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JURGEN BALZAN WE might be living in the so far most peace- ful century in human history, however the year which is coming to an end will be remembered as one of the most violent and volatile in recent years. Processing and making sense of the news we are fed on a daily basis through our TV sets, phones and PCs is no easy task, as separating the good guys from the bad guys is not as easy as it once was and the definitions of terrorism are changing as quickly as the border lines between Iraq and Syria. Going through the list of terrorist attacks in 2014 is a stark reminder of the deterioration of peace levels in the world and the revolving al- legiances of terrorist groups and States. Gruesome images of slaugh- tered and dismembered bodies and the complexity of on-going conflicts could understandably lead to apathy. Especially when one could easily get distracted looking at photos of Kim Kardashian's bottom or watching the interminable trickle of ice bucket challenge videos. At a glance, it is easy to determine who the enemy is. Muslims, ISIS, Syrians, Iranians, Rus- sians and so on, or at least that is what Western media outlets would have us believe. But things are much more complicated. The conflict be- tween Ukraine and Russia, the Syrian civil war and the Israeli occupation are just three exam- ples of complex realities, which cannot be taken out of their historical and geopolitical contexts. CONTINUES 6-7 Newspaper post YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY • 28 DECEMBER 2014 • ISSUE 790 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday JURGEN BALZAN WE might be living in the so far most peace- ful century in human history, however the year which is coming to an end will be remembered and PCs is no easy task, as separating the good guys from the bad guys is not as easy as it once was and the definitions of terrorism are changing as quickly legiances of terrorist groups and States. Gruesome images of slaugh- tered and dismembered bodies and the complexity of on-going conflicts could understandably lead to apathy. At a glance, it is easy to determine who the enemy is. Muslims, ISIS, Syrians, Iranians, Rus- sians and so on, or at least that is what Western media outlets would have us believe. But things are much more complicated. The conflict be- tween Ukraine and Russia, the Syrian civil war THE YEAR OF DISRUPTION The year the world could not stand still • 6-7 Islamic State, Ukraine, Russian revanchism, Boko Haram, Ebola, Iraq and Syria: why 2014's deadliness caught us off-guard 2014 IN REVIEW Carm Mifsud Bonnici replies on Ifeanyi Nwokoye inquiry PAGE 20 €1.20 The news that made the year PGS 3-4 How the world got disrupted PGS 6-7 The Maltese in numbers PGS 8-9 From green to red in the environment PGS 10-11 Crime and justice in 2014 PGS 12-13