12 Things to Look Forward in 2012

Worried about a terrible 2012? International Business Times U.K. takes a look at some of the things that may brighten the year ahead for some people. With economic forecasts of rising unemployment, another recession for Britain and an overall "gloomy" outlook for the entire year, there appears to be little to get excited about. So although 2012 looks set to be a bit rubbish, fear not, because amid the doom and gloom there are a dozen things some of us at least can feel good about.

2012 London Olympics

Sales of small Union Jack flags are already through the roof as sporting fans across Britain excitedly prepare for the London 2012 Olympic Games from 21 July–12 August. What better chance to see the world‟s best athletes than on your own turf? That is, if you were lucky enough to get tickets in the controversial lottery. There is still television at least. Will spectacle, athletic achievement and tourists‟ wallets be enough to make this over-budget, travel-disrupting glorified school sports day feel worth it in the end?

Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee

It is a big year for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms, Gawd bless her. Fetch the bunting, line the streets with plastic chairs and tables, raise the flag and have a ruddy good knees-up as Britain celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of its reigning monarch in a week of celebrations, as well as an extended weekend from 2-5 June. Or, if you are a republican and the prospect of celebrating 60 years of Liz being on the throne is the antithesis of everything you believe in, start plotting.

Gadgets

The US has already got its hands on Amazon’s Kindle Fire, but Europe has to wait until 2012 for the latest e-book reader‟s release. This beauty isn‟t just an e-book reader though – it‟s an Android tablet, too. But wait, there‟s more! It retailed at $199, which is around £125 here, making it an incredi-bly affordable alternative to the iPad. More gadget releases to look forward to in 2012 include the Nikon D800 36-megapixel camera, iPhone 5 and the Playstation Vita, a new handheld gaming console.

Films

If you are a film fan - particularly a lord of rings fan - then 2012 is an exciting year. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of two films inspired by JRR Tolkein‟s book about the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, is being filmed and is scheduled for release on 13 December. Expect more stunning visuals from LOTR director Peter Jackson, who has taken on this film. There is also something for superhero fans, as The Dark Knight Rises, yet another Batman film, starring Christian Bale is due for release on 20 July. With a budget of around $250 million, Batman fans will be expecting even more than 2008‟s critically acclaimed The Dark Knight, which had a budget of $185 million.

Euro 2012 finals

England (just) made it through to the Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine, which is a reason to celebrate! Unless you are from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, who all failed to qualify. Perhaps they will rally together to cheer on their neighbours through the group stage, as England face France, Sweden and host nation Ukraine. It is not as if there is any history between us or anything. If they are really not happy about showing any support for England, they can at least find solace in our inevitable defeat in a penalty shootout. The competition starts on 8 June and runs until the final on 1 July .

Phone hacking saga comes to head

2011 was such a significant year for the mainstream print media. News of the World shut down its printing presses; former News International (NI) journalists and executives, including ex-editor Andy Coulson and ex-NI chief Rebekah Brooks, were arrested; an independent inquiry into press standards and three police investigations into the activities of journalists were launched; the extent of phone hacking by some journalists was revealed. All in all, it was hard to keep up. Other newspaper groups are now being dragged into the mire, such as Trinity Mirror Group, which has question marks hanging over it in relation to phone hacking. All of this is set to come to a dramatic head in March 2012, when those arrested by police in relation to Operations Weeting, Elveden and Tuleta – into phone hacking, inappropriate payments to police and computer hacking, respec-tively – must answer their bail.

Video Games

Fans of the first two Mass Effect games only have to wait until 9 March for the next installment as Commander Shepard returns to fight another epic futuristic space war, this time trying to save Planet Earth from a Reaper onslaught. The game's executive producer, Casey Hudson, briefed the media on what to expect at 2011's Electronic Entertainment Expo. The Metal Gear series also gets another game in 2012, with the release date yet to be confirmed. Players will be a cyborg ninja called Raiden, who is an expert swordsman, as they slash and hack their way through the game. Additional releases in 2012 that gaming fans will be keen to get their hands on include Halo 4, Far Cry 3 and May Payne 3, among others

London mayoral elections

For Londoners, one of the biggest questions of 2012 will be: Are you backing Boris or calling for Ken? On 3 May the London Mayoral Elections will take place, when voters go to the polls to choose who will be the beating heart of England‟s capital city until 2016.Tory incumbent Boris Johnson, known for his bumbling persona, dishevelled look and hatred of bendy buses, is seeking another four years. Labour‟s Ken Livingstone, who was ousted as mayor by Boris in the 2008 elections, is standing again, promising cuts to Tube fares. Polls show Boris ahead of Ken by around 8 per cent, but anything can happen in the run-up to an election – especially with gaffe-prone Boris. Other candidates include Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick, the Green Party‟s Jenny Jones, UKIP‟s Lawrence Webb and the BNP‟s Carlos Cortiglia.

Amercian Presidential Election

Once again, it is the contest to become the most powerful person in the world, as 2012 heralds yet another American presidential election. Barack Obama, the current Democrat president, has disappointed many of those who voted for him in 2008 under his fanfare of “Hope” and the triumph of becoming the first black president of a country with such deep-seated racial tensions. With America almost broke and Obama having pushed through his divisive and costly Healthcare Bill, which will reform the health insurance system and see 32 million Americans currently uninsured get medical coverage, the voting population may cast their eyes to the Republican candidate who has yet to be decided. Among the, shall we say, col-ourful candidates, the frontrunners: Michele Bachmann, who would like to see creationism taught alongside evolution in school science classes; Rick Perry, who was unable to remember one of his own policies in a television debate; Ron Paul, who once wrote a newsletter claiming that 95 percent of Washington‟s black men are criminals; and Newt Gingrich, a man who made a fortune from lobbyists while he was a congressman.

Total solar eclipse

The path of the total solar eclipse on 13 November will go across Australia and the South Pacific.

TV Shows

Mad Men gets its fifth run in March, as the latest series documenting the dramas of a 1960s advertising agency is aired. It has won numerous awards for its portrayal of the style, glamour and social mores in that tumultuous decade in America. The series has also thrown the stunning Christina Hendricks into the limelight, as she plays the office manager at the Mad Men agency Sterling Cooper Draper Price. Satirical writer Armando Iannucci, who has writing credits on Brass Eye and The Day Today among a number of other hilarious series, has teamed up once again with Simon Blackwall to create the new HBO comedy Veep, which will air in 2012.

The End of the World (if you're Mayan)

If things really are that bad for you in 2012, then do not worry, because everything is, apparently, about to come to an abrupt end anyway. It is claimed that Mayans have long predicted the end of the world as falling on 21 December, 2012, when the Mayan calendar mysteriously finishes. The impending apocalypse will supposedly be foreshadowed by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and floods. Tin foil hat-wearers say the alignment of certain stars and planets must indicate the end of the world, while astronomy buffs point out that their doomsday theories are based, unsurprisingly, on pseudo-science. Even modern Mayans have expressed annoyance at the apocalyptic theories, saying they misrepresent their history and culture. That has not stopped millions of words being written, dodgy calculations being made and amateur films being produced about the Mayan-inspired 2012 doomsday.