Nuevas "complicaciones" en salud de Chávez sacuden el fin de año de los venezolanos

VENEZUELA CHÁVEZ

Caracas, 31 dic (EFE).- La noticia de las nuevas "complicaciones" en el postoperatorio del presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, intervenido en Cuba hace 20 días, sacudió hoy el final del 2012 para los venezolanos y acrecentó la incertidumbre acerca de su salud y si esta le permitirá concluir su actual mandato y asumir el venidero.
Después de que el vicepresidente, Nicolás Maduro, anunció ayer que el estado de Chávez, de 58 años y operado por cuarta ocasión a raíz del cáncer, "continúa siendo delicado" se suspendió un concierto organizado en Caracas para despedir el año y, a cambio, se pidió una oración "de fe y esperanza" por la salud del presidente.

El presidente Hugo Chávez debería asumir el próximo 10 de enero un nuevo mandato para el período 2013-2019 después de lograr su tercera reelección consecutiva en los comicios del pasado 7 de octubre. EFE/Archivo

El informe oficial leído por Maduro desde Cuba, donde permanece Chávez, hizo estallar las redes sociales con todo tipo de mensajes, mientras el ministro de Comunicación, Ernesto Villegas, pidió respeto por la condición del jefe de Estado y llamó a manejar el tema con responsabilidad.
"No se dejen llevar por lo que se escribe en el Twitter, no se puede jugar con la salud del comandante Chávez, es un asunto que tiene repercusión en la vida de terceros. Asumamos con mucha responsabilidad, sobre todo, aquellos que nos toca comunicar de manera masiva", afirmó Villegas, un reconocido periodista local.
La salud de Chávez ha mantenido en vilo a los venezolanos desde el pasado 8 de diciembre, cuando anunció que le habían detectado algunas "células malignas" después de año y medio de tratamiento contra un cáncer que le fue diagnosticado a mediados de 2011 y por el también que ha debido recibir quimio y radioterapia.
El líder de la revolución bolivariana desde 1999 deberá jurar el próximo 10 de enero a un cuarto mandato para el periodo 2013-2019 luego de ganar holgadamente los comicios del pasado 7 de octubre.
Pero el agravamiento en su salud y su advertencia del día 8 sobre la posibilidad de un escenario en el que no pudiera estar y para el cual ungió a Maduro como heredero y sucesor mantienen en incógnita si concluirá esta gestión, en la que se encuentra con permiso del Parlamento para atender su salud, y, más aún, si asumirá en enero.
Un escenario sin Chávez, que él mismo puso sobre la mesa, ha abierto toda clase de discusiones en el país con la oposición exigiendo que se informe detalladamente la condición del gobernante y se designe a una junta médica que viaje a la isla.
Mientras, el oficialismo ha defendido que si el mandatario no asume la Presidencia el 10 de enero, fecha en la que, según la Constitución, debe iniciar su nuevo mandato, esto no determina una ausencia absoluta.
Según el artículo 231 de la Carta Magna venezolana, el candidato elegido tomará posesión el 10 de enero "del primer año de su período constitucional" ante la Asamblea Nacional (parlamento) y si "por cualquier motivo sobrevenido" no puede jurar lo hará ante el Tribunal Supremo de Justicia sin especificar fecha o plazos.
A su vez, el artículo 233 establece que en caso de que se produzca una falta absoluta del presidente electo antes de tomar posesión, se encargará del puesto el titular de la Asamblea Nacional y se convocará a una "nueva elección universal, directa y secreta" en los 30 días "consecutivos siguientes".
El texto define como "faltas absolutas" del presidente su muerte, renuncia o destitución decretada por el Supremo, incapacidad física o mental permanente certificada por una junta médica, abandono del cargo y la revocatoria popular de su mandato.
Esta controversia no ha sido ajena a las redes sociales donde chavistas y opositores no paran de opinar, aunque también se han convertido en medio para que muchos seguidores del mandatario le envíen sus mensajes de solidaridad.
Uno de esos escritos enviado en Twitter bajo la etiqueta #ChávezViveYVencerá dice: "resiste comandante por favor, resiste por la gente por la patria bonita, por los pobres del mundo, resista, resista".
La ministra de Desarrollo Social de Argentina, Alicia Kirchner, también usó la etiqueta y escribió en su cuenta @aliciakirchner "Fuerza, @chavezcandanga ¡El pueblo argentino te acompaña! Estamos con vos. #Chavezguerrerodelavida".
Mientras que la exsenadora colombiana Piedad Córdoba publicó en su cuenta þ@piedadcordoba: "Chávez!! corazón de los pobres del mundo!! Fuerza y fe!!".
"Hoy elevo una oración al creador por la salud de mi amigo del alma Hugo Chavez!!", añadió Córdoba.
María Gabriela Chávez, hija del gobernante y una de las más activas por Twitter, apuntó, por su parte: "Gracias pueblo de Venezuela.Gracias pueblos del mundo.Uds y su Amor siempre han sido nuestra mayor fortaleza!Con Dios vamos! Se les ama!".COPY http://www.blogger.com/

Pelo menos 2 pessoas morreram em deslizamento em estrada na Colômbia

COLÔMBIA DESLIZAMENTO

Pelo menos 2 pessoas morreram em deslizamento em estrada na Colômbia

Bogotá, 30 dez (EFE).- Pelo menos duas pessoas em um deslizamento registrado no sábado em uma via rural no sul da Colômbia, embora a princípio as autoridades tinham informado de cinco mortos, erro que atribuíram ao olfato de um cachorro da Polícia.
O deslizamento de terra foi registrado em um ponto conhecido como Balsillas, entre os departamentos (estados) de Huila e Caquetá, na parte baixa de uma grande montanha da qual se desprenderam entre 8.000 e 10.000 metros cúbicos de material.

Equipes de socorro realizam resgate em deslizamento de terra na Colômbia. EFE

Os organismos de socorro abordaram neste domingo o difícil resgate na estrada sobre o qual foi registrado o deslizamento, devido a que a instabilidade do terreno impediu recuperar a via e encontrar mais do que dois mortos e sete feridos.
De acordo com o último boletim do dia emitido pela Unidade de Gestão de Risco de Desastres (UNGRD), são dois os mortos encontrados e sete os feridos.
Além disso, três famílias reportaram o desaparecimento de seus membros após o deslizamento.
No entanto, as primeiras informações do dia chegaram a reportar cinco mortos, confusão que o prefeito de Neiva, Pedro Suárez, atribuiu às "dificuldades de comunicação" no setor.
"Aparentemente houve uma identificação de corpos por parte de um cão da Polícia Nacional e por isso se reportou um positivo de algumas pessoas falecidas. Mas infelizmente até o momento só se puderam resgatar dois corpos e não temos maior informação sobre os outros", admitiu em declarações à "Caracol Radio".
Suárez disse que o terreno permanece instável e em condições que ainda não foram confirmadas por um geotécnico como aptas.
Deste modo, se espera o veredicto do especialista "para ter a absoluta segurança de que as ações tenham como princípio fundamental que as pessoas que vão trabalhar não sejam afetadas por outro desmoronamento".
Durante o dia consegui-se tirar os restos de dois automóveis, nos quais encontraram um dos mortos.
O outro foi achado na noite de sábado e identificado como Duverney Vanegas Pacheco, o operário que manejava uma retroescavadeira que tentava reparar um deslizamento anterior, e que ao remover a terra supostamente teria provocado o novo desmoronamento.
A fim de obter recursos com mais facilidade, os organismos de socorro decretaram neste domingo "calamidade pública" nessa região do sul do país para poder assim enfrentar a situação até quando seja necessário.
Os trabalhos de busca e resgate terminaram ao cair da noite e serão retomados no começo desta segunda-feira com máquinas sofisticadas e equipes humanas e caninas.COPIADO http://www.efe.com/efe

ONU retira últimas tropas e encerra sua presença no Timor-Leste

TIMOR-LESTE ONU

Sydney (Austrália), 31 dez (EFE).- As Nações Unidas retiraram os últimos "capacetes azuis" que permaneciam no Timor-Leste, país no qual a segurança continua sendo frágil após uma década de independência, marcada por focos de violência.
Com a retirada de perto de 30 policiais e militares de um contingente que chegou a ser composto por 1.500 soldados de diferentes países, concluiu oficialmente o mandato da chamada Missão Integrada das Nações Unidas no Timor-Leste.

A ONU encerrou sua presença no Timor-Leste, onde contribuiu para a estabilização do país. EFE

O até agora chefe da missão, o dinamarquês Finn Reske-Nielsen, disse à emissora "Rádio Austrália", que desde a criação desta fizeram-se avanços para que haja mais segurança e um maior clima de paz no país.
As Nações Unidas, que organizaram o referendo que em 1999 representou o final de quase meio século de ocupação indonésia, administrou o Timor-Leste até que em 2002 a independência foi declarada e o primeiro Governo formado.
E após tutelar a transição até 2005, retornou no ano seguinte quando o Governo timorense se viu obrigado a solicitar ajuda à comunidade internacional para sufocar uma onda de violência que esteve à beira de afundar o país em uma guerra civil.
O estopim daqueles distúrbios que causaram a morte de 30 pessoas e forçaram o deslocamento de perto de outras 150 mil, foi o motim protagonizado por 599 militares que foram expulsos das fileiras do Exército por reivindicar melhoras trabalhistas e denunciar a corrupção na instituição.
"Continua havendo desafios a conseguir. E quando os soldados da missão de paz se retirarem, esta relação olha rumo a uma nova fase focalizada no desenvolvimento social e econômico", assinalou Reske-Nielsen.
Apesar dos dividendos gerados pelas jazidas de petróleo e gás e de que o país recebeu da comunidade internacional cerca de US$ 1,5 bilhão em ajuda financeira, cerca de 41% da população do Timor-Leste, que chega a 1,1 milhão, vive abaixo da linha da pobreza e 40% dos jovens com idade de trabalhar carecem de emprego, segundo dados da ONU.
Em outubro passado as competências de segurança foram passadas para a Polícia timorense, depois que uma avaliação conjunta da ONU e das autoridades do Timor-Leste consideraram que ela estava preparada para assumir a tarefa.
Após a retirada do destacamento militar e policial da ONU, o Governo do Timor-Leste prevê continuar com a formação de suas forças de segurança com o apoio de vários países, sobretudo da Austrália.
"A presença das Nações Unidas criou vantagens e desvantagens, entre as primeiras, que nos proporcionou tempo para criar instituições sólidas, mas, o conseguimos?", disse em novembro passado à Agência Efe, Mari Alkatiri, chefe da oposição e líder do partido Frente Revolucionária de Timor-Leste Independente (Fretilin).
O Timor-Leste foi invadido no final de 1975 pelas tropas da vizinha Indonésia e após mais de duas décadas de resistência armada e uma repressão que causou a morte de cerca de 183 mil pessoas, esta ex-colônia portuguesa declarou a independência em 2002, três anos depois do referendo organizado pela ONU.
A vitória independentista nas urnas enfureceu as milícias anexionistas e o Exército indonésio, que antes de deixar o território recorreram ao uso da violência contra a população, saquearam e destruíram Díli, a capital, e outras localidades.
O Timor-Leste realizou este ano eleições presidenciais e também legislativas sem que acontecessem incidentes violentos. COPIADO http://www.efe.com/efe

New date set for Portsmouth Dickens statue

New date set for Portsmouth Dickens statue
31 December 2012 Last updated at 10:03 GMT
Portsmouth Charles Dickens statue to be unveiled in June

The full-size statue will stand in the Portsmouth's Guildhall Square

The UK's first statue of Charles Dickens will be unveiled in Portsmouth in June 2013, the team behind the project has announced.
The £118,000 monument commissioned by the Dickens Fellowship was put on hold after insufficient funding was raised.
An anonymous benefactor has now underwritten the last £25,000 needed.
It had been hoped the statue would be in place earlier this year to mark 200 years since the writer's birth in Portsmouth.
The Dickens Fellowship, which is backed by members of the late writer's family, said it would "celebrate his ferociously creative, colourful and monumental life."
Continue reading the main story
The Victorian chronicler
- A giant of English literature, Charles Dickens was the quintessential Victorian author
- Two of his most famous novels - David Copperfield and Great Expectations - were inspired by his own work in a factory as a boy
- As well as numerous novels, Dickens wrote short stories, periodicals and plays for Queen Victoria
Source: BBC History
- Discover Dickens: The man behind the novels
The statue is set to be unveiled in Portsmouth's Guildhall Square on 9 June 2013, the 133rd anniversary of the author's death.
It shows Dickens reading in a chair and is being made by Oxford sculptor Martin Jennings.
In his will the Victorian author requested that no statues or monuments of him should be built.
The author has two known statues in his honour, in Philadelphia in the US and Sydney, Australia. There are not believed to be any in the UK.
The Oliver Twist creator was born in Portsmouth on 7 February 1812 and spent the first three years of his life in the city before moving to London and then Kent.
Number 1 Mile End Terrace, where he was born, has been a dedicated Dickens museum since 1904

COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk
.

Crash death sisters were 'angels

31 December 2012 Last updated at 16:48 GMT

A47 road deaths: Family pays tribute to 'angel' sisters

Jessica and Tamzin Portor died in the crash at Walsoken, near Wisbech

The family of two young sisters who died after a car crashed into a roadside drainage ditch have paid tribute to their "little angels".

Tamzin, 10, and Jessica Portor, seven, of Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, died in hospital on Thursday following the crash on the A47 near Wisbech.
In a statement, the family said the girls' deaths had left them devastated.
Coroner William Armstrong said he was concerned that eight people had died on Norfolk's roads over Christmas.
The family said: "The loss of our little angels can never be replaced.
'Loved to sing' "The whole family and friends are devastated. The family would like to thank all the well-wishers who have passed on their condolences."
The girls loved to sing and dance, eat chocolate and watch Doctor Who on television, the family said.
They added: "Tamzin was a comical little girl. She was always happy and saw the funny side of things.
"She was a good student and helped out at school. She loved helping people.
"Tamzin loved to sing with her friends and would write her own lyrics.
"She loved to socialise and was a fun person to be around. Her latest craze was Moshi Monsters and Doctor Who.
"Jessica was a lively girl who loved to dance and eat chocolate. She loved to wear make-up and going out.
"Jessica was also very comical and had bags of energy. She would bring alive any room she was in. Both Jessica and Tamzin loved music, singing and their pet dogs."
The sisters were travelling in a Ford Focus being driven by a 43-year-old woman when it left the road, overturned and came to rest on its side on the edge of the ditch, at Walsoken, near Wisbech.
Multiple injuries The girls' brother, aged 12, their father, aged 38, and the driver of the car all sustained minor injuries and were released from hospital after treatment.
An inquest, opened and adjourned by Norwich coroner William Armstrong, heard that Jessica and Tamzin were rear seat passengers in the car.
Both were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn where they were pronounced dead.
Post-mortem examinations found both had died of multiple injuries.
Referring to the sisters' deaths and the deaths of six other people in Norfolk over the Christmas period, Mr Armstrong said: "It's a matter of grave concern that there have been so many fatal crashes in such a short space of time.
"Each one of these deaths will the the subject of a rigorous, comprehensive investigation by the police.
"The inquests will hear all the necessary evidence, come to proper conclusions and make sure the circumstances of each and every death are very carefully and closely examined."
He added: "If there are lessons to be learned from these tragedies, I shall make sure those lessons are learned.
"The circumstances, of course, are all very different. Assessing the circumstances of road traffic collisions is a complex process."

COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk

Missing pub landlord's body found

A body recovered in the English Channel is that of missing pub landlord Malcolm Levesconte, police confirm.

31 December 2012 Last updated at 17:18 GMT

Missing pub landlord Malcolm Levesconte's body found

Malcolm Levesconte's body was found near Dover

A body recovered from the English Channel on Christmas Eve is that of missing landlord Malcolm Levesconte, detectives have confirmed.

Wiltshire Police were contacted by Kent Police after the body was discovered four miles from Dover on 24 December.
Mr Levesconte disappeared on 9 December from the Royal Oak Pub in Shrewton. He took a ferry from Portsmouth to France but his arrival was never confirmed.
Police are investigating a theft from the pub's Christmas savings club.
A Wiltshire Police spokeswoman said forensic tests on the body confirmed it was Mr Levesconte.
"His next of kin have been informed [and] the death is being treated as non-suspicious," she said.
"A file will now be prepared by Wiltshire Police on behalf of the coroner."

COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk

Police seek man on terror order

31 December 2012 Last updated at 17:27 GMT

Police seek man on terror order

Police appeal for help in tracing a man believed to have absconded from a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measure (TPim) notice.

First use of TPim terror law
31 December 2012 Last updated at 17:07 GMT
Police seek man subject to TPim terror control measure

An anonymity order on Mr Magag was lifted on Monday
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Detectives in London have appealed for help in tracing a man believed to have absconded from a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPim).
Police say Ibrahim Magag, 28, is not considered to "represent a direct threat to the British public".
They have asked anyone with information about Mr Magag, who was last seen in Camden on Boxing Day, to contact the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.
TPims replaced control orders in January 2012.
COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk

香港维多利亚港焰火迎来2013

香港维多利亚港焰火迎来2013
31 分钟之前
更新时间 2012年12月31日, 格林尼治标准时间16:55
- 打印文稿
香港维多利亚港烟花汇演迎来2013年。
香港媒体报道，此次施放焰火规模是历年来最大一次，耗资1200万港元，时间持续八分钟。
香港旅游发展局主席早前预计，今年可能有40万人在维港两岸观赏焰火。
COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp

查维斯癌症手术三星期后出现并发症

更新时间 2012年12月31日, 格林尼治标准时间10:37

查维斯癌症手术三星期后出现并发症

委内瑞拉副总统马杜罗说，三个星期前在古巴接受癌症治疗的查维斯总统出现新的并发症。

10:13 GMT

更新时间 2012年12月31日, 格林尼治标准时间10:13
马杜罗说，查韦斯正在接受呼吸系统感染的治疗

内瑞拉副总统马杜罗说，三个星期前在古巴接受癌症治疗的查维斯总统出现新的并发症。
马杜罗在哈瓦那发表的一份电视讲话中说，查韦斯正在接受呼吸系统感染的治疗。
相关内容

委内瑞拉总统查韦斯出现新并发症

委总统查韦斯“或错过宣誓连任”

委内瑞拉副总统赴古巴探望查韦斯

更多相关的故事
委内瑞拉当局还取消了在首都加拉加斯一场免费的新年音乐会。
查韦斯原定将于1月10日宣誓连任总统的就职仪式，但其近身幕僚此前已承认，他的健康状况可能使他无法出席宣誓仪式。
反对派要求，一旦查韦斯无法宣誓，就必须在30天内重选总统。
早些时候，委内瑞拉副总统马杜罗形容查韦斯不久前在古巴所作的癌症手术“是非常复杂而艰难的”，并说手术后的康复“同样复杂而艰难”。
他呼吁委内瑞拉民众为58岁的查韦斯祈祷并平静地面对未来的“艰难日子”。
这是查韦斯自2011年6月在盆腔被查出癌细胞之后接受的第四次手术。
COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp

异议人士冲破保安封锁见到刘霞

中国一些异见人士冲破保安封锁，成功与诺贝尔和平奖得主刘晓波妻子刘霞见面，并将现场视频上传到网上。

更新时间 2012年12月31日, 格林尼治标准时间10:42

刘霞与徐友渔等见面时显得很激动（视频截图）

继早前美联社记者突破重重保安封锁，探访诺贝尔和平奖得主刘晓波妻子刘霞后，中国一些异见人士在刘晓波生日当天冲破保安，成功与刘霞见面，并将现场视频上传到网上。

上星期五（28日）晚上9时许，胡佳和徐友渔等异见人士到刘霞寓所楼下，向现场一名保安人员表明要探望刘霞。

5 ways Africa shone in 2012

Goodbye, 2012

5 ways Africa shone in 2012

Part of complete coverage on

Inside Africa

Africa Achievements: Top 5 ways the continent shone in 2012

By Faith Karimi, CNN

December 31, 2012 -- Updated 1021 GMT (1821 HKT)

Malawi's President Joyce Banda speaks during a meeting with Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre, Malawi, on August 30.

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African women rising

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

This year saw three African women take on key leadership roles
The number of middle-class Africans is rising
Somalia formed a government in 2012, and Ghana's presidential election was peaceful
Zambia won its first African Cup of Nations, nearly two decades after a tragic plane crash

(CNN) -- The deadly church and mosque attacks in Nigeria and Kenya, and the deaths of Ghanaian and Ethiopian leaders dominated sub-Saharan Africa headlines in 2012.

But lost in the midst were a series of positive stories. For every conflict, there was a milestone. For every violence, there was reconciliation. For every setback, progress.

Here are the top 5 positive stories out of the continent, as chosen by those who call it home:

The rise of African women

This year saw three African women take on key leadership roles.

Malawi appointed a female president, Joyce Banda, as Liberia re-elected Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Since taking over the task of stabilizing a shaky economy, Banda has earned plaudits for financial reforms, including selling the presidential jet, downsizing the government's car fleet and cutting her own salary.

Faith Muthoni Karimi @faithcnn
28 Dec 12

Last call for tweets on most positive Africa stories this year. Would love to know your choices. Tweet me! #cnnafricabig5

sheila Nduhukire™ @Snduhukire

@faithcnn The rise of African women to top jobs in 2012 cannot be ignored! #ICC #AU #Malawi #CNNBig5

28 Dec 12

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In another milestone, South Africa's Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was inaugurated as the chief of the African Union.

The former minister took the reins of a male-dominated organization facing funding woes and challenged it to reduce its reliance on aid.

Her election could ease tensions between the body and the International Criminal Court, which also picked an African woman as its top prosecutor.

Critics have accused the court of focusing on African nations and overlooking opportunities to investigate abuses in other countries.

Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda took over as the court's top prosecutor, a move welcomed by critics as a major step in healing relations between the two organizations.

The three were the first women to assume their respective positions.

Growing economies, middle class

Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. And the thriving, burgeoning middle class is one indication of that.

The number of middle-class Africans tripled over the past three decades to 313 million, or about 34% of the continent's population, the African Development Bank says in its latest report.

The figure is a marked improvement from previous years.

Middle-class earners are described as people spending between $2 and $20 a day, a threshold criticized by some analysts as too low.

The report says that the overall number of people defined as middle class includes a "floating class" -- those with expenditure levels of $2 to $4 per day, a group considered at risk of sliding back to poverty levels.

Though the report also warns of the growing number of income inequality, it also notes that the middle class is crucial in anchoring African economies.

"It's a call to say 'look, please invest in Africa, there are good returns,' " says Mthuli Ncube, chief economist and vice president of the African Development Bank.

Analysts have warned that the current boom in a middle class is not generating much employment.

New Somali government

Though progress is fragile at best, Somalia got its first central government in about two decades.

Parliament members picked a political newcomer as president, who then named another political novice as prime minister.

Somalia also adopted a provisional constitution and selected parliament members -- all in recent months.

The new leadership marks a milestone for the nation, which plunged into chaos after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown 21 years ago. Clan warlords and militants battled for control after his ouster, sparking a civil war and mayhem.

In another recent achievement, Somali and African Union troops forced out Al-Shabaab militants from Mogadishu, sending residents frolicking to the beach as life in the capital trickled back to normalcy.

Once out of the capital, the militants retreated to the port city of Kismayo, a strategic location for their lucrative coal shipments. Coalition forces forced them out of that city as well.

It was the last major town under militant control.

Ghana elections

Ghana lived up to its "mature democracy" reputation again this year, a political feat that has eluded most nations in Africa.

Long hailed as a beacon of democracy and progress in the continent, the nation re-elected the incumbent, who beat his closest contender with a razor-thin margin.

Despite the narrowness of the victory, no violence erupted, unlike elections in nations such as the Ivory Coast, where both the incumbent and the winner clung to power after the results of the 2010 poll.

A series of other African nations have also descended into violence after elections, making Ghana a noteworthy exception.

While there was some bickering from the losing sides, the nation maintained peace for the most part.

President John Mahama served as vice president under his predecessor, who died this year.

In another move highlighting the solidity of its democracy, Ghana immediately swore in Mahama to avoid a power vacuum.

Zambia's emotional win

Zambia won its first African Cup of Nations -- nearly two decades after a plane crash killed its team, coaches and crew members.

The win was sentimental because it occurred in Gabon, the same country where the tragic crash happened in 1993.

And it was a major triumph because the team was not favored to win against the star-studded Ivory Coast.

In the end, Zambia hoisted the Cup of Nations after beating Ivory Coast 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shootout.

Throngs of supporters danced and wept at the airport when the team arrived home.

Did we leave any out? Let us know in the comment section below.

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African Union chief heads to CAR unrest

The head of the African Union is traveling to the Central African Republic as tensions mount between the government and rebels there, an official said. The talks come amid lingering unrest in the inland African nation. FULL STORY

Amid unrest, African Union chief arrives in Central African Republic

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(CNN) -- The head of the African Union arrived in the Central African Republic Sunday as tensions mounted between the government and rebels there, an official said.

Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi, who chairs the regional body, met with the Central African Republic's president, said Margaret Vogt, a U.N. special representative.

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Government authorities set an 8 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) curfew Sunday, said Josue Binoua, the minister of territorial administration and decentralization.

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Amid fears of more violence, officials from various nations take steps to protect their citizens and interests in the Central African Republic.

France deployed 180 troops from Gabon to Bangui overnight to protect French citizens in the Central African Republic's capital, said Col. Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman for France's defense ministry.

U.S. President Barack Obama wrote a letter Saturday to Congress informing them that about 50 U.S. troops were sent to Chad on Thursday "to support the evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel and U.S. citizens from the Central African Republic."

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But Hollande said Thursday that his nation's troops are not there to "protect a regime," but instead protect French nationals and interests. France will not "interfere in the internal affairs of a country, in this case, CAR," Hollande said, adding, "That time is over."

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CNN Celebrates

From conquering fears to falling in love: Your best moments of 2012

Join the conversation

CNN iReport

By George Webster, Sarah Brown, Stina Backer, and Eoghan Macguire, CNN

December 20, 2012 -- Updated 1807 GMT (0207 HKT)

CNN asked our iReporters, Instagrammers and staffers to select images that capture their best moments of 2012. Here are some of our favorites.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

CNN asked people from all over the world to send in their best moments of 2012
From the Philippines to Scotland, hundreds of people sent their most memorable images
Submissions include exhilarating holidays, the birth of kids, the realization of dreams

What was your best moment of 2012? Send us your pictures

(CNN) -- For some it was an exhilarating holiday to an exotic place, finding new love or conquering their greatest fear. For others, it was witnessing an historic event.

And for a few, it was simply a case of being in the right place at the right time to capture a moment that will forever stick in the mind.

CNN asked people from all over the world to send in their highlight of the year. From the Philippines, to Scotland, to South Africa, hundreds of people shared their most treasured images.

2012 was the year the Olympics games came to London, and, unsurprisingly, many people sent in their images of the various competitions held around the capital.

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"I like this [image] as it has performers from different categories -- a snapshot of the ceremony -- and reminds me of the excitement of the day, clearly visible on everyone's faces," she said.

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"The sight of these soldiers in a brutal test of raw strength while combined with the skirl of the pipes, the colors and flash of the different tartans on the kilts, and the cheer of the crowd was a feast for the eyes and ears," he said.

"Although, I understand that the music of the bagpipes may not be for everyone -- subtle it is not," he added.

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From the bombast of organized games to the quiet joy of a proud parent, many people chose their children as the source of their best moments of 2012.

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Charlotte Bröcker, iReporter

Malik was born with clubbed feet and a physical condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenitas, which means he has little muscle strength in his limbs.

His mother took the photo in August after casts set on Malik's legs to strengthen them had been taken off.

"My cheerful and determined young man helped me to realize what matters in life and what doesn't," she said.

"Malik is a very happy, easy going young man, not much can hold him back, not even being stuck in casts. I also love how he's rocking that t-shirt!"

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Jessica Munoz, iReporter

"It is foggy in Dubai on rare occasions and usually lasts for two to three hours in the morning," he said.

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"The whole experience: Inflation, take off, the quiet contemplation of the countryside and the aerial views, wondering where we would land and the fun of packing up the balloon before driving back to the launch site is something that will stay with me forever."

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