Prize Wechoice Awards

Events in 2014 and 31-2

Events in the world in the birth year of Wechoice Awards

• Jan. 16: Massive protests in Ukraine continue. Parliament hastily passes sweeping measures that stifle protesters and demonstrations. Feb. 21: In a deal between the opposition and President Yanukovich brokered by European Union officials, the president agrees to hold elections by the end of the year and accepts a weakening of the presidency. Russia refuses to endorse the deal. Feb. 22: Yanukovich flees Kiev on Feb. 22, and an interim government is put in place. The next day, Parliament votes to give speaker Oleksandr Turchynov the authority to fulfill the responsibilities of the president. Yanukovich, however, insists he remains in office. Feb. 27: Demonstrations against the turn of events in Ukraine break out in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, a pro-Russian region in eastern Ukraine. Masked gunmen, believed to be ethnic Russian extremists, take over several government buildings and raise the Russian flag. Feb. 28: Similarly clad gunmen appear at two airports in Simferopol. There are no reports of violence by the gunmen, but officials fear a separatist revolt may break out. Russia denies any involvement by its military. Mar. 1: Russia dispatches troops to Crimea, citing the need to protect Russians from extremist ultranationalists, referring to the anti-government protesters in Kiev. Mar. 3: Russia is reportedly in control of Crimea. The move sparks international outrage and condemnation. Mar. 6: The U.S. imposes sanctions on Russian officials, advisers, and other individuals who have been involved in the undermining of democracy in Crimea. The Crimean Parliament approves a referendum, scheduled for March 16, asking voters if they want to secede from Ukraine and be annexed by Russia. Mar. 16: Nearly 97% of voters in Crimea choose to secede from Ukraine in the referendum. Mar. 17: The Crimean Parliament declares the region independent and formally seeks annexation by Russia. On same day, Obama imposes more economic sanctions. Mar. 21: The European Union and Ukraine sign a portion of the EU Association Agreement-the same deal that former President Yanukovich refused to sign, sparking the unrest. Mar. 24: Ukraine withdraws its military from Crimea. Meanwhile, on the same day, the members of the Group of 8 industrialized nations announces that they have suspended Russia from the group and move the upcoming meeting from Sochi, Russia, to Brussels. May 2: The Ukrainian government launches an offensive in the rebel-held eastern city of Sloviansk. May 7: As the fighting and chaos escalates in eastern Ukraine and the U.S. and Europe threaten additional sanctions for Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin announces the withdrawal of the 40,000 troops from the border with Ukraine, and says Russia will participate in negotiations to end the crisis. July: The Ukrainian military begins an aggressive campaign, using airstrikes to back up ground troops. The military takes control of some of the border crossings through which Russia had been arming the rebels. The offensive is not without cost: by the end of the month, about 1,130 people are killed, including about 800 civilians. Aug. The rebels continue to struggle, as Ukrainian government troops move into Luhansk and Donetsk, former rebel strongholds. Sept. 5: Ukraine cease-fire begins.
• Feb. 7: Despite threats of terrorist attacks, complaints about poor preparations, and the international condemnation over their anti-gay law, Russia kicks off the costliest Olympic Games in history. On the same day as the opening ceremony, a passenger on a Turkish jetliner tells the crew a bomb is on board and to fly the plane to Sochi. Instead, the crew sends a signal to Istanbul where it lands. The suspect is taken into custody. No bomb is found onboard.
• Feb. 11: High-ranking officials from China and Taiwan meet in Nanking, China. It is the first time since the 1949 split that minister-level officials held talks. While the meeting is largely symbolic, it signals that both sides want to maintain stability and warmer ties.
• Feb. 17: The United Nations Human Rights Council releases a report accusing North Korea of crimes against humanity and compare the regime to that of Nazi Germany. The report is stunning in its graphic description of the horrors endured by political prisoners-who number between 80,000 and 120,000. The council recommends that North Korea be referred to the International Criminal Court.
• Mar. 10: North Korea holds legislative elections. Considered a sham election for the rubber-stamp Parliament, only one candidate appears on the ballot for each district. Not one vote is cast against pro-government candidates, and voter turnout is 100%.
• Mar. 24: A judge in Egypt sentences 529 people to death for the killing of a police officer during the protests against the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in August 2013. About 400 people are sentenced in absentia. It is a stunning verdict that met with international condemnation.
• April 7: The 2014 general election begins in India. The election is scheduled to run until May 12, making it the longest election in the history of India. Projected to cost around $5 billion dollars, the election is the second most expensive in world history. In terms of population, 814 million people are eligible to vote, making it the largest election ever. May 12: In election results, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party trounces the governing Indian National Congress Party, taking about 60% of the seats in parliament. The decisive victory gives the party an outright majority in parliament. Narendra Modi becomes prime minister. May 21: India invites Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the inauguration of Narendra Modi. May 26: Sharif accepts the invitation to attend the inauguration. The two shake hands and exchange pleasantries at the ceremony, a sign that there may be a thaw in relations between India and Pakistan.
• April 14: Islamist militant group Boko Haram is accused of kidnapping about 280 girls from a school in northeast Nigeria with the intention of making the girls sex slaves. The mass kidnapping sparks international outrage. May 5: Boko Haram claims responsibility for kidnapping in a video.
• April 15: Iraq announces the "complete closure" of Abu Ghraib, the infamous prison in which members of the U.S. military physically and sexually abused Iraqi prisoners. The Iraqi government cites security concerns as the reason for the closure due to the Sunni insurgency over the last year.
• May 17: Mali Prime Minister Moussa Mara visits the northern towns of Timbuktu, Kidal, and Gao. In Kidal, rebels shoot at him when he arrives. Mara calls the provocation a "declaration of war," and about 1,500 Malian troops are dispatched to Kidal and attack the rebels. The military is outmatched by the rebels, who kill 50 troops, take 50 prisoners, and capture a government fort in Kidal. Hundreds of troops surrender.
• May 20: Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army chief, declares martial law throughout Thailand. He says the move is to restore peace and order and requests that both sides stop protesting. He explicitly says the military is not launching a coup-something it has carried out on numerous occasions. May 22: Gen. Prayuth announces that he has indeed seized power from the interim government in a coup. It is the second military coup in less than 10 years.
• May 31: After years of negotiations, the U.S. and Taliban complete a prisoner swap. The Taliban surrenders Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had been held prisoner for five years, and the U.S. release five top members of the Taliban leadership from the Guantanamo Bay prison.
• June 2: The Palestinian government announces a new "government of national unity" with Hamas. The reconciliation agreement ends two separate governments in Gaza and the West Bank. The new government will still be led by moderate Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Hamdallah and is considered a huge step toward ending the seven year battle between the two separate political factions in Palestine.
• June 2: In Spain, King Juan Carlos announces that he will abdicate after 39 years at the throne. His son, Felipe, 46, will succeed him.
• June 3: In Syria presidential elections, Bashar al-Assad is re-elected to a third seven-year term, taking about 89% of the vote. However, votes are cast only in areas under government control as the opposition boycotts the election.
• June 11: Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) take control of Mosul, in northern Iraq, dealing the government an enormous-and unexpected-blow. As many as 500,000 people flee Mosul. Prime Minister Maliki declares a state of emergency and appeals for help from international allies. The militants press on after seizing Mosul, taking Tikrit and oil facilities in Baiji as they head south toward Baghdad. June 14: ISIS continues to seize more territory in the north and west, putting pressure on the U.S. and other nations to consider a military response. June 21: President Obama says 300 military advisers will be sent to Iraq but says combat troops will not be deployed. There are calls from both inside Iraq and by foreign leaders for Maliki to step down so a unity government can be formed. July 1: ISIS changes its name to the Islamic State and declares the territory in Iraq. Aug. 7: ISIS militants take control of the largest dam in Iraq, which is located in Mosul. President Obama announces in a press conference that he has authorized limited airstrikes on ISIS as well as airdrops of humanitarian supplies. While not a full-scale engagement in Iraq, the mission does mean the return of the U.S. military for the first time since 2011. Aug. 19: Members of ISIS behead American journalist James Foley, 40, in apparent retaliation for U.S. airstrikes against the group. ISIS releases a graphic video of his killing. Sept. 2: ISIS releases a video showing the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff, 31, who worked for Time and had been abducted in 2013 in Syria. Sept. 10: President Obama authorizes airstrikes against ISIS in Syria. He also asks Congress to authorize money to fund and train moderate rebel groups in Syria to aid in the fight, which it does in late September. Sept. 13: ISIS beheads a third victim, British aid worker David Cawthorne Haines. Sept. 23: Airstrikes begin in Syria, with Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates joining the U.S. in its campaign against ISIS. Oct. 14: The U.S. launches airstrikes on Kobani, Syria, in an effort to prevent ISIS from taking over the strategically located town and gaining additional smuggling routes to arm fighters. Oct. 27: ISIS maintains its hold on many cities in the largely Sunni Anbar Province, as U.S.-led airstrikes prove largely ineffectual without the support of Iraqi troops on the ground. U.S. and Iraqi officials are concerned that if ISIS takes over Anbar, it can then close in on Baghdad and the international airport there. Nov. 10: Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the most virulent militant organization in Egypt, pledges allegiance to ISIS. The move not only expands the reach of ISIS into Egypt, it also increases the resources available to Ansar Beit al-Maqdis to wage war against the government.
• July 2: The body of a missing Palestinian teenager is found the day after the burial of the three Israeli teenagers who were kidnapped and killed while hiking in the West Back in June. Both incidents increase tension between Israelis and Palestinians, including riots in East Jerusalem and an exchange of rocket fire in Southern Israel and Gaza. July 9: Hundreds of rockets are launched into Israel by militant groups in Gaza. In response, Israel launches an aerial offensive in Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinians, and calls up thousands of reservists for a potential ground operation. July 17: Israel launches a ground offensive into Gaza. July 24: 16 Palestinians are killed and more than 100 wounded in an attack on a UN elementary school in Gaza. Israel denies launching the attack, saying Hamas militants are responsible, missing their target. Aug. 26: After fighting for seven weeks and attempting several short-term cease-fires, Israel and Hamas agree to an open-ended cease-fire. The agreement is mediated by Egypt. Since the conflict began last month, 2,143 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, with more than 11,000 wounded and 100,000 left homeless. On the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and six civilians have been killed.
• Aug. 5: Maj. Gen. Harold Greene is gunned down by an Afghan soldier while touring a military training academy near Kabul, Afghanistan. He is the first general killed in battle since the Vietnam War.
• Sept. 2: After gaining wide support from both Shia and Sunnis, the Houthis enter the Yemen capital, Sana, and set up camp there. Yemen president, Abdel Rabbo Mansour Hadi, agrees to form a new government, with the Houthis nominating the prime minister. The Houthis, however, reject his concessions. Fighting breaks out between the rebels and security forces in Sana days later and continues until the Houthis take control of Sana. Sept. 20: The UN brokers a peace deal between the Houthis and the government. Sept. 21: Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwa announces his resignation. As part of the deal the Houthis agree to withdraw from Sana, and Hadi says he will reinstate the fuel subsidy, and a "technocratic national government" will be established. Oct. 13: Khaled Bahah,former ambassador to the UN, is named new prime minister of Yemen.
• Sept. 18: In an independence referendum, Scottish voters opt, 55% to 45%, to remain part of the United Kingdom. More than 4.2 million voters (86% turnout) take to the polls in record numbers to vote.
• Oct. 13: Britain Parliament votes 274-12 to give diplomatic recognition to Palestine. The symbolic nonbinding vote is an indication of a shift in British government since the recent conflict in Gaza, the latest round of failed peace negotiations, and Israel continuing to build settlements.
• Oct. 22: Four security guards for the private security company Blackwater Worldwide are convicted by a jury in a Washington Federal District Court of manslaughter, murder, and weapons charges for their involvement in the September 2007 shooting deaths of 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians. Nicholas Slatten is convicted of murder, and Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, and Paul Slough are convicted of voluntary manslaughter and weapons violations. The killings sparked furious protests in Iraq.
• Nov. 11: After weeks of discussion, China and the U.S. reach a landmark agreement on climate change. The agreement includes a commitment for the first time by China to stop its emissions from increasing by 2030.
• Nov. 29: An Egyptian court drops all charges against former president Hosni Mubarak for his role in the killing of hundreds of unarmed protesters in the Arab Spring protests of 2011. His security chief and several high-ranking police officials are also cleared. Thousands of people protest the verdict in Tahrir Square.
• Dec. 14: In a move that signals the end of the protests in Hong Kong, police clear tents from the main protest area, ten weeks after the protests began. The Chinese government does not make any concessions, but the protesters make clear that they can challenge the government. These are the largest protests since the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations.
• Dec. 15: An armed man holds 17 employees and customers hostage for more than 16 hours in a downtown cafe in Sydney, Australia. The armed man is identified as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian-born, 50-year-old man with a criminal record. Dec. 16: After being held for 16 hours, six hostages escape the cafe. Soon after, gunshots are heard inside and police storm the building. Three people are killed, including two hostages and Monis.
• Dec. 16: The Taliban attacks the Army Public School and Degree College in Peshawar, in northwest Pakistan. At least 145 people are killed in the siege, including more than 100 children. It is the most brazen and deadly attack by the Taliban in years.
• Dec. 17: Cuba frees U.S. aid contractor Alan Gross, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2011 after his effort to create a way to communicate outside of limitations set by the Cuban government. The government cites humanitarian grounds as the reason for the prisoner release. In response to the prisoner release, President Barack Obama announces that he will begin working with Cuba on resuming full diplomatic relations between the two countries for the first time since 1961.