2010: TOP 10 Global newsmakers of the year

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2010: TOP 10 Global newsmakers of the year



Recovery from recession
Though the global financial crisis, triggered by a liquidity shortfall in the US banking system in 2007, continued in countries like Ireland and Greece, the year marked the beginning of the end of recession which was considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Iceland volcano eruption
Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted on April 14, 2010 and paralysed much of Europe's air traffic for over a month, creating the highest level of air travel disruption since the Second World War.

Release of Aung San Suu Kyi
One of the world's most popular political prisoners and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, was released from house arrest on November 13, 2010 after 15 years by Myanmar junta. Suu Kyi was released just a week after her country witnessed its first election in two decades. Leaders from around the world welcomed the news of the Nobel Peace Prize winner's release, calling her a symbol of peace.

Gulf of Mexico oil spill
The Gulf of Mexico (also called the BP oil spill) was the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. BP sealed the leak on July 15 with a tight-fitting containment cap, choking off the flow of oil for the first time since an April 20 rig explosion ****ed 11 workers and sent crude spewing into the Gulf, soiling coastlines in five US states and devastating tourism and fishery industries.

North-South Korea clashes
North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire on November 23, 2010 after the North shelled an island near their disputed sea border, ****ing at least two South Korean marines, setting dozens of buildings ablaze and sending civilians fleeing for shelter. The clash, which put South Korea's military on high alert, was one of the rivals' most dramatic confrontations since the Korean War ended.

WikiLeaks files
WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange got a lot of attention this year. In April 2010, the whistle-blowing website posted video from a 2007 incident in which Iraqi civilians and journalists were ****ed by US forces. Two months later, WikiLeaks released Afghan War Diary, a compilation of more than 76,900 documents. In October, the group released a package of almost 400,000 documents called the Iraq War Logs. In November 2010, Wikileaks began releasing US State department diplomatic cables. Assange was arrested in London on **** charges on December 7. The arrest has triggered a major cyber war between Assange supporters and opponents.

Haiti earthquake
Haiti earthquake on January 12, 2010 was a magnitude 7.0 disaster, with an epicentre approximately 25 km west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. An estimated 230,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless.

Burqa ban
France passed the law banning wearing of Islamic veil or burqa in public spaces, triggering a major debate on the limits of personal as well as religious freedom in western societies. The move was followed by a few other nations too, like Belgium and Australia. In a world charged with a perceived 'clash of civilization' between the West and Islam, the ban gained major political significance. It should be noted that Tunisia and Turkey, with an overwhelming Muslim population, banned burqa in 1981 and 1997 respectively.

David Cameron
In the 2010 British general election held on 6 May, the Conservatives gained a majority of seats in a hung parliament. David Cameron was appointed Prime Minister on 11 May 2010, at the head of a coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. At the age of 43, Cameron became the youngest British Prime Minister since the Earl of Liverpool 198 years earlier. The Cameron Ministry is also the first coalition government in the United Kingdom since the Second World War. Photo Courtesy: AP and REUTERS

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Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo





Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for 'his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights'. The prize enraged the Chinese government, which had warned the Nobel committee not to honour him.