2012 Quicken Loans 400
Marcos Ambrose won his first career pole position by posting a new track record speed in qualifying. He led the first five laps until Greg Biffle passed him on the sixth lap. He led the next twenty laps before Ambrose retook it for another five laps afterward. Biffle retook the lead on lap 54, holding it until Ambrose re-passed him to return to the front of the field fifteen laps later. Earnhardt took the lead for the first time on the 70th lap, and he kept the position for a total of 95 laps, more than any other driver. At the race's final restart on 141, Earnhardt led through the final round of green flag pit stops to win the race. There were a total of eight cautions and 23 lead changes among 14 drivers during the event.


2012 Quicken Loans 400
The victory was Earnhardt's first in 143 races, his second at Michigan International Speedway, and the 19th of his career. The result moved him to within four points of Drivers' Championship leader Kenseth. Biffle maintained third place, and Jimmie Johnson moved past Denny Hamlin in fourth place. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship with 105 points, 18 points ahead of Toyota, 28 points in front of Ford, and 44 points ahead of Dodge with 21 races left in the season. The race attracted 5,284,000 television viewers.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Background
The 2012 Quicken Loans 400 was the 15th of 36 scheduled stock car races of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on June 17, 2012, in Brooklyn, Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway, a superspeedway that holds NASCAR races. The standard track at Michigan International Speedway is a four-turn 2 mi (3.2 km) superspeedway. The track's turns are banked at eighteen degrees, while the front stretch (the location of the finish line) is banked at twelve degrees. The back stretch, has a five degree banking.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Background
In preparation for the race, NASCAR held two test sessions on June 12, 2012 for teams to test the newer pavement at Michigan, the first since 1995. During the first test session (which was held in the morning and lasted for four hours) Mark Martin was quickest ahead of Kevin Harvick with a speed of 201.089 miles per hour (323.621 km/h) and a time of 35.805 seconds, while Tony Stewart was fastest in the second and final test session with a time of 35.662 seconds and recorded a speed of 201.896 miles per hour (324.920 km/h). Top speeds approached 218 miles per hour (351 km/h) during the day; NASCAR determined that the installation of restrictor plates would not be required, and NASCAR vice-president of competition Robin Pemberton spoke of his expectation that speeds would reduce as the surface rubbered in and track temperatures increased.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Background
Before the race, Matt Kenseth led the Drivers' Championship with 523 points, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. stood in second with 513 points. Greg Biffle was in third place on 507 points, three points ahead of Denny Hamlin in fourth and fourteen points in front of Jimmie Johnson in fifth. Harvick, with 470 points, was five points in front of Martin Truex Jr., as Stewart with 448 points, was five points in front of Clint Bowyer in ninth and eight points in front of the tenth-placed Brad Keselowski. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch rounded out the top twelve drivers. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 96 points, thirteen points ahead of Toyota in the second position. Ford, with 71 points, was also thirteen points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third place. Hamlin was the race's defending champion.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Background
There were two driver changes heading into the race. After he was suspended from the preceding Pocono 400 for verbally abusing Sporting News reporter Bob Pockrass at the Nationwide Series round at Dover International Speedway, Kurt Busch was reinstated to the No. 51 Phoenix Racing car after David Reutimann drove in his place. Team owner James Finch spoke to Busch during the week, and confirmed that the driver would remain with the team until the end of the year. Tommy Baldwin Racing announced that driver Tony Raines would compete in its No. 10 car in place of Reutimann as part of the team's plan for the upcoming races.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race. The first and second sessions that took place on Friday ran for 80 minutes, and the third additional practice session held on Saturday lasted 75 minutes. In the first practice session, Martin was fastest with a lap of 35.754 seconds, almost six hundredths of a second faster than Earnhardt in second. Trevor Bayne, Stewart, Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Paul Menard, and Truex followed in positions three to ten. Biffle paced the second practice session with a 35.172 seconds lap.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
He was six hundredths of a second faster than Marcos Ambrose in the second position. Harvick, Edwards, Menard, Bayne, Johnson, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, and Kenseth completed the top ten ahead of the qualifying session. The only incident in the Friday practice sessions was Jamie McMurray scraping the right-hand quarter of his vehicle when he made contact with the outside barrier.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
Early average practice speeds approached 200 mph (320 km/h), breaking the official qualifying stock car speed record of 194.232 mph (312.586 km/h). Blisters appeared on several front-side tires used by an estimated one-quarter of teams during the session, and that caused drivers to raise concerns about the speed they were driving at on the warm track surface and the hot weather temperatures that were experienced in the opening two practice sessions.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
Harvick suggested that all the drivers slow to manage the wear of their tires when the track surface rubbered in, while Edwards and Hamlin reported no issues with their tires; the former said he would discuss the situation with his crew chief Bob Osborne. NASCAR's control tire supplier Goodyear advised all teams to scuff their tires, and run them through a heat cycle. The tires run in practice were later utilized in the Saturday morning qualifying session.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
Forty-five drivers were entered in the qualifier on Saturday afternoon, according to NASCAR's qualifying procedure, 43 were allowed to race. Each driver was limited to two timed laps, with the starting order determined by the competitor's fastest times. Recording a track speed record of 203.241 mph (327.085 km/h) that broke's Ryan Newman's achievement in June 2005, Ambrose clinched the first pole position of his career with a time of 35.426 seconds.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
He was the fourth driver to complete a qualifying lap that was faster than 200 mph (320 km/h), and it was the fastest speed set in any qualifier since Bill Elliott's 1987 Talladega Superspeedway lap. He was joined on the grid's front row by Harvick who was 0.211 seconds slower, and held the pole until Ambrose's lap. Biffle qualified third, Kahne took fourth, and Newman started fifth. Kenseth, Bayne, Stewart, Logano, and Johnson rounded out the top ten qualifiers. Edwards' engine developed a possible fuel related issue on his warm-up lap, and he did not set a timed effort.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
The two drivers who failed to qualify were David Stremme and Stacy Compton. After qualifying, Ambrose said, "It is a good bragging right, I’ll give it that, I’m just really excited to get the speed, and to claim to be the fastest guy out there is just awesome. We’ve missed some poles — this is my first pole in Sprint Cup. We’ve missed some by thousandths of a second and conditions changing, so it’s good that we actually got one to stick, and one that’s got so many records attached to it."


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
After qualifying, Goodyear changed the left-hand side tire combination, to one that was harder and more durable through consultation with teams and analysing data, but retained the original right-hand side compound. They transported 1,200 tires from a warehouse in North Carolina to ensure each team met NASCAR's requirement of using 10 sets of tires for the event, and they arrived in Michigan on Saturday afternoon. An extra 75 minute practice session was scheduled after the track's Nationwide Series race.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Practice and qualifying
Biffle was quickest with a lap of 36.801 seconds, followed by Johnson, Edwards, Kahne, McMurray, Kurt Busch, A. J. Allmendinger, Truex, Martin, and Harvick. Top speeds approached no higher than 195.647 mph (314.863 km/h), but the new left-hand side tires received a mixed reception from drivers. Newman spoke of his feeling that NASCAR made the correct decision, and Edwards predicted that the while the cars were looser, it would improve the quality of racing. Earnhardt, however, commented that he could not complete extra laps due to a handling difficulty, and Ambrose noted a lower amount of grip and increased vehicular imbalance provided by the tires.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
Live television coverage of the race began at 12:01 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−05:00) in the United States on TNT. Around the start of the race, weather conditions were partly cloudy with the air temperature at 68 °F (20 °C); the air temperature was expected to reach a high of 83 °F (28 °C), and scattered showers were forecast to fall on the track. The start was delayed at 1:18 local time because jet driers were instructed to remove standing water. It began to drizzle 73 minutes later, and jet driers again circulated the track.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
Doug Bradshaw, pastor of Williamston Free Methodist Church, began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. Members of the United States Army Band performed the national anthem, and Detroit Red Wings ice hockey starting goaltender Jimmy Howard and his son James commanded the drivers to start their engines. During the pace laps, Johnson and Newman moved to the rear of the field because they had changed their engines.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
The race commenced at 3:05 p.m. local time. Ambrose broke free from the pack to lead on the approach to the first turn. The first caution came on the following lap when Kurt Busch spun on the backstretch. Ambrose maintained the lead at the lap five restart and held off a challenge from Biffle. On lap six, Biffle tried again, and was successful next time round, getting ahead of Ambrose to take over the lead. Josh Wise's engine failed on lap ten, necessitating the second caution as oil was laid on the track.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
During the caution, Earnhardt and his teammate Biffle made pit stops. The race restarted six laps later, with Biffle keeping his lead over Ambrose. After starting ninth, Logano had moved into the third position by the 21st lap. On the next lap, Kenseth passed Logano to move into third place. A competition caution was waved on lap 26 to mandate that teams made pit stops because of the new left-hand side tires, and the track's newer pavement. Ambrose led the field at the restart on the 31st lap. Kenseth overtook Ambrose to claim the lead on the next lap.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
After starting 34th, Kyle Busch was running in seventh by lap 34. As Kenseth increased his lead over Ambrose, Martin overtook Logano for third place on the 39th lap. Four laps later, Logano lost the fourth position to Biffle. That same lap, Keselowski got ahead of Almirola for tenth. Upfront, Ambrose closed the gap to Kenseth, and he overtook him for the lead on lap 49 despite the presence of Ken Schrader's slower car. A second competition caution for drivers to make mandatory pit stops came out on lap 51.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
The caution was withdrawn five laps later, and Biffle led the field at the restart, followed by Ambrose and Martin. On lap 60, Ambrose attempted to challenge Biffle for the first position but he could not pass him. Keselowski moved into fifth four laps later. On the 69th lap, Ambrose passed Biffle for the lead, and Earnhardt got ahead of Biffle soon after. On the next lap, Earnhardt overtook Ambrose to become the new leader. While Earnhardt increased his advantage at the front of the pack, Martin got by Biffle to advance into third by the 79th lap.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
In the meantime, drivers elected to make green flag pit stops between the 78th to 81st laps. On lap 82, the fifth caution was prompted when foam from a SAFER barrier beside the circuit had to be cleared by series officials. Drivers continued to make pit stops under caution conditions. At the lap 87 restart, Earnhardt was passed by Stewart on the entry to the first turn for the first position. Newman and Logano got ahead of Ambrose to move into sixth and seventh places on lap 90.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
Ambrose lost a further four positions to Martin, Keselowski, Menard, and Montoya during lap 91. By the following lap, Gordon was in fourth place. Later, Stewart increased his lead over Earnhardt to seven-tenths of a second by lap 97. However, eight laps later, Earnhardt closed the gap to Stewart and passed him to get back the lead. Green flag pit stops were made from laps 115 and 120, before a sixth caution came out for Kurt Busch who spun for a second time in the second turn on the 121st lap. Gordon led at the lap 126 restart, but his teammate Earnhardt passed him around the outside in turn two soon after.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
On the lap, a seventh caution was prompted for a three-car accident, that began when Logano attempted to avoid hitting Gilliland (who made contact with the barrier), and lost control of his car. Logano turned back into the wall, collecting Gilliland and Kahne. Logano was transported out of the track via an ambulance as a precaution. The race restarted on the 133rd lap, with Earnhardt holding the lead over Gordon and Montoya through the first and second turns.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
Soon after, the eighth caution was waved; Hamlin and Newman made contact, sending Hamlin spinning on the exit to turn four, and into the grass. As Hamlin went down pit road with oil trailing from his car, its right-hand side caught fire, and he stopped in his pit box. Hamlin received assistance to exit his car by Newman's and Kyle Busch's pit crews, as safety officials extinguished the fire. Hamlin was unhurt. Earnhardt continued to maintain the lead through turn one at the lap 141 restart. Behind Earnhardt, Stewart kept second place from Gordon. Five laps later, Biffle passed Bowyer for fourth, and Ambrose was overtaken by Martin for tenth.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
Johnson got past Montoya on the 147th lap. Twelve laps later, Bowyer was passed by Kenseth. Biffle overtook Gordon to move into third on lap 160. The final round of green flag pit stops began on lap 163, as Earnhardt made his stop. Biffle, Bowyer, McMurray, and Keselowski each led the pack over the next seven laps, until Earnhardt regained the lead after all pit stops had been completed. On lap 186, Biffle lost third place to Johnson. Six laps later, Johnson lost third to Kenseth, and fell to fifth as Biffle got ahead of him.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race
In the meantime, Earnhardt opened his lead at the front of the field to more than five seconds, and he held it for the remainder of the race to win. It was his first victory in 143 races, his second at Michigan International Speedway, and the 19th of his career. Stewart finished second, Kenseth was third, Biffle took fourth, and Johnson fifth. Gordon, Bowyer, Montoya, Ambrose, and Harvick rounded out the top ten finishers. There were 23 lead changes among 14 different drivers during the race. Earnhardt's 95 laps led was the most of any competitor.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
Earnhardt taking about his mindset in Victory Lane after the race.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
Earnhardt appeared in Victory Lane to celebrate his first win since the 2008 LifeLock 400 in front of the crowd of 82,000 people; the win earned him $168,775. He dedicated the victory to his fanbase and thanked his team and pit crew for supporting him, "I was so nervous in the last few laps of that race four years ago. Today, this is the worst feeling, riding around there with 15 laps to go wondering what's going to happen or how you were going to lose. I was just thinking, man, those laps could not go by fast enough.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
It feels good to win, But in a day or two, I'll be thirsty for the next one." Stewart conceded that Earnhardt had a faster car than his but insisted that the latter's victory was not designated as "a national holiday" due to its popularity, "This morning they were celebrating his fourth anniversary of his last win, so I guess we're all in a state of mourning now, because he's broke that string now, so I don't know what we're all supposed to think." Third-placed Kenseth said of his race, "It was kind of a long day.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
We were pretty good in the beginning of the race and got shuffled back and it was tough to work traffic today. They got the setup good on the last two runs and had good pit stops and we were able to stand on the gas and work our way up there to third."


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
Earnhardt received congratulations via text messages from various people and celebrities through Twitter, including former driver Mario Andretti, multi-instrumentalist Charlie Daniels and country music singer Brad Paisley. He also received a phone call from South Carolina Gamecocks football coach Steve Spurrier. Steve Letarte, Earnhardt's crew chief, commented his belief that the driver and team's focus helped him to win, "I can't say enough about the group of guys we have here. They are a tremendous group. They deserve a tremendous amount of the credit. Dale deserves a tremendous amount of credit as well.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
He's not only a great driver, but he's a leader in the team. He does it in his own style and we love the style he brings. It was a fun day to finally get him to Victory Lane." Tori Petry of sports radio station WGGG opined the victory helped NASCAR received better exposure, and Los Angeles Times writer Jim Peltz wrote he believed it would provide the series with an attendance and television ratings increase. Jeff Hammond of Speed said the victory was the result of Earnhardt's team having improved momentum and better focus. He wrote of his expectation for Earnhardt to perform well for the remainder of the season.


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
Hamlin's car bay fire on lap 133 was the first of his career. He said it was an experience that he hoped to avoid in the future but praised the modern safety standards of racing vehicles, "Thankfully, we've got everything that we have safety-wise. One good thing at least is that Ryan's guys came and got me out – and a couple of the 18 (Busch's) guys. NASCAR is a family, and any time anyone is in trouble, everyone is going to try to help. It's good that those guys were around and willing to take a chance."


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
Logano commented that he believed he could have corrected his car in his three-car crash with Gilliland and Kahne, "It's a little frustrating, but we had a top-10 car today, I think we had a top 10 coming to us here – maybe a top five." Ambrose, who led early in the event and then lost positions, said he would accept a top ten finish and was proud of his team, "We led some laps and looked good up there. It was a strong day for us. Not quite what we wanted, but we will take it and move along to Sonoma."


2012 Quicken Loans 400, Race, Post-race
The result kept Kenseth in the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 523 points, ahead of Earnhardt who lowered his advantage from ten to four points. Biffle maintained third place with 548 points. With 532 points, Johnson moved ahead of Hamlin (514 points) to assume the fourth position. Harvick, Truex, Stewart, Bowyer, Keselowski, Edwards and Kyle Busch rounded out the top twelve. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet maintained the lead with 105 points. Toyota remained in second place with 87 points, ten points ahead of Ford, who in turn, were sixteen points in front of Dodge in fourth. The race had a television audience of 5,284,000 million viewers; it took two hours, 52 minutes, and 29 seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 5.393 seconds.


2012 Quito Challenger
The 2012 Quito Challenger was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the 18th edition of the tournament which was part of the 2012 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Quito, Ecuador between 1 and 7 October 2012.


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


2012 Quito Challenger – Doubles
Juan Sebastián Gómez and Maciek Sykut were the defending champions but decided not to participate. Juan Sebastián Cabal and Carlos Salamanca won the title, defeating Marcelo Demoliner and João Souza 7–6(9–7), 7–6(7–4) in the final.


2012 Quito Challenger – Singles
Sebastián Decoud was the defending champion, but lost in the second round. João Souza won the title, defeating Guillaume Rufin 6–2, 7–6(7–4) in the final.


2012 R League
The 2012 R League is the reserve association football league of 2012 K-League. 2012 season was held from March 29 to September 10. In this season, Police FC and eleven K-League club's reserves participate the league. Five reserve clubs (Chunnam, Daegu, Daejeon, Jeju, Jeonbuk) did not participate this season. Group League A teams will play 15 games each and Group League B teams will play 12 games each.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems
The 2012 RBS computer system problems were technical issues affecting computers run by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (now NatWest Group), including National Westminster Bank, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, which began on 19 June 2012.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Cause
A software update was applied on 19 June 2012 to RBS's CA-7 software which controls its payment processing system. It later emerged that the update was corrupted by RBS technical staff. Customers' wages, payments and other transactions were disrupted. Some customers were unable to withdraw cash using ATMs or to see bank account details. Others faced fines for late payment of bills because the system could not process direct debits.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Cause
Stephen Hester, CEO of the RBS Group, said that the problem was caused by a software upgrade. Unite union leaders criticised Hester's management of the episode, but Hester denied that the outsourcing of IT services to India was a factor in the problem, saying that the bank's IT services were mostly based in Edinburgh. A spokesman for the RBS Group said that the problem had occurred in the UK.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Impact
Completions of new home purchases were delayed, and some people were stranded abroad. Another account holder was threatened with the discontinuation of their life support machine in a Mexican hospital, and one man was held in prison. As a result of the error, RBS and NatWest announced that over 1,200 of their busiest branches would extend their hours throughout the week, including the bank's first Sunday opening, to enable affected customers to access cash. On Monday 25 June, over 1,000 branches opened for extended hours, and the number of phone staff was doubled to deal with customer queries.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Impact
On 26 June, RBS admitted that some transactions were still affected by the problem. Ulster Bank said on Wednesday 27 June that it did not expect full services to be restored until the start of the following week, but that it hoped that the automatic payments backlog would be cleared by the weekend.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Impact
On 3 July RBS admitted that some RBS and NatWest personal loan borrowers had accidentally been charged twice and newspapers advised RBS customers to check their balances.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Impact
Customers of Ulster Bank were still having problems accessing cash on 2 July and the bank admitted that they did not know when customers would be able to access cash. RBS denied that the delays with Ulster Bank meant that customers in Ireland meant less to them, saying that Ulster Bank payments followed those of NatWest and RBS. This was a result of the way the computers were set up when the three banks were merged. Monthly payments of social welfare to 48,000 Ulster Bank customers in the Republic of Ireland due on 3 July would be added to the existing backlog.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Impact
RBS said on 4 July that the vast majority of Ulster Bank customers would have normal services restored by 16 July 2012.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Impact
On 5 July the Ulster Bank CEO Jim Brown agreed to waive his annual bonus in response to the crisis.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Reaction, United Kingdom
The Financial Services Authority asked other banks to treat customers of RBS fairly and also demanded a complete account of the problem. Lord Oakeshott called for the bank to be broken up. Sir Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, called for a full investigation by the Financial Services Authority and told the Treasury Select Committee that he had been in very close contact with senior RBS staff over the weekend. The Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rachel Reeves, said that it was "absolutely imperative" that the bank got the situation under control.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Reaction, Ireland
The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, criticised Ulster Bank for the situation which affected 30,000 social welfare recipients. Senator Lorraine Higgins called the situation a "fiasco" and said Ulster Bank should ensure that customers credit ratings were not affected, which Ulster Bank replied it would. The Irish Bank Officials' Association said that an agreement had been made that overtime would be voluntary and that Ulster Bank workers would be paid appropriately for extra work.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Reaction, Ireland
The Irish Payment Services Organisation advised customers to keep records of how they were affected and to contact the Financial Services Ombudsman if they were not satisfied. There was press criticism of Ulster Bank's perceived downplaying of the issue in the early stages.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Reaction, Ireland
The Consumers' Association of Ireland said it had received thousands of complaints from Ulster Bank customers. The Oireachtas Committee on Finance called on representatives of the Central Bank of Ireland to appear before it on 4 July and management of Ulster Bank to do the same on 5 July.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Reaction, RBS statements
On the first Monday after the start of the problems, RBS said that their computers were operating normally, but that Stephen Hester had sent a senior colleague to Dublin to deal with the situation in Ulster Bank. On the same day, some customers still could not see up-to-date account details.


2012 RBS Group computer system problems, Reaction, RBS statements
On 27 June RBS announced that it had cancelled its corporate hospitality at Wimbledon as it would be inappropriate under the circumstances.


2012 RFL Championship
The 2012 Rugby Football League Championship, also known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, was a semi-professional rugby league football competition played in the UK, one tier below the first tier Super League. The two worst performing teams during the season usually are relegated to Championship 1, however for the 2012 season, no relegation took place, due to the expansion of the Championship to 14 teams in 2013. The winners of the division is decided by a play-off system involving the top 6 teams at the end of the regular season with two teams eventually progressing to the Grand Final. The final was won by Sheffield Eagles, who beat Featherstone Rovers 20–16 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.


2012 RFL Championship
There was no automatic promotion from this league to Super League, which uses a licensing system renewed every three years. Qualifying for the Grand Final or winning the Northern Rail Cup is a prerequisite for Championship clubs to be able to apply for a licence in the next round of applications for the 2015–17 seasons.


2012 RFL Championship
All of the teams in the 2012 Co-operative Championship also competed in the 2012 Challenge Cup, where they entered in the third round. All of the teams also competed in the 2012 National League Cup which started before the Co-operative Championship with the finals held mid season.


2012 RFL Championship, Teams
This year's competition featured mostly the same teams as it did in 2011. The Swinton Lions and Keighley Cougars were promoted from the 2011 Championship 1, Widnes Vikings were promoted into Super League after winning a licence for 2012-14 seasons, while Barrow Raiders were relegated. Toulouse Olympique, who finished second bottom the previous season, decided to withdraw from the competition and return to the French Elite One Championship league. The changes means that 10 teams competed in the 2012 season. This will increase to 14 in the 2013 season, which meant no relegation from the Championship for the 2012 season.


2012 RFL Championship, Season Standings
This table is correct as of 2 September 2012. Source:  and .


2012 RFL Championship, Season Standings
Classification: 1st on competition points; 2nd on match points difference. Competition points: For win = 3; For draw = 2; For loss by 12 points or fewer = 1.


2012 RFL Championship, Season Results
The regular league season sees the 10 teams play each other twice (one home, one away) over 18 matches. The top six teams at the end of the regular season goes through to the play-offs to determine the winners of the Championship.


2012 RFL Championship season results
This is a list of the 2012 RFL Championship season results. The Championship is the second-tier rugby league competition in the United Kingdom. The 2012 season started on 8 March and ends on 30 September with the Grand Final at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington. 2012 is the last season to consist of a 10-team division, with the league expanding to 12 teams for 2013 with the inclusion of the top 4 teams from the 2012 Championship 1 season, Barrow Raiders, Doncaster, Whitehaven and Workington Town.


2012 RFL Championship season results
The 2012 season consists of two stages. The regular season was played over 18 round-robin fixtures, in which each of the fourteen teams involved in the competition played each other once at home and once away. In the Championship, a win was worth three points in the table, a draw worth two points apiece, and a loss by less than 12 points during the game earned one bonus point. Defeats by more than 12 points yielded no points.


2012 RFL Championship season results
The Championship will be decided through the second stage of the season, the play-offs. The top six teams in the table contest to play in the Grand Final, the winners of which will be crowned champions.


2012 RFL Championship season results, Play-offs
The play-offs commence following the conclusion of the regular season and include the top six sides from the league and uses a top 6 play-off system, culminating in the grand final at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington, home of Super League side Warrington Wolves.


2012 RFL Championship season results, Play-offs, Notes
A. Match re-arranged for August due to Leigh's Challenge Cup Quarter Final tie


2012 RS:X World Championships
The 2012 RS:X World Championships were held in Cadiz, Spain (Puerto Sherry) between March 20 and March 28.


2012 RS:X World Championships
The regattas of the medal race were canceled due to strong winds.


2012 Rabobank Women Cycling Team season
The 2012 season was the eighth for the  Rabobank Women Cycling Team cycling team, which began as the DSB Bank team in 2005.


2012 Rabobank Women Cycling Team season, UCI World Ranking
The team finished first in the UCI ranking for teams.


2012 Rabobank season
The 2012 season for the Rabobank cycling team began in January at the Tour Down Under. As a UCI ProTeam, they were automatically invited and obligated to send a squad to every event in the UCI World Tour.


2012 Race of Champions
The 2012 Race of Champions was the 25th running of the event, and took place over 14–16 December 2012 at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. During the first day, a ROC Thailand contest was held with four local drivers to decide the identity of the Thai representatives. The top two drivers (Nattavude Charoensukawattana and Tin Sritrai) advanced to the ROC Asia contest, where they faced teams from India, China and Japan.


2012 Race of Champions
The Thai team was guaranteed a place in the main Nations Cup, whilst the second spot was taken by the victorious Indian team formed by F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan and WEC driver Karun Chandhok. During the second day, Germany took their sixth consecutive Nations Cup victory courtesy of Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher, beating France (Sébastien Ogier and Romain Grosjean) in the final 2–0. During the final day, Romain Grosjean won the Race of Champions, beating Tom Kristensen 2–0 in a closely fought final. In the UK, the live broadcasts of the latter two days of the event on Motors TV attracted a peak of 44,000 television viewers, a respectable figure for a satellite-only channel.


2012 Race of Champions, Participants
Champions from numerous series were invited, including Formula One (Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Romain Grosjean), MotoGP (Jorge Lorenzo and Mick Doohan), WTCC (Andy Priaulx), V8 Supercars (Jamie Whincup), PWRC (Benito Guerra) and IndyCar (Ryan Hunter-Reay). Also present was eight-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. The 2012 edition marked the first time drivers from India, Thailand and Mexico have competed, whilst it was the first time since the inaugural Nations Cup event in 1999 that there were no Finnish drivers present. Reigning champion Sébastien Ogier was the only former 'Champion of Champions' in attendance.


2012 Race of Champions, Participants, ROC Asia
2012 marked the inaugural ROC Asia event, with drivers from a variety of championships (including Formula One, WEC and Super GT) taking part. The top two drivers from ROC Thailand would represent Thailand in the event.


2012 Race of Champions, Participants, ROC Thailand
The ROC Thailand contest was held to decide who would represent Thailand in ROC Asia, the Nations Cup and the Race of Champions. 2001 Asian Touring Car Series champion Charoensukawattana and 1999 Formula Asia champion Horthongkum battled out with drift driver Nana and touring car driver Sritrai to be among the top 2.


2012 Race of Champions, Cars
Seven cars were used throughout the event. The Toyota GT86 and Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo made their debut in this year, while the Škoda Fabia was dropped.


2012 Race of Champions, The track
A 697 metres tarmac track was constructed in the Rajamangala Stadium. The track had a bridge to connect the outer lane with the inner lane in an 8 shape track. All the races were run to 2 laps (1.394 km). In the first day a chicane was placed in the bridge area. The chicane was modified for the second and third day making the lap time longer.


2012 Race of Champions, The track
Tom Kristensen made the fastest time (1:14.0680) on the second configuration in an Audi R8 at speed of 67.75 km/h.


2012 Race of Champions, Nations Cup
Drivers who made a false start are marked with a Yellow card  in the tables, and a time penalty of 5 seconds was added to their original time.


2012 Racecar Euro Series
The 2012 Racecar Euro Series was the 4th season of stock car racing in Europe, and the first under NASCAR sanction. The season began on April 8 at Circuit Paul Armagnac. Ander Vilariño was crowned Driver's Champion.


2012 Racecar Euro Series
NASCAR's standard rules were adopted (beneficiary rule and green-white-checker finish).


2012 Racecar Euro Series, Results and standings, Drivers
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2012 Racquetball World Championships
The 16th Racquetball World Championships were held in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) from August 3 to 11, 2012, with players from 22 different countries.


2012 Racquetball World Championships
The championships had two parts. First,  individual competitions for men's and women's singles and doubles, which took place over the first four days. Then following an off day, there was a team competition on the last three days in which countries competed against each other in a best of three match format involving two singles matches and a doubles match.


2012 Racquetball World Championships
This is the second time the Racquetball World Championships were held in Santo Domingo. The previous time was 2006.


2012 Racquetball World Championships
The 2012 World Racquetball Championships were also the qualifying event for the 2013 World Games in Cali, Colombia. The top 16 players in Santo Domingo will qualify to compete in Cali. This only applies to men's and women's singles as the World Games will not have doubles competitions.


2012 RadioShack–Nissan season
The 2012 season for the RadioShack–Nissan cycling team began in January at the Tour Down Under. As a UCI ProTeam, they were automatically invited and obligated to send a squad to every event in the UCI World Tour.


2012 RadioShack–Nissan season
For the 2012 season, the team was renamed from Leopard Trek to RadioShack–Nissan; in effect merging with the American Team RadioShack, which ceased racing, and their former sponsors joined the Luxembourg-based squad. Johan Bruyneel along with twelve riders from the 2011 Team RadioShack squad moved to the team, joining eighteen riders from the Leopard Trek squad.


2012 Radisson Blu Oslo Cup
The 2012 Radisson Blu Oslo Cup was held from September 20 to 23 at the Snarøen Curling Club in Oslo, Norway as part of the 2012–13 World Curling Tour. The event was held in a round robin format, and the purses of the men's and women's events were 160,000 and 100,000 krona, respectively. Niklas Edin of Sweden won the men's event for the third consecutive year, and Canada's Sherry Middaugh won the women's event.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season
The 2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season officially began on 2 January with the start of the 2012 ATP World Tour.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, Asian/Pacific hard court season and Australian Open
Nadal began his World Tour season at the Qatar Open. He beat Philipp Kohlschreiber and qualifier Denis Gremelmayr in rounds one and two and then won against seventh-seeded Mikhail Youzhny. In the semifinal he played poorly and lost to Gaël Monfils in two routine sets.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, Asian/Pacific hard court season and Australian Open, Australian Open
In the Australian Open Nadal began the tournament by breezing past qualifier Alex Kuznetsov of United States. The second round against Tommy Haas, who has never won a set against Rafael, was a little tighter but Nadal again advanced in three straight sets. He outwitted compatriot Feliciano López in Fourth Round and won in Quarter-final and Semi-final, he won in 4 sets against Tomáš Berdych and Roger Federer, respectively. By doing so, he has reached the Finals of all four Grand Slams consecutively.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, Asian/Pacific hard court season and Australian Open, Australian Open
In the final, on 29 January, he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in five sets, the match being the longest ever match for a Grand Slam title. The epic final lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes. They set a new world record, breaking the latest longest major singles final between Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl, which lasted 4 hours and 54 minutes, at the US Open in 1988.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, US hard court season
At Indian Wells, Nadal made it to the semifinals, where he was beaten by Roger Federer, who went on to win the tournament. However, he won the Doubles event of the tournament for the second time in succession after beating John Isner and Sam Querrey in the final.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, US hard court season
He also made the semifinals in Miami, but withdrew because of problems with his knee, the hard-court season taking its toll on his weak spot once again.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European clay court season and the French Open
As the clay court season started, Nadal was seeded 2nd at the 2012 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in April. He was troubled in his opening round by seed number 47, Nieminen of Finland, but prevailed in two sets. He then went on to clinch his 8th Monte Carlo trophy in 9 tries by beating Qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin, easing through Stanislas Wawrinka, and defeating Gilles Simon in the Semifinal, before topping World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final. This ended a streak of 7 straight final losses to Djokovic, which began at the 2011 Indian Wells Masters Final. Novak admitted that Nadal was just a better player, when asked whether the death of his grandfather early at the beginning of the tournament was affecting his whole play.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European clay court season and the French Open
A day after the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Final, Nadal traveled to Barcelona where he received a 'bye' in the first round. His tremendous record on clay continued as he beat compatriot David Ferrer to clinch his seventh title in eight years at the Barcelona Open.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European clay court season and the French Open
The Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open did not go very well for Nadal since he lost early in the 3R to Fernando Verdasco. Nadal stated that he was very unhappy with the new blue-colored clay and threatened not to attend in the future if the surface was not changed. Several other players such as Novak Djokovic agreed with Nadal in his criticism.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European clay court season and the French Open
In the last tournament before the French Open Nadal went to Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. He won every single match in two sets finishing with his second victory over Novak Djokovic and his third title in 2012.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European clay court season and the French Open, French Open
At the French Open, Nadal managed to win all six matches before facing Novak Djokovic in the Final, in which Nadal won in four sets. During the entire tournament, Nadal only lost a single set (against Djokovic in the final). With his seventh championship victory at Roland Garros, Nadal became the most successful tennis player at the French Open.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European clay court season and the French Open, French Open
Throughout the entire Clay court season, Nadal did not drop a single set on the red clay across 3 tournaments and 23 matches, which started in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, BNL d'Italia and was ended by Novak Djokovic in the Final of the French Open. He collected 5 bagels  along the way (a bagel is a score of 6–0 in a set of a tennis match).


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European grass court season, Wimbledon Championships and the Summer Olympics
For the first time since his debut in 2005, Nadal revisited the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany. There he enrolled in both the Doubles and Singles events. He partnered up with Marcel Granollers as his Doubles teammate as well as "hitting company." After disappointing Quarter Finals losses at both the Singles and Doubles events of the Gerry Weber, Rafael Nadal took a week off from the tour and took a visit to his hometown, Manacor.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European grass court season, Wimbledon Championships and the Summer Olympics, Wimbledon Championships
Wimbledon Championships did not go well for Nadal and was a disaster for him. He lost early in the second round to Lukáš Rosol in 5 sets in one of the greatest shocks in Grand Slam history. Rosol then succumbed to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the following round. After his loss, Nadal was off into yet another rest, this time in Sardinia.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European grass court season, Wimbledon Championships and the Summer Olympics, London Olympics
Nadal's second appearance at the Summer Olympics, saw him chosen by the Spanish Sports Federation as the flag-bearer of Spain. He gained automatic entry to the Men's Singles Event and was the defending champion.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, European grass court season, Wimbledon Championships and the Summer Olympics, London Olympics
But on 19 July, Nadal stated that he will be withdrawing from the Olympics citing knee injury as his issue.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, Summer US hard court season
After he withdrew from the London Olympics due to knee tendinitis, Nadal missed the rest of the US Open Series, leading up to the US Open, stating that he will not return to court before the recovery.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, Summer US hard court season, U.S. Open
On 15 August, Nadal announced via Twitter that he was withdrawing from the 2012 US Open (tennis). He had already withdrawn from the 2012 Rogers Cup and the 2012 Western & Southern Open.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, Autumn season
On 3 September, Nadal announced on his homepage that he would not play for the next two months in order to rest and allow his knee to recover. He ultimately missed the remainder of the 2012 season, having received qualification for the ATP World Tour Finals in London after his second round exit from Wimbledon, before pulling out due to injury. Despite missing the final four months of the season, Nadal managed to finish ranked No. 4 in the world, his lowest year-end ranking in eight years.


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Year summary, Autumn season
Nadal stated in his announcement: "I have missed the Olympics and the US Open in the last few weeks, two of the most important tournaments of the year and that I really wanted to play. I really want to be back competing and enjoying the tennis tour, but I have many years in front of me and my knee needs some rest. I will be back when I have no pain and able to compete with guarantee[...]."


2012 Rafael Nadal tennis season, Tournament schedule, Singles schedule
1 The symbol (i) = indoors means that the respective tournament will be held indoors. 2 Difference between new points and previous points. ATP Points Distribution.


2012 Rahim Yar Khan bombing
The  2012 Rahim Yar Khan bombing occurred on 15 January 2012, when a remote-controlled bomb exploded during a Shi'a Muslim procession in the city of Rahim Yar Khan in the southern region of Punjab province, Pakistan. Eighteen people were killed and dozens other injured, some critically, as a result of the attack.


2012 Rahim Yar Khan bombing, Attack
The attack was mostly likely a sectarian-motivated. The incident took place when hundreds of Shi'a Muslims were conducting a Chehlum procession to mourn and commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein bin Ali, in the Khanpur tehsil of Rahim Yar Khan district. The bomb had been planted beforehand near an electricity pylon and went off just when mourners approached a gathering square. According to an eye witness, a loud explosion was heard when the bomb exploded, leaving debris and a cloud of dust. Many people died on the spot from the impact. Angry mourners became violent after the destruction and immediately revolted against police forces stationed near the area, demanding the culprits to be arrested. When the police failed to take control of the situation, paramilitary rangers were called in for support.


2012 Rahim Yar Khan bombing, Attack
Those who were injured were quickly transported to local medical facilities such as the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital. Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif announced a compensation of Rs. 500,000 each for the deceased victims and Rs. 100,000 each for those who were injured.


2012 Rahim Yar Khan bombing, Responsibility
No groups claimed responsibility for the attack. However, there were suspicions centred on the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi which has carried out several sectarian attacks before.


2012 Rahim Yar Khan bombing, Reactions
The bombing was condemned by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani as well as Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Ansar Burney strongly condemned the incident and expressed grief over the loss of lives. Leaders of the Shi'a community, including those of Shia ulema council blamed the government for negligence. The Imamia Students Organisation also condemned the blast. Meanwhile, a local police deputy superintendent was suspended. Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik called for the formation of a committee to launch an investigation.


2012 Rai Open
The 2012 Rai Open was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the fourth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2012 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Rome, Italy between 16 and 22 April 2012.


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


2012 Rai Open – Doubles
Martin Kližan and Alessandro Motti were the defending champions but Kližan decided not to participate. Motti played alongside Laurynas Grigelis. Dustin Brown and Jonathan Marray won the final 6–4, 7–6(7–0) against Andrei Dăescu and Florin Mergea.


2012 Rai Open – Singles
Thomas Schoorel was the defending champion. Roberto Bautista-Agut won the final 6–7(7–9), 6–4, 6–3 against Rui Machado.


2012 Rakhine State riots
The 2012 Rakhine State riots were a series of conflicts primarily between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, though by October Muslims of all ethnicities had begun to be targeted. The riots started came after weeks of sectarian disputes including a gang rape and murder of a Rakhine woman by Rohingya Muslims. On 8 June 2012, Rohingyas started to protest from Friday's prayers in Maungdaw township. More than a dozen residents were killed after police started firing. A state of emergency was declared in Rakhine, allowing the military to participate in administration of the region. As of 22 August 2012, officially there were 88 casualties: 57 Muslims and 31 Buddhists. An estimated 90,000 people were displaced by the violence. Around 2,528 houses were burned; of those, 1,336 belonged to Rohingyas and 1,192 belonged to Rakhines.


2012 Rakhine State riots
Rohingya NGOs accused the Burmese army and police of playing a role in targeting Rohingyas through mass arrests and arbitrary violence, though in-depth research by the International Crisis Group reported that members of both communities were grateful for the protection provided by the military. While the government response was praised by the United States and the European Union, NGOs were more critical, citing discrimination of Rohingyas by the previous military government. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and several human rights groups rejected the President Thein Sein's proposal to resettle the Rohingya abroad.


2012 Rakhine State riots
Fighting broke out again in October, resulting in at least 80 deaths, the displacement of more than 20,000 people, and the burning of thousands of homes. Rohingyas are not allowed to leave their settlements, officially due to security concerns, and are the subject of a campaign of commercial boycott led by Buddhist monks.


2012 Rakhine State riots, Background
Sectarian clashes occur sporadically in Rakhine State, often between the Buddhist Rakhine people who are majority in the southern part, and Rohingya Muslims who are majority in the north. Before the riots, there were widespread and strongly held fears circulating among Buddhist Rakhines that they would soon become a minority in all of Arakan, and not just the northern part, which has long been a Muslim majority. The Burmese government classifies the Rohingya as "immigrants" to Burma and denies them full citizenship. Due to their lack of citizenship, they were previously subject to restrictions on government education, officially recognised marriages, and along with ethnic Rakhines, endured forced labour under the military government.


2012 Rakhine State riots, Background
On the evening of 28 May, three Muslim youths apparently robbed, raped and murdered an ethnic Rakhine woman, Ma Thida Htwe, near her village Tha Pri Chaung when she was returning home from Kyauk Ni Maw Village of Rambree township.


2012 Rakhine State riots, Background
The locals claimed that the culprits were Rohingya Muslims. The police arrested three suspects and sent them to Yanbye township jail. On 3 June, a mob attacked a bus in Taungup, apparently mistakenly believing those responsible for the murder were on board. Ten Muslims were killed in the attack, prompting protests by Burmese Muslims in the commercial capital, Yangon. The government responded by appointing a minister and a senior police chief to head an investigation committee. The committee was ordered to find out "cause and instigation of the incident" and to pursue legal action. As of 2 July 30 people had been arrested over the killing of the Muslims.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots
The June 2012 riots saw various attacks by Buddhist Rakhines and Rohingya Muslims on each other's communities, including destruction of property.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 8 June: Initial attacks
Despite increased security measures, at 3:50 pm 8 June, a large mob of Rakhine ignited several houses in Bohmu Village, Maungdaw Township where 80% of the population is Rohingya Muslims. Telephone lines were also damaged. By the evening, Hmuu Zaw, a high-ranking officer, reported that the security forces were protecting 14 burnt villages in Maungdaw township. Around 5:30, the forces were authorised to use deadly force but they fired mostly warning shots according to local media. Soon afterward, authorities declared that the situation in Maungdaw Township had been stabilised. However, three villages of southern Maungdaw were torched in early evening.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 8 June: Initial attacks
At 9 o'clock, the government imposed curfew in Maungdaw, and forbidding any gathering of more than five persons in public area. An hour later, the rioters had a police outpost in Khayay Mying Village surrounded. The police fired warning shots to disperse them. At 10 o'clock, armed forces had taken positions in Maungdaw. Five people had been confirmed killed as of 8 June.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 9 June: Riots spread
On the morning of 9 June, five army battalions arrived to reinforce the existing security forces. Government set up refugee camps for those whose houses had been burned. Government reports stated that Relief and Resettlement Ministry and Ministry of Defense had distributed 3.3 tons of supplies and 2 tons of clothes respectively.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 9 June: Riots spread
Despite increased security presence, the riots continued unabated. Security forces successfully prevented rioters' attempt to torch five-quarters of Maungdaw. However, Rakhine villagers from Buthidaung Township (where 90 percent of people are Rohingya Muslims) arrived at refugee camps after their houses had been razed by Muslims. Soon after, soldiers took positions and anti-riot police patrolled in the township. The Muslim rioters marched to Sittwe and burned down three houses in Mingan quarter. An official report stated that at least 7 people had been killed, one hostel, 17 shops and over 494 houses had been destroyed as of 9 June.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 10 June: State of emergency
On 10 June, a state of emergency was declared across Rakhine. According to state TV, the order was given in response to "unrest and terrorist attacks" and "intended to restore security and stability to the people immediately." President Thein Sein added that further unrest could threaten the country's moves toward democracy. It was the first time that the current government used the provision. It instigated martial law, giving the military administrative control of the region.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 10 June: State of emergency
The move was criticised by Human Rights Watch, who accused the government of handing control over to a military which had historically brutalised people in the region. Some ethnic Rakhine burned Rohingya houses in Bohmu village in retaliation. Over five thousand people were residing at refugee camps by 10 June. Many of the refugees fled to Sittwe to escape the rioting, overwhelming local officials.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 12–14 June
On 12 June, more buildings were set ablaze in Sittwe as many residents throughout Rakhine were relocated. "Smoke is billowing from many directions and we are scared," said one ethnic Rakhine resident. "The government should send in more security forces to protect [our] communities." An unnamed government official put the death toll at 25 to date.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 12–14 June
The number of casualties were officially revised to 21 on 13 June. A top United Nations envoy visited the region affected by the riots. "We're here to observe and assess how we can continue to provide support to Rakhine [State]," said Ashok Nigam, UN humanitarian coordinator. The envoy later remarked that army appeared to have restored order to the region.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 12–14 June
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi authorities continued to turn away refugees, denying another 140 people entry into Bangladesh. To date at least 15 boats and up to 1,500 total refugees had been turned away. Dipu Moni, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, said at a news conference in the capital, Dhaka, that Bangladesh did not have the capacity to accept refugees because the impoverished country's resources already are strained. The UN called on Bangladesh to reconsider.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 12–14 June
On 14 June, the situation appeared calm as casualty figures were updated to 29 deaths – 16 Muslim and 13 Buddhists according to Myanmar authorities. The government also estimated 2,500 homes had been destroyed and 30,000 people displaced by the violence. Thirty-seven camps across Rakhine housed the refugees. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi warned that violence would continue unless "the rule of law" was restored.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 15–28 June: Fatality figures update and arrest of UN workers
As of 28 June, casualty figures were updated to 80 deaths and estimated 90,000 people were displaced and taking refuge in temporary camps according to official reports. Hundreds of Rohingyas fled across the border to Bangladesh, though many were forced back to Burma. Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh also claimed that the Burmese army and police shot groups of villagers after they started the riot. They stated they feared to return to Burma when Bangladesh rejected them as refugees and asked them to go back home. Despite the claims made by NGOs, an in-depth research by the International Crisis Group reported that members of both communities were grateful for protection provided by the military.


2012 Rakhine State riots, June 2012 riots, 15–28 June: Fatality figures update and arrest of UN workers
The Government of Myanmar arrested 10 UN UNHCR workers and charged three with "stimulating" the riots. António Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, visited Yangon and asked for the release of the UN workers which Myanmar's President Thein Sein said he would not allow but asked if the UN would help to resettle up to 1,000,000 Rohingya Muslims in either refugee camps in Bangladesh or some other country. The UN rejected Thein Sein's proposal.


2012 Rakhine State riots, October riots
Violence between Muslims and Buddhists broke out again in late October. According to the Burmese government, more than 80 people were killed, more than 22,000 people were displaced, and more than 4,600 houses burnt. The outburst of fighting brought the total number of displaced since the beginning of the conflict to 100,000.


2012 Rakhine State riots, October riots
The violence began in the towns of Min Bya and Mrauk Oo by the Muslims, but spread across the state. Though the majority of Rakhine state's Muslims are Rohingya, Muslims of all ethnicities were reported to be targets of the violence in retaliation. Several Muslim groups announced that they would not be celebrating Eid al-Adha because they felt the government could not protect them.


2012 Rakhine State riots, October riots
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon issued a statement on 26 October that "the vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric must be stopped. If this is not done ... the reform and opening up process being currently pursued by the government is likely to be jeopardised." US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called on the Burmese government to halt the violence and allow aid groups unrestricted access.


2012 Rakhine State riots, October riots
On 27 October, a spokesperson for Thein Sein acknowledged "incidents of whole villages and parts of the towns being burnt down in Rakhine state", after Human Rights Watch released a satellite image showing hundreds of Muslim buildings destroyed in Kyaukpyu on Ramree Island. The United Nations reported on 28 October that 3,200 more displaced people had fled to refugee camps, with an estimated additional 2,500 still in transit.


2012 Rakhine State riots, October riots
In early November, Doctors Without Borders reported that pamphlets and posters were being distributed in Rakhine State threatening aid workers who treated Muslims, causing almost all of its local staff to quit.


2012 Rakhine State riots, Misleading photographs in the media
Alleged photographs of crimes against Muslims perpetrated by Buddhists in Rakhine State had been widely circulated during and after the riots. Some of the photos were taken from natural disasters, such as pictures of Tibetan Buddhist monks cremating earthquake victims from the 2010 Yushu earthquake, mislabeled as Burmese monks burning Muslims alive. These were often circulated through facebook, a popular social media website in Myanmar.


2012 Rakhine State riots, Aftermath, Expulsion of Muslims from Sittwe
After the riots, most of the Muslims from Sittwe were removed by security forces into makeshift refugee camps well away from the city, towards Bangladesh. Only few hundred households were left in the ghetto-like Mingalar Ward where they are confined, officially due to security concerns. Rakhine Buddhists are calling for further internment and expulsion of Rohingya Muslims towards Bangladesh or the Bay of Bengal who cannot prove three generations of legal residence - a large part of the nearly one million Muslims from the state.


2012 Rakhine State riots, Aftermath, Rohingya diaspora
Around 140,000 people, the majority of them Rohingya Muslims, were displaced by two waves of organized violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine last year that left some 200 people dead. Thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar since then on overcrowded boats to Malaysia or further south, despite the dangers posed by rough seas. Hundreds are believed to have died at sea in 2013. In May, nearly 60 Rohingyas went missing after their boat sank after hitting rocks as a cyclone approached the bay.


2012 Rakhine State riots, Aftermath, Rohingya diaspora
In November, another boat carrying 70 Rohingyas fleeing sectarian violence capsized off the western coast of Myanmar. Only eight survivors have been found. According to The Economist, later Burmese Buddhist mob violence against Rohingya Muslims in such places as Meiktila, Okpho and Gyobingauk Township "follows on from, and is clearly inspired by, the massacres of Rohingya Muslims around Sittwe" and "now seems to be spreading to other parts of Asia, too".


2012 Rakhine State riots, Aftermath, Investigation
An investigation committee was formed on 28 March 2014 by the Burmese government to take action against the people involved in riots on 26 and 27 March 2014. The report on riots was to have been submitted by 7 April 2014 to the president.


2012 Rakhine State riots, International reactions
On 5 April 2013, Muslim and Buddhist inmates at an immigration detention centre Indonesia rioted along the lines of the conflict in their home country leading to death of 8 Buddhists and 15 injuries of Rohingyas. According to the testimonies of Rohingya witnesses, the reason that sparked the riot was because of sexual harassment against female Rohingya Muslim inmates by the Burmese Buddhist inmates. Indonesian court jailed 14 Muslim Rohingya for nine months each in December. The sentence was lighter than the maximum penalty for violence resulting in death, which is 12 years. The men's lawyer said they would appeal for freedom because there was no real evidence shown during the trial.


2012 Rakhine State riots, International reactions, India
A Rohingya refugee colony gradually grew in New Delhi, as Bangladeshi refugees and Rohingya refugees settled here. By 2018, the colony had grown to more than 30,000 people.


2012 Rakhine State riots, International reactions, India
In August 2012, about 20,000 Indians, mostly Muslims gathered in Mumbai's Azad Maidan to protest the treatment of Rohingyas in Rakhine state. The protest, called by regional Muslim organizations and political parties quickly grew violent. Protesters began to riot and set fire to the offices and establishments in the vicinity. The police was outnumbered and the riots continued for 5 days.


2012 Rakhine State riots, International reactions, India
The riots started off initially as a protest organized in Azad Maidan on 11 August 2012 to condemn the Rakhine riots and Assam riots, which later turned into a riot. The riot reportedly began as the crowd got angry either after hearing an inflammatory speech or after seeing photographs of Assam violence and Rakhine state riots. The riot resulted in two deaths and injuries to 54 people including 45 policemen. Mumbai Police estimated that the riots caused a loss of ₹ 2.74 crore in damages to public and private property.


2012 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships
The 2012 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 39th edition of the event known this year as the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, and part of the 500 Series of the 2012 ATP World Tour. It was held at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, from October 1 till October 7, 2012. Kei Nishikori won the singles title


2012 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2012 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2012 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Finals, Doubles
Alexander Peya /  Bruno Soares defeated  Leander Paes /  Radek Štěpánek, 6–3, 7–6(7–5)


2012 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships – Doubles
Andy Murray and Jamie Murray were the defending champions, but lost in the quarterfinals to first seeded Leander Paes and Radek Štěpánek. Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares won the title, defeating Paes and Štěpánek 6–3, 7–6(7–5) in the final.


2012 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships – Singles
Andy Murray was the defending champion, but lost to Milos Raonic in the semifinals. Eighth-seeded Kei Nishikori won the title beating Milos Raonic in the final 7–6(7–5), 3–6, 6–0, and in doing so became the first home grown winner of the title since Toshiro Sakai in 1972.


2012 Rally Argentina
The 32nd Philips Rally Argentina was the fifth round of 2012 FIA World Rally Championship. It is the longest rally of the year, covering total of 502.73 stage kilometres, with Ambul also being the longest stage of the year. The event took place between 26 and 29 April 2012.


2012 Rally Argentina, Report
Ford World Rally Team driver Jari-Matti Latvala was forced out of the rally after his accident while training two weeks before the rally. He was replaced by Dani Sordo.


2012 Rally Argentina, Results, Power Stage
The "Power stage" was a 4.15 km (2.58 mi) stage at the end of the rally.


2012 Rally Catalunya
The 48º Rally RACC Catalunya – Costa Daurada, alternatively RACC Rally de España, was the thirteenth and the final round of the 2012 World Rally Championship season. The rally took place over 9–11 November, and was based in Salou, Catalonia. The rally was also the final round of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship, Production World Rally Championship and WRC Academy.


2012 Rally Catalunya, Results, Power stage
The Power stage was the penultimate stage of the rally, 26.51 kilometers long Santa Marina. Additional points were given to three fastest drivers through the stage.


2012 Rally Finland
The 62nd Neste Oil Rally Finland was the eighth round of the 2012 World Rally Championship season and was held between 2 and 4 August 2012. In a similar manner to the previous year, the rally was based in Jyväskylä with a super special stage held at Jokimaa, Lahti.


2012 Rally Finland
The rally was also the fifth round of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship and the third round of the WRC Academy.


2012 Rally Finland, Entry list
The entry list saw a total of 86 entries, 81 of which started.


2012 Rally Finland, Report
Sébastien Loeb won the Rally Finland for the third time in his career. He led the rally from start to finish and was fastest in nine stages.


2012 Rally Finland, Results, Power stage
The Power stage was a legendary Rally Finland stage, 33.01 km long Ouninpohja. The three fastest crews of this stage were awarded by drivers' championship points.


2012 Rally Italia Sardegna
The 2012 Rally Italia Sardegna was the penultimate round of the 2012 World Rally Championship season and was held between 18 and 21 October 2012. It was based in Olbia, Sardegna.


2012 Rally Italia Sardegna
The rally was also the seventh round of the Production World Rally Championship.


2012 Rally Italia Sardegna, Results, Power stage
The "Power stage" was a 8.24 km (5.12 mi) stage at the end of the rally.


2012 Rally México
The 2012 Rally México was the third round of the 2012 World Rally Championship (WRC) season. The rally took place between 8 and 11 March 2012.


2012 Rally México, Results, Event standings
*This team does not score points in the PWRC championship.


2012 Rally México, Results, Power Stage
The "Power stage" was a 5.46 km (3.39 mi) stage at the end of the rally.


2012 Rally New Zealand
The 42nd Brother Rally New Zealand was the seventh round of 2012 FIA World Rally Championship. The event took place between 22 and 24 June 2012.


2012 Rally New Zealand, Results, Power stage
The three fastest crews of this stage were awarded by championship points.


2012 Rally Sweden
The 2012 Rally Sweden, officially 60th Uddeholm Swedish Rally, was the second round of the 2012 World Rally Championship (WRC) season. The rally took place between 9 and 12 February 2012.


2012 Rally Sweden, Results, Event standings
*These teams do not score points in the SWRC championship.


2012 Rally Sweden, Results, Power Stage
The "Power stage" was a 4.66 km (2.90 mi) stage at the end of the rally, held near Hagfors.


2012 Rally de Portugal
The 2012 Rally de Portugal was the fourth round of the 2012 World Rally Championship season and was based in Faro, Portugal. It started with a street stage in Lisbon on 29 March and concluded on 1 April after twenty-two special stages, totalling 434 competitive kilometres.


2012 Rally de Portugal, Report, Before the rally
The rally was preceded by the "Fafe Rally Sprint", a single-stage exhibition event run over the famous Fafe stages in the country's north which was won by Ford World Rally Team driver Petter Solberg. Solberg's team-mate, Jari-Matti Latvala won the rally's qualifying stage on the Wednesday before the start of the rally. Latvala elected to run seventeenth on the road as a result; by contrast, Citroën Total World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Sébastien Loeb elected to run first and second respectively.


2012 Rally de Portugal, Results, Power Stage
The "Power stage" was a 5.08 km (3.16 mi) stage at the end of the rally.


2012 Rallye Deutschland
The 2012 Rallye Deutschland is the ninth round of the 2012 World Rally Championship season. Based in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, the event took place from 24–26 August. The rally was also the sixth round of the World Rally Championship for Production cars, and the fifth round of the World Rally Championship Academy.


2012 Rallye Deutschland, Results, Power stage
The Power stage was a short 4.37 km stage run through the streets of Trier known as the Circus Maximus. The three fastest crews through this stage were awarded by drivers' championship points. Sébastien Loeb was the fastest driver through the stage, earning three additional championship points. His teammate, Mikko Hirvonen was second, while Volkswagen Motorsport driver Andreas Mikkelsen finished third. The single point Mikkelsen earned marked the first time a S2000 car scored points on a Power stage.


2012 Rallye de France
The 2012 Rallye de France – Alsace was the eleventh round of the 2012 World Rally Championship season. The rally took place over 4–7 October, and was based in Strasbourg, the capital city of the Alsace region of France. The rally was also the seventh round of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship, and the fifth round of the WRC Academy.


2012 Rallye de France
Victor Sébastien Loeb retained his driver champion title in this rally, and the third place of his teammate Mikko Hirvonen allowed Citroën to retain the manufacturer title as well, making this rally a repeat of the 2010 event.


2012 Rallye de France, Results, Power stage
The Power stage was a 17.08 km stage run through the Vignoble de Cleebourg. The three fastest crews through this stage were awarded by drivers' championship points. Ott Tänak was the fastest driver through the stage, earning three additional championship points. Thierry Neuville was second, while Mads Østberg finished third.


2012 Ramsay state by-election
A by-election occurred in the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Ramsay on 11 February 2012. The seat was won by Labor candidate Zoe Bettison. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Premier and state Labor MHA Mike Rann.


2012 Ramsay state by-election, Background
Rann and Kevin Foley resigned from their parliamentary seats, which created twin by-elections for 11 February, the other being the 2012 Port Adelaide by-election. On two-party preferred margins of 18.0 percent and 12.8 percent from the 2010 election, considered safe margins on the previous pendulum, Labor would have likely retained both seats on the two-party preferred vote based on unchanged statewide Newspoll since the previous election. Ramsay was the safest of Labor's seats based on the previous election. In the lower house, 24 seats form a majority, the Labor government held 26 of 47 seats. If one or both seats were lost, Labor would still have retained majority government.


2012 Ramsay state by-election, Background
Rann was first elected as the member for the new northern metropolitan seat of Briggs at the 1985 election. From 1989 he held various ministries in the Bannon Labor government. Briggs was abolished in an electoral redistribution, with Rann moving to Ramsay in 1993. Rann was state Labor leader and leader of the opposition from 1994 after the Labor government was defeated a year earlier. Rann led Labor to minority government at the 2002 election, a landslide majority government at the 2006 election, and retained majority government at the 2010 election despite a swing. Rann stepped down in favour of Jay Weatherill as party leader and Premier in 2011. Rann is the third-longest-serving Premier of South Australia and longest-serving South Australian Labor leader, and afterward became the longest-serving period of South Australian Labor government in history.


2012 Ramsay state by-election, Background
The last by-election was the 2009 Frome by-election, when another former Premier, Rob Kerin, retired from politics. The seat was narrowly won by an independent candidate.


2012 Ramsay state by-election, Candidates
The Liberal Party, Family First Party, and the Australian Democrats, who contested the previous election and gained 24.9 percent, 9.6 percent, and 3.0 percent respectively, did not contest the by-election.


2012 Ramsay state by-election, Polling
One opinion poll was conducted and released by the in-house polling group at The Advertiser, Adelaide's main newspaper. On 30 January 2012, 410 voters were polled in the seat. After the Liberal Party declined to field a candidate, Labor's primary vote was at 51 percent (57.9 percent at the last election), with the LDP on 23 percent, Aldridge on 10 percent, the Greens on 9 percent (4.6 percent), with remaining candidates on about 7 percent collectively.


2012 Ramsay state by-election, Result
Labor retained the seat on a 66.7 percent two-candidate preferred vote against Aldridge, with a majority in all nine polling places – Ramsay remained the safest Labor seat in the parliament. Postal votes were included on 13 February, absentee and pre-poll votes were included on 14 February. Preference distributions occurred on 18 February. Results are final.


2012 Ramu violence
The 2012 Ramu violence refers to a series of attacks on Buddhist monasteries, shrines, and houses of Buddhist inhabitants in Ramu Upazila in Cox's Bazar District in Bangladesh by local mobs on the midnight past 29 September 2012. The mobs destroyed 12 Buddhist temples and monasteries and 50 houses in reaction to a tagging of an image depicting the desecration of a Quran on the timeline of a fake Facebook account under a Buddhist male name. The actual posting of the photo was not done by the Buddhist who was falsely slandered. The Buddhist was innocent of the accusation. The violence later spread to Ukhia Upazila in Cox's Bazar District and Patiya Upazila in Chittagong District where Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples were targeted for attacks.


2012 Ramu violence
An estimated 25,000 people participated in the violence directed at Buddhists and over 300 people were arrested in connection to the attacks.


2012 Ramu violence, Background
A person using a pseudonym posted an image depicting the desecration of a Quran on a Buddhist's Facebook page. Some local residents took offence to the incident and staged processions and demonstrations in Ramu in the afternoon and evening of 29 September.


2012 Ramu violence, Events
On 29 September, at around 10 p.m., a procession was held in Ramu in protest of the perceived blasphemous image uploaded to a Facebook account. Newspaper reports stated that local Awami League leaders were initially seen mobilising the mob and emphasising the sentimental religious issue to counter the opposition. The Daily Star, a widely circulated national daily, reported that a motley group comprising local leaders of pro-Awami League organisations, BNP men, madrasa students and common people were allegedly behind the communal violence at Ramu on Saturday night.


2012 Ramu violence, Events
At a subsequent procession, some people demanded the arrest of the man they believed to be responsible. At around 11:30 p.m., a third procession marched towards Barua Parha, and some of the Buddhist houses were torched. Subsequently, Buddhist temples, monasteries, and residences were also torched. Ten Buddhist villages were attacked as well with gunpowder, kerosene, and petrol used for the purpose. The arson continued till 3 a.m. 30 September.


2012 Ramu violence, Events
On 30 September, in the evening, Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples were vandalized in Ukhia Upazila in Cox's Bazar District. Two more Buddhist monasteries were burnt in Ukhiya early on Monday. At Marichya, the Dipankar Bouddha Bihar was torched while at Khairatipara the Pangyamitra Bouddha Bihar was also torched. By Monday, a total of six monasteries and temples have been damaged in Ukhia. The fanatics also burnt the Matri Mandir Hindu temple in Jelepara. The participants burned religious texts and seized Buddha statues.


2012 Ramu violence, Events
The violence spread to Patiya Upazila in Chittagong District on Sunday. At noon, Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples were attacked in Patiya. After the midnight past Sunday i.e. on the early morning of 1 October 500 workers of the Western Marine shipping company torched two Buddhist monasteries and one Hindu temple in Patiya. In Kalagaon, the Ratnankur Bouddha Bihar and the Nabarun Sangha Durgabari were torched as was the Abhay Bouddha Bihar in Lakhera.


2012 Ramu violence, Events
Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are suspected to be involved in the attacks. On Tuesday afternoon, 2 October, three Rohingyas were arrested by the police in Chakaria Upazila of Cox's Bazar District while they were trying to attack a Buddhist monastery in Manikpur.


2012 Ramu violence, Investigation
On 30 September, an official inquiry committee was constituted and headed by Nurul Islam, the Additional Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Division. It sat on 1 October and reviewed the reports of the Upazila Nirbahi Officers of the troubled upazilas and the daily newspaper reports.


2012 Ramu violence, Investigation
The Supreme Court on 12 May 2014 directed Tofail Ahmed, upazila chairman of Naikhangchhari upazila of Bandarban, to surrender before a lower court in four weeks in connection with the attack and vandalisation of a Buddhist temple at Ramu in Cox's Bazar in 2012. Tofail is the prime suspect in the Ramu incident according to a governmental investigation report.


2012 Ramu violence, Reactions
Groups of Buddhist monks and Hindu groups in Burma, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand demonstrated in response to the anti-Buddhist violence in Bangladesh. In Colombo, Sri Lanka, some protested outside the Bangladeshi embassy and a petition was delivered condemning the attacks.


2012 Ramu violence, Reactions
Some windows of the Bangladeshi embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka were vandalized before police arrived and dispersed the protest.


2012 Ramu violence, Reactions
On 6 October, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the anti-Buddhist violence, stated her belief that it was premeditated, and urged restraint over the issue.


2012 Ramu violence, Reactions
On 8 October the Prime Minister herself visited the affected areas and condemned the incident while promising proper justice.


2012 Ramu violence, Reactions
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed Bangladesh Army to rebuild these temples under a project, titled 'Rebuilding and Renovation of damaged Buddhist Temples', spending Tk 200 million. The Bangladesh Army rebuilt and renovated these Buddhist temples and Bihars in 19 separate places incorporating the traditional designs of the renowned architects from the Buddhist community.


2012 Ramu violence, Reactions
President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid on 10 January 2014 visited several rebuilt Buddhist temples and centers at Ramu upazila of Cox's Bazar. During the visit, president enquired about the wellbeing of local Buddhist community and distributed cheques to the affected members of the community.


2012 Reading Borough Council election
Elections to Reading Borough Council took place on 3 May 2012, with 16 council seats up for election. The Labour Party gained Church, Katesgrove, Redlands, Kentwood and Caversham wards, giving them a working majority and control of the council. The Conservative Party lost three seats but gained Peppard ward from an independent. The Liberal Democrats lost two seats but held Tilehurst ward, a seat they had lost the previous year to the Conservative Party. The Green Party gained Park ward from Labour but failed to make gains elsewhere seeing their percentage of the borough-wide vote fall slightly.


2012 Reading Express season
The 2012 Reading Express season was the seventh season as a professional indoor football franchise and their second in the Indoor Football League (IFL). One of 16 teams competing in the IFL for the 2012 season, the Reading Express were members of the United Conference.


2012 Reading Express season
The team played their home games under head coach Mark Steinmeyer at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Express earned a 2-12 record, placing 8th in the United Conference, failing to qualify for the postseason.


2012 Real Salt Lake season
The 2012 Real Salt Lake season is the team's eighth year of existence. The team's first game was on March 10 at the Home Depot Center against the Los Angeles Galaxy, which they won 3-1.


2012 Real Salt Lake season, Competitions, Major League Soccer, League standings
(SS) = Supporters Shield winner; (W1) = Western Conference champion


2012 Real Salt Lake season, Competitions, Major League Soccer, Results summary
Last updated: October 27, 2012Source: 2012 Major League Soccer seasonPld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won;  T = Matches tied;  L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2012 Real Salt Lake season, Miscellany, Allocation ranking
Real Salt Lake is in the #17 position in the MLS Allocation Ranking. The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.S. National Team player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the league after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee. A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is another club's ranking.


2012 Real Salt Lake season, Miscellany, International roster spots
Real Salt Lake has 6 MLS International Roster Slots for use in the 2012 season. Each club in Major League Soccer is allocated 8 international roster spots and Real Salt Lake has traded away two spots permanently, one to Chivas USA in 2004 and the other to Colorado Rapids in 2005.


2012 Real Salt Lake season, Miscellany, Future draft pick trades
Future picks acquired: *2013 MLS SuperDraft Round 3 pick from D.C. United; *Unspecified year conditional draft pick from Seattle Sounders FC. Future picks traded: *2013 MLS SuperDraft conditional pick to Vancouver Whitecaps FC; *2014 MLS SuperDraft round 4 pick to Chicago Fire; *2014 MLS SuperDraft conditional pick to Montreal Impact.


2012 Recopa Sudamericana
The 2012 Recopa Sudamericana (officially the 2012 Recopa Santander Sudamericana for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th edition of the Recopa Sudamericana, the football competition organized by CONMEBOL between the winners of the previous season's two major South American club tournaments, the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana. It was contested between Brazilian club Santos, the 2011 Copa Libertadores champion, and Chilean club Universidad de Chile, the 2011 Copa Sudamericana champion.


2012 Recopa Sudamericana
After a goalless first leg, Santos was crowned champions after their 2–0 victory in the second leg. Neymar of Santos was selected as the player of the 2012 Recopa Sudamericana.


2012 Recopa Sudamericana, Rules
The Recopa Sudamericana was played over two legs; home and away. The team that qualified via the Copa Libertadores played the second leg at home. The team that accumulated the most points —three for a win, one for a draw, zero for a loss— after the two legs was crowned the champion. In case of the two teams tied on points after the second leg, the team with the best goal difference won. If the two teams had equal goal difference, the away goals rule was not applied. Extra time was played, which consisted of two 15-minute halves. If the tie was still not broken, a penalty shootout ensued according to the Laws of the Game.


2012 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
The 2012 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season was the sixth season of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The season began at Circuito de Jerez on 28 April and ended on 30 September at MotorLand Aragón after 15 races. The races, contested by the riders on equal KTM 125cc machinery for the last season before switching to the 250cc 4-stroke Moto3 bikes for 2013, were held at eight meetings on the Grand Prix motorcycle racing calendar.


2012 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
German rider Florian Alt won the championship, securing the title with a third place in the first Aragon race.


2012 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, Championship standings
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. Rider had to finish the race to earn points.


2012 Red Deer Curling Classic
The 2012 Red Deer Curling Classic was held from November 2 to 5 at the Red Deer Curling Club in Red Deer, Alberta as part of the 2012–13 World Curling Tour. The event was held in a triple knockout format. The purse for the men's event was CAD$33,000, of which the winner, Brendan Bottcher, received CAD$9,000. The purse for the women's event was CAD$36,000, of which the winner, Chelsea Carey, received CAD$9,500. Bottcher defeated Kevin Koe in the men's final with a score of 6–3, while Carey defeated Kaitlyn Lawes, who was skipping in place of Jennifer Jones, in the women's final with a score of 7–3.


2012 Redditch Borough Council election
The 2012 Redditch Borough Council election for the Redditch Borough Council was held on 3 May 2012. All Council wards, apart from Abbey, Astwood Bank & Feckenham, and Crabbs Cross & Rural wards, voted in the local elections. In the Church Hill ward, two councillors were up for election, due to a by-election which was called after the death of Labour councillor Robin King, who died in February 2012.


2012 Redditch Borough Council election, Election results
All parties received fewer votes compared to 2011. This is probably due to low turnouts across Redditch and because Astwood Bank & Feckenham ward and Crabbs Cross & Rural Ward were not voting. These wards normally have higher than average turnouts.


2012 Reform Party of New Jersey Convention
The 2012 Reform Party of New Jersey convention took place on April 14, 2012 in Piscataway, New Jersey.


2012 Reform Party of New Jersey Convention, Presidential Straw Poll
The Reform Party of New Jersey's presidential straw poll was the earliest barometer by which party members could gage their prospects for the 2012 presidential election. While most theorized that former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer would face little competition during the party's nominating process, fitness model Andre Barnett won a surprise victory at the party's convention, thus making him the frontrunner for the Reform Party of the United States presidential nomination. Barnett was the only candidate who addressed the convention; Roemer, Whitley, and McCormick declined invitations to attend the event. Subsequently, Roemer placed second in the straw poll.


2012 Reform Party presidential primaries
The Reform Party of the United States of America held primary elections for its presidential candidate in May 2012.


2012 Regional League Division 2
The 2012 Regional League Division 2 (also known as the AIS Regional League Division 2 for sponsorship reasons) was contested by the five regional league winners and runners up of the 3rd level championships of Thailand. The two best 3rd placed teams from the regional leagues also take part


2012 Regional League Division 2
Twelve teams were split into two groups of A & B, with the top two teams from group A & B gaining promotion to the Yamaha League-1 for the 2013 campaign, along with this, the two group winners would play off to determine the overall champions.


2012 Regional League Division 2, 2012 Regional League table All locations, 2012
red Zone:2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan RegionYellow Zone:2012 Regional League Division 2 Central & Eastern RegionGreen Zone: 2012 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region Region Orange Zone:2012 Regional League Division 2 North Eastern RegionBlue Zone:2012 Regional League Division 2 Southern Region


2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region
2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region is the 4th season of the League competition since its establishment in 2009. It is in the third tier of the Thai football league system.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Promoted Clubs
No club was promoted to the Thai Division 1 League. Last years league champions Kasetsart University and runners up North Bangkok College failed to qualify from the 2011 Regional League Division 2 championship pool.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Relegated Clubs
RBAC Mittraphap, Samut Prakan Customs United and Thai Honda were relegated from the 2011 Thai Division 1 League.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Relocated Clubs
Samut Sakhon  re-located to the Regional League Bangkok Area Division from the  Regional League Central-East Region 2011.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Relocated Clubs
Maptaphut Rayong, Royal Thai Fleet, Thanyaburi United have all been moved into the Central-East Region 2012


2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Relocated Clubs
Paknampho NSRU moved into the  Division 2 League Northern Region 2012


2012 Regional League Division 2 Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Returning Clubs
Central Lions (previously known as (North-Central)   is returning to the league.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Central & Eastern Region
2012 Regional League Division 2 Central & Eastern Region is the 4th season of the League competition since its establishment in 2009. It is in the third tier of the Thai football league system.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Central & Eastern Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Promoted Clubs
Ratchaburi were promoted to the 2012 Thai Division 1 League after winning the 2011 Regional League Division 2 championship pool.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Central & Eastern Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Relocated Clubs
Maptaphut Rayong, Royal Thai Fleet, Thanyaburi RA United  re-located to the Regional League Central-East Division  from the  Regional League Bangkok Area Region 2011.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Central & Eastern Region, Changes from Last Season, Team Changes, Relocated Clubs
Samut Sakhon have all been moved into the Regional League Bangkok Area Region 2012.


2012 Regional League Division 2 North Eastern Region
2012 Regional League Division 2 North-East Region is the 4th season of the League competition since its establishment in 2009. It is in the third tier of the Thai football league system. The league winners and runners up will qualify for the 2012 Regional League Division 2 championship stage.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region
2012 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region is the fourth season of the League competition since its establishment in 2009. It is in the third tier of the Thai football league system.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region, Changes from last season, Team changes, Promoted clubs
No club was promoted to the Thai Division 1 League. Last years league champions Phitsanulok and runners up Lamphun Warrior failed to qualify from the 2011 Regional League Division 2 championship pool.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region, Changes from last season, Team changes, Relegated clubs
Chiangmai were relegated from the 2011 Thai Division 1 League.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region, Changes from last season, Team changes, Relocated clubs
Paknampho NSRU  re-located to the Regional League Northern Division from the Regional League Bangkok Area Division.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Southern Region
2012 Regional League Division 2 Southern Region is the 3rd season of the League competition since its establishment in 2009. It is in the third tier of the Thai football league system.


2012 Regional League Division 2 Southern Region, Changes from last season, Team changes, Promoted club
Krabi and Phattalung were promoted to the 2012 Thai Division 1 League.


2012 Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship
The 2012 Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship was the inaugural season of the women's Twenty20 cricket competition played in the West Indies. It took place in August 2012, with 8 teams taking part and all matches taking place in Jamaica. Jamaica won the tournament, beating Trinidad and Tobago in the final.


2012 Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship, Competition format
The teams played in a round-robin group of eight, therefore playing seven matches. Matches were played using a Twenty20 format. The top two teams in each group progressed to the final, whilst the other teams competed in 3rd, 5th and 7th Place Play-Offs.


2012 Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship, Competition format
The group worked on a points system with positions being based on the total points. Points were awarded as follows:


2012 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and Memphis International
The 2012 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Memphis International was an ATP World Tour and WTA Tour event held at the hardcourts of the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, US. It was the 37th edition of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the 27th edition of the Memphis WTA International Event. The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships was part of the ATP World Tour 500 series on the 2012 ATP World Tour, and the Cellular South Cup was an International-level tournament on the 2012 WTA Tour. The event took place from February 17 to February 26, 2012. Jürgen Melzer and Sofia Arvidsson won the singles titles.


2012 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and Memphis International, ATP doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2012 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and Memphis International, WTA doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw: