What Happened in 2012: Fourteen Highlights

Sabina Peycheva — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:00:40 +0000

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The year 2012 is already behind us, but for many, some events will leave lasting imprints – both in the positive and negative ways. So what happened in 2012?

At the beginning of the year, the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia became one of the largest commercial shipping disasters in modern time. Thirty-two people died and thousands were evacuated when the ship started to sink near the coast of Italy. With half of the ship under water, there was a real danger of the complete sinking of the luxurious vessel. The salvage of the ship is said to be the most expensive one ever.
One of the most remarkable singers in modern times died at the age of 48. Whitney Houston was found dead on February 9, 2012 in her hotel room in Beverly Hills, California. The unexpected news distressed her family, friends, and fans all around the globe.
The people of France chose a new president. François Hollande won the 2012 Presidential elections in the European country in April. With 51.64% of the votes, it was evident that the former president Nicolas Sarkozy was not to continue as the most powerful man in France.
North Korea tried to launch its first rocket on the anniversary of the birth of the nation’s founder, Kim Il-Sung. However, it was not until December 17, 2012, days before the the end of the year, when the North Koreans managed to successfully send their satellite into space, a move which sparked tension between the already isolated nation and its neighbors.
Vladimir Putin was once again elected President of Russia on March 4, 2012. He was preceded by Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently Prime Minister. Having been allegedly “pulling the strings” in the country while Medvedev was officially in power, Putin’s return to power was seen as a power play both inside and outside the country. The whole pre-election campaign and the aftermath of the elections were marked by controversy. In February, five of the members of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot made a provocative performance in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow as a part of a protest against the re-election of Putin. However, their act landed three of the young activists in a penal colony in Russia, guilty of ”hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.” The actions against Pussy Riot created a discontent among people in- and outside the country. In October, one of the girls – Yekaterina Samutsevich, was cleared, but Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are still serving their two-year sentences.
In March, the sedition in Syria grew into a civil war between the leader of the Ba’ath Party government and its opponents. The people fight oppression, but the price they are paying is excessively high. More than 50,000 people lost their lives last year and thousands were wounded every day in the battle that continue to rage into 2013.
The most democratic election in the history of Egypt were held in May. For the second time, two candidates were fighting for the presidential chair in the North African republic. Mohamed Morsi took 51.73% of the votes and thus won against his opponent Ahmed Shafik. Legal actions were then taken against the former President Hosni Mubarak and twelve other politicians from his government, including the Minister of the Interior Habib al-Adly. They were put on trial for the killing of protesters and for corruption. Mubarak and Adly were both sentenced to life in prison.
On July 15, the Korean singer Psy released his single ‘Gangnam Style‘ that conquered international hit lists and has become the most watched video on YouTube. The popular song is about life in the Seoul Gangnam District, and popular culture quickly joined the dance steps – although for most of us, the lyrics are incomprehensible.
The release of the new Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in July gave rise to another tragic event in the United States. A masked gunman killed 14 and wounded more than 50 spectators at a cinema in Denver during the premiere showing of the 2012 Batman production. In the middle of December, international news was again challenged by another US massacre, this time in Connecticut. A heavily armed gunman killed 26 innocent people including 20 children, and then committed suicide. It is one of the most appalling mass shootings in the States.
Among the most memorable events of was the Olympic Games, held in London from July 27 to August 12. More than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries measured swords in the fight for the golden medals. The participants from China, Great Britain, and the United States of America achieved the largest number of medals. Although many records were set during the Games in August, Usain Bolt’s achievement will stay as the most remarkable in the history of the Games. The Jamaican athlete became the first person to achieve a “double double” after he won 100m and 200m titles at consecutive Olympic Games; 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.
NASA’s Curiosity rover landed successfully on Mars in August, 2012. Scientists believe that it will be able to study the history of the Red planet for at least two billion years.
October brought some more horrific news. The teenage Pakistani girl Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head by the Taliban because she promoted girls’ education in her country. Malala was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in London, where she has later recovered. The incident put international focus on the hardship of women in the war-torn nation.
President Obama was reelected by the American voters, winning the elections on November 6, 2012. His opponent, Mitt Romney, took 47.27% of the votes, against Obama’s 50.96% which showed that it was a close battle to the end. The election was marked by the devastating power of Hurricane Sandy and according to specialists, the support that Obama showed in the hour of crisis played a major role in his re-election.
The end of the world did not come. Again! The Mayan Long Count calendar definitely marks the end of something, but fortunately it is not our existence.

The world is not ending at least for now and let the new 2013 be full of more happiness, joy, and good news.

Image Courtesy : KOREA.NET – Official page of the Republic of Korea

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Egypt – Synonym of The Change

Sabina Peycheva — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:23:12 +0000

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Not for the first time at the beginning of 2011 the Egyptians decided to stand for their rights as a nation. After a series of peace protests and demonstrations the revolts grew into a civil war, in which around 840 people died and more than 5,000 were seriously injured. Was it worth it? Did anything change in Egypt?

The 2011 Egyptian Revolution was a turning point for this nation, fighting for a change. After thirty years under the rule of the same leader, the Egyptians felt strong and resolved to protect themselves against the oppression and the corruption in the African country. Their demands were not unattainable. The primary aim was to end the regime of the president Hosni Mubarak and the emergency law that gave unlimited power to the government and to the police. Did they succeed and what was to be Egypt’s fate?

On 11 February 2011 at 6 p.m local time Mubarak’s resignation was announced. This historical moment put an end to the governance than continued for more than a quarter of a century. Although the Egyptians managed to break the chains of the president’s regime, the country was faced with another problem – which road to take.

The authority was transferred to Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Chairmen of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. But despite everything, the protests of the citizens continued. The participants in the mass demonstrations in Cairo were hostile against the new rule, because their demands were not fulfilled. In the ill-fated Tahrir Square in the capital, hundreds of people continued to fall victims of their own desire to begin a new era in the history of Egypt.

The world leaders reacted positively to the tragic, but crucial events in the North African country, acknowledging the strength of the Egyptians, who according to the journalist Mohamed Hiakal “have become stronger than the regime itself.” In an interview, the US president Barack Obama said: “We should bring our children to become like Egyptian Youth”.

The society all around the world was following the news – the news about the nation, which will go down in history as the people fighting for justice and equality, things which are taken for granted in the 21st century, but which, unfortunately, are not allowed everywhere.

The country has not recovered yet, and hardly will it soon surmount the bygone year of protests and violence. But the ray of hope of the Egyptian nation that one day they will get what is theirs, has not died away. The radical revolution, kindled in cyberspace a year ago, cannot be extinguished so easily.

Now the Egyptians are reaping the fruits of their drastic actions. On 1 January 2012 the first freely-elected parliament in decades was chosen by the citizens. The next step for the progress of the Egyptian nation is the future presidential election in March 2012.

Image Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/takver/

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What Happened in 2012: Fourteen Highlights

Egypt – Synonym of The Change