Chilean Miners Rescued
Trapped 2,300 feet underground for 69 days in the San José mine in Chile before being rescued under the eyes of the Chilean president and the world’s media, the 33 miners and their stories is an extraordinary tale of human resilience that captured the globe’s attention for months.
At times, hope for their survival was thin: The miners were not discovered until 17 days after the entrance to the mine they were working in was blocked by a landslide.
It was the longest-ever mining rescue operation and also one of the most viewed around the world; nearly 1,000 media workers were present at the mine site at the time of the rescue, broadcast live to hundreds of millions around the world. The 33 miners have become instantaneous celebrities through their ordeal, and have appeared on television shows around the world. A lucrative film contract about their experiences is currently underway.
WikiLeaks Reveals Secret Documents
For some a celebrated defender of the freedom of information, for others a high-tech terrorist, Julian Assange, and his WikiLeaks organization, made 2010 the year that ushered in a new age of information warfare. WikiLeaks released this year the “Afghan War Logs” and the “Iraq War Logs,” both containing field observations from the respective wars.
The most recent documents published by WikiLeaks—classified U.S. Embassy cables—have given insight into U.S. diplomatic relations around the world. These cables will continue to spark controversy in 2011, as only 1,862 of a total of 251,287 cables have been published by WikiLeaks so far. The next documents to be released are those of a major U.S. bank, according to WikiLeaks. The documents revealed by WikiLeaks have forced governments and commercial entities around the world to rethink the way they communicate information. It has sparked new ways to protect classified information and to prevent data from being leaked through the Internet.
North and South Korea Tensions Mount
In 2010, tensions between North Korea and South Korea reached their highest levels since the negotiated truce in 1953 that paused the Korean War. On March 26, the South Korean warship Cheonan sank near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, close to the maritime border disputed by the two nations. An international investigation concluded after two months that the ship was sunk by a torpedo. Afterward, South Korea ran naval exercises in the area in collaboration with the United States. North Korea repeatedly warned that these “provocations” could cause a full-scale war.
In November, North Korea bombed Yeonpyeong Island, killing four people. South Korea, surprised, replaced its defense minister and expressed at the beginning of December its readiness to retaliate against any new attacks by North Korea. A visit by U.S. experts in November to a North Korean uranium enrichment plant showed the country had violated international agreements and had created the capacity to develop highly enriched uranium needed for nuclear weapons. Proposals to condemn North Korea’s attacks by the United Nations Security Council were blocked by vetoes from China and Russia. At the moment, the United States is unwilling to proceed with the six-party talks discussing North Korea’s situation until North Korea shows a willingness to change its behavior.
Europe Shaken by Severe Indebtedness and Eurozone Instability
After Greece burst out last spring with a huge debt of $400 billion and requested a bailout, Europe has been overwhelmed by protests against anti-austerity measures and shaken by fears of eurozone instability. Mass protests and week-long strikes ensued throughout Greece against the declared draconian cuts in public expenditures by the government.
The three-year bailout package of $146.2 billion is the biggest sum given to a country in financial trouble in recent history in Europe. At the end of November, the European Union agreed to give $89.4 billion in bailout loans to Ireland to help it out of a massive banking crisis, and to try to restore faith in the euro. Analysts fear Spain and Portugal might be next in line. Spain evokes the most worry, with an economy twice that of Portugal, Greece, and Ireland combined. The recent financial shakes in Europe brought fears of the EU’s future and the stability of the eurozone, although earlier in November German Chancellor Angela Merkel assured that the euro is not in danger and warned that “weaker countries must become more competitive.”
