The world this year

摘要

The year saw opposition to the Assad regime in Syria escalate into full civil war. In the worst atrocity of the conflict so far, around 400 people were massacred in the opposition town of Daraya. The fighting reached Damascus, the capital, and the rebels gained control over large parts of the country. Turkey, which is sheltering thousands of refugees, occasionally exchanged artillery fire with Syria. The death toll this year is at least 30,000. Egypt, the font of the Arab spring, was plagued by further sporadic violence, including at a football match in February at which 74 people died in riots. Muhammad Morsi won a presidential election to become the first elected Islamist head of state in the Arab world. He proposed a new constitution that critics say is excessively Islamist and endangers minorities.