambia, and Sierra Leone. From the WAMI headquarters in Accra, Englama brushed past comments on the delays that had hampered the common currency in the years’ run up, instead praising the 8.2% GDP growth recorded across the WAMZ’ six member states in 2019. The majority-Anglophone pact, said Englama “…is now on the path to economically consolidating with the overarching ECOWAS framework,” – noting of the subgroup’s far-future plans for further integration with the Economic Community of West African States. Retiring the Escudo, Cedi, Dalasi, Dollar, Leone, and Naira is set to take the breadth of this year’s administrative timeframe.

January 13, 2020: Wisconsin US Senator Sean Duffy endorses Justin Amash stating “Justin is a good friend and I think he's just the leader the country needs now.”

In a Democratic Primary debate between President Howard Dean and South Carolina Governor Bob Conley, Conley slams Dean for being too far left for the American people and states that he represents a “new era of American politics that is above partisanship and ideological divides.”

January 17, 2020: Nevada US Senator Wayne Allyn Root endorses Justin Amash.

January 19, 2020: On his blog FiveThirtyEight, political analyst Nate Silver calls the race for the Republican nomination in 2020 “a battle between the establishment senator Rubio, the independent-minded governor Jones, and the young dark-horse libertarian Amash” referring to Governor John N. Kennedy as the “hard-right fourth wheel” in the race.

Following his acclaimed debate performance against incumbent President Howard Dean earlier in the week, Governor Bob Conley (D-SC) appears on Face the Nation. When asked if he would consider running as an independent candidate if he failed to secure the Democratic Nomination, Conley answers, “No, not unless I felt I had enough support among Americans to merit that.”

January 28, 2020: The New York Times reports on leaked internal e-mails from Howard Dean's Re-election campaign, showing that some of his advisors are talking about potentially replacing current Vice-President Mark Warner with challenger Governor Bob Conley on the ticket.

February 11, 2020: Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III declares his candidacy for the Democratic Nomination to run next fall in the senate race to replace outgoing Senator Ed Markey.

February 17, 2020: The London Metropolitan Police performs a raid on an apartment on the outskirts of London which is suspected to be the UK hub for Yawm ad-Dī. The raid is successful in capturing the leader and 2nd in command of the UK Yawm ad-Dī, with 3 Yawm ad-Dī deaths and no police causalities, a further 3 members are also arrested.

February 26, 2020: Buoyed by surging gas production, infrastructure projects and rising consumption, Beijing moves towards full convertibility of the Yuan. China established overseas Yuan trading centres in Hong Kong in 2010 and London and Frankfurt in 2014. By the end the 2010s, China had opened additional centres for overseas Yuan trading in Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, Dubai, Tehran, Moscow, Sao Paolo, Mexico City, New York and Toronto making the Chinese Yuan the third most commonly used currency in trade and the third largest reserve currency after the US Dollar and the Euro.

The Yuan is expected to appreciate more rapidly against the dollar and the euro in coming years boosting Chinese consumption of domestic and imported products.

March 6, 2020: The British MoD announces that it will build two 90,000 ton nuclear powered supercarriers named HMS Illustrious(R11) and HMS Ark Royal (R12).

March 17, 2020: Former CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, Rex Tillerson, is murdered by a Flea sympathiser while at a holiday home in Portobello, a seaside resort near Edinburgh, Scotland.

April 6, 2020: Former three-term governor of New York Mario Cuomo and father of the current Governor Andrew Cuomo passes away from natural causes. He was 87.

April 7, 2020: After months of earthquakes and signs of impending eruption, Spain's Cumbre Vieja volcano finally erupts with a force so large (calculated around VEI 7), it now stirs the dormant Cumbre Nueva volcano to life, completely destroying the cone of Cumbre Nueva and triggering fears that there could be a full collapse of the entire island, triggering a huge mega tsunami that could devastate the Atlantic seaboard.

April 8, 2020: Star Trek returns to television with Star Trek: Artisan featuring Captain Jordan O'Hara (Bryan Cranston) and Andorian First Officer Tolars Leki (Selena Gomez) aboard the USS Artisan.

April 11, 2020 Despite scientists' fears, the collapse of both Cumbre Vieja and Cumbre Nueva doesn't take place, though there are now massive fissures across the island of La Palma, raining down lava across the whole of the island. The town of Los Llanos de Aridane is completely destroyed, and in an eruption similar to the eruption of Laki in 1783, up to 120,000,000 long tons of sulfur are emitted from the two La Palma volcanoes, before it finally stops in 17 April.

The results in La Palma are completely devastating. Lava flows are everywhere, with fires now raging across the entire island. Some 74,000 people have been killed on the island alone, with the rest of the pre-volcano population of 86,000 having to be evacuated to neighbouring islands (including Tenerife).

May 11, 2020: China completes the world's longest tunnel under the Bohai Sea between Dalian and Yantai, more than twice the length of the Chunnel between England and France.

The tunnel reduces the travelling distance for cars and trains by hundreds of miles between the two cities

China also constructs a HSR line through tunnel running around the rim of Bohai Sea and connecting to the existing HSR line between Beijing and Tianjin. China hopes the tunnel will help further integrate the Bohai Rim, one of its three most important economic areas.

May 16, 2020: In Eurovision, Tunisia joins for the first time in the contests history and Netherlands win for the first time since 1975.

May 30, 2020: Although he is not up for re-election in 2020, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid announces he will not again seek the post for the Senate Leader of the Democrats in2020.

June 2, 2020: Following Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's announcement that he will cease to be the Democrats' senate leader after 2020, MSNBC political commentator Chris Matthews urges the Democrats to pick New York US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as their next leader as opposed to the two top contenders Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer. Matthews makes his case by saying that the Democrats are the party of civil liberties and they would not show this by picking a senate leader who voted against the repeal of the Patriot Act like both Durbin and Schumer did while Gillibrand voted for repeal.

He continues by saying that the Republican Senate Majority leader John Thune voted for the repeal of the Patriot Act and if the Democrats have a leader who voted against repeal while the Republicans don't, voters would get a “false story about each party.” Matthews also states that Thune and Gillibrand would work well in the senate as the leaders of their respective parties as they helped each other during Sen. Thune's “Mean Kitty filibuster” in 2017.

June 12, 2020: Prince Harry proposes to Jennifer Lawrence on the balcony of Buckingham Palace where she said yes in front of hundreds of tourists who capture the moment unexpectedly and sends a rush of viral media onto the internet, with some being the most watched viral videos of all time because of the public nature of the proposal.

June 14, 2020: On his blog FiveThirtyEight, political analyst Nate Silver rates the competitive upcoming 2020 senate races. He gives each race the following ratings:

Georgia (Gingrey) - Likely Republican Scott Holcomb (D) vs. Phil Gingrey (R-inc.)

Kentucky (Grimes) - Likely Republican Alison Lundergan Grimes (D-inc.) vs. Sara Beth Gregory (R)

Montana (Daines) - Likely Republican Anders Blewett (D) vs. Steve Daines (R-inc.)

West Virginia (Capito) - Likely Republican Carte Goodwin (D) vs. Shelley Moore Capito (R-inc.)

North Carolina (Hagan - ret.) - Leans Republican Roy Cooper (D) vs. Richard Burr (R)

Virginia (Hurt) - Leans Republican John W. Foust (D) vs. Robert Hurt (R-inc.)

New Hampshire (Shaheen) - Tossup Jeanne Shaheen (D-inc.) vs. John E. Sununu (R)

Minnesota (Franken - ret.) - Tossup Zach Dorholt (D) vs. Tara Mack (R)

Colorado (M. Udall) - Leans Democratic Mark Udall (D-inc.) vs. Cory Gardner(R)

New Mexico (T. Udall) - Likely Democratic Tom Udall (D-inc.) vs. Kelly K. Fajardo (R)

Oregon (Merkley) - Likely Democratic Jeff Merkley (D-inc.) vs. Jason Atkinson (R)

Silver rates all other races as “Safe” for the party that holds the seats.

Meanwhime, freshman North Carolina Senator Heath Shuler announces that he is leaving the Democratic Party due to his frustration with the Dean administration and becoming an independent. Shuler will caucus with the Republicans.

June 15, 2020: Following the unexpected death of Indiana Senator Dan Coats, Former Vice President Dan Quayle is selected to be the interim Senator until a replacement is elected in a special election set for the 3rd of November, 2020. Quayle has stated that he will not seek his former seat for a full term.

June 18, 2020: John Mellencamp announces his candidacy for Senator of Indiana as a Democrat.

June 19, 2020: Two months after the passing of his father, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces he will run for a fourth term in 2022. Of he wins he would be accomplishing something his father failed to due when he lost his bid for a fourth term in 1994 to George Pataki.

June 20, 2020: Rupert Boneham announces his candidacy for Senator of Indiana as a Libertarian.

June 21, 2020: Former Anderson, Indiana mayor Kevin Smith announces his candidacy for Senator of Indiana as a Republican. On the same day, Former Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard announces his candidacy for Senator of Indiana as a Republican.

June 22, 2020: Democratic Representative Andre Carson announces his candidacy for the contested Senate seat.

June 24, 2020: Republican Sue Ellspermann announces her candidacy for Senator of Indiana.

July 14, 2020: Freshman North Carolina Senator Heath Shuler announces that he is leaving the Democratic Party due to his frustration with the Dean administration and becoming an independent. Shuler will caucus with the Republicans.

July 22, 2020: On her 28th Birthday, Selena Gomez is married to Hunter Hayes in a private, Catholic ceremony in Los Angeles.

August 4, 2020: John Mellencamp wins the Democratic primary for the special Senate election for Dan Coats' Indiana senate seat. Greg Ballard wins the Republican primary.

August 6, 2020: Nate Silver rates the Mellencamp/Ballard Senate race as a tossup.

August 9, 2020:2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics The Japanese capital hosts its second successful Olympics games signalling the nations rebound from the 2011 Tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster. Unlike Beijing, Sochi, Rio de Janeiro and Pyongchang, Tokyo does not build massive new stadium or transportation infrastructure improvements for the games since it's existing facilities are more than adequate.

The expanded Russian Federation, China and the USA top the medals table with Japan placing sixth after Germany and Australia. This games marks the best Russian performance since the collapse of the Soviet Union which experts attribute to the inclusion of Belorussian and Ukrainian athletes on the Russian team as well as years of investment in sports facilities and training programs by Putin and Medvedev. The Chinese performance marks decades of investment in sports by that country as well. 3rd place marks the worst USA Summer Olympic performance in decades although still respectable by any standards.

Other Meanwhile, The number of fast-charging EV stations exceeds 210,000 internationally. From Tesla Motors' continental Supercharger networks to the Japanese TEPCO consortium’s CHAdeMO grids, electric charging is estimated to have coverage over 90% of the developed world. Plugless charging is also in the race to power the world’s roads as parking spaces from Tokyo to New York accelerate the implementation of wireless charging pads, with power exchanged through streamlined transceivers. In another huge leap, the South Korean government leads the way in inductive charging, transforming all high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the country to enable mobile charging – which functions through sub-pavement electromagnetic fields. Seoul boldly vows to electrify all HOV lanes as early as next year to the tune of billions of won.

August 22, 2020: Due to a lack of campaign funding, Mayor and former country singer Carrie Underwood ends her independent bid for president in the 2020 election. Underwood announces that she will be endorsing Republican candidate Governor Christine Jones for the presidency and encourages her supporters to back Jones as well.

September 1, 2020: The Giant Magellan Telescope, located on the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, is completed. The telescope is 10 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, and is hailed by scientists and astronomers as a landmark achievement. It is hoped that the telescope will help to build and even better picture of the universe.

September 6, 2020: Hurricane Dolly Hurricane Dolly, a rapidly strengthening Category 5 hurricane, passes by the island of Haiti. Despite the eye being far from the coast, the huge hurricane's massive rain bands devastate the island, killing thousands of people.

September 7, 2020: Hurricane Dolly Category 5 Hurricane Dolly devastates the island of Jamaica with winds of 195 miles per hour, becoming the second strongest landfalling tropical cyclone ever recorded. The eye of the storm passes right over the capital city of Kingston, killing over 13,000 people and completely levelling the city.

September 9, 2020: Hurricane Dolly In anticipation of Hurricane Dolly making landfall on the United States, both the Democratic and Republican Campaigns for President are suspended until further notice.

Other On Meet The Press now Independent Senator Heath Shuler announces he is endorsing Republican candidate Christine Jones for the presidency.

September 11, 2020: Hurricane Dolly On the 19th anniversary of 9/11, Hurricane Dolly makes landfall in New York City as a category 4 with wind speeds of 135 miles per hour. Despite a massive evacuation effort, over 4,000 people are killed in the storm, surpassing the death toll from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Dolly's total death toll across Jamaica, Haiti, and the United States is over 30,000, making it the deadliest hurricane in the history of the Atlantic Basin.

Meanwhile AMC launches their hit new show Breakfast King starring RJ Mitte as Walter White Jr. showing his dark descent into the underground world of breakfast food chains. Critics call the show “shocking” and how they were” not prepared for something like this“.

September 20, 2020: Rumbles of discontentment erupt across the United States in the form of protests as new financial data is reported from across the media spectrum. The $7.8 trillion allocated for the American Infrastructure Rebuild Act of 2017 is found to have been incredibly misdirected. From the trillion dollar cleanup of Manhattan in the aftermath of Hurricane Dolly to the sudden and costly military incursions in Guatemala and Syria - the last four years of the Dean administration have taken their toll. In addition, much of the funds have been limited in their scope, with the majority spent in the states of California and New York. Compounded by the exorbitant impulse to revive Space Station Freedom, and the NYSX's failure to recover from the Crash of 2015 in totality (not to mention continued market fluctuations from climate change disasters), it is realised that the country is ill-ridden with debt. The spikes to NSA funding in response to increasingly-frequent home-grown terrorism in the form of the Fleas have also driven the national budget deep into the red. Public approval of Washington is at its lowest point since the exiting Bush administration in 2008.

September 22, 2020: Debt ceiling politics shake the U.S. capital once more with the Department of Treasury having revealed that the country had yet again reached the limit of its national debt, this time surpassing $19.4 trillion. As the ripples of the announcement hit international markets, foreign central banks, in possession of 32% of the U.S. debt, begin stirring. The primary shareholders of China, the UK, Japan, Russia, and Brazil begin emitting their fears in the form of wavering stock prices worldwide, as their respective governments increasingly see their American assets as liabilities, and the possibility of a sovereign default emerges.

September 28, 2020: To worsen the banking and publicity troubles inflicting D.C. is the airing of a CNN report highlighting the cost overruns wracked up by the United States Olympics Committee in the run up to the 2024 Games in Charlotte. Hit by repeated construction delays in the form of progressively commonplace Atlantic hurricanes, in addition to the mess already wreaking havoc on the federal budget, USOC Executive Director Steve Czarnecki stated that the Games were already $3 billion over the initial $20 billion expenditure. Worries over completion deadlines begin taking shape, as construction on a number of venues are yet to even begin. Demonstrations in numbers not seen since the Occupy movement take place in cities from Seattle to Philadelphia, calling for action. Unnamed IOC officials speaking from Lausanne are reported to be in a 'raised state of concern.'

September 30, 2020: Doctors announce a treatment that drastically mitigates the effects of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The treatment, involving cutting edge stem-cell treatments combined with physical therapy, is effective 95% of the time at preventing quadriplegia and loss of speech in ALS victims and 75% of the time, victims retain their ability to walk. The treatments are even effective on those already stricken with severe disabilities, though they're most effective early in the progress of the disease.

October 5, 2020: The upswing in mass demonstrations across the United States reaches a fever pitch. From environmental activists, to Flea-inspired class egalitarians, the range of issues being contested means the movement strikes a chord with many. With rallies cropping up in every major city, it comes to no surprise when riots erupt in New York and New Orleans. In the former, enduring dissatisfaction with the hurricane cycle of evacuation-cleanup unfamiliar to the city degenerate into violence, especially in the dilapidated projects of Manhattan. In the latter, still struggling to heal from the devastation of 2014's category 5, looting and clashes with riot police occur in the lower wards - many still flooded from un-repaired levies. Entering the third week since the debacle began, the protest campaign is evolving rapidly.

October 7, 2020: The referendum to restore Serbia's monarchy (under Crown Prince Alexander) passes by 57%, making Serbia the second state in Europe to have the monarchy restored.

October 14, 2020: 2020 World Series After another spectacular season, the Boston Red Sox triumph over the Norfolk Tides 41-30 at Game 7 in Harbor Park, giving the Red Sox their 6th World Series title since their epic win in 2004.

October 23, 2020: Steven Spielberg's historical drama on Obama, Yes We Can, starring Will Smith, premiers to wide-acclaim.

October 25, 2020: Death of ex-King Michael of Romania on his 99th birthday from a massive cerebral haemorrhage. Having reigned over Romania twice (from 1927 to 1930, and again from 1940 until 1947), the king was forced to abdicate by the post-World War II Communist government of Romania and lived most of the rest of his life in exile in Switzerland. He was the last surviving head-of-state in office during World War II.

November 3, 2020: Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA) is elected to the United States Senate, defeating his Republican Challenger, Kristen Hughes. Kennedy is the first member of his family to be elected to the Senate since his great-uncle Ted Kennedy was last elected back in 2006. Alluding to his great-uncle in his victory speech, Kennedy promises that he, “Won't let the dream die.”

November 6 – November 25, 2020: A series of sniper shootings between Manchester and Liverpool are contributed to the SNLA, though they deny knowledge and do not claim responsibility. Mass panic is spread despite the fact, showcasing the paranoia created by recent terrorism in the UK and the US.

November 26, 2020: Tesla Motors begins production of the Model B hatchback. Approximately the size of a Ford Focus, it has a range of 300 miles, a charging time of four hours or 25 minutes to 80% charge on the automaker's Supercharger network, with a base cost of $26,000.

November 27, 2020: The perpetrators of the spree killings between Manchester and Liverpool, named as brothers Vince and Ray Browloche, are caught and are revealed to be copycats of the infamous Beltway Snipers. No connection to terrorism, the non-proven SNLA, Yawm ad-Dī or the Fleas is found and terrorism is crossed out as a motive. Becoming just a deadly rampage killing across the UK. The death toll of the Browloche killings ends at 14 dead and 9 injured.

November 30, 2020: Bruton Smith, owner and founder of Speedway Motorsports, dies at age 93.

December 7, 2020: Apple announces System 11 aka OSX Catalina which is the combination of iOS and OSX as a unification of iOS and OSX for the desktop. Its praised for its gesture based operation

December 8, 2020: As if to add insult to injury in this “Year of Mega disasters”, the massive Koryaksky volcano erupts after months of rumbling, with a force so large it completely destroys the whole mountain, as well as sending a massive pyroclastic flow that completely destroys the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, completely entombing it in a process similar to that of Pompeii. The eruption releases levels of sulfur dioxide equivalent to the 1815 eruption of Mt. Tambora, though not as much as the twin eruptions of Cumbre Vieja and Cumbre Nueva just months earlier.

The eruption kills an estimated 55,000 people (in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatksky alone) and destroys much of the wildlife on the heretofore pristine Kamchatka peninsula. The poisonous cloud dissipates over the Pacific Ocean before reaching North America although record thick fogs are reported at sea.

December 10, 2020: T-Mobile once called the uncarrier and once the black sheep has finally surpassed AT&T as the second largest carrier. The down fall of AT&T started shortly after the much protested Sprint/T-Mobile merger of early 2015 was approved by the DOJ and FCC. After which T-Mobile launched its rate plan called project blue. The plan was 50.00 a month and with unlimited data and minutes bundle with a free tablet and smartphone of your choice

Verizon later launched a plan like this as well however AT&T did not and as a result lost big chunks of subscribers by going against the direction of the industry

December 19, 2020: In time to fulfil 2014's promise of a six year deadline, HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co. Limited, or HKND Group, of China marks the completion of its massive waterway project in Central America. Running 300 km in length, or triple that of its Panamanian counterpart, the Nicaraguan Canal's capacity is unmatched in its ability to ferry super tankers predictably directed to sate the oil thirst of the Asia-Pacific. HKND head Wang Jing along with dignitaries from across Latin America open the infrastructural mega project with much fanfare, culminating under a decade's work of $60 billion in investment and millions in local manpower. Along with deepwater facilities, airports, and an oil pipeline, so kicks off the renewable 50-year operational lease for the Sino-corporation and double-digit economic growth for Nicaragua, said to have topped 13.5% this year.

December 25, 2020: TBS has its first broadcast of a Christmas story in 4K. ABC announces that it will broadcast its entire primetime lineup in 4K.