Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has released its selection of the ten most significant world events in 2011:
1. Socio-politic change in North Africa-Middle East: Waves of demonstrations and uprisings among people led to collapse or acceptance of power transfer by many political regimes in the region, such as in Tunisia , Egypt and Yemen. In particular, from March 19-October 31, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation conducted its air raid over Libya, helping the Libya National Transitional Council to overthrow the regime and kill leader Moammer Gaddafi.
2. Public debt crisis threatens the existence of the European single currency Euro: Many Eurozone economies fell into hardly-restorable public debt crisis. The crisis is threatening the existence of the Euro, shaking upchaos in the political arena of many European countries and making a negative impact on the global economic recovery.
3. Twin earthquake-tsunami disaster in Japan: The world was shaken by a twin earthquake-tsunami disaster in northeastern coast of Japan on March 11, which killed and left missing nearly 30,000 people and caused radioactive leak at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
4. ASEAN and China agree to fully implement the DOC: Within the framework of the 19 th ASEAN Summit in Bali, Indonesia from November 17-19, ASEAN and China reached a consensus on continuing to fully implement the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and look to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), with a view to solving disputes in the East Sea through peaceful measures in line with international law.
5. Osama Bin Laden was killed: Osama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda network and instigator of the terrorist attack on the US on September 11, 2001, was killed in Pakistan on May 1, by a US special force. The raid broke the alliance ties between the US and Pakistan.
6. Spread of “Occupy Wall street” movement: A grand protest movement called “Occupy Wall street” began in New York on March 19, spreading out in the US and 951 cities in 82 nations in all continents. The movement reflected the people’s deep dissatisfaction with inequality of income distribution.
7. World population reaches 7 billion: The planet became a common house of seven billion people on October 31. The overcrowded population poses challenges to the environment, poverty reduction and political stability in the world.
8. Cuba updates economic model: The sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in April opened a new stage in the cause of revolution and socialist construction in the Caribbean island country of Cuba with the adoption of “economic model update” policy, which helps mobilise potential of non-state economic sectors.
9. US ends war in Iraq: President Barack Obama officially announced an end of the US’s nine-year war in Iraq, which killed nearly 4,500 US soldiers, injured more than 30,000 others and cost nearly 800 billion USD. The war also claimed about 100,000 Iraqi civilians, made over 1.7 million people homeless and turned the oil-rich country into a land of violence, terrorism and devastation.
10. DPR Korea leader Kim Jong-il passes away: Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-il passed away on December 17 at the age of 69. The DPRK authorities called on the people to hold firmness under the leadership of Vice Chairman of the DPRK Defence Committee General Kim Jong-un. Leaders of many countries around the world extended messages of condolences and expressed their hope for the continuity of peace process on the Korean peninsula./.
1. Socio-politic change in North Africa-Middle East: Waves of demonstrations and uprisings among people led to collapse or acceptance of power transfer by many political regimes in the region, such as in Tunisia , Egypt and Yemen. In particular, from March 19-October 31, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation conducted its air raid over Libya, helping the Libya National Transitional Council to overthrow the regime and kill leader Moammer Gaddafi.
2. Public debt crisis threatens the existence of the European single currency Euro: Many Eurozone economies fell into hardly-restorable public debt crisis. The crisis is threatening the existence of the Euro, shaking upchaos in the political arena of many European countries and making a negative impact on the global economic recovery.
3. Twin earthquake-tsunami disaster in Japan: The world was shaken by a twin earthquake-tsunami disaster in northeastern coast of Japan on March 11, which killed and left missing nearly 30,000 people and caused radioactive leak at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
4. ASEAN and China agree to fully implement the DOC: Within the framework of the 19 th ASEAN Summit in Bali, Indonesia from November 17-19, ASEAN and China reached a consensus on continuing to fully implement the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and look to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), with a view to solving disputes in the East Sea through peaceful measures in line with international law.
5. Osama Bin Laden was killed: Osama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda network and instigator of the terrorist attack on the US on September 11, 2001, was killed in Pakistan on May 1, by a US special force. The raid broke the alliance ties between the US and Pakistan.
6. Spread of “Occupy Wall street” movement: A grand protest movement called “Occupy Wall street” began in New York on March 19, spreading out in the US and 951 cities in 82 nations in all continents. The movement reflected the people’s deep dissatisfaction with inequality of income distribution.
7. World population reaches 7 billion: The planet became a common house of seven billion people on October 31. The overcrowded population poses challenges to the environment, poverty reduction and political stability in the world.
8. Cuba updates economic model: The sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in April opened a new stage in the cause of revolution and socialist construction in the Caribbean island country of Cuba with the adoption of “economic model update” policy, which helps mobilise potential of non-state economic sectors.
9. US ends war in Iraq: President Barack Obama officially announced an end of the US’s nine-year war in Iraq, which killed nearly 4,500 US soldiers, injured more than 30,000 others and cost nearly 800 billion USD. The war also claimed about 100,000 Iraqi civilians, made over 1.7 million people homeless and turned the oil-rich country into a land of violence, terrorism and devastation.
10. DPR Korea leader Kim Jong-il passes away: Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-il passed away on December 17 at the age of 69. The DPRK authorities called on the people to hold firmness under the leadership of Vice Chairman of the DPRK Defence Committee General Kim Jong-un. Leaders of many countries around the world extended messages of condolences and expressed their hope for the continuity of peace process on the Korean peninsula./.
