A year in reverse of the world

2016 ended with many unexpected and challenging events, making us unforgettable with many intertwined emotions.

A year in reverse of the world

1. Obsessions

The shadow of terror is probably still an unrelenting obsession with Europeans during the 12 months of 2016.

When the world was still in shock after a series of shootings in the French capital Paris, the On the last day of 2015, 128 people died. Entering 2016, the “old continent” continued to be shaken by a series of attacks in Brussels , which is considered the “capital of Europe”. Perhaps never and no one would have expected that this place known as the “heart of Europe” would have to go through a “dark day” like on March 22 when a series of terrorist attacks occurred at the airport. Zaventem and Maelbeek metro station killed 32 people and injured 340 others.

Just a few months later, on the night of July 14, A large truck plowed into a leaving crowd after watching fireworks celebrating Independence Day on the avenue “La Promenade des Anglais” along the coast in the city of Nice, southern France, killing 84 people. killed.

Not only that, these days New year to all, Europe continues shocked when a truck crashed into a crowd at a market Christmas in the center of Berlin in Germany on June December 19 left at least 12 people dead and 48 injured.

This “forewarned” attack prompted many European countries to tighten security measures ahead of the new year. However, experts recommend that, in 2017, Europe will enter a new and more difficult phase in the fight against terrorism.

2. Sorrow of separation

The “marriage” between the UK and the European Union (EU) lasting 43 years ended with a Brexit “divorce letter” when 51.89% of British voters signed this letter today. June 23. This event shocked the world, changed the entire political landscape within the country that is considered one of the pillars of the EU, and changed the geo-political structure in the world. , leading to great instability risks for the EU in terms of politics, security and economy.

It is not clear how long the UK exit process will take, but British Prime Minister Theresa May promised to implement Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to get Brexit done by March 31, 2017.

3. The surprise

The 2016 US presidential election was the event that consumed the world’s media the most, brought the most surprising results, and at the same time the most unusual. And Mr. Trump’s election as US President has become one of the most outstanding world events of 2016.

Accordingly, on November 8, Donald Trump – the Republican presidential candidate for the populist Republican Party defeated Hillary Clinton to win the US presidential election . The election of Mr. Trump marked a big change in American politics.

At the same time, Donald Trump’s victory was also considered a surprise because previous polls showed that the New York billionaire was far behind his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. However, the results of the polls say the opposite, when many voters choose Mr. Trump to entrust America’s future.

4. Doubts

Since April 3, after the International Association of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and 109 newspapers in 76 countries simultaneously published information obtained from the files of the fourth largest law firm. the world – Mossack Fonseca (based in Panama) on tax evasion, money laundering, life in many countries began to shake by the earthquake named “Panama Papers” .

In many ways, from the volume of information to the content and subjects involved, the “Panama Papers” have surpassed all to become the largest information leak ever.

In comparison with previous well-known information leaks, with 11.5 million documents related to 214,488 companies, according to experts, the “Panama Papers” have nearly twice the amount of information. 2,000 times more than Wikileaks’ “Afghan War Diary” (July 2010) about US diplomatic secrets, and nearly 20,000 times the New York Times “Pentagon Paper” about the Vietnam War (July 2010). 1971).

Normally, information leaks are only related to a limited number of subjects, such as “Pentagon Papers”, “Afghan War Diaries” or E. Snowden’s revelations mainly related to the US government. Meanwhile, related to the “Panama Papers” there are 14,153 customers – citizens of 202 countries, including 143 politicians.

5. Joy of reconciliation

US President Barack Obama and his family arrived in Cuba for a historic “ice-breaking” visit on March 20. This is the first time in 90 years that a sitting US president has visited the Central American island nation. The first official visit to Cuba by an American head of state since 1928 opens up hope for an end to more than half a century of estrangement and rivalry between the two sides, and helps shape the foreign policy of the new administration in Cuba. America with this Caribbean island nation.

Another joy for the world is that after four years of lengthy negotiations, on September 25, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Rodrigo Londono Echeverri signed a historic peace agreement. history ended 52 years of conflict, opening opportunities for peace and national reconciliation in this Latin American country.

With the approval of the revised peace agreement, the Colombian people as well as the international community expect that a new chapter in Colombian history will begin with lasting peace and stability, ending the conflict. The conflict started in 1964, so far has claimed the lives of 260,000 people, left 45,000 people missing, about 6.6 million people have been displaced from their homes.

6. Consolation

After being ratified by nearly 70 countries and territories, including the largest emitters in the world, such as the US, China, India… ratified, the Paris Agreement officially took effect. force from November 4 , much earlier than expected. This shows a greater awareness of the dangers posed by climate change.

Typically and the latest is the El Nino wave that lasted from late 2015 to early 2016, causing extreme weather phenomena such as record-breaking heat in South Asia, forest fires in Southeast Asia, severe flooding in Latin America.

7. Grief

The great and outstanding revolutionary of the twentieth century, Fidel Castro , a great and close friend of the Vietnamese people, passed away on November 26, at the age of 90. Fidel Castro, the man who gathered and led the forces Cuban revolutionary force and founder of the first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere, has become a legend not only in the history of Cuba, but also of Latin America and the world. His funeral was organized by the Cuban State according to the national mourning rite for 9 days; Many memorial activities to pay homage to the historic leader of the Cuban revolution were solemnly held around the world.

In Southeast Asia, Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on October 13 at the age of 88, after 70 years on the throne.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world’s longest-reigning monarch, ascending the throne after his brother’s death in 1946. During his seven decades on the throne, he was seen as a symbol of national unity. . He is one of the most beloved kings in Thai history thanks to more than 2,000 development projects that changed the lives of millions of poor farmers.

8. Fear

Since the beginning of 2016, the Zika virus, the causative agent of many dangerous diseases, has spread strongly in dozens of countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, forcing the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a state of emergency .

After that, the Zika epidemic spread to the US, Canada, some European countries and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. Currently, there is no effective vaccine or treatment for this virus.