2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
A Merapi Response Radio 100.2 FM "talk show" presented the Yogyakarta Governor, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the head of the BNPB, Dr. Syamsul Maarif, and chief of the PVMBG, Dr. Surono on evening of 11 November. A media center and a call center were also established to attempt to assist in bridging an information gap related to information on current conditions and the management of victims of Merapi. BNPB stated that many issues and news reports in the media and are misleading and many irresponsible SMS's were circulating.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
by that time more than 350,000 people had been evacuated to cramped emergency shelters. Thousands of evacuees were in limbo in refugee camps, posing a very real threat to their mental health. Supriyantoro, the Health Ministry's director general for medical services, said his office had noted that many of the evacuees were beginning to exhibit symptoms of mild mental health problems, which he said was not surprising, given the current situation. Preliminary findings at the time showed at least eight people were suffering from serious depression and anxiety, while one man had committed suicide, reportedly due to stress.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
On Thursday, 18 November the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs issued a second update to their 11 November travel advisory bulletin acknowledging the announcement by Indonesian authorities on 15 November scaling back the 20 kilometre exclusion zone in some of the regions around Mount Merapi. The exclusion zone had been reduced to 15 km (9.3 mi) in the District (Kabupaten) of Magelang and to 10 km (6.2 mi) in the Districts of Klaten and Boyolali. The exclusion zone in the District of Sleman, towards the city of Yogyakarta, remained at 20 km (12 mi).


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
The exclusion zone did not include the metropolitan areas of Yogyakarta or Adisucipto International Airport However the Indonesian Government advised that Adisucipto International Airport would be closed until at least 20 November. Other airports in Java had been subject to periodic closure due to volcanic activity at Mount Merapi. The travel bulletin further advised that eruptions or any widening of the Indonesian Government's exclusion zone would likely cause major disruption to services in Yogyakarta and surrounding areas.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
At the time the advisory was issued residents of Yogyakarta were still able to leave the city by road and rail, however any possible widening of the exclusion zone was considered to have the potential to affect the availability of departure options. It was noted that there had been a deterioration in air quality in Yogyakarta from ash falling on the city. It was cautioned that volcanic ash could cause breathing difficulties, particularly for people with chronic respiratory ailments such as asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
The Indonesian Social Welfare Minister, Salim Segaf Al-Jufri announced on 19 November that the government planned to end the emergency response period for the Mount Merapi eruption disaster on 24 November. "We will maintain the emergency response period until 24 November. Whether the period will be extended or not will depend on the situation." Speaking to newsmen in Magelang district, he said the Mt Merapi evacuees could return home after the volcano's "beware" status had been lowered. The social welfare ministry had distributed relief aid packages containing staple food and blankets during the emergency response period.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
After the end of the emergency response period, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) planned to begin implementing the reconstruction and rehabilitation programs for Mt Merapi victims. By mid November the eruptions had damaged 867 hectares of forest land on the volcano's slopes in Sleman District, Yogyakarta, with material losses estimated at Rp33 billion. The damaged areas included the Merapi National Park, community forests and the farms and plantations of the local people.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
Magelang's district administration decided to extend the emergency period, scheduled to end on 24 November, for a further period of 2 weeks until 9 December as Merapi's alert status still remained at the highest level in late November 2010. Heri Prawoto, the head of the district's Disaster Management Office was reported as saying that "there is still the possibility that some areas in Magelang will be impacted by volcanic debris".


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Civil impacts
Yogyakarta's Disaster Management Agency reported in late November that there were about 500 reported cases of eruption survivors in Sleman district suffering from minor to severe psychological problems, and about 300 cases in Magelang.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
The eruptions and subsequent volcanic ash plumes caused extensive disruption to aviation movements across central and western Java in early November. Some flights to and from Bandung, Jakarta and Solo were effected and many international and domestic airlines suspended operations to and from those cities. Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airport was closed on many occasions in early November due to limited visibility and ash falls upon the runway, taxiway and terminal aprons. Adisucipto International Airport is the third busiest airport on the island of Java and lies approximately 13.5 nmi (25.0 km) to the south of Merapi.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
An Airbus A330-300 flight operated for Garuda Airlines as a Hajj pilgrimage from Solo's Adisumarmo International Airport 19 nmi (35 km) east of Merapi and travelling to Batam en route to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) was reported to have suffered from ash related engine damage on 28 October. It was however later reported to have suffered from blade tip rubbing and was not apparently damaged by volcanic ash ingestion.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
On 3 November Garuda Indonesia diverted its embarkation point for Hajj pilgrims from Solo to Surabaya to keep flights from being delayed by volcanic ash from the erupting Mount Merapi.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
On 4 November Herry Bakti Gumay, Director General of air transportation, stated that the warning released to all airlines operating flights into Yogyakarta would not withdraw warning until conditions returned to normal. Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, speaking in Jakarta, said he had instructed airlines to direct all flights crossing Java to the north or south to avoid Merapi. "We have already prepared alternative routes for all flights," he said. "It may cost more and use up more fuel, but safety comes first."


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
On 5 November at 05:27 (UTC) the Australian government Bureau of Meteorology (VAAC) issued an ongoing code red Aviation Volcanic Ash Advisory and reported satellite image (MTSAT-2) derived information indicating a volcanic ash plume to FL550 OBS extending 190 nmi (350 km) to the west and southwest of the mountain. Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airport (JOG) was closed and flights were diverted to Solo's Adisumarmo International Airport (SOC) to the east of Mount Merapi.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
On 6 November at 11:07(UTC) the Australian government Bureau of Meteorology (VAAC) issued an ongoing code red Aviation Volcanic Ash Advisory and reported satellite image (MTSAT-2) derived information indicating a volcanic ash plume to FL550 OBS extending 190 nautical miles to the west of the mountain. At Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK) airlines cancelled 36 flights on 6 November over concerns about volcanic ash. The Indonesian Disaster Management Office reported that volcanic ash from Merapi was falling in Jakarta and some nearby areas such as Bogor and Puncak on Saturday the night of 6 November but only in very light falls.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
By 7 November the Aviation Volcanic Ash Advisory issued from Darwin Australia reported the volcanic ash plume "to FL250 OBS extending 100 nautical miles [190 km] to the west". Fights to cities close to Merapi including Yogyakarta, Solo and Bandung were affected by concerns of ash in the air around the mountain and of that blowing from the mountains ash plume toward the west and south west of Merapi.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
The closure of smaller airports near the volcano delayed the arrival of burn cream and ventilators for those whose skin and lungs have been damaged by the ash, heat and volcanic gases. The VAAC code red status was issued again for that day describing an ash plume extending westward to 120 nmi (220 km), the last observations being made at 08:30 (UTC) 14:30 local time at Yogyakarta.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
At Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK) airlines canceled 50 flights on Sunday, 7 November in addition to 36 flights cancelled on 6 November over concerns about volcanic ash. Many international airlines halted flights to the capital however some carriers resumed some flights on Sunday 7 November. Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport normally handles around 900 flights per day and a spokesman for Soekarno-Hatta Airport, confirmed that the capital's airport remained fully open. Flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air still operated international flights out of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
Garuda Indonesia spokesman Pujobroto told news portal kompas.com, "There has been no notice to airman so far from the aviation authorities which says the airport is affected by the volcanic ash. Therefore Garuda continues its activities." Domestic flights to and from Yogyakarta were cancelled by Garuda Indonesia: 15 flights (8 departure / 7 arrival), Lion Air: 4 flights (3 departure / 1 arrival), Batavia Air: 2 flights (1 departure / 1 arrival).


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
AirAsia (Malaysia) had previously suspended flights into Yogyakarta and Solo and SilkAir (Singapore) had suspended their operations into Solo. Airport operations at Yogyakarta's Adisucipto airport had already been closed or suspended on many occasions due to concerns from ash fall and limited visibility. Garuda and Sriwijaya Air canceled all flights to Yogyakarta until 9 November due to the ash plume.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
Pujobroto, vice president of corporate communications, Garuda Indonesia announced that with flight conditions between Yogyakarta and Solo also still uncertain, flights from Yogyakarta will not be diverted to Solo and reiterated that there had not been any official declaration that Soekarno Hatta airport had been affected by Merapi's volcanic ashes and nor was it closed down. "Garuda will still continue its services for domestic and international flights to and from Soekarno Hatta airport."


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
Department of Air Transport's Director General Herry Bakti announced on 8 November that flights in and out of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta had returned to normal.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
On Thursday 11 November, ash continued to spread over western Java and was falling just short of Jakarta, according to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia. Flight activity at Jakarta's airport was normal, and Yogyakarta's airport was closed until Monday 15 November. On the morning of 11 November, the volcano was ejecting ash 1,000 m (3,300 ft) into the air. High-level clouds were observed over the Indian Ocean and were thought to be volcanic ash-bearing.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
A code-red aviation alert was continued, and at 16:41 a volcanic ash plume was seen to be extending to 25,000 feet (7,600 m), FL250 extending to 150 nmi (280 km) to the west. It had been observed earlier that day travelling 150 nautical miles to the north west as it had the day prior. The volcano was observed on 4–8 November by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Aura spacecraft and imagery indicated that a sulfur dioxide plume had been released into the upper troposphere.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
Sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas that can harm human health and cool earth's climate. Besides elevating the risk of acid rain, the ions can also react to form particles that reflect sunlight. On 9 November 2010, the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin, Australia, also reported a sulfur-dioxide cloud over the Indian Ocean between 12,000 and 15,000 m (39,000 and 49,000 ft), in the upper troposphere.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
An Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs travel advisory bulletin issued on 18 November noted that the exclusion zone in place at that time did not include the metropolitan areas of Yogyakarta or Adisucipto International Airport. The Indonesian Government had advised that Adisucipto International Airport would be closed until at least 20 November whilst other airports in Java had been subject to periodic closure due to volcanic activity at Mount Merapi. It was further noted that there had been a deterioration in air quality in Yogyakarta from ash falling on the city.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Air travel disruption
It was cautioned that volcanic ash could cause breathing difficulties, particularly for people with chronic respiratory ailments such as asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis with a further caution that volcanic activity at Mount Merapi was continuing and could lead to further disruptions to international and domestic flights to locations throughout Indonesia. Acting upon information derived from MSTAT imagery on 19 November VAAC, Darwin notified of an ash plume observed at a height of 15,000 feet (4,600 m - F150), extending 40 nmi (74 km) to the west of the mountain. The (VAAC) Aviation Volcanic Ash Advisory warning of code red was applied in the 10:50 (UTC) advisory, elevated from a code orange issued earlier at 06:36 (UTC).


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Effect on Borobudur
Borobudur, an 8th-century Buddhist temple and one of the world's largest Buddhist monuments, was heavily affected by the eruption in early November 2010. Volcanic ash from Mount Merapi fell on the temple complex, which is approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) west-southwest of the crater. A layer of ash up to 2.5 centimetres (1 in) thick fell on the temple statues during the eruption of 3–5 November, also killing nearby vegetation, with experts fearing that the acidic ash might damage the historic site. The temple complex was closed from 5 November to the 9th to clean up the ashfall.


2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, Volcanic ash plume, Effect on Borobudur
Borobudur was again "temporarily closed for tourists" from the morning of 10 November, due to the continuing fall of volcanic ash.


2010 flash crash
The May 6, 2010, flash crash, also known as the crash of 2:45 or simply the flash crash, was a United States trillion-dollar stock market crash, which started at 2:32 p.m. EDT and lasted for approximately 36 minutes.


2010 flash crash, Overview
Stock indices, such as the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite, collapsed and rebounded very rapidly. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had its second biggest intraday point decline (from the opening) up to that point, plunging 998.5 points (about 9%), most within minutes, only to recover a large part of the loss. It was also the second-largest intraday point swing (difference between intraday high and intraday low) up to that point, at 1,010.14 points. The prices of stocks, stock index futures, options and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were volatile, thus trading volume spiked. A CFTC 2014 report described it as one of the most turbulent periods in the history of financial markets.


2010 flash crash, Overview
New regulations put in place following the 2010 flash crash proved to be inadequate to protect investors in the August 24, 2015, flash crash — "when the price of many ETFs appeared to come unhinged from their underlying value" — and ETFs were subsequently put under greater scrutiny by regulators and investors.


2010 flash crash, Overview
On April 21, 2015, nearly five years after the incident, the U.S. Department of Justice laid "22 criminal counts, including fraud and market manipulation" against Navinder Singh Sarao, a British financial trader. Among the charges included was the use of spoofing algorithms; just prior to the flash crash, he placed orders for thousands of E-mini S&P 500 stock index futures contracts which he planned on cancelling later. These orders amounting to about "$200 million worth of bets that the market would fall" were "replaced or modified 19,000 times" before they were cancelled. Spoofing, layering, and front running are now banned.


2010 flash crash, Overview
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) investigation concluded that Sarao "was at least significantly responsible for the order imbalances" in the derivatives market which affected stock markets and exacerbated the flash crash. Sarao began his alleged market manipulation in 2009 with commercially available trading software whose code he modified "so he could rapidly place and cancel orders automatically".


2010 flash crash, Overview
Traders Magazine journalist, John Bates, argued that blaming a 36-year-old small-time trader who worked from his parents' modest stucco house in suburban west London for sparking a trillion-dollar stock market crash is "a little bit like blaming lightning for starting a fire" and that the investigation was lengthened because regulators used "bicycles to try and catch Ferraris". Furthermore, he concluded that by April 2015, traders can still manipulate and impact markets in spite of regulators and banks' new, improved monitoring of automated trade systems.


2010 flash crash, Overview
As recently as May 2014, a CFTC report concluded that high-frequency traders "did not cause the Flash Crash, but contributed to it by demanding immediacy ahead of other market participants".


2010 flash crash, Overview
Some recent peer-reviewed research shows that flash crashes are not isolated occurrences, but have occurred quite often. Gao and Mizrach studied US equities over the period of 1993–2011. They show that breakdowns in market quality (such as flash crashes) have occurred in every year they examined and that, apart from the financial crisis, such problems have declined since the introduction of Reg NMS. They also show that 2010, while infamous for the flash crash, was not a year with an inordinate number of breakdowns in market quality.


2010 flash crash, Background
On May 6, 2010, U.S. stock markets opened and the Dow was down, and trended that way for most of the day on worries about the debt crisis in Greece. At 2:42 p.m., with the Dow down more than 300 points for the day, the equity market began to fall rapidly, dropping an additional 600 points in 5 minutes for a loss of nearly 1,000 points for the day by 2:47 p.m.  Twenty minutes later, by 3:07 p.m., the market had regained most of the 600-point drop.


2010 flash crash, Background
At the time of the flash crash, in May 2010, high-frequency traders were taking advantage of unintended consequences of the consolidation of the U.S. financial regulations into Regulation NMS, designed to modernize and strengthen the United States National Market System for equity securities. The Reg NMS, promulgated and described by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, was intended to assure that investors received the best price executions for their orders by encouraging competition in the marketplace, created attractive new opportunities for high-frequency-traders. Activities such as spoofing, layering and front running were banned by 2015. This rule was designed to give investors the best possible price when dealing in stocks, even if that price was not on the exchange that received the order.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Early theories
At first, while the regulatory agencies and the United States Congress announced investigations into the crash, no specific reason for the 600-point plunge was identified. Investigators focused on a number of possible causes, including a confluence of computer-automated trades, or possibly an error by human traders. By the first weekend, regulators had discounted the possibility of trader error and focused on automated trades conducted on exchanges other than the NYSE.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Early theories
However, CME Group, a large futures exchange, stated that, insofar as stock index futures traded on CME Group were concerned, its investigation found no evidence for this or that high-frequency trading played a role, and in fact concluded that automated trading had contributed to market stability during the period of the crash. Others speculate that an intermarket sweep order may have played a role in triggering the crash.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Early theories
Several plausible theories were put forward to explain the plunge.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
On September 30, 2010, after almost five months of investigations led by Gregg E. Berman, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a joint report titled "Findings Regarding the Market Events of May 6, 2010" identifying the sequence of events leading to the flash crash.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
The joint 2010 report "portrayed a market so fragmented and fragile that a single large trade could send stocks into a sudden spiral", and detailed how a large mutual fund firm selling an unusually large number of E-Mini S&P contracts first exhausted available buyers, and then how high-frequency traders (HFT) started aggressively selling, accelerating the effect of the mutual fund's selling and contributing to the sharp price declines that day.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
The SEC and CFTC joint 2010 report itself says that "May 6 started as an unusually turbulent day for the markets" and that by the early afternoon "broadly negative market sentiment was already affecting an increase in the price volatility of some individual securities". At 2:32 p.m. (EDT), against a "backdrop of unusually high volatility and thinning liquidity" that day, a large fundamental trader (known to be Waddell & Reed Financial Inc.) "initiated a sell program to sell a total of 75,000 E-Mini S&P contracts (valued at approximately $4.1 billion) as a hedge to an existing equity position". The report says that this was an unusually large position and that the computer algorithm the trader used to trade the position was set to "target an execution rate set to 9% of the trading volume calculated over the previous minute, but without regard to price or time".


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
As the large seller's trades were executed in the futures market, buyers included high-frequency trading firms—trading firms that specialize in high-speed trading and rarely hold on to any given position for very long—and within minutes these high-frequency trading firms started trying to sell the long futures contracts they had just picked up from the mutual fund.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
The Wall Street Journal quoted the joint report, "'HFTs [then] began to quickly buy and then resell contracts to each other—generating a 'hot-potato' volume effect as the same positions were passed rapidly back and forth.'" The combined sales by the large seller and high-frequency firms quickly drove "the E-Mini price down 3% in just four minutes".


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
The combined selling pressure from the sell algorithm, HFTs, and other traders drove the price of the E-Mini S&P 500 down approximately 3% in just four minutes from the beginning of 2:41 p.m. through the end of 2:44 p.m.  During this same time cross-market arbitrageurs who did buy the E-Mini S&P 500, simultaneously sold equivalent amounts in the equities markets, driving the price of SPY (an exchange-traded fund which represents the S&P 500 index) also down approximately 3%.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
Still lacking sufficient demand from fundamental buyers or cross-market arbitrageurs, HFTs began to quickly buy and then resell contracts to each other—generating a “hot-potato” volume effect as the same positions were rapidly passed back and forth. Between 2:45:13 and 2:45:27, HFTs traded over 27,000 contracts, which accounted for about 49 percent of the total trading volume, while buying only about 200 additional contracts net.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
As prices in the futures market fell, there was a spillover into the equities markets. The computer systems used by most high-frequency trading firms to keep track of market activity decided to pause trading, and those firms then scaled back their trading or withdrew from the markets altogether.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
The New York Times then noted, "Automatic computerized traders on the stock market shut down as they detected the sharp rise in buying and selling". As computerized high-frequency traders exited the stock market, the resulting lack of liquidity "caused shares of some prominent companies like Procter & Gamble and Accenture to trade down as low as a penny or as high as $100,000". These extreme prices also resulted from "market internalizers", firms that usually trade with customer orders from their own inventory instead of sending those orders to exchanges, "routing 'most, if not all,' retail orders to the public markets—a flood of unusual selling pressure that sucked up more dwindling liquidity".


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
While some firms exited the market, firms that remained in the market exacerbated price declines because they "'escalated their aggressive selling' during the downdraft". High-frequency firms during the crisis, like other firms, were net sellers, contributing to the crash.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
The joint report continued: "At 2:45:28 p.m., trading on the E-Mini was paused for five seconds when the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ('CME') Stop Logic Functionality was triggered in order to prevent a cascade of further price declines. In that short period of time, sell-side pressure in the E-Mini was partly alleviated and buy-side interest increased. When trading resumed at 2:45:33 p.m., prices stabilized and shortly thereafter, the E-Mini began to recover, followed by the SPY".


2010 flash crash, Explanation, SEC/CFTC report
After a short while, as market participants had "time to react and verify the integrity of their data and systems, buy-side and sell-side interest returned and an orderly price discovery process began to function", and by 3:00 p.m., most stocks "had reverted back to trading at prices reflecting true consensus values".


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
A few hours after the release of the 104-page SEC/CFTC 2010 report, a number of critics stated that blaming a single order (from Waddell & Reed) for triggering the event was disingenuous. Most prominent of all, the CME issued within 24 hours a rare press release in which it argued against the SEC/CFTC explanation:


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
Futures and options markets are hedging and risk transfer markets. The report references a series of bona fide hedging transactions, totaling 75,000 contracts, entered into by an institutional asset manager to hedge a portion of the risk in its $75 billion investment portfolio in response to global economic events and the fundamentally deteriorating market conditions that day. The 75,000 contracts represented 1.3% of the total E-Mini S&P 500 volume of 5.7 million contracts on May 6 and less than 9% of the volume during the time period in which the orders were executed.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
The prevailing market sentiment was evident well before these orders were placed, and the orders, as well as the manner in which they were entered, were both legitimate and consistent with market practices. These hedging orders were entered in relatively small quantities and in a manner designed to dynamically adapt to market liquidity by participating in a target percentage of 9% of the volume executed in the market.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
As a result of the significant volumes traded in the market, the hedge was completed in approximately twenty minutes, with more than half of the participant's volume executed as the market rallied—not as the market declined. Additionally, the aggregate size of this participant's orders was not known to other market participants. Additionally, the most precipitous period of market decline in the E-Mini S&P 500 futures on May 6 occurred during the 3½ minute period immediately preceding the market bottom that was established at 13:45:28. During that period, the participant hedging its portfolio represented less than 5% of the total volume of sales in the market.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
David Leinweber, director of the Center for Innovative Financial Technology at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was invited by The Journal of Portfolio Management to write an editorial, in which he openly criticized the government's technological capabilities and inability to study today's markets. Leinweber wrote:


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
The heads of the SEC and CFTC often point out that they are running an IT museum. They have photographic evidence to prove it—the highest-tech background that The New York Times (on September 21, 2010) could find for a photo of Gregg Berman, the SEC’s point man on the flash, was a corner with five PCs, a Bloomberg, a printer, a fax, and three TVs on the wall with several large clocks.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
A better measure of the inadequacy of the current mélange of IT antiquities is that the SEC/CFTC report on the May 6 crash was released on September 30, 2010. Taking nearly five months to analyze the wildest ever five minutes of market data is unacceptable. CFTC Chair Gensler specifically blamed the delay on the “enormous” effort to collect and analyze data. What an enormous mess it is.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
Nanex, a leading firm specialized in the analysis of high-frequency data, also pointed out to several inconsistencies in the CFTC study:


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
Based on interviews and our own independent matching of the 6,438 W&R executions to the 147,577 CME executions during that time, we know for certain that the algorithm used by W&R never took nor required liquidity. It always posted sell orders above the market and waited for a buyer; it never crossed the bid/ask spread. That means that none of the 6,438 trades were executed by hitting a bid. [ ...] [S]tatements from page 36 of Kirilenko's paper cast serious doubt on the credibility of their analysis. [


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Criticism of the SEC/CFTC report
...] It is widely believed that the "sell program" refers to the algo selling the W&R contracts. However, based on the statements above, this cannot be true. The sell program must be referring to a different algo, or Kirilenko's analysis is fundamentally flawed, because the paper incorrectly identifies trades that hit the bid as executions by the W&R algo.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
As of July 2011, only one theory on the causes of the flash crash was published by a Journal Citation Reports indexed, peer-reviewed scientific journal. It was reported in 2011 that one hour before its collapse in 2010, the stock market registered the highest reading of "toxic order imbalance" in previous history. The authors of this 2011 paper apply widely accepted market microstructure models to understand the behavior of prices in the minutes and hours prior to the crash.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
According to this paper, "order flow toxicity" can be measured as the probability that informed traders (e.g., hedge funds) adversely select uninformed traders (e.g., market makers). For that purpose, they developed the Volume-Synchronized Probability of Informed Trading (VPIN) Flow Toxicity metric, which delivered a real-time estimate of the conditions under which liquidity is being provided. If the order imbalance becomes too toxic, market makers are forced out of the market. As they withdraw, liquidity disappears, which increases even more the concentration of toxic flow in the overall volume, which triggers a feedback mechanism that forces even more market makers out. This cascading effect has caused hundreds of liquidity-induced crashes in the past, the flash crash being one (major) example of it.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
However, independent studies published in 2013 strongly disputed the claim that one hour before its collapse in 2010, the stock market registered the highest reading of "toxic order imbalance" in previous history. In particular, in 2011 Andersen and Bondarenko conducted a comprehensive investigation of the two main versions of VPIN used by its creators, one based on the standard tick-rule (or TR-VPIN) and the other based on Bulk Volume Classification (or BVC-VPIN). They find that the value of TR-VPIN (BVC-VPIN) one hour before the crash "was surpassed on 71 (189) preceding days, constituting 11.7% (31.2%) of the pre-crash sample". Similarly, the value of TR-VPIN (BVC-VPIN) at the start of the crash was "topped on 26 (49) preceding days, or 4.3% (8.1%) of the pre-crash sample".


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
Note that the source of increasing "order flow toxicity" on May 6, 2010, is not determined in Easley, Lopez de Prado, and O'Hara's 2011 publication. Whether a dominant source of toxic order flow on May 6, 2010, was from firms representing public investors or whether a dominant source was intermediary or other proprietary traders could have a significant effect on regulatory proposals put forward to prevent another flash crash. According to Bloomberg, the VPIN metric is the subject of a pending patent application filed by the paper's three authors, Maureen O'Hara and David Easley of Cornell University, and Marcos Lopez de Prado, of Tudor Investment Corporation.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
A study of VPIN by scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory cited the 2011 conclusions of Easley, Lopez de Prado and O'Hara for VPIN on S&P 500 futures but provided no independent confirmation for the claim that VPIN reached its historical high one hour before the crash:


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
The Chief Economist of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and several academic economists published a working paper containing a review and empirical analysis of trade data from the Flash Crash. The authors examined the characteristics and activities of buyers and sellers in the Flash Crash and determined that a large seller, a mutual fund firm, exhausted available fundamental buyers and then triggered a cascade of selling by intermediaries, particularly high-frequency trading firms. Like the SEC/CFTC report described earlier, the authors call this cascade of selling "hot potato trading", as high-frequency firms rapidly acquired and then liquidated positions among themselves at steadily declining prices.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
Based on our analysis, we believe that High Frequency Traders exhibit trading patterns inconsistent with the traditional definition of market making. Specifically, High Frequency Traders aggressively trade in the direction of price changes. This activity comprises a large percentage of total trading volume, but does not result in a significant accumulation of inventory. As a result, whether under normal market conditions or during periods of high volatility, High Frequency Traders are not willing to accumulate large positions or absorb large losses. Moreover, their contribution to higher trading volumes may be mistaken for liquidity by Fundamental Traders.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
Finally, when rebalancing their positions, High Frequency Traders may compete for liquidity and amplify price volatility. Consequently, we believe, that irrespective of technology, markets can become fragile when imbalances arise as a result of large traders seeking to buy or sell quantities larger than intermediaries are willing to temporarily hold, and simultaneously long-term suppliers of liquidity are not forthcoming even if significant price concessions are offered.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Academic research
Recent research on dynamical complex networks published in Nature Physics (2013) suggests that the 2010 Flash Crash may be an example of the "avoided transition" phenomenon in network systems with critical behavior.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Evidence of market manipulation and arrest
In April 2015, Navinder Singh Sarao, a London-based point-and-click trader, was arrested for his alleged role in the flash crash. According to criminal charges brought by the United States Department of Justice, Sarao allegedly used an automated program to generate large sell orders, pushing down prices, which he then cancelled to buy at the lower market prices. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed civil charges against Sarao. In August 2015, Sarao was released on a £50,000 bail with a full extradition hearing scheduled for September with the US Department of Justice. Sarao and his company, Nav Sarao Futures Limited, allegedly made more than $40 million in profit from trading from 2009 to 2015.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Evidence of market manipulation and arrest
During extradition proceedings he was represented by Richard Egan of Tuckers Solicitors.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Evidence of market manipulation and arrest
As of 2017 Sarao's lawyers claim that all of his assets were stolen or otherwise lost in bad investments. Sarao was released on bail, banned from trading and placed under the care of his father.


2010 flash crash, Explanation, Evidence of market manipulation and arrest
In January 2020, Sarao was given a sentence of only one year of home confinement, with no jail time. The sentence was relatively lenient, as a result of prosecutors' emphasis on how much Sarao had cooperated with them, and that he was not motivated by greed.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Stock market reaction
A stock market anomaly, the major market indexes dropped by over 9% (including a roughly 7% decline in a roughly 15-minute span at approximately 2:45 p.m., on May 6, 2010) before a partial rebound. Temporarily, $1 trillion in market value disappeared. While stock markets do crash, immediate rebounds are unprecedented. The stocks of eight major companies in the S&P 500 fell to one cent per share for a short time, including Accenture, CenterPoint Energy and Exelon; while other stocks, including Sotheby's, Apple Inc. and Hewlett-Packard, increased in value to over $100,000 in price. Procter & Gamble in particular dropped nearly 37% before rebounding, within minutes, back to near its original levels.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Stock market reaction
Stocks continued to rebound in the following days, helped by a bailout package in Europe to help save the euro. The S&P 500 erased all losses within a week, but selling soon took over again and the indices reached lower depths within two weeks.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Congressional hearings
The NASDAQ released their timeline of the anomalies during U.S. Congressional House Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises hearings on the flash crash. NASDAQ's timeline indicates that NYSE Arca may have played an early role and that the Chicago Board Options Exchange sent a message saying that NYSE Arca was "out of NBBO" (National best bid and offer). The Chicago Board Options Exchange, NASDAQ, NASDAQ OMX BX and BATS Exchange all declared self-help against NYSE Arca.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Congressional hearings
SEC Chairwoman Mary Schapiro testified that "stub quotes" may have played a role in certain stocks that traded for 1 cent a share. According to Schapiro:


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Congressional hearings
The absurd result of valuable stocks being executed for a penny likely was attributable to the use of a practice called "stub quoting." When a market order is submitted for a stock, if available liquidity has already been taken out, the market order will seek the next available liquidity, regardless of price. When a market maker’s liquidity has been exhausted, or if it is unwilling to provide liquidity, it may at that time submit what is called a stub quote—for example, an offer to buy a given stock at a penny.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Congressional hearings
A stub quote is essentially a place holder quote because that quote would never—it is thought—be reached. When a market order is seeking liquidity and the only liquidity available is a penny-priced stub quote, the market order, by its terms, will execute against the stub quote. In this respect, automated trading systems will follow their coded logic regardless of outcome, while human involvement likely would have prevented these orders from executing at absurd prices. As noted below, we are reviewing the practice of displaying stub quotes that are never intended to be executed.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
Officials announced that new trading curbs, also known as circuit breakers, would be tested during a six-month trial period ending on December 10, 2010. These circuit breakers would halt trading for five minutes on any S&P 500 stock that rises or falls more than 10 percent in a five-minute period. The circuit breakers would only be installed to the 404 New York Stock Exchange listed S&P 500 stocks. The first circuit breakers were installed to only 5 of the S&P 500 companies on Friday, June 11, to experiment with the circuit breakers.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
The five stocks were EOG Resources, Genuine Parts, Harley Davidson, Ryder System and Zimmer Holdings. By Monday, June 14, 44 had them. By Tuesday, June 15, the number had grown to 223, and by Wednesday, June 16, all 404 companies had circuit breakers installed. On June 16, 2010, trading in the Washington Post Company's shares were halted for five minutes after it became the first stock to trigger the new circuit breakers. Three erroneous NYSE Arca trades were said to have been the cause of the share price jump.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
On May 6, the markets only broke trades that were more than 60 percent away from the reference price in a process that was not transparent to market participants. A list of 'winners' and 'losers' created by this arbitrary measure has never been made public. By establishing clear and transparent standards for breaking erroneous trades, the new rules should help provide certainty in advance as to which trades will be broken, and allow market participants to better manage their risks.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
In a 2011 article that appeared on the Wall Street Journal on the eve of the anniversary of the 2010 "flash crash", it was reported that high-frequency traders were then less active in the stock market. Another article in the journal said trades by high-frequency traders had decreased to 53% of stock-market trading volume, from 61% in 2009. Former Delaware senator Edward E. Kaufman and Michigan senator Carl Levin published a 2011 op-ed in The New York Times a year after the Flash Crash, sharply critical of what they perceived to be the SEC's apparent lack of action to prevent a recurrence.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
In 2011 high-frequency traders moved away from the stock market as there had been lower volatility and volume. The combined average daily trading volume in the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market in the first four months of 2011 fell 15% from 2010, to an average of 6.3 billion shares a day. Trading activities declined throughout 2011, with April's daily average of 5.8 billion shares marking the lowest month since May 2008. Sharp movements in stock prices, which were frequent during the period from 2008 to the first half of 2010, were in a decline in the Chicago Board Options Exchange volatility index, the VIX, which fell to its lowest level in April 2011 since July 2007.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
These volumes of trading activity in 2011, to some degree, were regarded as more natural levels than during the financial crisis and its aftermath. Some argued that those lofty levels of trading activity were never an accurate picture of demand among investors. It was a reflection of computer-driven traders passing securities back and forth between day-trading hedge funds. The flash crash exposed this phantom liquidity. In 2011 high-frequency trading firms became increasingly active in markets like futures and currencies, where volatility remains high.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
In 2011 trades by high-frequency traders accounted for 28% of the total volume in the futures markets, which included currencies and commodities, an increase from 22% in 2009. However, the growth of computerized and high-frequency trading in commodities and currencies coincided with a series of "flash crashes" in those markets. The role of human market makers, who match buyers and sellers and provide liquidity to the market, was more and more played by computer programs. If those program traders pulled back from the market, then big "buy" or "sell" orders could have led to sudden, big swings.


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
It would have increased the probability of surprise distortions, as in the equity markets, according to a professional investor. In February 2011, the sugar market took a dive of 6% in just one second. On March 1, 2011, cocoa futures prices dropped 13% in less than a minute on the Intercontinental Exchange. Cocoa plunged $450 to a low of $3,217 a metric ton before rebounding quickly. The U.S. dollar tumbled against the yen on March 16, 2011, falling 5% in minutes, one of its biggest moves ever. According to a former cocoa trader: "The electronic platform is too fast; it doesn't slow things down like humans would."


2010 flash crash, Aftermath, Trading curb
In July 2012, the SEC launched an initiative to create a new market surveillance tool known as the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT). By April 2015, despite support for the CAT from SEC Chair Mary Jo White and members of Congress, work to finish the project continued to face delays.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia
A series of flash floods hit different areas of Thailand and Malaysia in 2010. Separate but related floods began in the Northeast and Central Thailand (per the six-region definition) in early October due to abnormally late monsoon moisture over the Bay of Bengal, overflowed the Chao Phraya where the rivers meet, and affected Bangkok, and in the South were triggered by a tropical depression about two weeks later, and was later aggravated by related La Niña monsoon rains. Floods subsequently occurred in the Malaysian states of Kedah and Perlis in November 2010.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia
Although flooding is a common and annual occurrence in this part of the world, a combination of inadequate drainage and higher than average rainfall in the month of October and November 2010 which caught the nation off guard and led to disaster. The death toll in Thailand stands at 232 people. According to the Thai government data, the floods  affected nearly 7 million people in more than 25,000 villages, mostly by destruction of property, livelihood, and infrastructure. The government announced that 38 provinces were hit by floods from 1 October until 13 November, and waters had receded in eight provinces, leaving 30 provinces still affected, including 12 in the southern region of the country.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
As heavy monsoon rains pummelled Thailand, floods started occurring. It the beginning, the flooding was normal and not very serious but it later worsened into a disaster. For almost a month the area remained flooded and then the waters claimed their very first victims. The southern parts of the nation were in bigger trouble as a tropical depression that was to become Cyclone Jal hit the country, increasing the impact of floods by packing strong winds of about 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) with it. Many areas were flooded with water up to 50 centimetres (20 in) deep.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
The local government announced that they would be giving 5,000 baht to each household affected by flooding and up to 100,000 baht would be spent for repairs. As floodwaters in the north receded, floods in the south worsened and as a result, many patients were evacuated from the hospitals in northern Thailand and new patients were brought from southern Thailand where the conditions were much worse. Due to severe flooding caused by the tropical depression, power supplies were disrupted, causing blackouts. As a result, one person died.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Thousands of Thai citizens were stranded as the floods devastated their homes and washed out towns. At that time, the worst fear was the decline in the national rubber export. All banks in the region have been closed. As fears of a decrease in rubber exports increased, prices of rubber were lowered. A few days later, the rubber factory regained its profit as the yield turned out to be better. Meanwhile, the death toll in the nation rose to 104 as much of the country was flooded and there were not many places to evacuate the people. Many other banks in southern Thailand were later closed. According to officials, the severe flooding did not affect the Thailand Stock exchange as it was expected. Thousands of the residents fled from Thailand seeing the deadly impact of the monsoon and the tropical depression.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Many more tourists were said to have been trapped in Thailand as rail and air transport services were suspended. Several attempts were made to rescue the stranded people in Thailand. The Samui airport was closed temporarily due to heavy downpours and poor visibility. About 100 foreign tourists were reported to be stranded on Angthong Island because of high waves. Thailand's prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called the flooding in the south that displaced thousands of people "one of the worst natural calamities" to hit the country. Many districts are under as much as three metres of water.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
One resident has been electrocuted during the flooding. Officials said a woman was forced to give birth in her room in an apartment block as the high floodwaters prevented her from being taken to hospital. Exports of electronic goods and automotive parts to Malaysia have been partially suspended as the Sadao border checkpoint has been closed because Hat Yai has been hard hit by flooding as the logistics operators explained.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
The shipments of consumer goods, raw materials, and petrol between Bangkok and the South have been delayed by many hours, raising concerns that shortages may occur if a new storm hits the region in the next few days. Prakit Chinamourphong, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), stated that it was too early to evaluate tourism damage from the floods as many areas of the town could not be reached or contacted. Suchart Sirankanokkul, the president of the THA Southern Chapter, explained that many people were stranded as water levels had reached the roofs of some properties.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
The flooding this year is the most severe since November 2000, when the inundation of Hat Yai and its 16 neighbouring districts resulted in 20 deaths. Businesses and individuals who help with the donations or who have mobilised funding support for flood relief operations will also be entitled to the tax cut. Revenue Department director-general Satit Rungkasiri explains that the tax cut would apply to donations and flood damage between September and December.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand suspended services on eight routes due to flooded tracks in the Songkhla area. A school director in southern Songkhla province pleaded for emergency help for some 120 Muslim students stranded in a mosque in flood-hit Hat Yai district. Yusuf Nima, the director of Hat Yai Witthayakhan School, said the students were stranded at the Dinul Islam Mosque since Tuesday after flash floods had hit Hat Yai. Thai troops scrambled to reach thousands of people stranded after flash floods swept through a major southern city, as the government expressed optimism it could reach all those trapped.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Rising waters began to inundate Hat Yai, a city of more than 150,000 in Songkhla province, late Monday after days of heavy downpours, affecting tens of thousands of people, possibly including foreign tourists. Flooding has hit 48 of Thailand's 77 provinces, with the death toll rising by three to 107 people, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said in a statement today. The waters have impacted a tenth of the country's 66 million people and damaged more than 3 percent of total agricultural land. Thailand's meteorological department said the storm was moving west, away from Thailand, but warned of 13-foot waves in some coastal areas and the possibility of landslides and flash floods for residents in low-lying areas.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
The Finance Ministry says flooding this year, which has also hit northeastern and central provinces, could cut economic growth by 0.2 percentage point. In Chumphon, a navy team was reported to have rescued nine people, including four children, trapped in a house near a dam construction site in tambon Suan Taeng of Lamae district. The government's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said 122 people have died and nearly 6 million residents in 39 provinces in the northern, central, eastern, and northeastern regions had been affected by two weeks of heavy floods in October.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Rows of cars submerged in the floodwaters were being removed from the streets and piles of trash were taken away by trucks. Despite relief efforts pouring in, heavily flooded Hat Yai district in Songkhla province remained in crisis, with high flood waters in urban areas and widespread effects reported in the outskirts. The Information and Communications Technology Ministry reported damage to 80 of its 200 towers after generators attached to them were flooded.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
There have been no official figures on flood damage but an initial estimate, from Hat Yai Mayor Phrai Phatthana, cited 80 per cent of urban areas and 30,000 households affected, and 10,000 residents stranded in their homes. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has delivered 1,000 survival kits and 17 flat-bottom boats to Na Thawee and hard-hit Hat Yai district. The Thai Red Cross Society has set up mobile kitchens to feed flood victims in Ayutthaya, mainly serving breakfast to monks in the morning, lunch to relief workers, and dinner to villagers.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat on Wednesday confirmed 1,186 schools in the southern provinces have been affected by flooding—555  in  Songkhla, 350 in Pattani, seven in Yala, 28 in Narathiwat, 150 in Phatthalung, 63 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 20 in Trang, and 13 in Satun. Buildings encroaching over waterways were found to have obstructed water flows. The Royal Irrigation Department would speed up dredging canals and build more reservoirs to retain water. Thailand's only aircraft carrier has been converted into a floating kitchen, to airlift hot food to people affected by massive flooding in the south.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Last month, the kingdom's central provinces were also flooded by unusually heavy monsoon rains. Commenting on rice prices, the Singapore General Rice Importers Association (SGRIA) said it is keeping prices at the pre-flood levels for now despite a 5 to 10 per cent increase. Singapore imports 65 per cent of its rice from Thailand but it is not clear how much of it is from Hat Yai.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
The deluge in Thailand's south – along a peninsula it shares with Malaysia – followed two weeks of heavy floods in October, mostly in central and northeastern Thailand, that killed more than 107 people. Nearly 6 million residents of 38 provinces were affected by October's floods, according to the government's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. As the water recedes, residents and tourists who were trapped in their homes and hotels for almost 48 hours were able to move around yesterday to get food and other supplies.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Food was being prepared at several locations including Prince of Songkla University for distribution to those stranded in their homes. At least 100 Singaporeans could have been stuck in southern Thailand due to the floods, said travel agents, with some estimating as many as 400 or more. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said it was in contact with most of Singaporeans stranded. It said all who contacted the ministry were safe and some were on their way out of Hat Yai.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the cabinet had agreed to the proposals aimed at helping flood victims. Besides, the cabinet had also agreed to allow the Finance Ministry to divert 4 billion baht from its Strong Thailand budget, in addition to the 20,000 million baht central budget already approved, for the same purpose. As for the 5,000-baht compensation for each flood victim's family, the government would disburse the amount this week, starting in Nakorn Ratchasima Province. The Interior Ministry would be tasked with verifying information on rental houses affected from floods to ensure that compensation would be paid to only those eligible for it.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
On the night of 1 November 2010, after three consecutive days of rain, the provinces of Pattani, Songkhla, and Trang were hit by a Tropical Depression which made landfall directly at Amphoe Mueang Pattani, causing significant damage and destruction. The city of Hat Yai, being located in a basin, received water from the mountains in the outskirts and reported floodwater as high as 2 meters in some locations in the downtown area. Despite early warning by the Thai Meteorological Department, tens of thousands of residents could not be evacuated on time and were trapped in their homes.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Those living in one-storey houses needed to escape the floodwater on their rooftops. Meanwhile, rescue and relief efforts to bring food and other necessities to the victims were hampered by the lack of boats and strong currents. The southern provinces, hit by flooding triggered by tropical depression-related rainstorms, reported 43 deaths from 30 Oct to 7 and 12 Nov southern provinces overall have been flooded. The confirmed death toll from the heavy flooding in many provinces since 10 Oct has risen to 215, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported on Saturday morning.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
In conjunction with very high amounts of floodwaters, there is the extra danger of mud or landslides in over 6 thousand villages in fifty-one provinces, twice as much as the number reported 7 years ago. Due to the remote location of the affected area, the emergency packages were prepared in Bangkok and transported some 560 miles (900 km) to the southern province of Songkla, Hat Yai being the provincial capital. ADRA set up a distribution point close to the Prince of Songkla University, an area near Hat Yai that is unaffected by the floods due to higher elevation. As it continued to rain in the South, riverside residents in Chomporn, Suratthani, Nakornsrithammarat, Trang, and Satul have been warned of possible mudslides and flash floods in the next few days.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Thailand
Their worries emerge as 130 shrimp farms covering 20,000 rai of coastal area in six districts have been damaged by the floods, causing losses worth about 200 million baht. Farmers are concerned shellfish could die all at once, causing up to 2 to 3 billion baht in damage after oyster and cockle farms in coastal areas in Ban Don and Chaiya were invaded by freshwater, said Sila Wandee, chairman of Surat Thai's local fisherman group. The confirmed death toll from floods  has risen to 232 on 19 November 2010. The department said a total of 156 people in the North, Northeast, East, and Central Plains and 76 in the South had died in the floodwaters.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Malaysia
In northern Malaysia, officials said floods caused by heavy monsoon rains have forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate their homes and several schools to close. Another official with the National Flood Monitoring Centre said more than 2,200 people in another northern state, Perlis, were evacuated. Over 36,000 people were transported to relief shelters, while rains and flooding caused two deaths. The floods affected transportation in and around Kedah and Perlis, shutting down rail and closing roads including the North–South Expressway. Alor Setar's Sultan Abdul Halim Airport was also closed after its runway was flooded, leaving helicopters as the only mode of aerial transport into Kedah and Perlis. The floods also contaminated the water supply in Kedah and Perlis, forcing the states to receive supplies from the neighbouring state of Perak.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Malaysia
Rice production, a key industry in Kedah and Perlis, was badly affected by the floods. According to the federal government, over 45,000 hectares of rice fields were damaged in Kedah alone. The government pledged 26 million ringgit in aid to farmers in both states.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Malaysia
The floods killed at least four people in Kedah, including a foreign national. Around 50,000 people were evacuated, the floods even affecting the house of Kedah's Chief Minister Azizan Abdul Razak. In Perlis, the floods submerged over two-thirds of the state's land in water.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Flooding, Malaysia
The north-eastern state of Kelantan was also affected by the floods, causing the closure of some schools.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Reactions
The floods triggered immediate political fallout in Malaysia. The Federal Minister for Housing and Local Government and Alor Setar MP Chor Chee Heung criticised the Kedah State government (led by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, an opponent of Chor's Barisan Nasional coalition) for what he considered a slow response to the floods and the government's inexperience. Chor's own home in Alor Setar was flooded. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin claimed the State government had a responsibility to assist victims of the flood. Kedah's Chief Minister Azizan argued that his government's response had been "quick" and that 300,000 ringgit in aid had been committed to the affected areas. Kedah's Sultan Abdul Halim called publicly for politics to be set aside for the purposes of dealing with the floods.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Reactions
In Thailand, the opposition Puea Thai Party on Friday petitioned the National Anti- Corruption Commission (NACC) to take legal action against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, claiming he acted too slowly to counter the effects from the recent flooding, resulting in massive damage to property and many deaths. The petition filed by Puea Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit accuses the prime minister of malfeasance in violation of Article 157 of the Criminal Code. Mr. Prompong said the prime minister has the administrative power to ensure swift action to prevent and mitigate effects from flooding under Article 4 of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2007, but had not properly exercised his authority.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Reactions
The floods attracted attention from around the world. The Chinese government intended to provide humanitarian aid and has granted 10 million yuan for the flooded area's restoration. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton extended her condolences for the loss of life and damage caused by severe flooding throughout Thailand, pledging additional help when needed. Clinton said in a statement that the US Embassy in Bangkok has offered immediate disaster relief assistance following the flooding, and is "working closely" with the Thai government to provide additional help if needed.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Relief work
Restoration work has begun to revive the regionally vital Hat Yai commercial district in Thailand's southern province of Songkhla after heavy flooding has receded and local residents gradually are coming out to receive relief packages and buy fresh food supplies. Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) governor Narongsak Kamales said some parts of Hat Yai started to have electricity since 9:00 pm last night but he warned the residents to carefully check the electrical system before turn on any switch.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Relief work
Law and order have been largely maintained, with constant patrols by police and volunteers, but minor looting was reported and caught on camera after a few similar incidents took place earlier. The Prince of Songkhla University compound has been packed with people seeking help during the crisis, as it served as both a rally and a pick-up point for relief supplies, and its hospital as a medical service centre.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Relief work
Rail service to the region was partially restored Thursday morning and the airport on Samui island, a popular tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand, reopened after a temporary shutdown caused by a submerged runway. On the bright side, the research centre predicted the floods would bring seed money back into the economic system as the government would earmark relief funds for flood victims and rehabilitation of the flooded areas. In Hat Yai, many residents were caught off-guard by the flash flood despite evacuation warnings, suggesting either that the cautions were unheard or simply ignored. Urban planning, national irrigation strategies, and flood control systems also need a drastic rethink, particularly when one considers the future threat that climate change and rising sea levels will have on Bangkok and other populated coastal areas in the years to come.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Relief work
The Thai community in Brunei has been urged to provide humanitarian relief to the victims of the flood-affected areas back home. Thawat, the Acting Ambassador of Thai Embassy said that donations can be given in the form of money or goods such as clothing.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Relief work
As the water level in many areas, including Hat Yai district of Songkhla, has receded significantly and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has already handed out the first lot of 5,000-baht cash aid to flood-affected families in the Northeast as an initial compensation amount from the government, it remains to be seen if families who suffered casualties will receive compensation from the Fund for Disaster Victims as promised. The Cabinet assigned state agencies to help people affected by the floods and advance payments of over Bt100 million was endorsed to aid people affected by floods in Nakhon Ratchasima and Lop Buri.


2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia, Relief work
Private citizens were on the forefront, soliciting donations from other members of the public, rushing aid to flood-stricken areas, and distributing relief packages to flood victims.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas
The 2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas were a series of acts of sexual violence committed by a group of adult men and teenage boys on an underage girl in the town of Cleveland, in Texas, USA.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Background
The victim was the eleven-year old daughter of Mexican immigrants, living in Cleveland, Texas, a "timber town" of about nine thousand people in the  Greater Houston metropolitan area and Liberty County. Her father was a former construction worker, unemployed at the time for a year and a half because of a back injury, while her mother was working making change in a slot game room.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Background
The group of perpetrators included students at the local high school, two of whom were members of the basketball team and one the son of a school-board member, and people with criminal records, from selling drugs to robbery and, in one case, manslaughter. They ranged from middle schoolers to one 27-year-old, at the time of the crime.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Discovery
On the Monday after Thanksgiving day, on 29 November 2010, a cell phone video clip with images of the sexual encounter between a group of males and a young female circulated in the cafeteria of Cleveland's high school. Some viewers recognized the girl as a 6th grader from the middle school next door. A friend of the girl told a teacher what he had seen in the cell-phone video, as a school-district spokeswoman subsequently stated, and the police were alerted.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Investigation
Police investigators identified and contacted the girl, whereupon she said that, over the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday break, she was raped by a group of young men first at a house and then in a mobile home. According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by the media, police determined the video clip was recorded inside an abandoned mobile home on the city's northern outskirts, next to a Baptist church. According to the subsequent, criminal indictments, the girl was assaulted on four occasions: the first in September, followed by three more during the fall of 2010. In January 2011, she was removed by social workers from her parents' home and taken to foster care.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Investigation
The investigation stirred racial tensions on account of the defendants all being African-Americans and the girl Hispanic, in both the town and nationwide. The case was covered nationwide in the US and also abroad.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Investigation
On Monday 4 April 2011,  nineteen defendants appeared in the court of Liberty County district judge Mark Morefield for their arraignment hearing, with six of them pleading "not guilty."


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Support for the accused
The New York Times first report focused on the impact of the crime on the Cleveland community. The report came under criticism for its alleged "sympathy" for the accused, to the point where the newspaper sent another reporter back at the place and published a self-critical article.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Support for the accused
Quanell X, community leader and head of the New Black Panthers, was an "outspoken critic" of the  victim. In a press conference in front of a Cleveland church, he asked rhetorically where the girl's parents were when this happened and why was "that child experiencing so much sex with so many African-American men." He also disputed the rape claims since, as he put it, the girl never actually yelled the word "rape" during the assault and did not make an "outcry" until after footage of the assault surfaced. The media reported that the audience "cheered and hollered in agreement."


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Support for the accused
Florida representative Kathleen Passidomo proposed that the state should step in and regulate the wardrobe of young girls. Pasidomo referred to "an article about an 11 year old girl who was gang-raped in Texas by 18 young men because she was dressed like a 21-year-old prostitute.”


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Trials
In Texas, sexual assault against a person under 17 years of age is a second degree felony, and aggravated sexual assault a first degree felony. Eventually, twenty-one people were charged with crimes related to the gang rape. Only two adult males requested trials, and juries handed each defendant a 99-year prison sentence. Eleven other adult males pleaded guilty to the charges against them and received 15-year sentences in exchange. All seven juveniles entered guilty pleas and received seven-year probated prison-sentences.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Trials
The twenty-first and last defendant pleaded guilty after a year long investigation whereby a DNA specimen identified him as being at the crime scene. The defendant received a reduced seven-year sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to indecently exposing himself to a child. All defendants sentenced to prison would be registered as sex offenders for ten years after completing the sentence.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Aftermath
When the investigation started, the victim's family moved to another town after police detectives told the parents that they were in danger, while the  girl who was reported as raped was placed by the Child Protective Services in the care of the Girls' Haven in Beaumont, Texas. In December 2011, she ran away from the residential facility and was "on the streets for about a week," as the Jefferson County prosecutor stated.


2010 gang rapes in Cleveland, Texas, Aftermath
He revealed that, at some point, she met a 30-year-old male with a prior conviction as a drug dealer in Fort Bend County, who subsequently assaulted her at his apartment in Beaumont. The assailant was arrested and pleaded guilty in September 2012 to aggravated sexual assault of a child in exchange for deferred probation. In 2013, the girl revealed she was pregnant, allegedly from her "15-year old boyfriend," and that they would keep the baby.


2010 housing loan scam in India
The 2010 fake housing loan in India was uncovered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India. CBI arrested eight top-ranking officials of public sector banks and financial institutions, including the LIC Housing Finance CEO Ramchandran Nair, in connection with the scam.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
CBI alleged that the officers of various public sector banks and financial institutions received bribes from a private financial services company, which acted as a mediator for corporate loans and other facilities from financial institutions. The bank officials sanctioned large-scale corporate loans to realty developers, overriding mandatory conditions for such approvals along with other irregularities.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
The Central Bureau of investigation arrested number of high official from the several financial institutes in India in connection with the housing scam in 24 November 2010. Smith (2010) stated that findings are shocking where the head officers of several banks and financial institutes are involved in corporate corruption. Precisely, the banks and financial officials were from the public sectors including LIC, Bank of India, Central Bank of India and Punjab National Bank.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
However, ) stated that since the matter was related to the erosion of funds from the LIC housing and Finance Limited, event was named as the LIC housing and Finance Scandal. Lamont (2010) cited that the officers from the high rank including the secretary of LIC Investment, general managers, directors and deputy managers of banks were involved in taking out the funds from LIC in appropriate and unethical way.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
Smith (2010) said that these officials were acting as the middleman to provide the funds to the main parties and in return they were having hefty amount of funds from the real investors, insurers and other consumers. Smith (2010) regarded this as the distortion of the corporate governance system where the business ethics were neglected to sustain the core business activities of the public sector banking firm.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
Meanwhile, Economic Times stated that the officials were charged with the exploiting of funds, looting, corrupting corporate loan process and manipulating and overriding with the regulations of the LIC Housing and Finance Limited in regard to the approvals and other rules and regulations. Nonetheless, The loans provided through this manner were estimated to be worth of 85 Billion Dollars, comes as the biggest scandal in the Housing Finance in Asia However, the stock price took a sharp dip soon after the event.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
Apparently, LICHF had a good run till September 2010 when it reached Rs.299 and the growth rate undoubtedly, received the appreciation by the investors and other shareholders. The stock recorded no significant changes thereafter but the appearance of corporate scandal shook the stock price chart and the price dip to Rupees 150 by the end of year 2010.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
At present the stock price is stands at around rupees 190 and gaining its momentum over a period of time but however, Lamont (2010) felt that the combination of factors that happened in the last quarter of FY10 were accountable for the sharp decline in the LIC Housing and Finance Share price. Reuters stated that LIC Housing and Finance is looking forward to raise the capital to the tune of Rupees 25000 Crores in 2011-12 through debt.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
Eventually, the technical experts believed that company is developing its core competencies and capabilities and undoubtedly, investors would revive the stock price and current Market changes and company’s development will be seen through the price momentum. However, experts believed that the Housing and Finance Scandals by the top officials in LIC and other banking institutes will always stand to harm the future potential of such companies but however, the future and the endless opportunities lies in the hand of ultimate investors.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
Eventually, Online newspaper, Rediff quoted as saying that most of the brokers are taking up the stock of LICHF after the scam as related to the current project being performed by the company. Namely, IIFL, Aditya Birla, IL&FS are impressed by the current progress by the company and building up the stock ay higher rate. However, Reuters stated that the Financial Budget introduced by the Indian Planning Commission had slightly adverse effects on the stock of banking, insurance, mortgages and other related sector in the industries.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
However, the company has been quoted as saying that they would include the margin between 2.8 and 3% in relation to the rising interest rates and their effects on the share price. However, In response the scam, the Reserve Bank of India and other regulatory and financial bodies attempted to reform the housing finance sector by making several supervision and security measures in this regard. Eventually, the corporate scam destroyed the interest and confidence of investors and thus, the monetary and regulatory authorities must execute their task in relation to safeguarding the interests of investors.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
Apparently, Smith (2010) stated that the Central Bureau of Investigation exposed the stock price dip to 18% of the prevailing market rate after the scam and other banks who were involved saw a decline between 5 and 15% during the time. Hence, it was anticipated that investors believed in the core values and company’s relation with the investors and the stock changes occur in the short span of time however, the stock is futuristic for the long term.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
CBI's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) raided offices of the public sector banks and LIC Housing Finance in six cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, Kolkata and Jalandhar), to recover incriminating documents.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
According to CBI, the companies to which the loans in question were given include:


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
The CBI EOW also suspected that the companies may have inflated their assets value and balance sheets in order to make themselves eligible for the loans.


2010 housing loan scam in India, CBI investigations
According to CBI, an employee of the financial services firm had expressed his willingness to turn witness in the case.


2010 housing loan scam in India, Reactions
Most firms, including BGR Energy and Oberoi Realty denied any role in the scam.


2010 housing loan scam in India, Reactions
The scam was discovered shortly after the 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption controversy and the Adarsh Housing Society Mumbai scam. The investors were rattled as news of the arrests broke in Mumbai. The share of the LIC Housing Finance, Central Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of India as well as other banking and real-estate stock declined.


2010 housing loan scam in India, Reactions
The Union finance ministry initially claimed that the case was a bribery incident, and not a large-scale scam. The CBI officials had indicated that the size of the scandal could be worth over Rs 1,000 crore, but the finance ministry officials claimed that the magnitude of the scandal was too insignificant to affect the Indian financial sector.


2010 housing loan scam in India, Reactions
The income-tax (IT) department decided to investigate the books of those involved in the scam, after receiving primary reports from CBI. However, many political analysts believe innocent bankers were implicated in this falsely created scam to defuse attention of the common man against the much larger and serious scams done by the ruling Indian government, notably of corrupt politicians like CWG minister Suresh Kalmadi and ex-telecom minister A Raja.


2010 in AFC
The year 2010 is the 1st year in the history of Australian Fighting Championship (AFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in Australia. In 2010 AFC held 1 event.


2010 in AFC, AFC 1
AFC 1 was an event held on November 12, 2010, at State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, Australia. The event director for the inaugural AFC 1 was Lui Spedaliere a hip hop music tour promoter from Unda K9 Records who was engaged by the AFC founder Adam Milankovic three weeks before the event when only 50 tickets were recorded to be sold by Ticketmaster. Lui bought her Sydney team Kurt Pascoe and Sherri Ponisi, and successfully sold 3,200 tickets in the 3 weeks leading up to the event.


2010 in AFC, AFC 1
The highest number of tickets sold in Australia for an MMA event outside of the UFC. The half-time entertainment was Hip Hop Artist Phrase and DJ Jay Funk who later went on to become the AFC resident DJ for AFC 2 - AFC 8. AFC 1 was also one of the first times an Australian MMA event had engaged international fighters Jesse Taylor, Jeremy May and Ritchie Whitson all of whom had appeared in the UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter.


2010 in Afghanistan, May
The Taliban announced an increased offensive during spring and launched several attacks against International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) and Afghan government forces. Attacks included a car bomb against a NATO convoy in Kabul which killed 18 people including six NATO soldiers and separate attacks against two of the largest ISAF bases in Afghanistan, Bagram and Kandahar Air Bases.


2010 in Albania
The following lists events that happened during 2010 in Republic of Albania.


2010 in American music
The following is a list of notable music events and releases that occurred in 2010 in the United States.


2010 in American music, Best-selling albums in the U.S.
The best-selling records in 2010 in the US according to Nielsen Soundscan:


2010 in American music, Top hits on record
Billboard Hot 100 Hits – Singles which have ranked within Top 20


2010 in American soccer
The 2010 Season was the 98th season of competitive soccer in the United States.


2010 in American soccer, National teams
The home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the right column.


2010 in American soccer, National teams, Men, Senior
For the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the United States men's national team was drawn into, and emerged victorious from, Group C.


2010 in American soccer, National teams, Men, Under-20
The United States U-20 team participated in the "Super Group" at the 2010 Dallas Cup.


2010 in American soccer, National teams, Women, Senior
The United States women won the 2010 Algarve Cup, their seventh title at the annual tournament.


2010 in American soccer, National teams, Women, Under-20
The United States women's national under-20 soccer team won the 2010 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship, ...


2010 in American soccer, National teams, Women, Under-20
The women's U-20 team also participated in and won the women's portion of the 2010 La Manga Cup. The women's portion of the tournament was conducted as a four-team group stage.


2010 in American soccer, League tables, Major League Soccer
(SS) = Supporters Shield winner; (E1) = Eastern Conference champion; (W1) = Western Conference champion


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, CONCACAF Champions League, 2009–10 Champions League
The Columbus Crew were the only American team to qualify for the Championship Round of the 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League, the only portion of the competition to occur in the 2010 calendar year. Columbus was drawn against Mexican club Toluca in the quarterfinals. After falling behind at home by two goals in the first half of the first leg, Steven Lenhart notched two second half goals for the Crew to draw even at 2–2. In the return leg in Toluca, the clubs traded goals, with Toluca scoring first and last for the 3–2 victory and 5–4 aggregate victory.


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, CONCACAF Champions League, 2010–11 Champions League
The Columbus Crew, Real Salt Lake, Los Angeles Galaxy, and Seattle Sounders FC qualified for the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League. Los Angeles, MLS Supporters' Shield runners-up, and Seattle, 2009 U.S. Open Cup champions, entered in the Preliminary Round, the opening round of the tournament; Columbus, winners of the 2009 MLS Supporters' Shield, and Salt Lake, winners of the 2009 MLS Cup, entered in the Group Stage.


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, CONCACAF Champions League, 2010–11 Champions League
In the preliminary round, Los Angeles was drawn against the Puerto Rico Islanders, the 2010 Caribbean champions, and Seattle was drawn against Salvadoran club Isidro Metapán. Both American clubs played as hosts during the first leg of their respective two-legged affairs. The Sounders, on the strength of a Fredy Montero goal in the 60th minute, won their home leg 1–0. Los Angeles, however, holders of the best record in Major League Soccer at the time of their matchup, were defeated 4–1 at the Home Depot Center.


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, CONCACAF Champions League, 2010–11 Champions League
The Islanders scored two goals in each half before the Galaxy got a consolation own goal by Richard Martinez in the 83rd minute. In the return leg in Bayamón, Los Angeles, needing to win by at least three goals to force penalties, gave up the first goal of the match. The Galaxy eventually scored two goals for the 2–1 victory but still lost 5–3 on aggregate. Seattle, however was able to secure a 1–1 draw in San Salvador for the 2–1 aggregate victory to move into the group stage.


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, CONCACAF Champions League, 2010–11 Champions League
The group stage draw was conducted prior to the preliminary round, so each team knew all of their opponents as soon as the preliminary round ended. The Columbus Crew, Real Salt Lake, and Seattle Sounders FC each qualified for the group stage.


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, CONCACAF Champions League, 2010–11 Champions League
Real Salt Lake was drawn into Group A against Mexican club Cruz Azul, winners of the 2009–10 Apertura; Panamanian club Árabe Unido, 2009 Apertura II and 2010 Clausura champions; and fellow MLS club Toronto FC, winners of the 2010 Canadian Championship. Salt Lake hosted Árabe Unido in their first group stage match and defeated los Árabes 2–1 on the strength of two Álvaro Saborío goals, his second coming in the fourth minute of second-half added time. Salt Lake's second match was a dramatic affair in a torrential downpour at Estadio Azul in Mexico City, with hosts Cruz Azul emerging as 5–4 victors.


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, CONCACAF Champions League, 2010–11 Champions League
Columbus was drawn into Group B with Mexican club Santos Laguna, 2009–10 Bicentenario winner; Guatemalan club Municipal, champions of the 2009–10 Liga Nacional Apertura and Clausura tournaments; and Trinidad and Tobago club Joe Public, 2010 Caribbean runners-up and 2009 TT Pro League champions. The Crew hosted Municipal in their first match and won 1–0, the goal scored on a strong individual effort by Emmanuel Ekpo. In their second match, Columbus nearly held on for a scoreless draw but were defeated 1–0 at Santos Laguna when Jorge Iván Estrada scored in the third minute of second half added time.


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, CONCACAF Champions League, 2010–11 Champions League
Seattle was drawn into Group C with Mexican club Monterrey, 2009–10 Apertura champions; Costa Rican club Saprissa, 2009–10 Primera División Campeonato de Verano champions; and Honduran club Marathón, 2009–10 Liga Nacional Torneo Apertura champions. In their first group stage match, Seattle visited Marathón at Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, and after scoring the opening goal, conceded two – all scored in the first half – for a 2–1 loss. Seattle's second match saw another loss as visiting Monterrey came away from Qwest Field with a 2–0 victory.


2010 in American soccer, American clubs in international competitions, 2010 SuperLiga
The Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, and New England Revolution qualified for the 2010 SuperLiga based upon their finish in the 2009 Major League Soccer season as the four highest-finishing teams not to qualify for the 2010–11 Champions League.


2010 in American television
The following is a list of events that affected American television in 2010, a year marked by the usual debuts, cancellations, and continuations of shows; the launches, closures, or rebrandings of channels; but also significant cable/satellite carriage disputes.


2010 in Armenia
The following lists events that happened during 2010 in Armenia.


2010 in Armenian football
The following article presents a summary of the 2010 football (soccer) season in Armenia, which was the 19th season of competitive football in the country.


2010 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 2010 in Australia.


2010 in Australia, Events, Whole year
2010 was the year of 'Women in Local Government'  and the year of the 'Girl Guide'  to coincide with the 100th year of the Girl Guides.


2010 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2010.


2010 in Australian music
The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened or were expected to happen in 2010 in Australian music.


2010 in Australian music, Number-ones in 2010
Record charts in Australia are published by the Australian Recording Industry Association every week.


2010 in Australian music, Number-ones in 2010, Singles
The longest-running number-one singles in 2010 so far are Usher's "OMG" and Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie", both topping the chart for six consecutive weeks.


2010 in Australian music, Number-ones in 2010, Albums
Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream was the number-one album for eleven non-consecutive weeks of 2010.


2010 in Australian music, Top 10 Singles
This is a list of singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the Australian Singles Chart during 2010. The date is when the song entered the Top 10 for the first time. Songs that were still in the top 10 at the beginning of 2010 but peaked in 2009 are listed as well. Songs that entered the top 10 in 2010 but did not peak until 2011 will be listed in List of top 10 singles in 2011 (Australia). An asterisk (*) in the "Weeks in Top 10" column shows that the song is still in the top 10 and therefore the number of weeks could change.


2010 in Australian music, Entries by artist
The following table shows artists who have had the most top 10 entries in 2010. Unlike the main list, this table includes songs in the figures that reached their peak in 2009. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist.


2010 in Australian music, Entries by artist, Compilations
So Fresh: The Hits of Autumn 2010 remained as the number-one compilation album for five non-consecutive weeks of 2010.


2010 in Australian music, Entries by artist, Music DVDs
Pink's Funhouse Tour: Live in Australia has reached the top spot in 2010 for ten consecutive weeks.


2010 in Australian music, Entries by artist, Video Hits Top 20 Singles Chart
The Video Hits Top 20 chart comes from Channel Ten's singles chart show, it closes every Sunday show with the week's #1 ARIA chart single. The longest-running #1 single on the Video Hits Top 20 Chart throughout 2010 so far is Stan Walker's "Black Box", topping the chart for twelve consecutive weeks of 2010.


2010 in Australian television
This is a list of Australian television events and premieres which occurred, or are scheduled to occur, in 2010. The year 2010 will be the 55th year of continuous operation of television in Australia.


2010 in Australian television, Programming changes, Changes to network affiliation
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on an Australian television network that had previously premiered on another Australian television network. The networks involved in the switch of allegiances are predominantly both free-to-air networks or both subscription television networks. Programs that have their free-to-air/subscription television premiere, after previously premiering on the opposite platform (free-to air to subscription/subscription to free-to air) are not included. In some cases, programs may still air on the original television network. This occurs predominantly with programs shared between subscription television networks.


2010 in Australian television, Programming changes, Free-to-air premieres
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian free-to-air television that had previously premiered on Australian subscription television. Programs may still air on the original subscription television network.


2010 in Australian television, Programming changes, Subscription premieres
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian subscription television that had previously premiered on Australian free-to-air television. Programs may still air on the original free-to-air television network.


2010 in BAMMA
The year 2010 is the second year in the history of BAMMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. In 2010 BAMMA held 3 events beginning with, BAMMA 2: Roundhouses at the Roundhouse.


2010 in BAMMA, BAMMA 2: Roundhouses at the Roundhouse
BAMMA 2: Roundhouses at the Roundhouse was an event held on February 13, 2010 at The Roundhouse in London, England, United Kingdom.


2010 in BAMMA, BAMMA 3: Horwich vs. Watson
BAMMA 3: Horwich vs. Watson was an event held on May 15, 2010 at the LG Arena in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.


2010 in BAMMA, BAMMA 4: Reid vs. Watson
BAMMA 4: Reid vs. Watson was an event held on September 25, 2010 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.


2010 in BRACE
The year 2010 is the second year in the history of BRACE, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Australia. In 2010 BRACE held 4 events.


2010 in BRACE, BRACE 6
BACE 6 was an event held on November 13, 2010, at Townsville Entertainment Centre in Townsville, Australia


2010 in BRACE, BRACE 5
BACE 5 was an event held on August 14, 2010, at Broncos Leagues in Brisbane, Australia


2010 in BRACE, BRACE 4
BACE 4 was an event held on May 8, 2010, at Townsville Entertainment Centre in Townsville, Australia


2010 in BRACE, BRACE 3
BRACE 3 was an event held on January 16, 2010, at Jupiters Casino in Townsville, Australia