2012 Guerrero–Oaxaca earthquake, Earthquake
The focal mechanism and depth of the earthquake indicate that it was a result of thrust faulting along or close to the plate interface. Similar earthquakes have struck the area before, including the 1932 Jalisco earthquake, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, the 1995 Colima–Jalisco earthquake and the 2003 Colima earthquake.


2012 Guerrero–Oaxaca earthquake, Earthquake
The earthquake coincided with an earthquake drill in Chiapas. The earthquake drill, simulating an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale, was implemented by the Protección Civil of Chiapas on 20 March. The earthquake drill started at 12:00, and the real earthquake occurred just minutes later.


2012 Guerrero–Oaxaca earthquake, Earthquake, Damage
The airport of Mexico City was closed for a short time and reopened after no damage had been observed. The trading of Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) was suspended. The earthquake caused power outage in central and eastern Mexico and affected 2.5 million users according to Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE). On 22 March it was announced that two people were killed in Cuajinicuilapa because of the earthquake, one direct and one indirect. The first died due to the injuries caused after a wall collapsed on him in El Tamale community, while the second suffered a heart attack, in San Nicolás.


2012 Guerrero–Oaxaca earthquake, Earthquake, Intensity
The earthquake struck during the midday in a moderately populated region, with a mix of earthquake-resistant and vulnerable structures. The strongest ground motions registered at very strong (MM VII) on the Mercalli intensity scale, affecting smaller cities and towns near the epicenter such as San Juan Cacahuatepec, Cuajinicuilapa, Ometepec and Pinotepa Nacional. Many other areas in the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca experienced strong (MM VI) shaking, while larger cities—such as Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca, Tehuacán, Puebla, and Acapulco, Guerrero—experienced moderate (MM V) tremors. Lighter ground motions(MM IV–III)spread through much of south-central Mexico.


2012 Guerrero–Oaxaca earthquake, Earthquake, Intensity
The earthquake could be felt in the federal entities of Guerrero, Mexico City, State of Mexico, Morelos, Querétaro, Michoacán, Puebla, Tabasco, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, Colima, Jalisco, San Luís Potosí, Guanajuato, Campeche, and Sinaloa of Mexico, and also in Guatemala. The intensity in Mexico City was MM VI–VII, which was stronger than the surrounding area because of local topography and soil conditions. Part of a pedestrian bridge collapsed on a small passenger bus in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, with no injuries reported. The service of Mexico City Metro Line A was interrupted because of track damage.


2012 Guerrero–Oaxaca earthquake, Earthquake, Aftershocks
Multiple aftershocks have been reported in the Guerrero–Oaxaca region. According to the NSS, 828 aftershocks have occurred, the strongest of them was felt on 2 April 2012. It was a magnitude 6.0 MW earthquake that struck at 12:36 local time (18:36 UTC).


2012 Guerrero–Oaxaca earthquake, Aftermath
According to Asociación Mexicana de Instituciones de Seguros (AMIS), it was estimated that insurance companies would have to pay 2070 million pesos due to this earthquake. 80% of the loss was concentrated in Guerrero, followed by Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Puebla.


2012 Guia Race of Macau
The 2012 Guia Race of Macau was the twelfth and final round of the 2012 World Touring Car Championship season and the eighth running of the Guia Race of Macau. It was held on 18 November 2012 at the Guia Circuit in the Chinese special administrative region of Macau. The race was part of the Macau Grand Prix weekend, headlined by the Formula Three event. Both races were won by Chevrolet in their final event as a works team; Yvan Muller won the first race and Alain Menu won the second race, while the team's third driver Robert Huff became series champion with second to Menu in the second race.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Background
At the previous round in the Race of China, Robert Huff had established himself as the solo championship leader. Norbert Michelisz was leading the Yokohama Independents' Trophy.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Background
A number of local drivers joined the field for the race, Jo Merszei joined Liqui Moly Team Engstler in a naturally aspirated BMW 320si previously run in 2012 by Masaki Kano and Alex Liu. Andre Couto joined Tuenti Racing Team for his annual appearance at Macau. China Dragon Racing added a second Chevrolet Lacetti for Celio Alves Dias. RPM Racing Team ran a BMW 320si for Mak Ka Lok while Five Auto Racing Team ran a BMW 320si for Henry Ho and a Honda Accord Euro R for Eurico de Jesus. Italian former All-Japan Formula Three driver Kei Cozzolino made his maiden touring car appearance, replacing Alberto Cerqui at ROAL Motorsport.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Background
This was to be the last race for Chevrolet as a works team in the WTCC having announced their departure from the series in July.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Free Practice
Tiago Monteiro set the pace in the shortened Thursday test session, with Mehdi Bennani and Stefano D'Aste have initially set the pace. Cozzolino, Mak Ka Lok and Franz Engstler recovered from spins with relatively little damage, the session was however red flagged three minutes from the end when bamboo-engineering driver Darryl O'Young crashed head on into the barrier at the Mandarin Oriental corner.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Free Practice
Huff went quickest in Free Practice 1 on Friday, having spent much of the session trading times with team mates Muller and Menu and Honda Racing Team JAS driver Monteiro. O'Young was able to participate after his car was repaired overnight, Cozzolino damaged his car colliding with a barrier and Henry Ho was once again unable to run, this time due to a gearbox failure.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Free Practice
Huff led the Chevrolet trio in the second free practice session which distanced itself from the next nearest challenger, the Lukoil Racing SEAT León of Gabriele Tarquini, by 1.3 seconds. Damage sustained in the first free practice session meant Cozzolino did not get any running in for ROAL Motorsport, while Bennani and D'Aste had two separate near misses with the barriers.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Qualifying
Having led free practice, Huff dominated qualifying to claim his fourth pole position at Macau and extend his championship lead. He set a new lap record for the circuit in doing so, beating the record previously held by team mate Menu. Muller was second and Menu was third, with Tarquini fourth and Monteiro fifth in the new Honda Civic. O'Young took the independents' pole position with sixth place just ahead of Yokohama Trophy challengers Michelisz and Pepe Oriola. Fellow trophy challenger D'Aste could only manage 11th, setting a slightly slower time in Q2 than in Q1.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Qualifying
Fredy Barth brought out the red flags when he crashed at Police bend, the stoppage hampering Tom Coronel's effort to progress to Q2. Six drivers set times slower than the 107% time in Q1, three of which had their times removed as a penalty for not reporting to the weighing bay. They were given permission to start the races from the back of the grid.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Warm-Up
Pole sitter Huff led the Sunday morning warm up session with Monteiro continuing to show potential in second and championship outsider Muller third. An off at the Melco hairpin for Barth brought out the yellow flags late in the otherwise undisturbed session.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Race One
Huff started on pole position but it was Muller who grabbed the lead for the first three laps while Monteiro grabbed fourth from Tarquini. A crash at Lisboa further down the field on the opening lap involving the Yokohama Trophy contenders block the track briefly, the leading six cars built a gap to the rest of the field after this. D'Aste was able to resume but was later issued with a black and orange flag due to the damage sustained in the accident.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Race One
A move by Huff at Lisboa to take the lead demoted Muller to second on lap three for a short time before the race leader collided with a barrier and broke his suspension, promoting Muller back into the lead. Muller led the rest of the race to claim his ninth victory of the season ahead of Menu and Monteiro on his first podium appearance for Honda. O'Young finished as the independent winner having started from the class pole.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Race Two
Bamboo driver Alex MacDowall started from pole position on the reversed grid but a quick start by Michelisz soon put the Zengő Motorsport driver into the lead of the race. Menu made good progress from eighth and was soon up to fourth place behind Oriola, he got by the Tuenti Racing driver on the second lap. MacDowall reclaimed the lead from Michelisz but both drivers were easy targets for Menu who assumed the lead.


2012 Guia Race of Macau, Report, Race Two
MacDowall dropped to fourth where he remained until contact from Muller spun him into the barrier on the exit of the high speed Mandarin bend, Huff then took fourth off Muller. A long safety car period followed as work started to clear the debris from the collision, the race distance was extended and the action resumed on lap 8. Oriola out-braked himself going into Lisboa in a bid to pass Michelisz, putting them both in the barrier and bringing out the safety car for the second and final time. The race ended under the safety car with Chevrolet claiming a dominant 1–2–3 finish with Menu leading Huff and Muller. Huff secured his first World Touring Car Championship crown and Michelisz won the Yokohama Independents' Trophy despite not finishing the race.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état
On 12 April 2012, a coup d'état in Guinea-Bissau was staged by elements of the armed forces about two weeks before the second round of a presidential election between Carlos Gomes Júnior and Kumba Ialá. The coup started in the evening with military personnel and equipment making its way onto the streets, followed by the state-owned media being taken off-air.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état
Both second-round candidates and the incumbent president were initially arrested by the junta. Members of the Military Council, which ran the country until an interim National Transitional Council was established on 15 April, said that one of the reasons for the coup was the incumbent civilian administration's call for Angolan help to reform the military. Following international condemnation and sanctions against leaders of the junta, an agreement was signed that led to the third place candidate in the election, Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo, being selected as interim president. The presidential election was aborted and postponed for at least two years into the future. An interim government was tasked with administering Guinea-Bissau in the meantime.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Background
The media and international think-tanks have highlighted the country's instability and labelled it a narcostate. The country has frequently featured military involvement in civil administration since independence. As such, the events leading up to the 2012 coup include military unrest in 2010 and a failed coup attempt in 2011. The latter followed infighting between the country's Navy and the Army. Guinea-Bissau's instability is also exacerbated as a transit point for drug shipments from Latin America to Europe and there are allegations that government ministers and military personnel are bribed to keep silent.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Background
Following the death of President Malam Bacai Sanhá on 9 January 2012, a new election was scheduled to be held within 90 days in accordance with the constitution. Despite a peaceful campaign, there were external fears of possible violence or a coup d'état if the army did not approve of the winner. In this regard, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for a "peaceful, orderly and transparent" election.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Background
Just before the attack, presidential candidate Kumba Ialá, who claimed to have ties with members of his Balanta ethnic group, who are the largest ethnicity in the military, warned of "consequences" if there was campaigning for the second round of the election due to his allegations of fraud in the first round that were unanswered. The first round result was rejected by five of the nine candidates. Campaigning was due to start on 13 April for the second round, until its disruption as a result of the coup d'état.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Background
Days before the coup, fellow Lusophone country Angola announced its forces would be ending the two-year-old Angolan Military Mission in Guinea Bissau (MISSANG) that followed a similar failed effort by the European Union as part of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS). State-owned Angolan news agency ANGOP said that the Angolan troops were sent to Guinea-Bissau in March 2011 in accordance with a bilateral military agreement to reform the armed forces.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Background
On 16 April, Guinea-Bissau Defense Minister Jorge Tolentino Araújo was scheduled to arrive in Angola to meet his counterpart Cândido Pereira dos Santos Van-Dúnem and the Army Chief-of-Staff Geraldo Sachipengo Nunda. He was also expected to visit the Higher Warfare School (ESG) and the Higher Technical Military Institute (ISTM). The same day as the coup, the two Lusophone countries of Angola and Cape Verde agreed to review their defense cooperation agreements. Presidential candidate and former Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Júnior was also unpopular with the army for his attempts to reform the institution.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Rationale
According to Portugal's SIC Notícias, a day before the coup an unidentified military commander claimed Gomes Júnior would allow Angolan troops into the country. He also claimed that soldiers possessed a "secret document" that allowed the Guinea-Bissau government to sanction an Angolan attack on Guinea-Bissau's military. The leaders of the junta released an unsigned communique that read they "did not have ambitions of power" and that the coup was a reaction to the alleged agreement with Angola because the 200 military trainers would "annihilate Guinea-Bissau's armed forces."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Rationale
The spokesman for the junta that took over after the coup, Lieutenant-Colonel Daha Bana na Walna later said that Gomes Júnior and Pereira were ousted because of "unease" in the armed forces over the election, a sentiment echoed by diplomats. Gomes Junior was also viewed as the "candidate of Angola" in the election, according to Chatham House's Africa director Alex Vines. He also said that the months leading up to the events featured media commentary and hostility towards Angola.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Coup d'etat
On 12 April, gunfire was heard between 19:00 and 21:00, as mutinous troops attempted to overthrow the government by seizing control of the centre of the capital Bissau. Initial reports by diplomats in the country said presidential candidate Carlos Gomes Júnior and interim President Raimundo Pereira were missing. The mutineers seized control of the offices of the incumbent African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and radio stations. They also fought police officers loyal to the government, forcing them to retreat after coming under fire from RPGs. The soldiers blocked the roads into and out of the capital city and the national radio and television was taken off-air at 20:00.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Coup d'etat
The perpetrators of the coup targeted Gomes Júnior's residence, which was attacked by grenades and surrounded by troops, as gunfire was heard nearby. Journalists were also prevented from approaching the scene. Camilo Lima da Costa, the son of the head of the national election commission Desejado Lima da Costa, told RDP África, one of the radio stations still broadcasting, that the soldiers had looted his father's house but that both his parents were safe. Soldiers ransacked and looted other houses they raided as well. Soldiers also sealed off the embassies to prevent members of the government from fleeing and hiding with foreign diplomats. Several unnamed politicians were arrested during the night by the army.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Coup d'etat
Peter Thompson, the head of the U.K. Electoral Observation Mission in the country for the election, described the situation on the night of the coup as "a very large presence of the military in the streets. It did seem quite coordinated last night in terms of how the roads were shut off... Today the streets are very calm, the city is much quieter than it normally would be. People are staying home. I do know that the army has taken control of the state media and state television, and they haven't released anything official." There was speculation on Senegal's RFM radio by reporter Noah Mankali that Gomes Júnior had been assassinated by the army during the night by soldiers from the same Balanta ethnic group as Ialá Embaló.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Coup d'etat
An unnamed number of government ministers, as well as the Director General of the Judicial Police João Biague, were in hiding. Interior Minister Fernando Gomes, who may have been in the custody of the mutinous soldiers, said he "feared for his life." On 14 April, Lusa journalist Antonio Aly Silva told the outlet that he had been arrested for a short while, but was later released at the same time as singer Dulce Neves and many of Gomes Junior's bodyguards. Senegal closed its land border with Guinea-Bissau on 13 April.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Coup d'etat
People began to venture out of their homes at dawn and there appeared to be little to no presence of soldiers on the streets and no messages over radio or television from either the government or the coup leaders. There was an "unusual" quiet in Bissau, although photographs showed a big hole in Gomes Júnior's residence as a result of the attack. Soldiers were seen standing guard outside radio and television stations, including the state-run television office, and the presidential offices in Bissau. An overnight curfew was imposed the following day with orders for the members of the civilian government to turn themselves over to the army. Private radio stations were also shut. On 14 April, some businesses started to reopen but they closed early in accordance with the curfew.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Aftermath and National Unity Government
The coup leaders formed the "Military Command" under the leadership of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces General Mamadu Ture Kuruma. The next day, they put forth conditions for a national unity government after having announced the ouster of Gomes Júnior. Its goals were: the removal of obstacles to reforming the security sector; fighting drug trafficking and consumption; overcoming a culture of impunity; and the continuation of enhancing the democratic process.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Aftermath and National Unity Government
Interim President Raimundo Pereira and the Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces General Antonio Indjai were "under the control of the army," however there were rumours circulating that Indjai could be hiding and that soldiers were going to every embassy looking for him. Indjai's spokesman Daba Naualna said that Periera and Gomes Júnior were "well and alive" and added that "the [army chief-of-staff] thinks, for the sake of the country, that power cannot fall into the streets and decided to have [the military] play its part in seeking solutions with the political class to resolve this crisis." The Military Command later announced that they were also holding Ialá Embaló. The detained officials were later released. The UN later reported that the head of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission were also in hiding, along with three unnamed cabinet ministers.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Aftermath and National Unity Government
Senior officers of the army also met the leaders of the political parties and called on them to form the transitional government, but added that the army would control the defence and interior ministries. The meeting was also attended by: Indjai, who was later arrested; the deputy chief-of-staff General Mamadu Ture Kuruma; the heads of the army, air force and navy; the army's spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Daha Bana na Walna and four colonels. However, there was no one from the incumbent PAIGC.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Aftermath and National Unity Government
Consultations with 23 parliamentary and extra-parliamentary parties discussed issues such as: a transitional government including, an interim president and head of the National Assembly, as well as a PAIGC-nominated prime minister other than the incumbent and a government of national unity inclusive of all parties; and the dissolution of the National Assembly with a government led by the National Transitional Council (NTC) under interim leadership.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Aftermath and National Unity Government
The five leading opposition candidates (Mohamed Ialá Embaló, Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo, Henrique Rosa, Baciro Djá, and Vicente Fernandes) announced at a joint news conference that the boycott of the second round of the election would be in the name of "justice." Agnela Regalla of Union for Change, who also attended the meeting, said that "the military chiefs suggested the idea of new presidential and legislative elections." The spokesman for the coalition of opposition parties, Fernando Vaz, said that discussion continued for a third day and that the grouping had invited PAIGC to participate. After the meeting the coalition agreed upon a set of proposals to put forward to the Military Command for a transitional unity government.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Aftermath and National Unity Government
There were some small protests supporting Gomes Júnior in downtown Bissau, although, according to Peter Thompson, soldiers arrested several of the protesters and put roadblocks on the streets. PAIGC, commenting on the transitional government, said that it "rejects any anti-constitutional or anti-democratic proposal of a solution to the crisis," while also calling for the release of those detained. Tensions mounted within PAIGC between factions supporting Gomes Júnior and Nhamadjo. On 15 April, a demonstration of about 30 people at the National Assembly, where talks on a transition government were ongoing, was dispersed by soldiers. The National Union of Workers of Guinea-Bissau, which has a membership of about 8,000 mostly civil servants, called for a general strike the next day.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Aftermath and National Unity Government
On 16 April, an agreement, which intentionally excluded PAIGC, was reached with 22 of the 35 opposition parties to set up a National Transitional Council. According to Vaz, the size, composition and mandate period would be determined the following day and then discussed with the Military Command. He also said that existing institutions would be dissolved and that two committees would run the country, one would manage foreign affairs and the other would handle social affairs. The former committee was due to meet the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) the following day.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Aftermath and National Unity Government
The transitional civilian government will rule up to two years before new elections will be held. National Assembly speaker Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo, who had previously rejected the office of interim president in April 2012, was again selected as interim president on 11 May 2012. Sory Djaló was the speaker of the NTC.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, Domestic
At an ECOWAS summit in Ivory Coast convened to discuss the Malian crisis, Foreign Minister Mamadu Saliu Djaló Pires, upon learning of the events unfolding in his country, called for international support as "the situation is serious. The soldiers are occupying the streets. I spoke to the interim Prime Minister [Adiato Djaló Nandigna] and she said she was under fire" and added that the international community should have an "energetic reaction" to the coup. Pires also dismissed claims that Indjai was arrested suggesting that he was, in fact, a part of it (he was also involved in the 2010 military unrest before being appointed chief-of-staff).


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
During the early hours of the event, the Foreign Minister of Ivory Coast (the host country of ECOWAS) Daniel Kablan Duncan said that the "information indicates to us that there is a coup underway. ECOWAS formally and rigorously condemns such an attempted coup d'etat," he added that "it's sad that after the example of Senegal, where the elections finished so well, that we have, after Mali, a new forceful intervention in Guinea-Bissau. What I can say at this moment is that...the situation won't be accepted by ECOWAS."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
ECOWAS Commission President Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo issued a statement that read: "The commission firmly denounces this latest incursion by the military into politics and unreservedly condemns the irresponsible act, which has once more demonstrated their penchant to maintain Guinea-Bissau as a failed state." ECOWAS later decided to send a contingent of military personnel in order to provide security. The delegation, which would also include civilians, would be led by Guinean President Alpha Condé. ECOWAS also said the election runoff should go ahead.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
ECOWAS constitutes a contact group, chaired by Nigeria and comprising delegations from Benin, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Senegal and Togo, to coordinate its efforts at resolving the crisis. ECOWAS also had a standby force to fill a vacuum that could be left by the departing MISSANG force, as well as considering International Criminal Court recommendations.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
The United Nations Security Council (which included the former colonial mother country Portugal) unanimously condemned the coup with a resolution that stated "the forcible seizure of power from the legitimate government of Guinea-Bissau by some elements of its armed forces. [ We] firmly denounce this incursion by the military into politics".


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
The President of the UNSC, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, said "the [UN] Secretariat urged the international community to address the cycle of violence and impunity in Guinea-Bissau" and also called for "the immediate restoration of civilian authority...[We] note with profound regret that these events are occurring just prior to the launch of the campaign for the second round of the presidential election".


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he was "extremely concerned" about the arrests of the civilian leadership, while his spokesman Martin Nesirky said that Ki-Moon called for the mutineers "to immediately and unconditionally release all detainees and ensure the safety and security of the general population." The UNSC unanimously voted to "restore constitutional order" in the country and approved Resolution 2048 with sanctions, including issuing travel bans on the diplomatic passports, on five members of the military junta on 18 May.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
The five members sanctioned were: General Antonio Indjai, Major General Mamadu Ture Kuruma, Inspector-General of the Armed Forces General Estêvão na Mena, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Brigadier General Ibraima Camara and MC spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Daha Bana na Walna. In December, the UNSC expressed concern over the transition process back towards civilian administration. The UN recommended steps to ensuring a "way forward" entailed: mediation between national actors, targeted sanctions on the perpetrators, the deployment of training and protections forces in accordance with the ECOWAS/CPLP road map or the recommendation of the incumbent prime minister and foreign minister for a peacekeeping force.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) called an extraordinary meeting to take place in Lisbon on 14 April. The meeting was to be attended by the foreign ministers of the member countries: Angola's Georges Rebelo Chicoti, Brazil's Antonio Patriota, Guinea-Bissau's Mamadou Djalo Pires, Mozambique's Oldemiro Julio Marques Baloi and Portugal's Paulo Portas. The CPLP also condemned the coup and exhorted the UN, African Union (AU) and ECOWAS to work towards restoring the "constitutional order" of Guinea-Bissau. They further called for a cessation of military actions that threatened the state or the "legality" of Guinea-Bissau.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
At the CPLP meet in Lisbon, Pires had said that the "persecution is continuing." The CPLP later issued a statement of condemnation and also called for a UN-authorised military intervention saying that it had "take[n] the initiative of...forming an interposition force in Guinea-Bissau, with a mandate defined by the United Nations Security Council" that would seek to maintain "constitutional order, protect civilians and the country's legitimate institutions." It added that it supported the Angolan presence in the country and the initiate would be carried out according to consultations with ECOWAS, the AU and the EU. Rifts developed between ECOWAS and CPLP over the resolution mechanisms. The former, supported by Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso, advocated a year-long transitional process; while the later, supported by Portugal and Angola, advocated an immediate resumption of the election.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
The African Union Commission's chairperson Jean Ping said that he condemned the "outrageous acts which undermine the efforts to stabilise the situation in Guinea-Bissau and tarnish the image of the country and Africa." In mid-May, Guinea-Bissau was suspended from the AU. A spokesman for the European Union's High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said that "the EU has already suspended most of its aid to Guinea-Bissau" and called on the Military Command to release the detained leaders and restore the "legitimate government."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, Supranational
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, called the coup a "heinous and unacceptable act", adding that it would hinder security and the democratic process as it had occurred weeks before the runoff. He also called for the detained politicians to be released. Meanwhile, on 24 April the African Union Peace and Security Council ministerial meeting met at its headquarters in Addis Ababa to discuss matters pertaining to resolving the crisis in the country.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, States
Angolan Defense Minister Cândido Pereira dos Santos Van-Dúnem said that Angola will "continue to provide full support [to Guinea-Bissau because of] excellent ties," adding that the withdrawal date for the troops was being discussed. On 1 October, the UN Ambassador Ismael Abraao Gaspar Martins said that it was seeking a solution to "normalisation of constitutional order" through the work of the UNSC, AU, CPLP and ECOWAS.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, States
Angola's Lusa reported that Portugal, the former coloniser, issued advisories to its citizens to stay in their homes It also rejected claims of an "untoward" attitude by Angola. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that "the Portuguese government is appealing for a halt to the violence and respect for the law." Portas later called for the detained civilian leadership to be released. Defence Minister José Pedro Aguiar-Branco said that the Portuguese military was ready to evacuate its citizens. "It is our responsibility and our job to ensure adequate preparedness in the event that the evacuation be necessary."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, States
Portugal also issued a travel warning for its citizens. On 15 April, it was announced that two naval vessels and an aircraft were on their way to somewhere in West Africa ready for a possible evacuation of 4,000–5,000 Portuguese citizens. On 1 October, Portugal's UN Ambassador José Filipe Moraes Cabral echoed the statement of Angola at the same meeting.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, States
Fellow Lusophone countries Brazil and Timor Leste also reacted to the events, with Brazil's Ministry of External Relations expressing their "preoccupation" with the events and saying that it would call for an extraordinary meeting of the UNSC to discuss the issue. Timor Leste's President José Ramos-Horta said that "the situation in Guinea-Bissau, which I have followed over the years, is extraordinarily complex, dangerous, because it can degrade into more violence, and the country is not in a position to afford that new setback in the peace process and its democratisation." He also offered to mediate the crisis. His offer was accepted on 16 April.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, States
Guinean Foreign Minister Edouard Niankoye Lama called for "restoration of peace and stability" and of "all democratic institutions," when speaking at the General debate of the sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also criticised the "unconstitutional unraveling, of democratic governments" at the UNGA. Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba said at the UNGA General debate that he denounced the "unconstitutional changes" and praised ECOWAS for its work in trying to resolve the issue.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, States
Nigeria also condemned the coup and President Goodluck Jonathan also told the UNGA General debate: "Guinea-Bissau is another flash point of instability in the sub-region in which Nigeria and ECOWAS are engaged. Indeed, the Contact Group, headed by Nigeria was set up by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to help establish a transitional government with a view to returning that country to political and constitutional order. In furtherance of this objective, Nigeria provided the sum of 10 million US dollars to the Interim Government in Guinea-Bissau to assist in the stabilisation of the country." Russia called for the restoration of the civilian government.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, States
Canada condemned the coup; while the United States' White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, "We call for the release of all government leaders and urge all parties to reconcile their differences through the democratic process." The United States' embassy issued a statement that read: "It is regrettable that elements of the Bissau-Guinean military have chosen to derail the democratic process in Guinea-Bissau."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Reactions, International, States
At a daily press briefing, the State Department spokesman Mark Toner called on all sides to the conflict to "put down their weapons, release government leaders immediately and restore legitimate civilian leadership," adding that it "appeared the junta had taken control of media outlets, as they were off-air and the headquarters of PAIGC and were trying to restrict movement" and that "we regret that they have chosen to disrupt the democratic process, which already was challenged by the opposition's call to boycott the second round of elections." The State Department also issued a travel warning to the country and called on its citizens already in the country "to shelter in place and avoid the downtown area of Bissau."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Subsequent apolitical events
On 9 June, the last police and armed forces personnel of the MISSANG mission left the country. In late August, the Commissioner for Natural resources, Environment and Rural Development Ibraima Dieme announced the Union had approved a loan of 15 billion CFA francs to the country for security system reforms. However, the spokesman of the transitional government, Fernando Vaz, also announced that an agreement with Angola Bauxite to build a deepwater port so as to export bauxite would need to be renegotiated as "the agreement signed in 2007 by the government of Carlos Gomes Junior is not fair ...


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Subsequent apolitical events
As a result, the terms of the agreement must be reviewed. The transitional government will not accept that Bissau receives 10 percent [of revenues] while Angola Bauxite takes 90 percent." The project, which had been inaugurated in July 2011, had previously stalled prior to the coup as a result of concern over political instability and an environmental impact study that had not yet been published despite passing the deadline. If completed the port at Buba would have a capacity to host three 70-tonne vessels at any given time, while the project as a whole would also lead to the creation of a three million tonne-a-year mine in Boe.


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Subsequent apolitical events
By the end of the year The New York Times reported an increase in drug trafficking in the country and thus calling the events "cocaine coup;" it also cited a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration employee as saying the country is "probably the worst narco-state that's out there on the continent. [ Guinea-Bissau is] a major problem [for the U.S.A.]. People at the highest levels of the military are involved in the facilitation [of trafficking]. In other African countries government officials are part of the problem. In Guinea-Bissau, it is the government itself that is the problem."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Subsequent apolitical events
A sentiment echoed by regional UN staff. The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for West and Central Africa Pierre Lapaque also said: "There has clearly been an increase in Guinea-Bissau in the last several months. We are seeing more and more drugs regularly arriving in this country;" while the EU's ambassador to the country Joaquin Gonzalez-Ducay added: "As a country it is controlled by those who formed the coup d'état. They can do what they want to do. Now they have free rein."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Continued political instability
On 21 October, soldiers again attacked an army barracks in what The New York Times said was a coup attempt against the interim government. It also cited the arrest of an unnamed dissident army captain on 27 October as the organiser of the counter-coup attempt and reported that two other unnamed government critics were assaulted and left outside Bissau. Army Chief of Staff General Antonio Indjai laughed off questions that he was the power behind the throne and responded to the criticism in saying: "People say I'm a drug trafficker. Anybody who has the proof, present it!


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Continued political instability
We ask the international community to give us the means to fight drugs." Gonzalez-Ducay then responded: "I can't believe that the one who controls the drug trafficking is going to fight the drug trafficking." The U.S. State Department's Foreign Service Officer for Guinea-Bissau Russell Hanks, who is not present in the country following the U.S. shutting its embassy during the Bissau-Guinean Civil War in 1998, said: "You will only have an impact on this transition by engagement, not by isolation. These are the people who came in to pick up the pieces after the coup."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Continued political instability
His staff pointed to photographs of newly created stretches of road in a remote rural area near the Senegal border that had space for small planes to land and they suggested was under the supervision of the armed forces. Chief of Guinea-Bissau's judicial police João Biague reported on a dubious aircraft landing months before the coup near Indjai's farm. He also added that "The traffickers know [our judicial authority] can't do much. The agents we have in the field want to give up because they have nothing to eat." Guinea-Bissau's former prosecutor general added: "A country that's not capable of discussing its own problems – it's not a country, it's not a state."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Continued political instability
The leader of the coup attempt was Pansau Ntchama, a commando who was the ex-bodyguard of Guinea-Bissau's former army chief of staff. Fernando Vaz said of him: "He is a man with political ambitions living in Portugal. He appeared here in order to carry out this attempted coup ... He flew to Gambia, and then he went to Angola to pick up arms ... He has fled into the bush, but we are confident that we will catch him."


2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, Continued political instability, Resolution process
In response to the UNSC resolution for the restoration of civilian and constitutional rule, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Timor-Leste's Jose Ramos-Horta as his special representative to the country on 31 January 2013, replacing Rwanda's Joseph Mutaboba.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Guinea-Bissau on 18 March 2012 following the death of President Malam Bacai Sanhá on 9 January. A run-off was set to be held on 29 April after being postponed by a week as announced by electoral commission chief Desejado Lima Dacosta. However, after a military coup, the leading candidates were arrested and the election was cancelled. The junta's spokesman then announced plans to hold an election in two years, despite condemnation. General elections were subsequently held in April 2014.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Background
Following the death of Malam Bacai Sanhá on 9 January 2012, an early presidential elections were scheduled to be held within 90 days, in accordance with the constitution.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Background
No president in the history of independent Guinea-Bissau has completed his term in office: Three presidents have been ousted, one was assassinated, and another died in office.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Campaign
Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Júnior resigned on 10 February to run for the presidency. A total of nine candidates contested the elections, five of whom ran in the previous elections in 2009. Their campaign literature was said to be "largely recycled." Carlos Gomes Júnior and Kumba Ialá were said to be the frontrunners in the election.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Campaign
Ialá's support base was primarily based on his Balanta ethnic group. Gomes Júnior had indicated he wanted to reform the armed forces, with which he had a tense relationship.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Campaign
Campaigning for the second round was due to start on 13 April and end on 27 April.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Conduct
UNIOGBIS spokesman Vladimir Monteiro said: "The election was held in a very peaceful manner. In the morning, participation was relatively weak but, all day long, leaders of the electoral body encouraged the people to go and vote, and it seems that people listened and went to vote because the participation finally increased." He also added that the election commission is mandated by the constitution to release the result within 10 days of the election.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Conduct
However, the same night fears of military-linked violence increased with the assassination of the former head of military intelligence, Colonel Samba Diallo, just before midnight at a bar in the national capital of Bissau. The Guardian reported witnesses as saying that soldiers had fired at him and then taken his body away, possibly to a hospital.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Results
No candidate was able to attain a 50% majority in the first round. The leading two candidates, Carlos Gomes Júnior and Kumba Ialá were set to face each other in a runoff election to be held on 22 April.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Results
Five of the first round candidates complained that the poll had been fraudulent despite independent, international observers stating that it was conducted fairly.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Aftermath
Despite a peaceful campaign, there were fears of possible violence or a coup d'état if the army did not approve of the winner. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for a "peaceful, orderly and transparent" election. Opposition leaders, led by Ialá, called for a boycott of the second round because they considered the election fraudulent, with Ialá calling for new voter registration to take place and warned against campaigning.


2012 Guinea-Bissau presidential election, Aftermath
The Director General of the Judicial Police Joao Biague announced that the former head of intelligence, Samba Diallo, was assassinated shortly after the polls closed. On 12 April, elements within the factionalised army staged a coup d'état, leading to the arrest of both second round candidates, amongst others, by the Military Command and calls for a national unity government.


2012 Guizhou Renhe F.C. season
The 2012 Guizhou Renhe season is Guizhou Renhe's 11th consecutive season in the top division of Chinese football. They also competed in the Chinese FA Cup that year, making it to the final of that competition.


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


2012 Guizhou Renhe 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 Guizhou Renhe 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 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election
The 2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections were held in the Indian state of Gujarat in December 2012 for all 182 members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Incumbent Chief Minister Narendra Modi of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), in power since 2002, was running for his fourth term. The leader of the opposition was Shaktisinh Gohil of the Indian National Congress (INC).


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election
Elections were held in two phases, the first on 13 December and the second on 17 December 2012. Total voting turnout of both phases was 71.32%, highest since 1980. Results were declared on 20 December 2012.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election
The BJP, led by Narendra Modi, won 116 seats out of total 182 seats and formed the government while INC won 60 seats. BJP has been in the power in Gujarat since 1995.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Polls
Elections were held in two phases, the first on 13 December and the second on 17 December 2012.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Polls, Phase-I
First phase of polling was held on 13 December 2012 witnessed 70.75% of record breaking voting. Within three hours, the voter turnout was 18 per cent and by 1 pm it was 38 per cent. The figure went up to 53 per cent by 3 pm, concluding with 70.75%.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Polls, Phase-I
South Gujarat : 7 Districts : 35 SeatsAhmedabad Rural : Part of 1 District : 4 Seats


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Polls, Phase-II
Phase-II of polling was held on 17 December 2012 witnessed a voter turnout of 71.85%.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Polls, Phase-II, North Gujarat
With 71.85% of Phase-II voting turnout following the Phase-I turnout of 70.75%, the resultant final voting turnout stood at 72.02%


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Polls, Phase-II, 1980 to 2012 Legislative Assembly Elections statistics in Gujarat
The average turnout percentage in Gujarat had decreased from 64.39% in 1995 to 59.77% during the last four state elections (1995, 1998, 2002, 2007)as per the Election Commission of India statistics.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Results
Counting of votes was held on 20 December 2012. Results were as following.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Results
BJP lost in 16 seats by the margin of less than 2%. The Congress won 46% seats with a margin of less than 5%.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Bypolls, 2013
Four seats became vacant in 2012-13. Bypolls for them was held by Election Commission in June 2013. All four seats were held by Indian National Congress  members. Morva Hadaf MLA Savitaben Khant died in December 2012 while Limbdi MLA Soma Ganda resigned later as he chose to continue as a Member of Parliament. Jayesh Radadiya (Jetpur) and Vitthal Radadiya (Dhoraji) resigned as they left Indian National Congress and joined Bharatiya Janata Party in March 2013. In polls, INC lost all four seats and BJP won all of them.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Bypolls, 2013
The by-poll to Surat West was held on 4 December 2013, due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Kishore Wankawala. BJP candidate Purnesh Modi won against INC candidate D I Patel in a result declared on 8 December 2013. It was the first time the NOTA (None of the above) button was introduced in the election in Gujarat. It was used by 2307 voters.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Bypolls, 2014
Rapar BJP MLA Vaghjibhai Patel died on 30 January 2014 following heart attack. Lathi MLA Bavku Undhad resigned as he quit INC and joined BJP in January. GPP MLA Keshubhai Patel resigned in February following his ill health. GPP was merged with BJP on 24 February 2014. Nalin Kotadiya who was representing Dhari in assembly, joined BJP along with party. Four more MLAs Rajendrasinh Chavda, Jasabhai Barad, Chhabilbhai Patel and Parbhubhai Vasava quit INC and resigned as they joined BJP in February. Bypolls for all these seven seats were held on 30 April along with 2014 Indian general election.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Bypolls, 2014
Voting turnout was 74.84% in Somnath, 70.19% in Abdasa, 56.62% in Rapar, 71.87% in Himmatnagar, 56.06% in Visavadar, 64.86% in Lathi  and 67% in Mandvi which stood to an average of 65.92% in all seven constituencies. On 16 May 2014, the result of byepolls was declared along with 2014 Indian general election result. BJP won four while INC won three seats of seven vacant seats. Out of five constituencies which were held by INC before their representatives joined BJP, they retained only one, Abdasa. BJP candidate Bharat Patel, son of former representative Keshubhai Patel, lost to INC candidate Harshad Ribadiya in Visavadar. Shaktisinh Gohil, the former Leader of Opposition, defeated Chhabil Patel in Abdasa.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Bypolls, 2014
Following 2014 Indian general election, nine assembly members resigned as they were elected to Loksabha, the lower house of the parliament of India. They all belonged to BJP. Incumbent Chief Minister Narendra Modi resigned as MLA from Maninagar as he won from Vadodara and Varanasi and sworn in as the 14th Prime Minister of India.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Bypolls, 2014
The eight others include Khambhalia MLA Poonam Madam (elected from Jamnagar), Anand MLA Dilip Patel (Anand), Limkheda MLA Jaswantsinh Bhabhor (Dahod), Deesa MLA Liladhar Vaghela (Patan), Matar MLA Devusinh Chauhan (Kheda), Talaja MLA Bharati Shiyal (Bhavnagar), Mangrol MLA Rajesh Chudasama (Junagadh) and Tankara MLA Mohan Kundariya (Rajkot). Byepolls were held on 13 September 2014 which recorded following voters turnout: Limkheda (64%), Maninagar (33.5%), Deesa (59.76%), Tankara (57%), Khambhalia (55.5%), Mangrol (57%), Talja (49%), Anand (57%) and Matar (54.7%). The results of September byepolls were declared on 16 September 2014. BJP retained six seats while lost three seats to INC.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Bypolls, 2014
Vajubhai Vala, the incumbent speaker of assembly, resigned as the MLA from Rajkot West and as the speaker on 30 August 2014 following his appointment as the Governor of Karnataka. The byepoll for Rajkot West was held on 15 October 2014 and result was declared on 19 October 2014. BJP retained the seat with Vijay Rupani declared winner candidate.


2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, Bypolls, 2016
Rajendrabhai Parabhubhai Patel, the sitting MLA from Choryasi died following dengue in August 2015. His daughter won the bypoll in January 2016. Following death of Jasubhai Barad of INC in January 2016, the bypoll was held for Talala constituency. The bypoll had 63.66 per cent turnout. Govind Parmar of BJP won the bypoll in May 2016 defeating Bhagwanji Barad of INC.


2012 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship
The 2012 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship was the second Gulf Ice Hockey Championship. It took place between 28 May and 1 June 2012 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates won the tournament after defeating Kuwait in the gold medal game, claiming their second title of the championships. Oman finished third after defeating Bahrain in the bronze medal game.


2012 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship, Overview
The 2012 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship began on 28 May 2012 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates with the games being played at Zayed Sports City. The United Arab Emirates as host and defending champion returned along with Kuwait and Oman to compete in their second Gulf Ice Hockey Championship. Saudi Arabia who competed in the 2010 championship did not send a team while Bahrain made their first appearance in the competition. The four teams first competed in a round robin competition, with their ranking determining their seeding in the semi-finals.


2012 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship, Overview
The United Arab Emirates finished in first place after the round robin and were seeded against fourth place Bahrain, while second place Kuwait was seeded with third place Oman. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait both won their semi-finals and advanced to the gold medal game, while the losing teams advanced to the bronze medal game. The United Arab Emirates won the tournament after defeating Kuwait 3–1 in the gold medal game, winning their second championship title. Oman finished third after defeating Bahrain 5–1 in the bronze medal game.


2012 Gulf Ice Hockey Championship, Round robin
The four participating teams were placed in a single round robin. After playing the round-robin, the number one ranked team is seeded into a semi-final against the fourth ranked team and the second ranked team plays in the second semi-final against the team who finished in third place.


2012 Guo Shou-Jing
2012 Guo Shou-Jing, provisional designation 1964 TE2, is a carbonaceous asteroid and Florian interloper from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 13 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 October 1964, by astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanking, China. The asteroid was named after Chinese astronomer Guo Shoujing.


2012 Guo Shou-Jing, Orbit and classification
Guo Shou-Jing orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.9–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,298 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins 11 years prior to its official discovery observation, with a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in August 1953.


2012 Guo Shou-Jing, Orbit and classification, Florian interloper
Guo Shou-Jing is a dark, carbonaceous asteroid but possesses the orbital characteristics of a member of the Flora family, which is one of the largest groups of bright, stony S-type asteroids in the main-belt. It is therefore thought to be an unrelated interloper that does not origin from the Flora family's parent body.


2012 Guo Shou-Jing, Physical characteristics
Guo Shou-Jing has been characterized as a carbonaceous C-type asteroid by Pan-STARRS photometric survey.


2012 Guo Shou-Jing, Physical characteristics, Fragmentary lightcurve
In August 2010, a fragmentary rotational lightcurve of Guo Shou-Jing was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer René Roy . Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 12 hours with a brightness variation of 0.05 magnitude (U=1+).


2012 Guo Shou-Jing, Physical characteristics, Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite, and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Guo Shou-Jing measures between 11.65 and 14.70 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a low albedo between 0.030 and 0.070.


2012 Guo Shou-Jing, Physical characteristics, Diameter and albedo
Based on purely orbital criteria, the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (erroneously) assumes an albedo of 0.24 – derived from 8 Flora, the largest member and namesake of the Flora family – and subsequently calculates a smaller diameter of 5.67 kilometers.


2012 Guo Shou-Jing, Naming
This minor planet was named after Chinese astronomer and engineer Guo Shoujing (1231–1316) who lived during the Yuan Dynasty. He designed and constructed several astronomical instruments for precise observations and has been called the "Tycho Brahe of China". The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 August 1978 (M.P.C. 4420).


2012 Guwahati molestation case
On 9 July 2012, in Guwahati city, the capital city of Assam, an Indian state, a teenage girl was allegedly molested and manhandled by a crowd of approximately 30 men outside a bar, many of whom were subsequently arrested based on video footage of the event. A local TV journalist from News Live was accused of instigating the mob and was arrested on 20 July 2012. Investigations are ongoing.


2012 Guwahati molestation case, Incident
On 9 July 2012, two women were exiting a bar and became involved in a physical struggle with a group of men standing outside. Gaurav Jyoti Neog, a journalist from News Live who was nearby, phoned his office asking for camera and crew to shoot the brawl. Although the girl tried breaking away and asking for help, she was dragged back twice into the mob and abused further. Eventually, after almost half an hour, Mukul Kalita, another journalist from a local daily Ajir Asom intervened and rescued the girl. Once the police reached the site, the girl was taken back home and a case was filed. Amarjyoti Kalita as the prime accused based on alleged identification from the video footage.


2012 Guwahati molestation case, Reactions
The case caused uproar in the national and local media right after the video was aired by News Live, going viral on YouTube and provoking debates about the safety of women and human rights in India. By 20 July 2012, 12 of the 22 accused were arrested. Amarjyoti Kalita, the main accused surrendered to the Uttar Pradesh police in Varanasi on 23 July. The next day, Assam police went to Varanasi to take custody of Kalita and it was declared that 14 of the 17 identified accused had been arrested.


2012 Guwahati molestation case, Reactions
Alka Lamba, a representative of the National Commission for Women (NCW) who was sent to Guwahati to investigate the molestation case, was criticized for accidentally revealing the identity of the victim in a press conference. Child rights experts also criticized the government for handing the case over to NCW instead of NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) since the victim was a minor.


2012 Guwahati molestation case, Judgement
Eleven accused in this case including prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita, were convicted on 7 December 2012   while four others were acquitted. Chief Judicial Magistrate S.P. Moitra convicted the prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita along with 10 others under various Sections of IPC namely 143 – unlawful assembly, 341- wrongful restraint, 294 -Obscene act, 323 – voluntarily causing hurt and 354 – Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty.


2012 Guwahati molestation case, Judgement
News Live journalist Gaurav Jyoti Neog was acquitted along with Hafizuddin, Diganta Basumatary and Jitumoni Deka due to lack of evidence.


2012 Guzzini Challenger
The 2012 Guzzini Challenger was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the tenth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2012 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Recanati, Italy between 16 and 22 July 2012.


2012 Guzzini Challenger, Singles main draw entrants, Other Entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2012 Guzzini Challenger – Doubles
Frederik Nielsen and Ken Skupski were the defending champions but decided not to participate. Brydan Klein and Dane Propoggia won the final 7–5, 2–6, [14–12] against Marin Draganja and Dino Marcan.


2012 Guzzini Challenger – Singles
Fabrice Martin was the defending champion, but was defeated by Simone Bolelli 6–3, 6–2 in the final.


2012 Gwangju FC season
The 2012 season was Gwangju FC's second season in the K-League in South Korea. Gwangju FC will be competing in K-League and Korean FA Cup.


2012 Gwangju FC season, Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Gwangju FC season, Current squad, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Gwynedd Council election
The 2012 Gwynedd Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Gwynedd Council in Wales. Seventy four council seats were up for re-election, however, no candidates were nominated for the Bryncrug/Llanfihangel ward, and a by-election was held in June 2012.


2012 Gwynedd Council election
The Gwynedd election was on the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections.


2012 Gwynedd Council election, Results
The council shifted from Plaid Cymru majority to No Overall Control (Plaid had taken control of the council between elections). With no candidates nominated for the Bryncrug/Llanfihangel ward, a by-election was held in June 2012 and the outcome could have led to a Plaid majority had the Plaid candidate won. However, an independent won. Plaid remained holding exactly half of the total seats, per the table below:


2012 Gyeongnam FC season
The 2012 season was Gyeongnam FC's seventh season in the K-League in South Korea. Gyeongnam FC will be competing in K-League and Korean FA Cup.


2012 Gyeongnam FC season, Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Gyeongnam FC season, Current squad, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Gyeongnam FC season, Transfer, In
§ Gyeongnam decided against signing the player due to an injury.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event
The 2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event took place between January 10 and January 18, 2012. The event featured the artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline disciplines. It qualified the last four artistic gymnastics teams for the 2012 Olympic Games, along with 34 individual female gymnasts and 27 individual male gymnasts selected through the all-around competition. Teams that finished 17th to 24th at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were able to take two individuals to the test event. Teams that finished 1st to 8th were invited to send two individual gymnasts, but they were not candidates for individual spots.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event
The rhythmic gymnastics event, too, qualified four teams for the 2012 Olympic Games. Teams that finished 7th to 12th and the champion of the 2011 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships—along with the host nation of the test event, Great Britain—were invited participants, although the champion had already qualified for the Olympics. Because the world champion, Italy, decided not to attend, Azerbaijan, which placed 13th at the 2011 World Championships, was invited as a replacement. The test event also qualified five individual gymnasts for the Olympics.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event
Twenty teams were invited to send one gymnast each according to their results at the 2011 World Championships. The host, Great Britain, could send one as well. The three medalists of the Championships were also invited despite their previous qualification to the Olympic Games. As two of the three medalists were not joining, two more teams were invited to send one gymnast apiece to the event.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event
In the trampolining event, seven individual competitors qualified for each of the Olympic events. These competitors were from countries that had not succeeded in qualifying an individual at the 2011 Trampoline World Championships.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event
The event was part of the London Prepares series of test events and took place at the 2012 Olympic venue, the O2 Arena.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event, Artistic Gymnastics, Men, Team Final
The Team Final happened on January 10. Four teams qualified for the Olympics. Team Great Britain won the competition (358,227), Team France was in 2nd place (350,669), Team Spain was in third place (347,292) and Team Italy qualified in 4th (346,334). Canada, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Belarus didn't qualify an entire team for 2012 Olympic Games.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event, Artistic Gymnastics, Women, Team Final
The team final happened on January, 11th. After solid presentations, Team Italy won the gold medal (224,624). Team Canada placed second (221,913) and team France placed third (220,744). Team Brazil placed 4th (217,985) and also qualified for 2012 Olympic Games.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event, Artistic Gymnastics, Women, Vault
Mexico's Elsa García also qualified to the vault final, but was injured during warmups and pulled out at the last moment. Because Garcia withdrew so soon before the competition, first alternate Yamilet Peña of the Dominican Republic did not have adequate time to warm up. Ergo, the vault final contained only seven gymnasts.


2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Individual all-around, Team all-around
The top 4 teams in the qualification event qualified for the 2012 Olympics.


2012 H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy
The 2012 H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy was the first edition of the tournament which took place in Sri Lanka from 3–9 December 2012.


2012 H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy
The tournament was won by Maldives, who defeated Pakistan 2–1 in the final.


2012 H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy, Hosts
Sri Lanka were the hosts of the tournament as this is organised by the Ministry of Sports in association with the Football Federation of Sri Lanka.


2012 H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy Final
The 2012 H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy Final was a football match at the Jayathilake Sports Complex, Nawalapitiya on 9 December 2012, to determine the winner of the 2012 H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy. It was the first H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy final. The match was contested by the Maldives and Pakistan.


2012 H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa Under-23 International Football Trophy Final
Maldives won the match 2–1 after 90 minutes; Maldives opened the scoring through Rilwan Waheed's free kick just after half-time, before Assadhulla Abdulla doubled the lead with a long through ball from Rilwan. Pakistan's goal was an own goal which was deflected by Moosa Yaamin after a shot by Saed Ahmed.


2012 H1 Unlimited season
The 2012 H1 Unlimited season is the fifty seventh running of the H1 Unlimited series for unlimited hydroplane, jointly sanctioned by APBA, its governing body in North America and UIM, its international body.


2012 H1 Unlimited season
The season will began in July with the Lucas Oil Indiana Governor's Cup (Madison Regatta), held in Madison, Indiana, United States.


2012 H1 Unlimited season
The finale of the season will be in November with the Oryx Cup, held in Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar. The 2012 Oryx Cup was the 20th running of the UIM World Championship for unlimited hydroplanes.


2012 HE85
2012 HE85 is a small, resonant trans-Neptunian object from the Kuiper belt, located in the outermost region of the Solar System, approximately 74 kilometers (46 miles) in diameter. It was first observed by a team of astronomers using one of the Magellan Telescopes in Chile during the New Horizons KBO Search on 18 April 2012, in order to find a potential flyby target for the New Horizons spacecraft. The likely 5:9 resonant object was imaged by the spacecraft from afar at a record distance from Earth in 2017.


2012 HE85, Orbit and classification
The Kuiper belt object is considered to be a resonant trans-Neptunian object in a higher 5:9 orbital resonance with the ice giant Neptune. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 40.2–49.6 AU once every 300 years and 10 months (semi-major axis of 44.9 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with its official first observation by David Osip, Paul Schechter, David Borncamp, Susan Benecchi and Scott Sheppard of the New Horizons KBO Search (268) using the Magellan II (Clay) telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory, located in the Atacama desert in Chile.


2012 HE85, Milestone image
When the New Horizons spacecraft imaged 2012 HE85 in 2017, it was the farthest from Earth ever captured by a spacecraft. The image was taken by the spacecraft's Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) on 5 December 2017 at more than 6.12 billion kilometers (40.9 AU) away from Earth. This record was previously held by the Voyager 1 spacecraft which took the iconic Pale Blue Dot image at 6.06 billion kilometers from Earth in February 1990.


2012 HE85, Milestone image
In December 2017, New Horizons also imaged the classical Kuiper belt object (516977) 2012 HZ84, which was discovered by the same team of astronomers the night before they first observed 2012 HE85. Both objects held this record for little more than one year, until it was superseded on New Year's Eve 2018/19, when New Horizons made its close flyby on 486958 Arrokoth at a new record distance of 6.4 billion kilometers from Earth.


2012 HE85, Physical characteristics
According to Johnston's Archive, the object measures 74 kilometers in diameter based on an assumed albedo of 0.09 and an absolute magnitude of 8.9. Another estimates gives a smaller diameter of 31 kilometers due to an assumed albedo of 0.15. As of 2019, no rotational lightcurve of 2012 HE85 has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.


2012 HE85, Numbering and naming
As of 2019, this minor planet has neither been numbered nor named by the Minor Planet Center.


2012 HJK season
The 2012 season was Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi's 104th competitive season. HJK is the most successful Finnish football club with 25 Finnish Championships, 11 Finnish Cup titles, 4 Finnish League Cup titles and one appearance in the UEFA Champions League Group Stages.


2012 HJK season, Season events
On 30 October, HJK announced the singing of Mikael Forssell to a two-year contract, commencing 1 January 2013.


2012 HJK season, Season events, New contracts
On 9 November, Sebastian Mannström signed a new two-year contract with HJK, with Sebastian Sorsa signing a similar deal on 19 November.


2012 HJK season, Squad, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 HP Open
The 2012 HP Open was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts sponsored by Hewlett-Packard. It was the fourth edition of the HP Open, and part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2012 WTA Tour. It was held at the Utsubo Tennis Center in Osaka, Japan, from October 8 through October 14, 2012. Heather Watson won the singles title.


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


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


2012 HP Open – Doubles
Kimiko Date-Krumm and Zhang Shuai were the defending champions but Zhang decided not to participate. Date -Krumm played alongside Heather Watson and they reached the final but lost to the American pair Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears with the score of 1–6, 4–6.


2012 HP Open – Singles
Marion Bartoli was the defending champion, but chose not to compete. Heather Watson won the title after a marathon 3 hour 12 minute battle with Chang Kai-chen. The match saw Watson hold match point before Chang came back and won the second set. Chang went up a break and had multiple match points at 5–4 before Watson broke and won a final-set tiebreak. Watson won by a score of 7–5, 5–7, 7–6(7–4). That meant for the first time in 25-year history, a British female won a WTA tournament.


2012 Haarlem Baseball Week
The 2012 Haarlem Baseball Week was an international baseball competition held at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, the Netherlands from July 13–22, 2012. It was the 26th edition of the tournament.


2012 Haarlem Baseball Week
In the final Cuba won over Puerto Rico, becoming champions for the fifth time.


2012 Haarlem Baseball Week, Teams
Chinese Taipei is the official IBAF designation for the team representing the state officially referred to as the Republic of China, more commonly known as Taiwan. (See also political status of Taiwan for details.)


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake
The 2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake occurred just after 8:04 p.m. PDT on October 27. The shock had a moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of V (Moderate). The earthquake's epicentre was on Moresby Island of the Haida Gwaii archipelago (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands). This was the second largest Canadian earthquake ever recorded by a seismometer, after the 1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake, about 135 kilometres (84 mi) away.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Earthquake
Strong shaking was felt throughout Haida Gwaii where residents in Masset, Skidegate, Sandspit, and Queen Charlotte City were evacuated to higher ground. Minor shaking was felt in Prince Rupert and in other cities of the Interior such as Prince George, Quesnel, and as far away as Kamloops. Electricity service was interrupted in Bella Coola.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Earthquake
Although the earthquake occurred on the Queen Charlotte Fault, a primarily strike-slip boundary between the Pacific and North American plates where the Pacific Plate moves approximately north-northwest with respect to the North America plate at a rate of about 50 mm/yr, the 2012 quake exhibited a thrust mechanism, more characteristic of the Cascadia Subduction Zone to the south.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Tsunami
A tsunami warning was issued for the North American Coast from the Alaskan Panhandle to Vancouver Island, but later limited to the North Coast region of British Columbia. Canadian authorities were questioned for issuing a tsunami warning nearly 40 minutes after the U.S. had issued their warning. The greatest wave heights recorded at tide gauges in Canada were  25 cm (9.8 in) at Langara Island and 22 cm (8.7 in) at Winter Harbour. In Tofino on Vancouver Island, the tsunami warning sirens were activated and residents in low-lying areas evacuated their homes. The maximum wave height recorded in Tofino was 9 cm (3.5 in). Tofino's tsunami warning system was activated after communication with the provincial coordinating centre was cut off.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Tsunami
In the U.S., Hawaii was also placed on alert, and over 100,000 people were evacuated to higher ground. The maximum wave height recorded at tide gauges in Hawaii was 79 cm (31 in). Other warnings were issued for the states of Oregon and California, but were subsequently lifted.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Tsunami
Along the western coast of Haida Gwaii, the earthquake triggered tsunami waves with a maximum run-up height at 13 meters in Davidson Inlet. In Mike Inlet, the tsunami was measured at 7.6 meters, making it the largest tsunami generated by an earthquake in western Canadian history.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Tsunami, Damage
Despite the earthquake's large magnitude, no major structural damage was reported from any of the population centres in the vicinity. This can be explained by the remoteness of the tremor's epicentre. No casualties or major injuries were recorded from the quake, likely due to the sparsely populated nature of the region. As a result of the earthquake and its aftershocks, the famed hot springs in Gwaii Haanas National Park on Hotspring Island dried up. In 2015 the hot springs began to come back.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Tsunami, Aftershocks
There were 94 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater lasting until November 7, as recorded by the USGS.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Tsunami, Aftershocks
The largest of these numerous aftershocks was a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that occurred 56 kilometres (35 mi) to the west of the main tremor on the morning of October 28. This was followed on October 29 by a 6.2 aftershock 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the south of the original quake.


2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake, Tsunami, Aftershocks
Four months after the mainshock, in January 2013, another magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck north of Haida Gwaii in southeastern Alaska. The earthquake had a pure strike-slip focal mechanism, consistent with a rupture along the Queen Charlotte Fault. This earthquake is not considered an aftershock, but was triggered by stress transfer caused by the October 2012 earthquake.


2012 Halifax municipal election
The 2012 Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election was held on October 20, 2012 to elect councillors and a mayor to a four-year term on the Halifax Regional Council, the governing body of the Halifax Regional Municipality. This election was one of many across Nova Scotia as part of the 2012 Nova Scotia municipal elections.


2012 Halifax municipal election
In December 2011 it was decided by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board that the Halifax Regional Council be reduced in size from 23 districts to 16 districts, consequently forcing almost every district boundary in the HRM to be redrawn. Some incumbent councillors were forced to run against each other because of the redrawn districts.


2012 Halifax municipal election, Candidates and results, Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor
On February 22, 2012 incumbent Mayor Peter J. Kelly announced that he would not be running again for mayor in 2012, opting to finish his term because being mayor had taken a negative toll on his personal life.


2012 Halifax municipal election, Candidates and results, District 6: Harbourview - Burnside - Dartmouth East
By-election held January 23, 2016 to replace Fisher, who was elected to the House of Commons:


2012 Halmstads BK season
In 2012 Halmstads BK will compete in Superettan and Svenska Cupen.


2012 Halmstads BK season, Season statistics, Superettan
Goals and caps in the Promotion/Relegation play-offs are shown in the () as they are not official league matches.


2012 Halmstads BK season, Season statistics, Superettan
= Number of bookings= Number of sending offs after a second yellow card= Number of sending offs by a direct red card


2012 Halmstads BK season, Season statistics, Svenska cupen
= Number of bookings= Number of sending offs after a second yellow card= Number of sending offs by a direct red card


2012 Halmstads BK season, International players
Does only contain players that represent the senior squad during the 2012 season.


2012 Halton Borough Council election
The 2012 Halton Borough Council election was held on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Halton Borough Council in England.


2012 Hama offensive
The 2012 Hama offensive was a military operation during the Syrian Civil War launched by the Syrian opposition on 16 December 2012, with the intent of taking control of the Hama Province. The offensive was stopped after the Syrian Army launched a counter-offensive, leaving the rebels in control of only half a dozen towns and villages in the north of the province.


2012 Hama offensive, Background
With the Hama province largely controlled by Army Forces, the FSA launched an offensive on 16 December, to capture the province and Hama city itself and by the same time, cutting the principal supply route of the Army in Aleppo.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
The rebel military council of Hama announced the start of the offensive on 16 December, giving Syrian government troops in the province an ultimatum to surrender to the Free Syrian Army within 48 hours. Within two days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Qassem Saadeddine, a member of the Free Syrian Army military command, claimed that Syrian government troops had already been cleared from the towns of Halfaya, Kafr Nabudah, Hayalin, Hasraya, al-Lataminah, Taybat al-Imam and Kafr Zita, leaving the rebels in control of the rural western part of Hama Province, and all areas north of Hama city. Rebels had advanced 40 kilometres (25 mi) south from Maarrat al-Nu'man and Jisr ash-Shugour, encountering little resistance. It seemed that rebels had overrun Syrian Army lines north of Hama city within 48 hours. Government positions in Khan Shaykhun and Mhardeh were reportedly under attack by rebel forces.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
The rebels also made claims of fighting inside Hama city itself, with international analysts wondering if the Syrian Army was redeployed towards Homs and Latakia. However, this was not confirmed.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
On 19 December, according to the Local Coordination Committees (LCC), Syrian Government security forces reportedly set up checkpoints outside Hayalin, leading to doubts as to whether or not rebels had full control over the town, unlike the other places they captured in the operation.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
On 20 December, rebels attacked and captured parts of the town of Morek in Hama's countryside, and were surrounding the Alawite towns of Ma'an and al-Tleisa.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
On 23 December, the LCC and SOHR reported that up to 300 civilians were killed by bombing from warplanes in the city of Halfaya, while queuing for bread at a bakery. The Syrian Government did agree that many women and children were killed, however they blamed rebel fighters who they say attacked the town.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
On 26 December, the Syrian Army retook control of three Alawite villages, including Ma'an, repelling the rebels who had entered them days earlier.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
On 29 December, six people were killed by the Syrian air force bombardment on the town of Kafr Nabudah, two of them were children and two women. Also, one civilian was killed by the bombardment on the town of Taybat al-Imam. A week later, Assad forces from Qamhana, attacked this same town.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
On 30 December, the Syrian Army general command announced that they took back control of the strategic town of Morek.


2012 Hama offensive, The offensive
On 31 December, Syrian Army shelling was reported on Halfaya.


2012 Hama offensive, Aftermath
On 21 January 2013, SOHR said that a car bomb near the headquarters of a pro-government militia killed 50 people in the eastern suburbs of Hama.


2012 Hama offensive, Aftermath
On 22 January, the military launched an offensive, with the aim of recapturing territory lost during the rebel advance into northern Hama. 1,500 soldiers and 100 tanks were being used in the operation, and the focus was on the town of Kernaz in Mhardeh District, where up to 1,000 rebel fighters were based. By early February, the rebels were reportedly in fear of losing Kernaz and with it Kafr Naboudeh. This would leave the military in control of the whole north of Hama, reversing all previous rebel gains.


2012 Hama offensive, Aftermath
On 6 February, 54 government employees of a defense-related factory were killed in al-Buraq south of Hama city, when a mini-bus blew up at a bus stop.


2012 Hama offensive, Aftermath
On 7 February, the military recaptured Kernaz, after 16 days of fighting. Two days before, the Army had also regained control of the nearby town of Mughir, securing a corridor to Alawite villages in the west of the province.


2012 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season
The 2012 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season was the 55th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 63rd overall. The Tiger-Cats finished in 4th place in the East Division with a 6–12 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008; this was despite the fact that the team scored more points in the 2012 season than any other CFL team (offset by the fact that they also gave up more points than any other CFL team).


2012 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season, Offseason, CFL Draft
The 2012 CFL Draft took place on May 3, 2012 live at 3:00 PM EDT. The Tiger-Cats had seven selections in the six-round draft, including an additional third-round pick from the Arland Bruce trade.


2012 Hampton Pirates football team
The 2012 Hampton Pirates football team represented Hampton University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth year head coach Donovan Rose and played their home games at Armstrong Stadium. They are a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 3–7, 3–5 in MEAC play to finish the season in eighth place.


2012 Hangzhou Greentown F.C. season
The 2012 Hangzhou Greentown F.C. season is Hangzhou's 6th consecutive season in the Chinese Super League. Hangzhou will also be competing in the Chinese FA Cup.


2012 Hangzhou Greentown 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 Hangzhou Greentown 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 Hangzhou Greentown 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 Harlow District Council election
The 2012 Harlow District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Harlow District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party gained overall control of the council from the Conservative Party.


2012 Harlow District Council election, Background
After the last election in 2011 the Conservatives remained in control of the council with 17 councillors, compared to 14 for Labour and 2 for the Liberal Democrats. However, in October 2011 one of the two Liberal Democrat councillors, John Strachan of Staple Tye ward defected to the Labour party.


2012 Harlow District Council election, Background
Harlow was reported in the national press to be one of Labour's top targets in the 2012 local elections.


2012 Harlow District Council election, Election result
The Labour Party gained control of Harlow from the Conservatives after gaining 5 seats including 4 from the Conservatives. The Labour gains from the Conservatives came in Harlow Common, Little Parndon and Hare Street, Netteswell and Toddbrook and meant Labour won 8 of the 12 seats contested. The Conservatives had controlled the council since winning a majority at the 2008 election.


2012 Harlow District Council election, Election result
The other Labour gain came from the Liberal Democrats in Mark Hall ward and meant the Liberal Democrats no longer had any councillors in Harlow. The Liberal Democrats did not come close to taking any of the seats contested, with some candidates getting less than 100 votes. Overall turnout at the election was 28.43%, the lowest turnout ever for a local election in Harlow.


2012 Harlow District Council election, By-elections between 2012 and 2014
A by-election was held in Toddbrook on 15 November 2012 after Labour councillor Bob Davis resigned from the council. The seat was held for Labour by Christine O'Dell with a majority of 221 votes over the Conservatives.


2012 Harrisburg City Islanders season
The 2012 Harrisburg City Islanders season was the club's ninth season of competitive soccer - its ninth season in the third division of American soccer and its second season in the USL Professional Division; the City Islanders being one of the original 10 founder-members.


2012 Harrisburg City Islanders season
City Islanders finished the 2012 USL Pro season by finishing sixth in the table, good enough for a berth into the 2012 USL Pro Playoffs, marking their second-consecutive season of postseason play. However, in the first round, Harrisburg suffered a 2–1 defeat at Charleston Battery thus, ending their postseason ambitions.


2012 Harrisburg City Islanders season, Competitions, USL Pro, Results summary
Last updated: January 22, 2017Source: 2012 USL Pro seasonPld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won;  T = Matches tied;  L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2012 Harrisburg City Islanders season, Competitions, USL Pro, Playoffs
The City Islanders were beaten in the quarterfinals of the 2012 USL Pro season playoffs by the Charleston Battery. The South Carolina club ran out 2–1 winners and would eventually win the 2012 USL Pro Championship against Wilmington Hammerheads.


2012 Harrisburg City Islanders season, Competitions, U.S. Open Cup
The Harrisburg City Islanders played one of their best runs in the 2012 U.S. Open Cup being one of three teams from the lower divisions to advanced the furthest in the tournament (to the Quarterfinals). In the process, the City Islanders record wins over two MLS clubs: New England Revolution (in the Third Round) and New York Red Bulls (in the Fourth Round).


2012 Harrisburg City Islanders season, Competitions, U.S. Open Cup
They were ultimately knocked out of the tournament in the Quarterfinals by their MLS affiliate, Philadelphia Union.


2012 Harrogate Borough Council election
The 2012 Harrogate Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of the Harrogate Borough District Council in North Yorkshire, England. This was on the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections.


2012 Hart District Council election
The 2012 Hart District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of the Hart District Council in England. This was the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections.


2012 Hartlepool Borough Council election
The 2012 Hartlepool Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of Hartlepool Borough Council. There were a number of differences in the composition of constituencies from the 2011 elections, including the absence of the Bruns, Dyke House, Grange, Greatham, Owton, Park, Rift House, Rossmere, St. Hilda, Stranton, and Throston wards. While the 2011 election had 15 available seats, the 2012 election had 36.


2012 Hartlepool Borough Council election
Burn Valley, Foggy Furze, Hart, and Seaton wards each had two more seats than the previous year, and De Bruce, Fens & Rossmere, Headland & Harbour, Jesmond, Manor House, Rural West, and Victoria, which did not appear in 2011, all held three seats. The Labour Party once again dominated the election.


2012 Harvard Crimson football team
The 2012 Harvard Crimson football team represented Harvard University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by 19th-year head coach Tim Murphy and played their home games at Harvard Stadium. They were a member of the Ivy League. They finished the season 8–2 overall 5–2 in Ivy League play to place second.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal
The 2012 Harvard cheating scandal involved approximately 125 Harvard University students who were investigated for cheating on the take-home final examination of the spring 2012 edition of Government 1310: "Introduction to Congress". Harvard announced the investigation publicly on August 30, 2012. Dean of Undergraduate Education Jay M. Harris described the case as "unprecedented in its scope and magnitude". The Harvard Crimson ranked the scandal as the news story most important to Harvard in 2012.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal
A teaching fellow noticed similarities between a small number of exams during grading in May 2012. The course's professor brought the case to the Harvard College Administrative Board, which reviewed all final exams, leading to individual cases against nearly half of the 279 students enrolled in the class, almost two percent of the undergraduate student body. The administrative board completed its investigation in December 2012. On February 1, 2013 Harvard revealed that "somewhat more than half" of the investigated students, estimated at 70%, were forced to withdraw.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal
Government 1310: "Introduction to Congress" was led by assistant professor Matthew B. Platt in Spring 2010, 2011, and 2012. The course was offered to students of Harvard College and Harvard Extension School. It developed a reputation as an easy course, receiving a high proportion of "easy" or "very easy" ratings in the Q Guide, Harvard's collection of course evaluations. According to some Spring 2012 students, Platt immediately confirmed this reputation by promising 120 A's and stating that attendance was optional. Students who attended could share their notes.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal
Grades were determined by four take-home exams. In 2010 and 2011, the take-home exams were essays, but in 2012 they were changed to a short answer format. The change corresponded with a spike in difficulty and a drop in overall score, according to the Q Guide. Students said the short answer format facilitated collaboration. Some guessed that the changes were forced from above.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Spring 2012 final exam
The spring 2012 final exam was assigned April 26 and due May 3 at 5:00 p.m. Its first page contained the instructions: "The exam is completely open book, open note, open internet, etc. However, in all other regards, this should fall under similar guidelines that apply to in-class exams. More specifically, students may not discuss the exam with others—this includes resident tutors, writing centers, etc." The use of etc. has been questioned.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Spring 2012 final exam
Students complained about confusing questions on the final exam. Due to "some good questions" from students, Platt clarified three exam questions by email on April 30. Platt cancelled his office hours on the May 3 due date on short notice. Many students received assistance from the teaching fellows.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Spring 2013 – present
Government 1310 had its spring 2013 Harvard College course listing removed as of October 7, 2012. Platt taught the course through the Harvard Extension School only for spring 2013 and spring 2014. Grading was based on two essay exams, ten quizzes and the final. The collaboration policy forbade any collaboration.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Investigation
A teaching fellow noticed similarities between a small number of exams during grading in May 2012. Platt reported the suspected plagiarism in a letter to administrative board secretary John "Jay" L. Ellison on May 14. The similarities were first noticed in answers for the bonus short answer question "Describe two developments in the history of Congress that ostensibly gave individual MCs [members of Congress] in the House greater freedom and/or control but ultimately centralized power in the hands of party leadership." Some students picked the "somewhat obscure" pair of the Cannon Revolt of 1910 and Henry Clay and "all the answers use the same (incorrect) reading of the course material in arguments that are identically structured." Additional comparisons revealed possible collaboration on the other questions.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Investigation
The administrative board reviewed all exams over the summer and flagged roughly 125 for suspected collaboration. The suspects constitute nearly half of the 279 students enrolled in the class and almost two percent of Harvard College's undergraduate student body. Harris said the similarities include "answers that look quite alike to answers that appear to have been lifted in their entirety." Harvard enlisted "supplemental fact finders" to deal with the load. Peter F. Lake, a Stetson University College of Law professor approximated fifty hours per student totaling "essentially one administrator’s entire year of energy."


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Investigation
Harvard announced the investigation publicly on August 30, 2012. Dean of undergraduate education Jay M. Harris justified the announcement as a springboard to raise awareness and a teachable moment. A senior under investigation dismissed this explanation, writing, "Harvard chose to go public with this story to first and foremost save their own asses."


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Investigation
On the same day as the announcement, Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences dean Michael D. Smith sent an email to all faculty members informing them of the investigation and suggesting that they clarify their collaboration policies.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Investigation
Each student was given copies of their exams and similar ones, then had to submit a written explanation. The student met with an administrative board subcommittee and was shown the other students' statements. Some students named the classmates they collaborated with. The subcommittee recommended an action to the full board.


2012 Harvard cheating scandal, Investigation
Cases were finalized in September and December 2012. Students forced to withdraw vanished from campus as verdicts were issued every Tuesday. The administrative board completed its investigation in December 2012.