The World as we know

deteriorating state of government funding of education and science forced talent to leave the state enterprises and universities; corporations monopolize R&D and education

African countries have lowest unemployment in decades, booming young population and emerging technologies. Corporate investments in robotics, huge demand for engineers pulls talent from Europe

National bank tower in Giza, Egypt, destroyed in a nuclear terror attack. Military crackdown and totalitarian regime follows.

pathogen leaked from a Japanese high security lab devastates farming crops in the entire region. Used as pretext to completely reboot the political power structure.

pollution becomes a catastrophe, several Islamic nations declare emergency states, people flee the region

Organized crime slugs it out with corporate security on the streets of many Sub-Saharan cities. There are gang republic enclaves completely unreachable by law in urban areas.

Korean mega pharma group Yeol Jeong-Ui (YJ) develops the Repose-17 antidote, achieves miraculous lobbying success, becomes an unstoppable global power

immigration crisis hits US and Canada as millions of people use black market ways in, live undocumented, overstress social support systems; soaring crime and shadow economy rates follow.

Indian state pension and insurance system collapses due to overpopulation and diminishing earnings, financial crisis engulfs the whole region with implications lasting a decade.

The president of Brazil is assassinated; army dissolves the parliament and instates transitional military government. The "transition" takes 22 years.

emigration from Russia reaches biblical proportions as people flee the crumbling region, while the Chinese buy out the entire swaths of economy.

Honshu sprawl becomes the global center for data nexuses and AI empowerment. Immense divide between the unemployed and those feeding off the generous corporate hand; paradoxical coexistence of skilled labor shortages and shockingly high unemployment.

Tensions between the Central Asian countries and weakened Russia - former ally - lead to heavy duty warfare; full power of modern heavy industry is poured into military production; robotic tanks and drone swarms deployed culminating in unprecedented devastation. Tashkent and Almaty razed.

First successful animal uplifting projects in South Africa; cybernetically enhanced mammals used in a range of industries, much to the outrage of millions of unemployed people.

USA breaks into clusters. Corporate forces back up state and cluster governments. Skirmishes between the Confederate states and the North.

humanitarian crisis crushes the Middle East. Spy agencies hard at work tracking the ex-royalty and their wealth.

Chinese drone fleet controls most of the world seas; skirmishes and sea battles between China and corporations active in Oceania; corpo slaves revolt and fight against both sides.

In the post-war desolation, radical islamic cults hold sway over an ever increasing number of followers; new messiahs and prophets; holy war militias.

Russia passes draconian legislation to restrict emigration.

in an unprecedented deal, the top 5 Indian tech giants merge into one supercorporation to rival the other global players.

Climate incidents in Latin America become routine: draughts, floods, water contamination, followed by migrations, epidemics, hunger.

Chinese forces and corporations retreat from Indo Oceania; new communities spring up and start taking charge of post-colonial challenges; some of them are run by authoritarian leaders, often veterans.

Japanese and Korean healthcare data systems collapse after a devastating cyber attack; patient data wiped out; loss of life and health while struggling to build up the data banks again; doctors have to actually work with patients in person.

Racial discrimination (mobs, destruction of property, systemic economic inequality) becomes a thing in European Economic Area again, as influx of immigrants ignites cultural tensions.

Russian federation collapses as newly-established republics escape the dictatorship.