2011 has indeed captured the world’s attention with its shocking, gruesome, and sometimes heart-warming, news headlines. This year, we were at awe with the catastrophes which struck various parts of the world, wondered at the amazing show of People Power in the Arab World and other countries, and dazed by the death of some of the most prominent personalities in world, both sinister and iconic. We also worried at the continuing crisis gripping the world’s economy and had our share of smiles and joyful laughter at the most sensational wedding of the century. Here are my TOP 10 NEWS STORIES OF 2011.
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| NORWAY MASSACRE: No Mercy |
10. Norway Massacre and Bombing
This massacre and bombing which killed 69 people shocked this quiet and peaceful nation and the world. Perpetrated by a 32-year old, right-wing Christian extremist Anders Breivik, the massacre and bombing exposed the religious intolerance some groups in Europe harbour against non-Christians and their supporters. It proved that Muslims are not the only one capable of terrorism.
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| KIM: Loved till the end |
9. Death of Kim Jong-il
With just about every dictator falling from power or dying this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il won’t be left behind. Before the year closed, he met his Creator after suffering a heart attack while on routine visit to the countryside. His death triggered alarms throughout the Korean Peninsula for fears of a looming power vacuum after the perceived lack of readiness of his heir-apparent Kim Jong-un. His wake and funeral gave the world a glimpse of what it was like inside the secretive state which has isolated itself since the 50s. Despite the lavish lifestyle he lived, while remaining blind to the plight of his hunger-stricken and rights-deprived people, his funeral was attended by throngs of North Koreans, many of whom were forced to cry out of fear from the regime.
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| JOBS: A genius loved by many |
8. Death of Steve Jobs
While dictators fell one by one, the world also lost a genius this year. Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs finally succumbed to his long and painful fight against pancreatic cancer. This renaissance man of the computer industry introduced us to many of the indispensible and life-changing gadgets we now use from the Macintosh computer, the iPod, the iPhone, up to the iPad. Not only did he make a gadget that is sleek, good-looking and profitable, he made sure that his consumers get the most out of his products. And thus, the world loved him for all the endeavours he’s done to change the way gadgets and humans interact.
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| GADDAFI: Hated till death |
7. Death of Muammar Gaddafi
Justice has been served in Libya with the death of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi – in a chilling and gut-wrenching way. The Libyan people, whose rights he has deprived and maligned for over 40 years, have liberated themselves from his clutches and surrounded him on all sides with international help. It was poetic justice when they found him begging for his life in a sewer in his hometown of Sirte, as the rebels shot him and displayed his body to the crowd, all while videotaping the incident. The world was witness to his horrifying end via YouTube and sent a chilling message to all other dictators in the Arab World.
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| WILL & KATE: Sweet and cheesy! |
6. The Royal Wedding
Amidst the violence and bloodshed brought about by the Arab Spring, we were greeted with lovely news of Prince William’s marriage to commoner Kate Middleton. The British heir to the throne married his long-time beau at Westminster Abbey in London and was witnessed by 162 million people around the world via television broadcast and the Internet. The world blushed at the sight of the Royal Couple as they kissed twice for the public at Buckingham Palace. After the tragic end to the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1997, the world had a new romance to look forward to.
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| WASHI: Washed away everything in its path. |
5. Wild Weather Disasters
The irreversible effect of global climate change has created a series of destructive weather events in different parts of the globe since the start of the year. The United States braced for a series of tornados which hit Joplin, Missouri. Southeast Asia was hit by consecutive typhoons leaving large areas of the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand flooded. The Horn of Africa was devastated by its worst drought in decades causing a huge humanitarian crisis amid the threat of Islamic extremism in the region. And before the year ended, the Philippines was hit once more by tragedy, after a relatively weak tropical storm continuously poured torrential rains on Northern Mindanao, inundating the cities of Cagayan De Oro and Iligan, resulting in the loss of almost 2,000 lives.
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| BIN LADEN: Nowhere to hide |
4. The Death of Osama
bin Laden
Our atmosphere of merriment brought about by the Royal
Wedding was quickly quenched by news of the death of America’s most wanted man:
Osama bin Laden. The Al Qaeda leader and mastermind of the September 11, 2001
Attacks in New York and Washington DC, was killed by US Special Forces in his
secret lair in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 1. His death came as a surprise as
there were no indications that bin Laden was hiding in plain sight in one of
Pakistan’s most affluent communities. Doubts were cast on the authenticity of
the report which was broadcast to the world by President Barack Obama. In the
end, video and photographs of the raid were shown to key people in American
government which led to a confirmation of his death. His body was laid to rest
according to Muslim rites in an undisclosed location in the Arabian Sea.
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| RECESSION: Tore holes in our pocket. |
3. Global Economic Crisis
2011 saw the continuation and worsening of an economic
crisis which started in the United States around 2007 or 2008 by the bursting
of the US housing bubble and the decline of US and European banks and other
financial institutions. This year, the economic crisis worsened unemployment in
America and brought Greece, Portugal and Ireland into a recession which needed
a difficult intervention from other European Union nations. The recession in
Europe threatened the demise of the euro and of the Union itself but was saved
temporarily by diplomacy among member countries. In 2012, the crisis will still
continue and who knows what problems it will unfold for the world.
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| THE ARAB SPRING: An awakening |
2. The Arab Spring Revolutions
The end of 2010 saw the beginning of an awakening of Arab
societies in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and other Arab
nations in North Africa and West Asia. It began in Tunisia when a fruit vendor,
discontented by the lack of job opportunities in his countries set himself on
fire. His sacrifice turned into a national cry for justice and reform which
spread to other neighbouring countries with the help of social media platforms
like Facebook, Twitter and blogging. A new breed of young, educated Arabs led
the battle cry which resulted in the toppling of respective dictatorial regimes
in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen. In Libya, the revolution turned into an all-out
civil war which involved Western forces who supported the rebels; while in
Yemen, the revolution resulted in a power transfer deal between President Ali
Abdullah Saleh and the Gulf Cooperation Council. In Syria, the despotic
President Bashar Al-Assad continues to resist opposition to his rule by using
violence against protesters. The revolution there still continues to unfold.
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| JAPAN: Triple Disaster |
1. The Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Disaster
On March 11, 2011, in the midst of our cacophony over the
revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria, the eastern seaboard of Japan was
struck by the most powerful earthquake it felt in recent years. The 9.0
magnitude earthquake destroyed buildings in the Tohoku region and created a
huge tsunami which devastated various cities along its coastline. The world was
awed, and at the same time, gripped with fear, as the tsunami’s onslaught on
Japanese cities was broadcasted live in television. The tsunami created panic
in other countries as it spread to the Pacific Rim (but left only little
damage). Our fears were taken to the highest levels once news of the crippling
and eventual meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant came. For the second
time, the world was made aware of the chilling and deadly effects of nuclear
radiation. This nuclear crisis left Fukushima and its surrounding region
permanently contaminated and forced the evacuation of thousands. But in the
midst of the disaster, the world also witnessed the resilience, calm and
cooperation of the Japanese people. Slowly, we saw how they came to terms with
what happened to them, stood up and rose up from the ashes of this tragedy.
With all that happened during 2011, we are left with a great
deal of anxiety and anticipation for things to come in the New Year. There are
those who believe that 2012 will usher in a new era of cataclysmic disasters
and crisis that will lead to ultimate end of the world. There are those who
dismiss such claims and continue to have hope on the human spirit to solve and
weather these catastrophes. Whatever may happen in 2012, whether human society
will come to an end or continue to prevail, may the spirit which enabled us to
endure our wonderful and sometimes weary existence remain with us always.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
