2012 Puerto Rico Republican presidential primary, Controversies, Santorum remarks about use of English in Puerto Rico
His remarks drew immediate criticism, and prompted one delegate who had been pledged to him to quit, saying he was offended. There is no rule in the Constitution requiring the adoption of English for the admittance of new states, and the United States does not have an official language. On Thursday Mr. Santorum and his aides scrambled to contain the damage, with the candidate saying several times that the local media had misquoted him as saying he wanted English to be the "only" language, whereas he believed that English should be the "primary language.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election
The 2012 Puerto Rico Senate election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the members of the Senate of Puerto Rico for the next four years, from January 2, 2013 until January 1, 2017.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election
The governing party (the PNP) presented 22 candidates to the Senate, 18 of them incumbents. The main opposing party (the PPD) presented 22 candidates as well, 5 of them incumbents. There were also 36 other candidates from the other minority parties, and one independent candidate.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election
After the election, the PNP had lost the majority of its seats, winning only 8 seats. The PPD won the majority of seats with 18. One candidate from the Puerto Rican Independence Party also won a minority seat.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election, Background
After the previous election, the New Progressive Party augmented their majority within the Senate of Puerto Rico with 22 seats versus only 5 seats from the Popular Democratic Party. By virtue of the Minority Law of the Constitution of Puerto Rico, four more senators from the PPD were added to complete a full minority. Also, for the first time in 27 years, the Puerto Rican Independence Party was left without a senator.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election, Background
During the four years after the 2008 elections, the Senate of Puerto Rico was affected by scandals of corruption and ethics that resulted in the resignation of three members from the PNP delegation (Roberto Arango, Héctor Martínez, Antonio Soto Díaz). Also, one of the members of the PPD delegation (Eder Ortíz Ortíz) resigned to become Electoral Commissioner of the party. All four seats were filled before the elections.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election, Background
Of the 31 seating senators, 2 were defeated in the primaries held in March for both parties, 2 decided to run for different positions, and 2 decided not to run for reelection. This resulted in 25 incumbent senators running for reelection (19 from the PNP, 6 from the PPD). In addition, 56 new candidates were running for seats for the six different parties, while two ran independent.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election, Results, Senators at-large
Incumbent at-large senators Kimmey Raschke and José Emilio González (from the PNP) were defeated in the primaries held earlier in the year. Also, senator Alejandro García Padilla was running for Governor for the PPD, while Norma Burgos was running for Mayor of Caguas for the PNP. Senators Sila María González Calderón and Juan Eugenio Hernández Mayoral decided not to run for reelection.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election, Results, Senators at-large
After the election, two at-large incumbents from the PNP (Lucy Arce and Melinda Romero) lost, while the PPD managed to seat all their candidates to senators at-large. Also, María de Lourdes Santiago (from the PIP) regained a seat after losing her seat in the previous election.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election, Results, Senators at-large
Although the PPD won a majority of seats, the candidate with the most votes was the incumbent President of the Senate Thomas Rivera Schatz (from the PNP). PPD candidate Antonio Fas Alzamora won his tenth consecutive term as senator, becoming the longest tenured legislator in the island. On the other hand, candidates Angel Rosa, Rossana López, and Aníbal José Torres (from the PPD) won seats for the first time.


2012 Puerto Rico Senate election, Results, District, I - San Juan
PNP candidate Liza Fernández had been elected to the House of Representatives in the 2008 elections, but had won a special election to fill the vacant left by the resignation of Senator Roberto Arango. Zoé Laboy was running for the first time after serving as Secretary of the Department of Corrections in the 90s. The two candidates of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), José Nadal Power and Ramón Luis Nieves were also newcomers. After the election, Nadal Power and Nieves won the two district seats that had been in control of the New Progressive Party (PNP) for two consecutive terms.


2012 Puerto Rico government transition process
The 2012 Puerto Rico government transition process is the ongoing process in Puerto Rico regarding the government transition between the outgoing governorship of incumbent Governor Luis Fortuño and the incoming governorship of Alejandro García Padilla, governor-elect. The process is mandated and regulated by  and started on November 13, 2012, three working days after the Puerto Rican general election of 2012 as the law requires, once García Padilla was preliminarily certified as Governor-elect by the State Elections Commission.


2012 Puerto Rico government transition process
As expected, the process has unveiled discrepancies between what the incumbent administration portrayed in the media and what the current status of the government of Puerto Rico truly is; in particular its Consolidated Fund, budget balance, labor statistics, and performance and metrics.


2012 Puerto Rico government transition process, Outgoing Committee
The 2012 Puerto Rico Outgoing Committee on Government Transition is the committee in charge of the transition process on behalf of the incumbent administration of Governor Luis Fortuño. The Committee is composed of government officers from Fortuño's administration, including, as required by law:


2012 Puerto Rico government transition process, Outgoing Committee
McClintock serves as the Outgoing Committee's president while Romero serves as its executive director.


2012 Puerto Rico government transition process, Incoming Committee
The 2012 Puerto Rico Incoming Committee on Government Transition is the committee in charge of the transition process on behalf of Alejandro García Padilla, Governor-elect. The Committee is composed of aides and assistants of García Padilla, as follows:


2012 Puerto Rico government transition process, Incoming Committee
Rodríguez de Oronoz serves as both the Incoming Committee's President and Executive Director while Vila Biaggi serves as its Vice President.


2012 Puerto Rico government transition process, Controversial issues
In November 16, 2012, the Outgoing Committee admitted in public hearing that the Puerto Rico General Fund was not in fact as robust as previously informed by the incumbent administration. One hearing after, the public hearing unveiled a higher deficit in the Puerto Rico government budget balance for the upcoming fiscal year of $1.1 billion US$ instead of the $330 million that were previously reported; effectively making the deficit almost three times higher than previously reported and unveiling a cash flow insolvency on the Department of Treasury.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election
The 2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012, to elect the Governor of Puerto Rico.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election
The incumbent PNP Governor Luis Fortuño and Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi ran for a second term during this election. Their major challengers were the PPD nominee and current Senator Alejandro García Padilla and his running mate, Rafael Cox Alomar. The election also featured four minor party candidates, being the second time in 40 years with six candidates for governor.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election
In the morning of November 7, 2012, Fortuño conceded the election to Alejandro García Padilla, just as the last votes were being counted. However, Pierluisi retained his position as Resident Commissioner by defeating Cox Alomar. With a margin of 0.6%, this election was the closest race of the 2012 gubernatorial election cycle.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, Candidates, New Progressive Party
Incumbent Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, announced his candidacy for reelection in October 2011. Former Secretary of Health, Iván González Cancel, challenged him to a primary, but the court ruled it out.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, Candidates, Popular Democratic Party
Current senator Alejandro García Padilla, announced his candidacy in March 2011.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, Candidates, Puerto Rican Independence Party
Former Electoral Commissioner Juan Dalmau Ramírez, announced his candidacy for the Puerto Rican Independence Party. In January 2012, he presented his campaign staff and government program.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, Candidates, Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico
Rogelio Figueroa is the candidate for governor for the PPR party.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, Candidates, Movimiento Unión Soberanista
The MUS had chosen Dr. Enrique Vázquez Quintana as candidate for governor. However, in August 2012, Vázquez Quintana withdrew from the candidacy. A week later, he was replaced by Attorney Arturo Hernández, who was formerly president of the Puerto Rico Bar Association. Hernández was already a candidate for the Senate of Puerto Rico.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, Candidates, Working People's Party
Professor Rafael Bernabe was announced as the gubernatorial candidate for the PPT in June 2012.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, General election campaign
The campaign of the main opposing party, the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), focused mostly on the problems of crime, unemployment, and high utility costs, attributing them to the failure of the incumbent Governor, Luis Fortuño, from the New Progressive Party (PNP). The PNP, on the other hand, focused mostly on the lack of experience of the PPD candidate, Alejandro García Padilla.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, General election campaign
The minority parties have directed their campaign at the inability of the main two parties to administer the country. The Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party (PPR) attacked the alleged classism and social inequality of the current government, while the Working People's Party of Puerto Rico (PPT) advocated for a government more attuned to the working class.


2012 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election, General election campaign, Debates
There were two official debates celebrated with all gubernatorial candidates. The first one was held on September 11, 2012 under the title of "Vota o Quédate Calla'o" ("Vote or Keep your Mouth Shut"). It was transmitted by the television network of Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez. The second debate was held on October 25, 2012 under the title of "El Gran Debate". This debate was transmitted by Telemundo and had the best TV ratings for the night with 18.7 and a 27.3% share.


2012 Pulitzer Prize
The 2012 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on April 16, 2012 by the Pulitzer Prize Board for work during the 2011 calendar year. The deadline for submitting entries was January 25, 2012. For the first time, all entries for journalism were required to be submitted electronically. In addition, the criteria for the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting  has been revised to focus on real-time reporting of breaking news. For the eleventh time in Pulitzer's history (and the first since 1977), no book received the Fiction Prize.


2012 Pulitzer Prize, Reaction to fiction prize decision
A three-member panel nominated three books, which were then sent to the 20-member Pulitzer Prize Board. Because no book received a majority of the votes from the board members, no prize was given. This was the first time since 1977, and the eleventh time in Pulitzer history that there was no winner in the fiction category.


2012 Pulitzer Prize, Reaction to fiction prize decision
Maureen Corrigan, a jury member, responded to the board's decision by saying, "We nominated three novels we believe to be more than Pulitzer-worthy – David Foster Wallace's The Pale King, Karen Russell's Swamplandia! and Denis Johnson's Train Dreams. That the board declined to award the prize to any of these superb novels is inexplicable."


2012 Pulitzer Prize, Reaction to fiction prize decision
Jury member Michael Cunningham wrote a lengthy two-part essay in The New Yorker called "What Really Happened This Year" that described the process of selecting the shortlist titles and reaction to no prize being chosen.


2012 Pulitzer Prize, Reaction to fiction prize decision
Lev Grossman, book critic for Time, wrote that, "I support the Pulitzer board's decision not to give out an award for fiction this year." He argued that "great" novels are relatively rare, and that there are years in which a "masterpiece" will not be published. He also cautioned against the glut of book awards, writing, "It bothers me to see great work neglected, but it bothers me almost as much to see mediocre books over-praised."


2012 Pulitzer Prize, Reaction to fiction prize decision
In reaction, The New York Times invited eight literary experts to pick their winners for the prize. The experts and their picks were Sam Anderson and Macy Halford: The Pale King by David Foster Wallace; Maud Newton: Pym by Mat Johnson; Gregory Cowles: The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson; Garth Risk Hallberg: The Angel Esmeralda by Don DeLillo; Laila Lalami: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett; Alexander Chee: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, and John Williams: Open City by Teju Cole.


2012 Pulitzer Prize, Prizes
There were 21 prizes awarded in three categories. The prizes were announced on April 16, 2012. Each prize is accompanied by a payment of US$10,000 The winners and finalists are listed below.


2012 Pune bombings
The 2012 Pune bombings was a series of four coordinated low-intensity bombing attacks that occurred on 1 August 2012 across Pune, the ninth-largest metropolis in India. As of October 2012, Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist group based in India, is suspected to be behind the attacks.


2012 Pune bombings
The explosions occurred at locations within a radius of 1 km in Jangli Maharaj Road: in front of Balgandharva Auditorium, opposite to KFC restaurant near Garware Bridge, Dena Bank branch at Jangli Maharaj Road, and in front of a McDonald's restaurant. A fifth live bomb found on JM Road was later defused. The bombs left one injured. All blasts occurred between 7:27 pm and 8:15 pm.


2012 Pune bombings
The bombings took place on the evening when the new Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was scheduled to visit the Tilak Smarak Ranga Mandir, a play theatre in the city, for an award ceremony.


2012 Pune bombings, Victims
Dayanand Bhaurao Patil (age 34), a local tailor, was the only one who was injured. The bomb went off while he was handling the bag. Patil, with minor injuries on his face and stomach, was admitted to Sasoon Hospital and was later interrogated by the police as a suspect. Patil was carrying the explosives in a cake box with sticky material, two detonators and a pencil cell.


2012 Pune bombings, Victims
According to his initial statement, Patil, on his way home, had stopped at Balgandharva Auditorium to listen to the speeches at the protest against corruption organised by India Against Corruption with his bag containing his lunchbox besides him. When he stood up to leave, he claimed that he must have picked up the wrong bag. After walking for some time, when he realised this and opened the bag, it exploded.


2012 Pune bombings, Speculations
The Police Commissioner of Pune suggested that given the low intensity of the blast and extent of damage, the attacks were rather a mischief than a terrorist attack. However, given the sophisticated circuitry used in the devices, central agencies suspected the role of an terrorist organisation. It was also speculated that the bombings may have been carried out to avenge the murder of Indian Mujahideen commander Qateel Siddiqui or to avenge a central government recommendation that the ban on SIMI be extended for a few more years. Qateel Siddiqui, named in 2010 Pune bombings, 2010 Jama Masjid attack and 2005 Indian Institute of Science shooting, was murdered at Pune's Yerwada Jail in June 2012. Few days ago, the Pune police had received a letter saying Qateel's death would be avenged.


2012 Pune bombings, Investigations
The Anti- Terrorism Squad of the Maharashtra Police promptly started investigation of the blasts. Eyewitnesses reported that the bombs were placed in a garbage can and a cycle carrier. The blasts were of such low intensity that members of India Against Corruption who were sitting for an andolan nearby did not know of the blast till the bomb disposal squad arrived.


2012 Pune bombings, Investigations
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Security Guards (NSG) were alerted following the blasts and NIA teams were dispatched to Pune and Mumbai.


2012 Pune bombings, Investigations
Ammonium nitrate was found to have been used as explosives, with 9 volts batteries as triggers. A total of seven IEDs were used in the blasts. Initially, the bomb disposal squad experts suggested that the moist weather may have reduced the intensity of the blasts. However, upon further investigation, it was found that while the bombs had been constructed to cause maximum damage and take many lives, a design flaw had prevented them from fully exploding.


2012 Pune bombings, Investigations
There were no individual suspects even on 2 August, primarily due to the fact that the CCTV cameras near the blast sites were non-functional. However, the use of bicycles and triggers suggested the possible involvement of Indian Mujahideen.


2012 Pune bombings, Investigations
The Pune Police was criticised for mishandling the evidence at the crime scene. Photographs showed cops lifting the bicycle used for the blasts with their bare hands, contaminating the fingerprints on the cycle. Gloves were not used by many cops while searching the crime scene. Policemen were seen searching for evidence with bullet proof vests, when they should have been using bomb suits and explosive trace detectors.


2012 Pune bombings, Investigations
By 3 August, based on the leads obtained from the owner of a cycle shop that had sold the bikes, the investigators were looking for two suspects aged between 25 and 30 who spoke Hindi and Gujarati,. While inspecting CCTV footage, investigators found a man, closely resembling Yasin Bhatkal, Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, coming on a bicycle and parking it opposite the Sai Service petrol pump.


2012 Pune bombings, Investigations, Arrests
As of 27 December 2012, a total of eight suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists have been arrested. The arrestees are:


2012 Pune bombings, Investigations, Arrests
Delhi Police said that many of the arrestees confessed of their involvement in the blasts.


2012 Punjab Legislative Assembly election
The Punjab legislative assembly election, 2012 was held on 30 January 2012, to elect 117 members to the Punjab Legislative Assembly. The results of the election were announced on 6 March 2012. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal – Bharatiya Janata Party alliance led by Parkash Singh Badal won the elections.


2012 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, Background
Punjab have tradition of transfer of power every 5 years between Shiromani Akali Dal and Indian National Congress but this election of 2012 is different from others where ruling party again came to power


2012 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, Background
2012 Assembly Elections in Punjab received attention for being the first elections after reorganisation of Punjab in 1966 to witness the return of an incumbent party.


2012 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, Background
This elections also saw the emergence of new political leadership, like rise of Sukhbir Singh Badal and the rise and fall of Manpreet Singh Badal, the founder of the Peoples Party of Punjab.


2012 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, Timeline of events
Schedule for General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab 2012


2012 Purbeck District Council election
The 2012 Purbeck District Council election to the Purbeck District Council in Dorset took place on Thursday 3 May 2012.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers baseball team
The 2012 Purdue Boilermakers baseball team was a baseball team that represented Purdue University in the 2012 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Boilermakers are members of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Lambert Field in West Lafayette, Indiana. They were led by fourteenth-year head coach Doug Schreiber.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers baseball team, Preseason
In 2011, Purdue compiled a 37–20 record (14–10 in conference play) during the regular season, failing to qualify for a postseason for the fourth straight season.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team
The 2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented the Purdue University during the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Boilermakers played in the Leaders Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. The team was led by head coach Danny Hope, who was in his fourth season and was fired after the end of the regular season. The season finished with a won-loss record of 6–7 overall, 3–5 in Big 10 Leaders Division, finishing in 4th place. The team was invited the 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl, where they were defeated by Oklahoma State, 58-14.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Preseason
In 2011, the Boilermakers became bowl eligible in their twelfth game, and played in the 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl against Western Michigan, defeating the Broncos 37–32.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Preseason
Purdue returns fifteen out of twenty-two starters—eight on offense and seven on defense. Purdue will be forced to replace captains Offensive tackle Dennis Kelly, Linebacker Chris Carlino, as well as starters Defensive end Gerald Gooden Jr., Linebacker Joe Holland, Safety Albert Evans, Safety Logan Link Offensive tackle Nick Mondek, Kicker Carson Wiggs and Wide receiver Justin Siller, and key contributor Fullback Jared Crank. Several players left the Purdue program in 2012 for a variety of reasons. The most significant was Running back Reggie Pegram decided to transfer from the program following the bowl game. He ended up transferring to North Texas. Other's that left the program were running backs Doug Gentry and Devin Hill, kicker Ryan Ullrich and defensive tackle LaSalle Cooks.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Preseason
Three Boilermakers were named to preseason watchlists. Raheem Mostert was named to the preseason Jet Award watch list, an award given to the top return specialist in the NCAA. Ricardo Allen was named to the preseason Jim Thorpe Award watchlist, an award given to the top defensive back in the NCAA. and Kawann Short was named to the preseason Lombardi Award watchlist, an award given to the top lineman in the NCAA. and Allen as well as Short have both been named to the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given to the top defensive player in the NCAA.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Eastern Kentucky
To open the season, Purdue hosted the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. This game was the first ever meeting between the two teams. This was coach Danny Hope's first ever game against a team of which he was formerly the head coach.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Notre Dame
Following its game against Eastern Kentucky, Purdue traveled to Notre Dame, IN and faced the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. In the previous meeting, Notre Dame won 38–10.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Eastern Michigan
Following its game against Notre Dame, Purdue returned home to face the Eastern Michigan Eagles of the Mid-American Conference. In 1991, their most recent meeting, Purdue won 49–3.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Marshall
Following its game against Eastern Michigan, Purdue stayed home to face the Marshall Thundering Herd of Conference USA. This was the first ever meeting between the two schools in a football game.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Michigan
After its game against Marshall, Purdue hosted the visiting Michigan Wolverines to open Big Ten Conference play with an out of division game. In the previous meeting, Michigan defeated Purdue and won by a score of 36–14.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Wisconsin
After its game against Michigan, Purdue hosted the Wisconsin Badgers to open up Leaders Division play. In the previous meeting, Wisconsin dominated Purdue and won by a score of 62–17.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Ohio State
After its game against Wisconsin, Purdue traveled to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. In the previous meeting, Purdue upset Ohio State by a score of 26-23 in overtime.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Minnesota
After its game against Ohio State, Purdue traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to play the Minnesota Golden Gophers. In the previous meeting, Purdue defeated Minnesota by a score of 45-17.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Penn State
After its game against Minnesota, Purdue returned home to play the Penn State Nittany Lions. In last years meeting, Penn State defeated Purdue 23-18.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Iowa
After its game against Penn State, Purdue travels to Iowa City, Iowa to play the Iowa Hawkeyes. In last years meeting, Iowa defeated Purdue by a score of 31-21.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Illinois
After its game against Iowa, Purdue traveled to Champaign, Illinois to play the Illinois Fighting Illini. In last years meeting, Purdue defeated Illinois by a score of 21-14.


2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Game summaries, vs. Indiana
After its game against Illinois, Purdue returned home to play the Indiana Hoosiers in the "Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket". In last years meeting, Purdue defeated Indiana by a score of 33-25.


2012 Pure Michigan 400
The 2012 Pure Michigan 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on August 19, 2012 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Contested over 201 laps, it was the twenty-third race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Greg Biffle of Roush Fenway Racing won the race, Brad Keselowski was second and Kasey Kahne finished third.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Background
Michigan International Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races; the others are Daytona International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Michigan International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2 miles (3.2 km) long. The track's turns are banked at eighteen degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at twelve degrees. The back stretch, has a five degree banking. Michigan International Speedway has a seating capacity of 137,243 people.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Background
Before the race, Jimmie Johnson led the Drivers' Championship with 777 points, and Greg Biffle stood in second with 776. Matt Kenseth was third in the Drivers' Championship with 775 points, 15 ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and 42 ahead of Brad Keselowski in fourth and fifth. Martin Truex, Jr. with 728 was eleven points ahead of Clint Bowyer, as Tony Stewart with 716 points, was six ahead of Kevin Harvick, and 23 in front of Denny Hamlin. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 157 points, 32 ahead of Toyota. Ford, with 109 points, was 16 points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Practice and qualifying
Three practice sessions will be held before the Sunday race—one on Friday, August 17, and two on Saturday, August 18. The first session lasted 90 minutes, while the second and third are scheduled for 55 minutes. Johnson was quickest with a time of 36.465 seconds in the first session, less than two-tenths of a second faster than Kasey Kahne. Mark Martin was just off Kahne's pace, followed by Harvick, Truex, Jr., and Carl Edwards. Ryan Newman (who was battling the flu and wasn't sure he would be able to race; Stewart-Haas had David Reutimann on standby) was seventh, still within four-tenths of a second of Johnson's time.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Practice and qualifying
Forty-five cars were entered for qualifying, but only forty-three could qualify for the race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure. Martin clinched the 55th pole position of his career, with a time of 36.053 seconds. He was joined on the front row of the grid by Edwards. Johnson qualified third, Kenseth took fourth, and Kahne started fifth. Trevor Bayne, Truex, Jr., Marcos Ambrose, Landon Cassill and Paul Menard rounded out the top ten. The two drivers that failed to qualify for the race were Stephen Leicht and J.J. Yeley. Once the qualifying session concluded, Martin said, "I've had a few years of practice. I don't need a whole bunch of practice. I need fast race cars. That's what Rodney Childers is giving me. All it is driving the car. I've been doing that since I was 15."


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Race
After the drop of the green flag, Martin would jump out to an early lead. However, an early spin from David Gilliland through the grass on Lap 6 would bunch the field back up again. After restarting on Lap 10, Martin would once again easily retain the lead and build another substantial gap to the second place car. The first round of green flag pit stops would begin on Lap 35. Mixed strategies would see some teams taking two tires and others four. A number of drivers, notably Keselowski and Johnson, would stay out for a few laps longer than the rest of the field while stretching fuel mileage before the lead would cycle back to Martin on Lap 46.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Race
Following a long green-flag run, Martin would continue to lead while having to deal with an ever-increasing amount of lapped traffic. On Lap 64, however, disaster would strike for Martin while coming up on the lapped cars of Bobby Labonte and Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya would make contact with Labonte, turning him coming out of Turn 4. Martin, reacting to this, would spin out while attempting to avoid the two and begin to careen down pit road.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Race
After glancing off the inner pit wall, Martin's car would slam side-first into an exposed retaining wall at the garage opening midway down pit road. The exposed wall segment would penetrate deep into the car's side, puncturing the fuel tank, and causing fuel to spill around the car. The force of the impact would also cause several tires and other debris stationed on the wall to go flying back into the garage area. Luckily, track and safety officials were quick on the scene to extinguish any flames and no one, including Martin, suffered any injuries.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Race
The race would restart on Lap 74 with Clint Bowyer taking a short-lived lead before another caution would fly after a crash from Regan Smith due to contact from Marcos Ambrose. Varying pit strategies and the timing of cautions would continue to mix the field up from its starting order. A fourth caution would come out after Joey Logano hit the wall after a tire failure from contact with Montoya. On the restart, Biffle would find himself near the front before soon fighting for the lead.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Race
He would take his first lead of the day on Lap 101 after passing Truex Jr. Biffle would hold the lead for 10 laps before pitting. Attrition and the long runs would also begin to take their toll as both Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon would exit the race with engine failures. These engine failures, both being from in-house Hendrick Motorsports-built engines, would cause other teams running them to begin to worry about their own cars including Johnson.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Race
The final fifty laps would be run mostly under green and would see a flurry of ten lead changes with only one driver, Johnson, leading more than ten consecutive laps during the final quarter of the race distance. Lap 182 would see the #21 car of Trevor Bayne sustain a tire failure and hit the wall in Turn 1, bringing out another caution and setting up a just over ten-lap sprint to the finish. The race would restart on lap 187 with Keselowski leading. He would hold the lead until being passed by Johnson with just under ten laps to go. Biffle would also get around Keselowski to move up into second.


2012 Pure Michigan 400, Report, Race
Johnson, cruising to a seemingly assured win, would then suffer an engine failure (much like those of Stewart and Gordon) with only five laps to go. Oil spilling from Johnson's car would bring out the final caution and set-up a green-white-checkered finish. The final restart would lead to a final shootout between Biffle and Keselowski with Biffle edging out Keselowski to earn his third win at Michigan and his second of the season.


2012 Puskás Cup
The 2012 Puskás Cup was the fifth edition of the Puskás Cup and took place 6 April to 8 April. Budapest Honvéd FC were the defending champions and they won their third title by defeating Puskás Akadémia 7–0 in the final.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions
The 2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions was a singles-only tennis tournament that was played on indoor hard courts in Sofia. It was the fourth edition of the tournament and was part of the 2012 WTA Tour. The 2012 edition was the first held in Sofia, having been relocated from Bali, where the tournament was held for the previous three years and called the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions
The tournament was played between October 30 and November 4. Ana Ivanovic did not defend her title this year for two reasons: She did not win, or reach, a single final this year in order to gain direct acceptance, and she did not receive a wild card due to her participation in the 2012 Fed Cup finals.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Tournament
The 2012 WTA Tournament of Champions was the fourth edition of the event and the first in Sofia. The tournament was run by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and was part of the 2012 WTA Tour. It was the season ending championships for players who have won one of the WTA International tournaments but have not qualified for the WTA Championships. The singles draw saw eight women qualify from the year, and began as a round robin event, split into two groups of four, with the top four ranked players seeded.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Tournament
Over the first four days of competition, each player met the other three players in their group, with the top two in each group advancing to the semifinals. The first-placed player in one group met the second-placed player in the other group, and vice versa. The winners of each semifinal met in the championship match.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Prize money and points
The total prize money for the 2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions was US$750,000.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying
The six highest-ranked players who have captured at least one International tournament during the year and who are not participating in singles at the year-end WTA Championships in Istanbul or the finals of the Fed Cup will automatically qualify for the event. The last two players are wildcards. The wildcards were awarded to Tsvetana Pironkova and Maria Kirilenko.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
Wozniacki began the year as the world no. 1; she lost her top ranking after the Australian Open after losing in the quarterfinals to Kim Clijsters 3-6, 6-7(4–7). She did not reach a final until the e-Boks Open, where she was the two-time defending champion but lost to Angelique Kerber 4–6, 4–6. At the French Open, she lost to Kaia Kanepi 1-6, 7-6(7–3), 3-6. At Wimbledon, she was upset by Tamira Paszek 7-5, 6-7(4–7), 4-6 in the first round.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
At the US Open, after reaching the semifinals the previous year, she lost in the first round 2-6, 2-6, which dropped her ranking out of the top 10 for the first time since 2009. She won her first title of the year at KDB Korea Open, defeating Kaia Kanepi 6-1, 6-0. A few weeks later, she continued her good form and won the title at Kremlin Cup, claiming victory over Samantha Stosur 6–2, 4–6, 7–5, coming back from 1–4 in the final set. She is making her debut to the event.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
Nadia PetrovaPetrova was competing for the second time, having reached the semifinals the previous year. She qualified for the event by winning the UNICEF Open, her first grass title defeating Urszula Radwańska 6-4, 6-3 in the final. She won her second title of the year at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, her first Premier 5 title since its inception, defeating defending champion Agnieszka Radwańska 6–0, 1–6, 6–3. At the slams, she reached the second round of the Australian Open, losing to Sara Errani 2-6, 2-6. She then lost in the third rounds of Wimbledon to Samantha Stosur 3-6, 3-6 and French Open to Camila Giorgi 3-6, 6-7(6-8). At the US Open, she reached the fourth round, falling to Maria Sharapova 1-6, 6-4, 4-6. She had huge top ten wins over Samantha Stosur and Sara Errani.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
Maria KirilenkoKirilenko was one of the two wild card recipients in the event. Kirilenko did not win a title in the year. However, she was able to reach two finals in the year the first of which was in the Pattaya City, losing to Daniela Hantuchová 7-6(7-4), 3-6, 3-6. She reached her second final at the New Haven Open at Yale losing to Petra Kvitová 6-7(9-11), 5-7, despite leading 5-2 in the second set. She was able to reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon losing to Agnieszka Radwańska 5-7, 6-4, 5-7 in a rain delayed match.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
At the Olympics she ended 4th place losing the Bronze Medal Match to Victoria Azarenka 3-6, 4-6. At the other slams, she lost in the third rounds of the Australian Open retiring against Kvitová 0-6, 0-1 and of the US Open losing to Andrea Hlaváčková 7-5, 4-6, 4-6. She also reached the second round of the French Open losing to Klára Zakopalová 4-6, 6-3, 3-6. Her biggest win came in the quarterfinals of the Olympics over Kvitová.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
Roberta VinciVinci is participating for the second time after 2011. She qualified to the event by winning the Texas Tennis Open defeating Jelena Janković 7-5, 6-3 in the final and without dropping a set in the tournament. She then reached her first slam quarterfinal at the US Open after defeating world no. 2Agnieszka Radwańska 6-1, 6-4 before losing to doubles partner Sara Errani 2-6, 4-6.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
In the other slams, she lost in the second round of the Australian Open to Zheng Jie 4-6, 2-6, first round of the French Open losing to Sofia Arvidsson 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, and the fourth round of Wimbledon losing to Tamira Paszek 2-6, 2-6. She earned another top ten win over world no. 7 Angelique Kerber 6-2, 7-6(9-7).


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
Hsieh Su-weiHsieh is having a breakthrough season, she started out of the top 100. She won her first ever WTA Tour singles title in the Malaysian Open as a qualifier over Petra Martić after Martić retired when Hsieh was leading 2-6 7-5 4-1 due to fatigue from playing 3 hours earlier in the day. This made her eligible to qualify for the event She also won the Guangzhou International Women's Open defeating Britain's Laura Robson 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, after coming back from 0-3 in the deciding set. She also won 3 ITF titles in the year. In the slams, she lost in the first rounds of the French Open to Flavia Pennetta 7-6(7-3), 4-6, 2-6, and of the US Open to Magdaléna Rybáriková 3-6, 6-2, 3-6, she also advanced to the third round of Wimbledon before losing to World No. 1 Maria Sharapova 1-6, 4-6.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
Zheng JieZheng had a stellar start of the year by winning the ASB Classic over Flavia Pennetta after the Italian retired while Zheng was leading 2-6, 6-3, 2-0. This win made her viable to qualify for the event. She continued to have a good form coming into the Australian Open upsetting then world no. 9 Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-3 in the third round before losing to Sara Errani 2-6, 1-6 in the following round. At the other slams, she lost in the second round to Aleksandra Wozniak in the French Open 2-6, 4-6. She also lost in the third rounds of Wimbledon to Serena Williams 7-6(7-5), 2-6, 7-9 and of the French Open to world no. 1 Victoria Azarenka 0-6, 1-6. Zheng was able to participate because of the earlier injury-induced withdrawal of qualifier Kaia Kanepi, who was higher ranked.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
Daniela HantuchováHantuchová went into a great start of the season by reaching the final of the Brisbane International, where she lost to Kaia Kanepi 2-6, 1-6. At the Australian Open, she reached the third round losing to Kim Clijsters 3-6, 2-6. She then defended her title at the PTT Pattaya Open defeating Maria Kirilenko 6-7(4-7), 6-3, 6-3 in the final She then withdrew from the entire clay season including the French Open due to a left foot injury.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
She then lost in the first rounds of Wimbledon 4-6, 6-7(1-7) to Jamie Hampton and the US Open to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 4-6, 6-7(1-7). Her best win in the season was against then world no. 11 Li Na. Hantuchová was the last player to gain direct acceptance to Sofia after qualifier Venus Williams decided not to participate due to other commitments.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Qualifying, Qualifiers
Tsvetana PironkovaPironkova is one of the wild card recipients, being a native of Bulgaria. Her best results are two quarterfinals. However, she was able to earn two top-ten wins over then world no. 9 Li Na at the Open GDF Suez, winning after Li retired 7-6(7–5), 3-2 and over then world no. 3 Agnieszka Radwańska at the Aegon International 6–2, 6–4. At the slams, she reached the fourth round of the US Open, losing to Ana Ivanovic 0-6, 4-6. She lost in the second round of the other slams, losing to Galina Voskoboeva 4-6, 4-6 at the Australian Open, to Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 3-6, 1-6 at the French Open and to Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon 6–7(3–7), 7–6(7–3), 0–6.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Groupings
The 2012 edition of the Tournament of Champion, the competitors were divided into two groups the Sredets and Serdika, which are districts in Sofia. The Serdika Group consists of no. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki, no. 4 seed Roberta Vinci, no. 5 seed Hsieh Su-wei, and no. 7 seed Daniela Hantuchová. The Sredets Groups are composed by no. 2 seed Nadia Petrova, no. 3 seed Maria Kirilenko, no. 6 seed Zheng Jie, and no. 8 seed Tsvetana Pironkova. The alternates are Sofia Arvidsson and Alizé Cornet.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Groupings
In the Serdika group, in their respective head-to-heads, Caroline Wozniacki was 7-2, Roberta Vinci was 4-2, Hsieh Su-wei was 0-4, and Daniela Hantuchová was 4-7. Leading the group Wozniacki is down in her head-to-head against Vinci 0-1, losing their only encounter at the 2011 Rogers Cup 6-4, 7-5. Against Hsieh, the Danish has a perfect record of 2-0 winning their last encounter at the China Open 6-7(5-7), 7-6(7-3), 6-0.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Groupings
Wozniacki also has a good record against Hantuchová, as she led  5-1, with her beating the Slovak twice in the year, with the latest win coming at the 2012 Toray Pan Pacific Open 7-6(7-3), 6-1. Vinci on the other hand has a 1-0 record against Hsieh, with the win coming in the 2012 Dallas Tennis Classic 6-2, 6-2. Against Hantuchová, she is tied at 2-2, with Hantuchová winning their last encounter at the 2012 Brisbane International 7-5, 6-2. In the final head-to-head of the group between Hantuchová and Hsieh, the Slovak leads 1-0 with the win coming in the 2012 PTT Pattaya Open 6-4, 6-1.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Groupings
In the Sredets group, in their head-to-heads with players within their group, Nadia Petrova was 12-6, Maria Kirilenko was 7-9, Zheng Jie  was 8-11, and Tsvetana Pironkova is 1-2. Petrova's head-to-head in her group is mixed, she is 4-4 against compatriot Kirilenko, with Kirilenko winning their last match at the 2012 BNP Paribas Open 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. She then has a very good record against Zheng compiling an 8-1, with Petrova winning the first 5 meetings and their last meeting at the 2012 Summer Olympics 6-4, 7-6(9-7).


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Groupings
She is however 0-1 against Pironkova, with the Bulgarian winning at the 2012 Brussels Open 6-3, 6-2. Kirilenko on the other hand is 3-5 down against Zheng in their head-to-head, however she won their last 2 meeting both in 2012, with the latest encounter at the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open 6-2, 7-5. Kirilenko and Pironkova will meet for the first time in the event. In the match-up between Zheng and Pironkova, Zheng lead 2-0 winning their most recent match at the 2012 New Haven Open at Yale 7-5, 6-2.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions, Player head-to-head
Below are the head-to-head records as they approached the tournament.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions – Singles
Ana Ivanovic was the two-time defending champion, but didn't qualify and was not able to compete as a wildcard due to playing in the Fed Cup.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions – Singles
Second seed Nadia Petrova won the title, defeating top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the final. This was Petrova's 13th and final WTA singles title before announcing her retirement in January 2017 (she played her last tournament in April 2014).


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions – Singles, Draw
The eight players have been drawn into two groups – "Serdika" and "Sredets" – which are the ancient names of the city of Sofia during the thracian, respectively medieval period of Bulgarian history.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions – Singles, Draw, Serdika Group
Standings are determined by: 1) Number of wins; 2) Number of matches; 3) In two-players-ties, head-to-head records; 4) In three-players-ties, percentage of sets won, or of games won; 5) Steering Committee decision.


2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions – Singles, Draw, Sredets Group
Standings are determined by: 1) Number of wins; 2) Number of matches; 3) In two-players-ties, head-to-head records; 4) In three-players-ties, percentage of sets won, or of games won; 5) Steering Committee decision.


2012 Qatar Crown Prince Cup
The 2012 Qatar Crown Prince Cup will be the 18th edition of the Qatar Crown Prince Cup and will take place from April 21 to 26. The cup will contested by the top four finishers in 2011–12 Qatar Stars League.


2012 Qatar Open
The 2012 Qatar Open (also known as 2012 Qatar ExxonMobil Open for sponsorship reasons) was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 20th edition of the Qatar Open, and part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2012 ATP World Tour. It took place at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar, from January 2 through January 7, 2012. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won the singles title.


2012 Qatar Open, Finals, Doubles
Filip Polášek /  Lukáš Rosol defeated  Christopher Kas /  Philipp Kohlschreiber 6–3, 6–4


2012 Qatar Open, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2012 Qatar Open – Doubles
Marc López and Rafael Nadal were the defending champions but Nadal decided not to participate. López played alongside Albert Ramos, but the pair was defeated in the second round by Dmitry Tursunov and Nenad Zimonjić.


2012 Qatar Open – Doubles
Filip Polášek and Lukáš Rosol defeated Christopher Kas and Philipp Kohlschreiber in the final with a score of 6–3, 6–4 to win their first title in Doha.


2012 Qatar Open – Singles
Roger Federer was the defending champion, but was forced to withdraw from the tournament before the semifinals because of a back injury. Following Federer's withdrawal, Stefan Edberg and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga played a one set exhibition match to make up the evening session.


2012 Qatar Open – Singles
Tsonga won the title beating Gaël Monfils in an all-French final, 7–5, 6–3.


2012 Qatar Total Open
The 2012 Qatar Total Open was a professional women's tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 10th edition of the event. It took place at International Tennis and Squash complex in Doha, Qatar between 13 and 19 February 2012. It was upgraded from a Premier event to a Premier 5 event. Victoria Azarenka won the singles title.


2012 Qatar Total Open, Champions, Doubles
Liezel Huber /  Lisa Raymond defeated  Raquel Kops-Jones /  Abigail Spears, 6–3, 6–1


2012 Qatar Total Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2012 Qatar Total Open, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pair received wildcard into the doubles main draw:


2012 Qatar Total Open – Doubles
Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik were the defending champions, but chose not to participate this year. Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond defeated Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6–3, 6–1 in the final.


2012 Qatar Total Open – Doubles, Seeds
The top six seeds received bye to the second round.


2012 Qatar Total Open – Singles
The 2012 Qatar Total Open was a professional women's tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 10th edition of the event. It took place at International Tennis and Squash complex in Doha, Qatar between 13 and 19 February 2012. It was upgraded from a Premier event to a Premier 5 event. Victoria Azarenka won the title after defeating Samantha Stosur 6–1, 6–2. Vera Zvonareva was the defending champion, but retired during her second round match against Monica Niculescu.


2012 Qatar Total Open – Singles, Seeds
The top eight seeds received a bye into the second round.


2012 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2012 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 2012 MotoGP season. It was held at the Losail International Circuit near Doha in Qatar on 8 April 2012. It was contested over twenty-two laps.


2012 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix
This race saw the début of the 1000cc engine motorcycles introduced in the MotoGP class for this season and also the début of the Honda RC213V, replacing the 800cc engines and the Honda RC212V that were used between 2007 and 2011,  and also the début of the 125cc 2-stroke replacement class, Moto3, which are powered by 250cc (15.2 cu in) 4-stroke engines.


2012 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round one has concluded.


2012 Qingdao Jonoon F.C. season
The 2012 Qingdao Jonoon F.C. season is Qingdao's 16th consecutive season in the top division of Chinese football. Qingdao will also be competing in the Chinese FA Cup.


2012 Qingdao Jonoon F.C. season, Players, First team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Qingdao Jonoon F.C. season, Players, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Qingdao Jonoon F.C. season, Players, On loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Quaker State 400
The 2012 Quaker State 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held June 30, 2012, at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. Contested over 267 laps, it was the 17th race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Brad Keselowski won the race, his third of the season. Kasey Kahne finished second and Denny Hamlin was third.


2012 Quaker State 400, Report, Background
Kentucky Speedway, is one of ten intermediate tracks to hold NASCAR races. The standard track at Kentucky Speedway is a four-turn tri-oval track that is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 14 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is 8 degrees. The back stretch, opposite of the front, is at only 4 degrees. The racetrack has seats for 107,000 spectators. The defending winner of the event is Kyle Busch, who won it in 2011.


2012 Quaker State 400, Report, Background
The inaugural race was plagued by a massive traffic problem where many of the fans who expected to attend the race were turned away after several hours on Interstate 71. Following the problem, Kentucky Speedway announced that they bought more land for parking and began to work with the state government to improve traffic around the speedway in time for the 2012 race.


2012 Quaker State 400, Report, Race
The race, the 17th of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season began at 7:48 EDT. The race was televised live in the United States on TNT. Jimmie Johnson started on pole position. The Kentucky Army National Guard and the  Boone County Sheriff's Office presented the flag. The invocation was offered by Pastor John Roberts of Raceway Ministries. Laura Bell Bundy performed the national anthem. The grand marshal was Quaker State Official Steve Reindl.


2012 Quebec Men's Provincial Curling Championship
The 2012 Quebec Men's Provincial Curling Championship (also known as the Quebec Tankard) was held January 24–29, 2012 at the Club de Curling Kénogami in Jonquière, Quebec. The winning team of Robert Desjardins, represented Quebec at the 2012 Tim Hortons Brier in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.


2012 Quebec Men's Provincial Curling Championship, Format changes
The 2011–2012 season saw a new format for both the men and women's provincial playdowns. The men's tournament consisted of twelve teams in a triple knockout format, and playing for spots in a four team page playoff. Eight teams, four from east Quebec and four from the west Quebec, will qualify through zones playdowns, and four teams will qualify through the points system. This change means the defending champion from the previous season will no longer receive an automatic berth into the provincial playdowns and will see two additional teams compete in the provincial playdown.


2012 Quebec Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The 2012 Quebec Scotties Tournament of Hearts was held from January 25 to 29 at the Club de Curling Kénogami in Jonquière, Quebec. The winning team of Marie-France Larouche, represented Quebec at the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Red Deer, Alberta, where she finished round robin with a 7-4 record. This was enough to clinch a spot in the playoffs in the 3-4 game. Larouche and team would lose both the 3-4 game and the bronze medal game.


2012 Quebec Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Format Changes
The 2011-12 season will see a new format for both the men and women's provincial playdowns. The women's tournament will now consist of eight teams playing in a triple knockout format, and a page playoff consisting of three teams. Four teams will qualify from the four Quebec regions, and four teams will qualify through the points system. This change means that the defending champions from the previous season will no longer receive a berth into the provincial playdowns and that two fewer teams will compete in the provincial playdowns.


2012 Quebec general election
The 2012 Quebec general election took place in the Canadian province of Quebec on September 4, 2012. Lieutenant Governor Pierre Duchesne dissolved the National Assembly on August 1, 2012, following Premier Jean Charest's request. The Parti Québécois were elected to a minority government, with Pauline Marois becoming the first woman to be Premier of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party took second place, with Premier Jean Charest losing his seat. The newly formed party Coalition Avenir Québec led by François Legault took third place, while Québec solidaire took 2 seats out of the 125.


2012 Quebec general election
It was the first time since 2007 (and only the third time in Quebec history) that a minority government would be formed, as no party won an absolute majority of the seats. Both the PQ and Liberal vote declined which boosted support for the CAQ and Quebec Solidaire.


2012 Quebec general election
During Marois' victory speech, an attack including gunshots and a fire occurred at the Métropolis concert hall housing the event and a forty-year-old man died as a result of gunshot wounds.


2012 Quebec general election, Party standings
Results change is compared to the Action démocratique du Québec in 2008.


2012 Quebec general election, List of candidates
The deadline for candidacies was August 18, 2012 at 2 pm.


2012 Quebec general election, List of candidates, (6) Montreal, East
Jan Stohl (CC)Claude Brunelle (ML)Gaston Savard (PUN)Sylvie R. Tremblay (PI)


2012 Quebec general election, List of candidates, (6) Montreal, East
Yves Pageau (CC) 66 0.20%Peter Macrisopoulos (ML) 100 0.31%David H. Cherniak (Ind.) 119 0.37%Michel Dugré (Ind./nd) 50 0.16%


2012 Quebec general election, List of candidates, (6) Montreal, East
Edson Emilio (QCU)Louis Provencher (PCM)Jean-Marc Labrèche (Ind.) Dimitri Mourkes (Ind.)


2012 Quebec general election, List of candidates, (16) Montérégie, Eastern
Dominique Favreau (CC)Jacques Pipon (PC)Gilles Alarie (Ind.) Jean-Pierre Dufault (Ind.)


2012 Quebec student protests
The 2012 Quebec student protests (movement) were a series of student protests led by student unions such as the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ), the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, and the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec against a proposal by the Quebec Cabinet, headed by Liberal Premier Jean Charest, to raise university tuition from $2,168 to $3,793 between 2012 and 2018. As part of the protest movement, a series of widespread student strikes were organized, involving half of Quebec's student population by April 2012. A third of Quebecois students continued to participate in the strike by its 100th day, while a quarter million had participated during its peak. Other students continued to attend their courses.


2012 Quebec student protests
Left-wing groups endorsed the student protests, which evolved into generalized demonstrations against the provincial government. Opposition parties (Parti Québécois, Québec solidaire, Option nationale), workers unions (Confédération des syndicats nationaux, Canadian Union of Public Employees) and many groups demonstrated alongside the students in April and May 2012.


2012 Quebec student protests
On May 18, the Government passed Bill 78, an emergency law forbidding picketing or protest near university grounds, and requiring police approval for large public protests anywhere in Quebec. The law was mainly repealed by the Marois government in September 2012 and expired in 2013.


2012 Quebec student protests
In the Fall of 2012, with a new school term beginning, student participation in the strikes and demonstrations dwindled. The Quebec nationalist Parti Québécois was later elected as minority government and halted any tuition increases in line with its campaign promises.


2012 Quebec student protests
These protests are sometimes named Maple Spring, from the French: Printemps érable which alludes to French: Printemps arabe (Arab spring) as well as the maple tree which symbolizes Quebec and Canada.


2012 Quebec student protests, Historical context, Higher education in Quebec
In the 1960s, the provincial government took over responsibility for higher education. Changes included the creation of a separate pre-university college level, a publicly funded college system, and providing universities enough funding so that it would be affordable to anyone who wanted to attend. These changes in education access gave birth to a Quebec middle class and transformed the possibility of upward mobility in the province.


2012 Quebec student protests, Historical context, Higher education in Quebec
As a result of the Quiet Revolution, university tuition fees in Quebec were frozen at C$540 per year from 1968 to 1990. In 1994, annual tuition rose to C$1668, after which it was frozen until 2007, when it grew by C$100 per year until 2012, making it C$2168. Overall, tuition increased an average of C$37 per year or 300% between 1968 and 2012, not including other fees that are paid to universities (e.g. administration fees, student service fees, etc.). The overall cost living inflation (as measured by an aggregate inflation index commonly used by Canadian economists) rose 557% from 1968 to 2012, meaning that C$540 in 1968 was roughly equivalent to about C$3,545 in 2012. At the time, Quebec maintained the lowest tuition fees in Canada.


2012 Quebec student protests, Historical context, Student protests in Quebec
The province's student associations have a mandatory membership and dues structure. These associations depend on the size and level of the institution.


2012 Quebec student protests, Historical context, Student protests in Quebec
In smaller colleges and universities, strikes will be campus wide, but at larger schools they usually happen by department so the entire campus is rarely shut down. For example, if engineering students voted to strike, the picket lines would focus only on engineering students.


2012 Quebec student protests, Historical context, Student protests in Quebec
Student associations usually call for strikes over local issues and set a limited time period. The student strike movement persists in Quebec because it is one of the only places where student associations hold regular general assemblies.


2012 Quebec student protests, Historical context, Student protests in Quebec
Most student strikes in Quebec won at least a partial victory. These previous student strikes demanded free tuition, democratic administration of the universities, the expansion of French instruction and facilities, elimination of more stringent aptitude tests, and an increase in bursaries.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, March 2011
In March 2011, Quebec decided to pursue planned five year tuition increases, prompting protests from student groups, and the occupation of the office of the Finance minister.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, Summer 2011
In July, student leaders accused police of brutality and repression against protesters, whose numbers swelled to 30,000 by November, leading to the occupation of McGill University's administrative building.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, December 2011
CLASSE (Coalition large de l'Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante, or “broad coalition of the Association for Student Union Solidarity”) was founded, and announced the intention to strike. A few weeks later, the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec (FECQ) and the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ) stated they would also strike.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, February 2012
The strike officially began on February 13, 2012, with students at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and University Laval voting massively in opposition to augmentation of university tuition fees. Beginning late February 2012, nine per cent of Quebec students, or 36,000 students, went on strike, using a square red flag for protest.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, February 2012
On February 23, students were pepper-sprayed by police after occupying Montreal's Jaques Cartier bridge.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, March 2012
On March 7, 2012, during a sit-in demonstration blocking front of the Loto-Québec (lottery) head office, police deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades against over 1,000 protesters. One student named Francis Grenier had his eye seriously wounded by what he and other demonstrators stated was a flash-bang grenade launched by police. According to the student's father, police investigators sought to demonstrate the wound was caused by a snowball. Students begin to wear patches over their left eyes in solidarity with Grenier.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, March 2012
During the morning rush hour on March 20, 150 student demonstrators blocked the Montreal-bound entrance ramp to the Champlain Bridge in Brossard using concrete blocks. Upon the arrival of Sûreté du Québec police officers, the protesters fled through the streets of Brossard to coaches waiting for them at Terminus Panama. When officers arrived at the Terminus, they surrounded the buses and arrested around 100 demonstrators. Each was identified and fined C$494.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, March 2012
On March 22, an estimated 200,000 people came together for a massive peaceful protest in downtown Montreal. At its peak, the parade stretched up to 50 blocks. While there was no violence, the police confiscated sticks carried by some participants. By this time, over 310 000 students (out of 400 000 in the province) were on strike.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, March 2012
On March 27, protesters block access to the Quebec Liquor Board offices as students begin to target economic symbols.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, April 2012
On April 2, the outside of Line Beauchamp's office is painted red. This building becomes a popular rallying point at marches.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, April 2012
On April 18–19, more than 300 people are arrested in Gatineau, Quebec during confrontations between the police and protesters at Universite du Quebec's Outaouais campus.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
In April and early May, 185,000 Quebec students went on strike, with an additional 90,000 students threatening to strike. Quebec education minister Line Beauchamp called on students to negotiate while refusing to negotiate with CLASSE, which she accused of instigating violence. Students demanded that university administrative costs be reduced by $189 million, to pay for teaching and research.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
On May 5, after a marathon negotiating session, student groups and government reach deal to delay increases in cost of education for a few months pending a study by a new body. Student assemblies massively reject the offer, while some student faculties vote to end walkout and return to school.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
On May 6, 2012, a demonstration took place in Victoriaville, which eventually turned into a riot when vandals started throwing projectiles at the crowd. At least ten people were injured, including some police officers who were attacked by protesters. Two protesters were very seriously injured. The first one lost an eye. The second one sustained head trauma and a skull fracture.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
On May 14, 2012 Line Beauchamp announced that she would resign from her position as Quebec Education Minister and Deputy Premier. Beauchamp stated that she "lost confidence in the student leaders' will to end this conflict." Later that same day, Premier Charest announced that Michelle Courchesne would replace Beauchamp as Education Minister and Deputy Premier.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
On May 18, 2012, Bill 78 passed in the National Assembly of Quebec during the early hours of the morning and the municipality of Montreal passed a law prohibiting mask-wearing during any organization or demonstration. The nightly protest being held in downtown Montreal ended in violence and 69 arrests. There were reports of projectiles being launched by protesters, as well as molotov cocktails, and police responded by firing rubber bullets and using tear gas and noise bombs against the protesters. Police declared the protest to be illegal.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
On May 19, 2012, Montreal-based band Arcade Fire wore the "red square" solidarity symbol during a performance with Mick Jagger on the season finale of Saturday Night Live.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
On May 20, 2012, during an evening protest that turned violent, a protester was seriously injured by police officers in riot gear. Upon attacking an officer, the victim was beaten by five officers with their clubs and forcibly neutralized.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
On May 22, 2012, in response to the passage of Bill 78 and in commemoration of 100 days since the beginning of the student strike, another march took place, with tens of thousands of marchers and approximately 1,000 arrests Organizers spun this event as "The single biggest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history."


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
By May 24, 2012, the "Casseroles" series of nightly protests had rapidly expanded to most Montreal residential neighborhoods outside of the usual protest routes. These protests, in which people stood on their own balconies banging pots and pans, emerged as a way of subverting the ban on unannounced street protests. Inspired by the cacerolazos of Chile in 1971, these involved residents banging on pots and pans from their windows or taking to the streets with their kitchenware at 8 o'clock. A viral amateur video of one such protest in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood further fueled this phenomenon.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, May 2012
On May 31, the Quebec government stated that it was pulling out of talks meant to end the protest after four days of negotiations with student leaders, without having reached a stable consensus. By that day, more than 150,000 students were estimated to be on strike.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, June 2012
Strikes continued as more thousands more joined the movement to directly protest Bill 78. Since this bill effected all Quebec citizens, groups including trade unions, teachers and professor unions, the Quebec Bar Association, jurists, and hundreds of others joined the protests. Police were now arresting dozens of people each night. During the Canadian Grand Prix weekend (June 9–10, 2012), Montreal police carried out mass preventative arrests.


2012 Quebec student protests, Events, August 2012
Bill 78 was repealed in August 2012. After the announcement by ministerial decree of tuition freeze on September 5, 2012, the remaining student associations on strike voted to return to class.


2012 Quebec student protests, Bill 78
On May 16, soon after the appointment of Michelle Courchesne, she and Premier Charest announced their plan to introduce Bill 78. The bill is titled "An Act to enable students to receive instruction from the postsecondary institutions they attend," and restricts freedom of assembly, protest, or picketing on or near university grounds, and anywhere in Quebec without prior police approval. The bill also places restrictions upon the right of education employees to strike. After 20 hours of debate, the National Assembly passed Bill 78 on May 18, 2012.


2012 Quebec student protests, Bill 78
This bill was criticized by the United Nations, with the UN High Commissioner stating that: "In the context of student protests, I am disappointed by the new legislation passed in Quebec that restricts their rights to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly". The bill was also denounced by opposition parties.


2012 Quebec student protests, Symbols, Other squares
After the red square became a well-known symbol in Quebec, other groups decided to use squares of varying colours to promote their own viewpoints.


2012 Quebec student protests, Controversies
On April 18, 2012, a group of 300 protesters broke windows and ransacked rooms at the University of Montreal and injured a security guard. Among the six that were arrested, Yalda Machouf-Khadir, the daughter of Quebec solidaire's Amir Khadir, was sued by the University of Montreal for CAD$100,000 in damages. Students were later sentenced to probation and community service.


2012 Quebec student protests, Controversies
On May 23, 2012, at around 23h45, about 500 civilians suspected to be protesters were arrested by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal at the intersections of Sherbrooke Street and Saint-Denis at Montréal. They were not informed as to why they were arrested, police claiming the protest had been declared illegal, but the victims argued that at no occasion had they been informed that the protest was illegal or that they could disperse. The 500 suspected protesters were detained inside buses for 3 to 8 hours.


2012 Quebec student protests, Controversies
Documents used in court against the city describe people suffering hypothermia and hypoglycemia. Also the 500 citizens were not permitted to use bathrooms for up to 8 hours, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal would ask people to urinate at the back of the buses because they said the number of officers was insufficient to safely bring everyone to the bathroom one by one. In the end, no one in those buses would have any tickets or accusations.


2012 Quebec student protests, Controversies
On June 12, 2012, some protesters were referring to local police authorities as SS and anti-police pamphlets using the swastika were distributed. The use of the Nazi symbolism was quickly decried in the Montreal Gazette by several Jewish organizations. Although it is said that protesters were using these symbols to condemn the recent tactics use by the local police, the CLASSE has implored its members to stop using these symbols.


2012 Quebec student protests, Legacy
The protests inspired directors Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie to make the 2016 film Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves. Denis and Lavoie said they often wondered what happened to these students in later years. Lavoie was particularly influenced by mug shots of four young people who placed smoke bombs on the Montreal Metro during the protests.


2012 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
The 2012 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition is the competition's 50th edition, comprising its 17th Eugène Ysaÿe Violin Competition and its 19th Composition Competition.


2012 Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
The violin competition took place between 30 April and 26 May 2012 in Brussels' Centre for Fine Arts. Andrey Baranov won it to become the first Russian violinist to do so since the collapse of the Soviet Union, while Tatsuki Narita and Su-shin Hyun were awarded the silver and bronze medals.


2012 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia)
The Queen's Birthday Honours 2012 for Australia were announced on 11 June 2012.


2012 Queensland Basketball League season
The 2012 Men's Queensland Basketball League season was the 27th running of the competition. The Mackay Meteors won the championship in 2012 to claim their second league title.


2012 Queensland Basketball League season
The teams for this season were: Brisbane Capitals, Bundaberg Bulls, Cairns Marlins, Gladstone Port City Power, Gold Coast Rollers, Ipswich Force, Mackay Meteors, Maroochydore Clippers, Northside Wizards, Rockhampton Rockets, South West Metro Pirates, Toowoomba Mountaineers and Townsville Heat.


2012 Queensland Basketball League season, Standings, Finals
*The team that finishes 1st overall goes straight through to the semi-finals.


2012 Queensland Basketball League season, Standings, Finals
* *The top two teams from each pool face-off in the quarter-finals.


2012 Queensland Cup
The 2012 Queensland Cup season was the 17th season of Queensland's top-level statewide rugby league competition run by the Queensland Rugby League. The competition, known as the Intrust Super Cup due to sponsorship from Intrust Super, featured 12 teams playing a 26-week long season (including finals) from March to September.


2012 Queensland Cup
The Wynnum Manly Seagulls became the second team to win back-to-back premierships after defeating the Redcliffe Dolphins 20–10 in the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Redcliffe Dolphins' halfback Luke Capewell was named the competition's Player of the Year, winning the Courier Mail Medal.


2012 Queensland Cup, Teams
In 2012, the lineup of teams remained unchanged for the fourth consecutive year. The Central Comets began playing as the Central Queensland Capras again after using the Comets moniker for 12 seasons. The Canberra Raiders ended their four-year affiliation with the Souths Logan Magpies, opting to return to the New South Wales Cup competition.


2012 Queensland Cup, Finals series
In 2012, the Queensland Cup competition returned to a five-team finals series for the first time since 2008.


2012 Queensland Cup, Grand Final
Redcliffe finished the regular season in first and won the minor premiership for the first time since 2002. They qualified for their 10th Grand Final after defeating Tweed Heads in the major semi final. It would be their first Grand Final appearance since 2007. Reigning premiers Wynnum Manly finished in second and faced Tweed Heads in the qualifying final, losing 16–19. This sent them to the Week 2 elimination final, where they defeated Norths 30–22. In the preliminary final, they got their revenge on Tweed, winning 30–4 to qualify for their second consecutive Grand Final.


2012 Queensland Cup, Grand Final, First half
Redcliffe opened the scoring the Grand Final with a try to winger Liam Georgetown after a 40-metre line break from Marty Hatfield. In a low scoring half, Wynnum Manly levelled the scores five minutes before the break when a Luke Dalziel-Don offload found five-eighth Jacob Fauid who scored near the uprights.


2012 Queensland Cup, Grand Final, Second half
The Seagulls came out firing in the second half, opening the scoring in the 42nd minute when centre Jason Moon crossed out wide. They extended their lead to eight after capitalising on a Dolphins' error, with winger Peter Gubb scoring in the 53rd minute. With six minutes remaining, the Dolphins set up a thrilling finish when winger Delroy Berryman scored after a Luke Capewell chip kick found fullback Joe Bond, who in turn found Berryman. Wynnum Manly sealed the victory, and their second premiership, in the 78th minute when interchange prop Charlie Gubb barged over under the posts. Retiring forward Dane Carlaw converted the try from in front to end his career on a high. Wynnum Manly became just the second club, after Redcliffe in 2002–2003, to win back-to-back premierships.


2012 Queensland Cup, Grand Final, Second half
The 2012 Grand Final would be the last game at the club for Seagulls' head coach Paul Green, who joined the Sydney Roosters as an assistant to the NRL side and head coach of the under-20 side in 2013. In 2014, Green became head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys and reunited with Jake Granville a year later, as the pair won the 2015 NRL Grand Final.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash
On 1 October 2012, Riama, a 1934 vintage de Havilland DH.84 Dragon passenger aircraft, crashed in Queensland, Australia, while flying from Monto to Caboolture. Radio contact was lost about an hour after the pilot reported to be in cloud with zero visibility. The wreckage was found in heavily wooded, hilly terrain two days later. The pilot and five passengers were killed in the accident.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash
The investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found that the pilot most likely fell victim to spatial disorientation and lost control of the aircraft. He was not qualified for instrument flight and the aircraft was not equipped for such operations. The weather at the time was reported as low clouds and rain.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Accident
The aircraft departed from the Norra-Aus Fly-In airshow in Monto a few minutes after 11:00 on a direct track towards Caboolture carrying the pilot and five non-paying passengers. The weather for the flight was expected to be VFR (visual flight rules) conditions with good visibility, high clouds and light winds. At 13:15, the aircraft contacted air traffic control, reporting an approximate position 69 km north of Caboolture and requesting assistance with navigation.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Accident
Shortly after, the pilot issued a distress call as the aircraft had entered thick cloud. Controllers in Brisbane then communicated positional information to the aircraft directly and relayed via other pilots in the area due to difficulties with radio reception. A friend of one of the passengers aboard Riama received a phone call from the aircraft, reporting that they were lost in cloud and unable to maintain altitude at around 13:20.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Accident
Over the next hour, witnesses in the area around the crash site reported seeing the aircraft flying in and out of cloud at low level. At 13:48, the pilot reported he had one hour of fuel remaining and the last transmission from the aircraft came at 14:04. Neither the aircraft or the pilot were equipped or certified to fly without visual reference to the ground.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Accident
A major search and rescue operation was coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), involving as many as 15 helicopters as well as a specialized fixed wing aircraft flown in from Melbourne. The original search area covered an area of some 1500 square kilometers, made difficult by the hilly terrain and dense vegetation. Local residents on motorcycles also offered to help search remote trails. Police officers on horseback also joined the search. AMSA revealed that an emergency beacon had been activated on the aircraft about half an hour before the last contact, but the signal had since been lost. The wreckage was discovered just below a ridge line near Lake Borumba, 36 km south west of Gympie on 3 October with none of the occupants having survived the crash.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Aircraft
At the time of the accident, Riama was one of four airworthy examples of the DH.84 Dragon aircraft in the world. After sitting disassembled in a hangar for many years, the aircraft was restored at Murwillumbah Airport by vintage aircraft specialists Mothcair between 1998 and 2002.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Aircraft
The aircraft was purchased by Des Porter, the accident pilot, who learned that parts used in the tail section of the aircraft had been sourced from another Dragon, also named Riama, which had been owned by his father but was damaged in a 1952 crash landing at Archerfield Airport near Brisbane. Porter himself had survived another accident in a Dragon at the age of 11 which killed his father and older brother in 1954.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Aircraft
The distinctive red biplane had become a popular attraction at airshows and flying events around Australia. It was reported that on the weekend prior to the accident, Porter had raised some $15,000 for a Bundaberg based rescue helicopter service by offering joy-flights in Riama.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Investigation
An investigation into the Riama crash was carried out by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), with the final findings released in December 2013. The preliminary findings showed that, contrary to some media reports that the aircraft ran out of fuel, at least one engine was operating at the time of the crash, and fuel was found in the tanks. The ATSB determined the time of impact to be approximately 14:21, 17 minutes after the last communication with the aircraft. The impact was determined to be not survivable.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Investigation, Final report
The final accident report by the ATSB was released on 19 December 2013. The ATSB stated that:


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Investigation, Final report
The pilot was not qualified and the aircraft not equipped for instrument flight. The weather on the coast and extending inland included low clouds and rain.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Investigation, Final report
... the pilot radioed air traffic control (ATC) and requested navigation assistance, advising that the aircraft was in cloud.


2012 Queensland DH.84 Dragon crash, Investigation, Final report
With no or limited visual references available in and near cloud, it would have been very difficult for the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft. After maintaining control in such conditions for about an hour, and being unable to navigate away from the mountain range, the pilot most likely became spatially disoriented and lost control of the aircraft before it impacted the ground."


2012 Queensland Firebirds season
The 2012 Queensland Firebirds season saw Queensland Firebirds compete in the 2012 ANZ Championship. As both defending champions and winners of the Tauranga Pre-Season Tournament, Firebirds began the season as favorites. However they subsequently won just seven games and finished sixth during the regular season, failing to qualify for the play-offs. In October 2012, after three seasons as Firebirds' captain, Lauren Nourse announced her retirement.


2012 Queensland Firebirds season, Tauranga Pre-Season Tournament
On 2, 3 and 4 March, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic hosted a pre-season tournament at the TECT Arena in Tauranga. For the first time since 2008, all ten ANZ Championship teams competed at the same tournament. The ten teams were divided into two pools of five. Teams within each pool played each other once and the winners qualified for the final. Queensland Firebirds won both their pool and the tournament overall after defeating Melbourne Vixens 50–30 in the final.


2012 Queensland state election
The 2012 Queensland state election was held on 24 March 2012 to elect all 89 members of the Legislative Assembly, a unicameral parliament.


2012 Queensland state election
The Labor Party (ALP), led by Premier Anna Bligh, was defeated by the opposition Liberal National Party (LNP), led by Campbell Newman. It is only the sixth time that Queenslanders have ousted a sitting government since 1915. The ALP was attempting to win a ninth consecutive election victory, having won every general election since 1989, despite being out of office between 1996 and 1998. Katter's Australian Party contested its first election. Before the election, it held two seats whose members had been elected as LNP candidates.


2012 Queensland state election
Labor suffered one of the worst defeats of a state government since Federation, and the worst defeat of a sitting government in Queensland history. From 51 seats in 2009, it was reduced to only seven seats, suffering a swing of 15.6 percentage points. The LNP won a majority for the first time in its history, jumping from 34 to 78 seats to win the largest majority government in Queensland history. It was the first outright non-Labor majority since the Queensland Nationals won their last victory in 1986.


2012 Queensland state election
Katter's Australian Party won two seats, though leader Aidan McLindon lost his own seat. The remaining two seats were taken by independents. Newman took office two days after the election. As of 2021, this is the only time the LNP have won an election in Queensland and the only time Labor have lost a state election there since 1989.


2012 Queensland state election, Results
The estimated two-party preferred result was 37.2% for Labor and 62.8% for the LNP, a swing of 13.7% from Labor's result of 2009.


2012 Queensland state election, Results
The LNP had been unbackable favourites to win the election. By the time the writs were issued, they had led opinion polling for over a year, and had been ahead of Labor on all but one Newspoll since 2010.


2012 Queensland state election, Results
The LNP swept Labor from power in a massive landslide, taking 78 seats to Labor's seven on a two-party-preferred swing of 13.7 points away from Labor. The 44-seat loss is double the 22-seat loss suffered by the Nationals in the 1989 election, the previous record for the worst defeat of a sitting government in Queensland history. The 13.7-percent swing is one of the largest against a sitting state government in Australia since World War II.


2012 Queensland state election, Results
In the process, the LNP won many seats considered Labor heartland. It broke Labor's longstanding grip on Brisbane, taking all but three of the city's 40 seats, some on swings of 10 points or more. By comparison, Labor went into the election holding all but six seats in the capital, which had been its power base for over 20 years. In every election since the "one vote, one value" reforms of the Goss government, Labor had won at least 30 seats in Brisbane.


2012 Queensland state election, Results
The LNP also won every seat on the Gold Coast while strengthening its hold on its traditional heartlands in provincial and rural Queensland. Ten members of Bligh's cabinet were defeated. Newman won Ashgrove handily, defeating Labor's Kate Jones on a 13-point swing, almost double the 7-point swing he needed to take the seat off Labor.


2012 Queensland state election, Results
ABC News called the election for the LNP at 6:48 pm Queensland time, less than an hour after counting began. Bligh conceded defeat at 8:25 pm, and Newman publicly claimed victory 20 minutes later.


2012 Queensland state election, Results
The day after the election, Bligh resigned as premier and Queensland Labor leader. She also announced she was resigning from parliament on 30 March and retiring from politics, triggering a by-election in her seat of South Brisbane. An hour later, Newman, who at the time did not know that Bligh had resigned, announced that he would be sworn in as premier on 26 March, heading an interim three-man cabinet composed of himself, Seeney and Tim Nicholls. Although Newman's victory was beyond doubt, counting was still under way in some seats. Bligh handed in her resignation later on the afternoon of 25 March, but remained as caretaker until Newman was sworn in the next day.


2012 Queensland state election, Results
Labor was reduced to its smallest presence in the legislature on record, outdoing its previous low in 1974, when it was cut down to a "cricket team" of only 11 members at the height of Joh Bjelke-Petersen's power. Indeed, Michael Madigan of The Courier-Mail wrote that Labor had been reduced to a "water polo squad."


2012 Queensland state election, Results
Although Labor came up two seats short of official party status in the legislature, Newman promised that Labor would be "properly resourced as an opposition".


2012 Queensland state election, Results
Queensland state election, 24 March 2012Legislative Assembly << 2009–2015 >>


2012 Queensland state election, Seats changing hands
Labor lost 44 seats, all but one to the LNP. Katter's Australia Party took the other, but lost its leader's seat to the LNP, which also gained three seats formerly held by independents.


2012 Queensland state election, Seats changing hands
Candidates in italics did not contest their seat at this election.


2012 Queensland state election, Seats changing hands
1 Aidan McLindon was elected as a member of the LNP in 2009, but he quit the party to form the Queensland Party in 2010, then merged his party with Katter's Australian Party in 2011. 2 Rob Messenger was elected as a member of the LNP in 2009, but quit the party to become an independent in 2010.


2012 Queensland state election, Voting method
At the time, Queensland used optional preferential version of the instant-runoff system in single-member electorates. The election was conducted by the Electoral Commission of Queensland, an independent body answerable to Parliament.


2012 Queensland state election, Leadership of the Liberal National Party
Campbell Newman was elected leader of the LNP in early 2011 while he was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane. Standard practice calls for an MP from a safe seat to resign so that a newly elected leader can get into parliament via a by-election, though this is not universally followed. However, when Newman won the leadership in 2011, a by-election could not be arranged. For this reason, Jeff Seeney was elected as interim parliamentary leader of the LNP and Leader of the Opposition. Newman led the LNP election team from outside of parliament, often sitting at the galleries, and simultaneously contested the seat of Ashgrove as the LNP candidate.


2012 Queensland state election, Date
At the time in Queensland, a parliamentary term was a maximum of three years, measured from the day set for the return of the electoral writs. The previous state election was held on 21 March 2009 to elect the 89 members of the Legislative Assembly.


2012 Queensland state election, Date
Section 80 of the Queensland Electoral Act 1992 states that an election must be held on a Saturday; and that the election campaign must run for a minimum of 26 or a maximum of 56 days following the issue of the writs. Five to seven days following the issue of the writs, the electoral roll is closed, which gives voters a final opportunity to enroll or to notify the Electoral Commission of Queensland of any changes in their place of residence.


2012 Queensland state election, Date
The Constitution Act Amendment Act 1890 provides that the Legislative Assembly continues for (up to) three years from the day set for the return of writs for the previous election, after which time the Legislative Assembly lapses. The day set for the return of writs for the 2009 election was 20 April 2009. The Electoral Act requires the Governor to issue writs for a general election "not later than 4 days after the day on which the Legislative Assembly is dissolved or expires by the passage of time" (section 78(2)). The last possible day for the next election was therefore a Saturday not more than 56 days beyond four days after the expiry of the Legislative Assembly on 24 April 2012, namely, 16 June 2012.


2012 Queensland state election, Date
In choosing 24 March, Bligh made the unusual step of announcing the election date two months prior. Bligh was criticised for selecting a date which required the postponement of local government elections. Bligh has said that date allowed Queenslanders to view the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into the 2010–11 Queensland floods before they vote. Normal practice in Australia is for parliament to be dissolved at the time of the election announcement. However, Bligh did not formally ask Governor Penelope Wensley to dissolve Parliament until 19 February. Wensley granted the request, formally beginning the 35-day campaign. By not asking for a dissolution in January, Bligh avoided placing the government in caretaking mode for 25 days.


2012 Queensland state election, Retiring MPs
The following Members of Parliament stood down at the election:


2012 Queensland state election, Contesting parties
A total of six Queensland registered political parties contested the election. The two major parties, the ALP and LNP (each contesting all 89 seats), The Greens (89 seats), Katter's Australian Party (76 seats), Family First (38 seats) and One Nation (6 seats). In addition to the above parties, 43 Independent or non-aligned candidates contested the election. Of the 43 candidates, several contested on behalf of unregistered parties, namely: Socialist Alliance (3 seats), North Queensland Party (3 seats), Queensland Party (2 seats), Democratic Labor Party (1 seat) and Middle Australian Party (1 seat).


2012 Queensland state election, Contesting parties, Disendorsed candidates
The Liberal National Party disendorsed two candidates for the Gold Coast seat of Broadwater. Richard Townson was caught drink driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.07 when he was in a police random breath test. Cameron Caldwell was disendorsed when he confirmed he had attended a Gold Coast swingers' club.


2012 Queensland state election, Contesting parties, Disendorsed candidates
The Australian Labor Party disendorsed candidate Peter Watson for the seat of Southern Downs and expelled him from the party for making racist and homophobic remarks online.


2012 Queensland state election, Contesting parties, Katter appeal on ballot papers
On 2 March 2012, Katter's Australian Party sought an injunction in the Supreme Court of Queensland to have more than 2 million ballot papers shredded and reprinted. The party said the Queensland Electoral Commission used the party's abbreviated name, "The Australian Party", instead of its registered name, "Katter's Australian Party (Qld Division)", which the party claimed could confuse voters. Bligh said that her lawyers had advised her to reschedule the election if Katter's challenge succeeded.


2012 Queensland state election, Contesting parties, Katter appeal on ballot papers
On 7 March, Supreme Court Justice Roslyn Atkinson referred the matter to the Queensland Court of Appeal as matters of constitutional law in the case were outside her jurisdiction. The Court of Appeal rejected the constitutional arguments and dismissed the appeal the following day.


2012 Queensland state election, Polling
Newspoll polling was conducted via random telephone number selection in city and country areas. Sampling sizes usually consist of around 1000 electors, with the declared margin of error at around ±3 percent.


2012 Quicken Loans 400
The 2012 Quicken Loans 400 was the 15th stock car race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on June 17, 2012, in Brooklyn, Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway, before a crowd of 82,000 people. The track is a superspeedway that holds NASCAR races. Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 200-lap race starting from 17th place. Tony Stewart of the Stewart-Haas Racing team finished in second, and Roush Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth was third.