Scars left by 2016
We just started getting used to 2016 and 2017 is already here! Despite this, wanting to cling onto the passing year is probably the last thing a lot of us want to do, for fair reasons I must say.
Many occurrences make us hope the new year will be nothing like the old one. Let us look back at the passing year to remind ourselves why we should be glad that it’s over.
Year in terrorism
2016 has been a very bad year for terrorism. It feels like every morning we have been waking up to another tragedy, another terrorist attack in someplace of the world.
Some of the attacks this year made the whole world cry and realise again and again whatever the problem is, hatred is no solution.
In a report of BBC, it estimated that there had been 1,580 terrorism deaths worldwide in July only, although getting accurate information from some places - like Iraq and Syria - was particularly tricky, it said.
In the beginning of the year, in mid-January, militants attacked a hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, killing 28, injuring 56. A few days later Boko Haram militants on motorcycles attacked Dalori village near Maiduguri, Nigeria, killing at least 65 and injuring 136.
Bombings in the Syrian cities of Homs and Damascus killed 140 people, Islamic State claimed the responsibility.
Suicide bombing in Ankara, Turkey, killed 37 people on March 13.
ISIS struck again in March. Suicide bombings at Brussels’ Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station left around 28 innocent people dead and 260 injured.
On March 27 in Pakistan, suicide bomb killed more than 70 people at a park in Lahore, Taliban connected Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility.
The worst mass shooting in the US happened on June 12 when gunman claiming allegiance to the Islamic State opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49, injuring 53.
June 28 suicide bombings and gun attacks at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport killed 42 and wounded more than 200.
The attack that very nakedly pointed to the wide and strong presence of religious extremism and terrorism in our own country Bangladesh, and scarred us permanently, happened on July 1 right in the middle of the capital in the posh diplomatic zone of Gulshan. Militants stormed a popular eatery, Holey Artisan, killing 20 hostages and 2 policemen. It was the first hostage situation our law enforcers faced and was the worst terrorist attack in the country.
Large lorry bomb in Baghdad on July 2 killed at least 125 people and wounded 150. IS claimed the attack.
July 23 suicide bombing in Kabul killed 80 during a protest march, again Islamic State claimed responsibility.
On December 10, terrorist bombed outside a stadium in Istanbul killing 38 and injuring 166.
A terrorist attack on December 19, during which a truck was driven into the Christmas market, next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, left 12 people dead and 56 others injured and the whole world was left awestricken ahead of Christmas.
Year in migrant crisis
2016 saw the migrant crisis dominate headlines. From the controversial EU-Turkey deal to the closing of the Calais “Jungle”, the migrant issue kept adding to the list of unfortunate events of the year.
Macedonia, Croatia and Slovenia closed their borders to migrants trying to reach Northern Europe.
In May, three ships sank carrying immigrants across the Mediterranean, drowning over 700 people.
Also, this year, migrant boat carrying 450-600 people capsized off the Egyptian coast, only 163 were rescued.
Natural disasters and crises
Earthquakes, floods and storms played their own part to make the year unpleasant.
During the early part of the year, tropical Cyclone Winston hit Fiji, killing at least 29. It was the most powerful storm on record in Southern Hemisphere with wind speed of 296 kilometers per hour (184 mph).
On March 14, NASA released data showing February 2016 as the warmest month ever recorded globally - 1.35 degree Celsius above the long-term average.
On June 23, storms and widespread flooding in West Virginia left at least 24 dead.
Anthrax outbreak in August in Yamalo-Nenets, Siberia, killed 2,300 reindeers, global warming was blamed.
On August 24, 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck central Italy, north east of Rome, killing 268, injuring 400.
Hurricane Matthew started forming on September 28 near the Windward Islands and later went on to kill over 1000 in Haiti, the Caribbean and the US.
On October 27, 6.6-magnitude quake hit central Italy- strongest earthquake in Italy in 36 years.
7.8 earthquake cut off town of Kaikoura, New Zealand in November raising sea-bed by 4m.
On December 7, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Aceh province of Indonesia killed at least 97 people.
Political Turmoil
Here goes some of the noted political incidents during the year which made the world nod their head regrettably in disagreement.
On June 16, British MP (L) Jo Cox was shot and killed outside her constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire.
United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in their "Brexit" referendum on June 23.
Attempted military coup on July 15 in Turkey failed, with nearly 300 killed and 6,000 arrested.
Plane crashes
2016 has been a very unfortunate year for air travelers. Many aviation accidents and incidents took place this year.
On May 21, EgyptAir flight MS804 went missing over the Mediterranean on its way from Paris to Cairo with 56 passengers on board.
On November 28, a plane carrying Brazilian Chapecoense football team crashed near Medellin, Colombia killing 71 players and journalists.
On December 7, Pakistan International Airways plane crashed north of Islamabad, killing all 48 on board, including singer turned preacher Junaid Jamshed.
On December 25, a Tupolev Tu-154 jetliner of the Russian Defence Ministry, registered RA-85572, crashed into the Black Sea shortly after taking off from Sochi International Airport, Russia, while en route to Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. All 92 passengers and crew on board died.
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