Flung at an American president on his way out of office, it was a pair of shoes that seemed to belie the recession shadowing the world. When the Iraqi journalist threw his “farewell kisses” at George W. Bush, he did so on behalf of the widows, orphans and those killed in Iraq during its occupation led by the United States of America. It immediately became the most symbolic gesture of the year, filling the world with glee, while just one of the shoes fetched an offer of $10 million from an inspired Saudi national. In 2008, this shoddy farewell came in the wake of worldwide celebration and hope as Barack Obama unmade centuries of racist history to make it to the world’s most powerful job. Yet, during these last few weeks of transition from Mr Bush to Mr Obama, the latter remains an unknown. Mr Obama has been silent on the desperate battle raging between Israel and Gaza, as Israel vetoes international suggestions of a ceasefire and the Palestinian death-toll nears 400. Although his promise is to transform the US’s role in tackling climate change, west Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan (where the US is trying to organize local militias in fighting the Taliban) are going to be his greatest challenges as the world watches.

Afghan unrest spilled over into Pashtun Pakistan, even as Islamabad elected a new government, while troops are getting ready in Iraq to come home to the US and Britain. The first democratic government in Nepal has put its newly unemployed king in his place, while Zimbabwe, together with Congo, Somalia and Sudan, continues to be ravaged by a brutal failure of democracy. Radovan Karadzic is under arrest, but Robert Mugabe is still at large as the democratic West looks on with postcolonial caution. Olympic triumphs, devastating earthquakes and adulterated milk have not deflected China’s hostile attention from the Dalai Lama, who has made it clear during his recent European tour that he wants autonomy within China, and not independence, for Tibet. This will disappoint some who look up to him. As Bangladesh fills south Asia with optimism after elections, members of the National League for Democracy were arrested in Rangoon, just a few days ago, for demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi; her house arrest has been extended for another year, as she completes 12 years of detention. And the Pope continues to believe that protecting the earth from homosexuality is quite as important as saving the rainforests.