The world news of 2010

5. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula - On March 26, a Republic of Korea (ROK) naval ship was sank, killing all 46 sailors aboard. Tensions between the two countries remained heated over the next several months, as Pyongyang protested US-ROK military drills in the Yellow Sea.

6. European sovereign debt crisis - In early 2010, fears of a sovereign debt crisis developed concerning some European states. This led to a crisis of confidence as well as the widening of bond yield spreads and risk insurance on credit default swaps between these countries and other EU members.