On Jan 6, the US Capitol building was stormed by Donald Trump's supporters as Congress convened a joint session to certify Joe Biden's victory in the election, leaving five people dead.

Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the US on Jan 20, taking over a nation hollowed out by a health crisis, an economic recession and a protracted political divide.

On June 30, the House of Representatives created a select committee to probe the insurrection. US lawmakers voted on Dec 14 to recommend criminal contempt charges against Trump's former top aide Mark Meadows for refusing to further cooperate with the committee's investigation.

Myanmar declared a state of emergency after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, along with other officials from the National League for Democracy, were detained by the military on Feb 1. State power was transferred to Defense Services Commander-in-Chief Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

Four-year sentences for detained U Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi were each reduced to two years under Section 401 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, media reported on Dec 6.

Demonstrations have taken place across the US after a series of shootings at three massage parlors in the Atlanta area on March 16 left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, hate crimes against Asian-Americans are on the rise across the US and spark an unprecedented, nationwide wave of demonstrations throughout the year.

Anti-Asian hate crimes in New York City have risen 361 percent, from 28 last year to 129 as of Dec 4, the New York Police Department said at a news conference.

In a move that has provoked domestic and international criticism, Japan announced on April 13 it would start dumping more than 1 million tons of treated but still radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean around the spring of 2023, threatening lasting, profound consequences for communities and the environment.

During the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas starting May 10, more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed. The conflict ended after Egypt brokered a ceasefire agreement between the two sides on May 21.

Gaza's Hamas-run government said Israeli airstrikes destroyed about 2,200 homes in the enclave during this round of tensions and damaged 37,000 others. Some homes in Israel were damaged by rockets launched by Hamas and other Gaza militant groups.

A series of unmarked graves have been discovered at former residential schools across Canada since late May.

On May 28, 215 indigenous children's remains were found at Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, while as many as 751 unmarked graves were found near a former residential school in Saskatchewan on June 24, and 182 human remains in unmarked graves were discovered near a former residential school for indigenous children in British Columbia on June 30. On July 12, more than 160 "unmarked and undocumented graves" have been discovered at the site of a former residential school near Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

These discoveries cast a spotlight on Canada's treatment of indigenous people and sent shockwaves across Canada and throughout North American indigenous communities.

After a year of waiting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games finally kicked off on July 23 at Japan's National Stadium behind closed doors.

The Tokyo Games, attracting more than 11,000 athletes from more than 200 delegations and a refugee team, ran through August 8 - a story that brought hope to the world.

Athletes gathered not only for competition, but also to put the Olympic motto "together" into practice.

The Taliban deployed special forces at the Kabul airport early Aug 31, hours after the last US forces were evacuated from the airport, marking the end of its war in Afghanistan.

It is estimated that more than 100,000 Afghan civilians were killed or injured by foreign forces and tens of millions displaced over the past 20 years.

The Taliban announced the formation of a caretaker government in Afghanistan on Sept 7, with Mullah Hassan Akhund as the acting prime minister.

The US's hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan has left the war-torn country with a major humanitarian and economic crisis.

President Xi Jinping for the first time proposed a Global Development Initiative while addressing the general debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept 21 via video link.

He called on the international community to accelerate implementation of the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals for more robust, greener and balanced global development, and fostering a global community of development with a shared future.

The initiative calls for staying committed to development as a priority, to a people-centered approach, to benefits for all, to innovation-driven development, to harmony between man and nature and to results-oriented actions.

The IMF said in its latest "World Economic Outlook" report, released on Oct 12, the momentum of global recovery has weakened and "uncertainty has increased".

The IMF lowered its forecast for global economic growth this year and next year to 5.9 and 4.9 percent respectively, citing "a downgrade" for advanced economies as well as low-income developing countries "largely due to worsening pandemic dynamics".

In November, US inflation jumped 6.8 percent, the largest annual jump in 39 years. Eurozone inflation surged 4.9 percent, a 25-year high, fuelled by soaring energy prices.

Amid the pandemic, China has further deepened its opening-up and broadened market access to foreign investment, contributing to the recovery and stability of the world economy.

Negotiators agreed on a climate deal at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP 26, in Glasgow on Nov 13.

The adoption of the Glasgow Climate Pact included some historic progress, including the completion of Article 6 of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The conference, which started on Oct 31 and ended a day late on Nov 13, delivered some notable deals on deforestation, fossil fuel subsidies, coal and methane reduction, as well as engagement with the private and financial sector. China and the US also surprised COP 26 with a joint declaration on climate change announced on Nov 10.

The world sees a resurgence of the pandemic late in the year, as the more contagious Omicron strain spreads at an unprecedented rate.

Cases of Omicron, a "variant of concern" according to the World Health Organization, have been reported in at least 110 countries and regions.

As of 5:50 pm CET, Dec 28, there were more than 280 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5.4 million related deaths, according to WHO data. As of Dec 27, 8.7 billion vaccine doses have been administered. However, the immunization gap between developed and developing countries was still widening.