(following report on major world events KUWAIT, Jan 2 (KUNA) -- The world witnessed major events during 2011, namely the European debts crisis that affected Greece, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Britain. While Europe was gripped with the financial crisis, China emerged as the number-one world economic giant.
Other parts of the world were stricken with diverse catastrophes that left extensive damage and many casualties.
Natural and man-made catastrophes: On January 1, heavy rain in Queensland, Australia, killed three people and made 200,000 others homeland.
On January 12, 40 people died in floods caused by stormy rains in the Philippines.
On January 14, 64 people died in a religious ceremony in southern India.
On January 15, 32 people and 300,000 others became homeless as a result of floods that submerged large swathes of lands in Sri Lanka.
On January 16, Floods killed 237 people and made thousands without home.
On February 20, 10 children died in a fire in a house for disabled children in western Estonia.
On February 22, more than 147 people died in a quake that hit the city of Christchurch in New Zealand.
On March 11, 25 people died and scores others were wounded in a quake that hit southwestern China.
On March 21, 21 workers died in methane gas leake in a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan.
On April 16, 22 people died in storms in many states in the US.
On April 19, 17 Indians died in a copter crash on the border with China.
On April 28, 54 people died in storms that swept Alabama, the US.
On May 27, cyclone ravaged Missouri, the US, killing 125 people.
On June 2, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared e-coli epidemic in Germany killed 22 people.
On June 19, 150 people died in floods that swept eastern China.
On August 30, 40 people died in equatorial storm that hit North Carolina and New York.
On September 1, 102 people died in floods that swept southwestern Nigeria.
On September 6, 40 Japanese died in crash of a Russian copter in western Russia.
On September 11, 200 people died when a vessels sank off Tanzania.
On September 12, 200 people died in floods in southern Pakistan.
On September 20, 57 people died and more than one million fled their houses due floods in the west, center and north of China.
On October 5, more than 200 people died in seasons heavy rains in Thailand.
On October 12, 80 people died in equatorial storms in Central America.
On October 27, toll of a a major quake in eastern Turkey rose to 532 dead and 2,300 injured.
On December 9, 89 people died in a fire that engulfed a hospital in in eastern India.
On December 15, 50 people died after eating rotten food in western Bengal in India.
On December 17, 650 people died and 800 went missing in cyclone Washi in southern Philippines.
Japan quake: On March 11, a fiery quake measuring 8.9 degrees on the Richter scale hit Japan causing tsunami waves. The same day, Tokyo declared a state of emergency as a result of the tsunami. Nuclear reactors were shut.
On March 12, relief operations began after the quake and the tsunami left 1, 300 people dead.
On March 13, an operation for evacuating 170,000 people in areas around Fukushima nuclear reactor began after major leakage of radiation from the damaged site.
On March 14, Japanese authorities located 2,000 dead bodies on the shores of northeastern Japan. They also declared that 11 people were hurt in the blast at the Fukushima reactor.
On March 17, Japanese police confirmed that 5,400 people died as a result of the quake. They also reported that up to 9,500 "had been reported missing." On April 12, Japanese authorities declared that rate of the nuclear radiation emanating from the damaged Fukushima station reached seven in terms of risk, equal to that recorded when the Chernobyl reactor disaster occurred in 1986.
On April 22, the Japanese government approved allocations in emergency expenditure, worth up to USD 48.5 billion.
Afghanistan: Security and military news: On February 20, 64 civilians were killed during a joint NATO-Afghan forces operation against Taliban elements in east Afghanistan.
On March 12, President Hamid Karzai calls on NATO to halt operations due to increasing number of casualties amongst citizens.
On April 1, protesting a threat of burning the Quran by an American reverend in Florida, Afghanis attacked UN building in Mazar-i-Sharif, leading to death of 12 individuals including seven of UN employees.
On April 25, a number of 470 inmates escaped a prison in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan with most escapees being of Taliban affiliation.
On April 27, nine US soldiers killed in clashes near Kabul's international airport.
On May 10, UK organization warns of increasing incidents of human rights violations perpetrated by Afghani forces.
On May 16, ISAF announces death of four soldiers in explosion south of Afghanistan.
On May 28, death of senior NATO and Afghani commanders in suicide bombing north of the country.
On July 6, 78 individuals killed in clashes between Afghani forces and Taliban elements in area near borders with Pakistan.
On July 12, Ahmed Wali Karzai, half-brother of President Hamid Karzai, is killed in Kandahar city south of Afghanistan.
On July 13, five French soldiers were killed and four others injured in explosion northeast of Afghanistan.
On July 16, UNSC lifts 14 names of the list of Taliban members on a request from the Afghani government to help in the efforts of reconciliation with the movement.
On July 26, a number of 35 Taliban fighters were killed in clashes against NATO forces near borders with Pakistan.
On September 11, Taliban launched a suicide attack on anniversary of the 9/11 attack against a NATO post in a mid region in Afghanistan resulting in the death of 89 individuals including 50 US soldiers.
On September 20, former President of Afghanistan Burhanuddin Rabbani was assassinated in a suicide attack which targeted his residence in Kabul.
On September 28, UN reports indicated that violence in Afghanistan has increased by 40 percent in 2011 with civilian casualties also increasing by five percent.
On October 1, NATO arrests leader of Haqqani Network Haji Mali Khan, mastermind behind attacks against US and Afghani troops.
On October 5, Afghani authorities announces that it has foiled an assassination attempt against President Karzai, arresting six individuals amongst them a bodyguard.
On October 7, President Karzai admits that his government and NATO forces failed to maintain security in the country despite 10 years of the oust of the Taliban regime.
On October 23, Interior Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi survives an assassination attempt in a region north of Kabul.
On December 1, Qaeda's new leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri said the terrorist network has abducted a US aid work in Pakistan.
On December 3, Three ISAF soldiers killed in road explosion east of Afghanistan.
On December 5, up to 58 individuals were killed and 160s injured in a series of terrorist attacks against Shiite gathers in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif.
Foreign presence: On February 19, US Secretary of Foreign Affairs Hilary Clinton warned Taliban fighters in Afghanistan that they face two choices either peace or war, calling on the movement to renounce Al-Qaeda and join the political process.
On March 7, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrives in Afghanistan and meets President Karzai. Talks focused on the handing of security responsibilities to Afghani forces.
On June 18, President Karzai revealed that US government was in initials talks with Taliban to reach settlement that would end war in Afghanistan.
On June 23, US President Barack Obama announced that 33,000 American troops will pull out by summer of 2012, indicating that 10,000 soldiers would withdraw by end of 2011.
On July 12, French President Nicholas Sarkozy announced that his country would withdraw a quarter of its troops by 2012.
On July 18, General John Allen assumed of command of ISAF.
On November 19, council of tribal chiefs and leaders in Afghanistan supported a security partnership between Washington and Kabul to better serve the security situation in the country.
On December 5, President Karzai said that international support for Afghanistan after withdrawal of foreign troops by 2014 was important for its security.
Pakistan: Security and military news: On January 1, up to 15 individuals were killed in a US airstrike in Waziristan area north of Pakistan.
On February 10, 31 Pakistani soldiers were killed and others were injured in a suicide bombing that targeted an army recruitment facility northeast of Pakistan.
On February 12, Pakistani courts issue arrest warrant against former President Pervez Musharraf on accounts of negligence in investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
On April 22, a number of 22 Taliban fighters were killed in a American drone attack in Waziristan region northeast of Pakistan.
On April 23, Commander of the Pakistani Army General Ashfaq Kayani affirmed that the military was working on weakening the capabilities of the Taliban forces, noting victory against such elements would be achieved.
On May 2, Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a covert operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on orders by US President Barack Obama On May 6, a US drone attack killed 12 people in the tribal area in Waziristan region.
On May 13, Pakistani police announced deaths of 80 individuals and the injury of many others in a suicide attack in a northeastern region.
On May 17, Pakistani army arrests Mohammad Ali Qassem Yaqoub, also know as Abi Suhaib Al-Maki, a well-known Qaeda leader in Karachi southern Pakistan.
On May 23, Pakistani commandos killed 12 Taliban elements in attack on a marine base which was captured by the movement in Karachi.
On June 4, Pakistani Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri was killed in a US drone attack in Waziristan region.
On July 25, up to 24 individuals were killed in Karachi due to violence amongst political activists there.
On August 28, the US announced the death of the second man in Qaeda Attiyah Abdulrahman in the tribal area near the borders with Afghanistan.
On September 5, Pakistani army announced that it has arrested Yunis the Mauritanian, one of Qaeda leaders.
On October 13, Ten gunmen from the Haqqani terrorist network were killed in a two drone attacks in a tribal area north of Afghanistan.
On September 13, the Pakistani forces saved 50 students who were held captive by Taliban forces in a religious school in Karachi city.
Political turmoil and foreign presence: On May 26, the US Army announced that it withdrew a number of its personnel from Pakistan on a request by the Pakistani government.
On June 11, Former CIA Director Leon Panetta held talks with Pakistani counterparts to coordinate on fighting terrorism.
On July 10, US President Barack Obama ordered the freeze of USD 800 million of military aid to Pakistan after tension aroused between Washington and Islamabad over the killing of Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
On November 5, the anti-terrorism court in Pakistan issued official charges against senior police personnel and Taliban leaders in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
On December 11, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani issued a decree that prevents US military and NATO convoys from heading to Afghanistan via Pakistan without prior consent. Also the US military cleared out from an airbase in southwest of the country upon a request from the Pakistani government.
Terrorism and violence from around the world: On January 3, six individuals were killed in Church bombing in northern Nigeria.
On January 9, French nationals were killed when a hostage free operation went wrong in Nigeria.
On January 19, authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo accused Lieut-Colonel Kibibi Mutware, a senior army official, of leading the mass rape of 50 women in an eastern province of the country.
On March 2, two US soldiers were shot dead in Frankfurt, Germany, by a Kosovo gunman.
On March 11, French police have arrested Alejandro Zobaran Arriola, the suspected military chief of the armed Basque separatist group ETA which calls for the autonomy of the Basque province from Spain.
On March 19, Senegalese government announced that a Coup'd etat was foiled with commandos arresting a number of opposition figures link to the attempt.
On April 10, gunman opened fire in a shopping mall in the Netherlands, killing seven and injuring 11 others.
On April 12, explosions in Belarus resulted in the death of 11 people and the injury of 120 others.
On April 19, Over 500 lives were wasted due to violence which occurred after announcing that Goodluck Jonathan has won the Presidency in Nigeria.
On April 26, the UN accused the Sri Lankan government of killing thousands innocent civilians since its struggle against the Tamil Tigers group began in 2009.
On May 15, New York's public prosecution accused Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dominique Strauss-Kahn of rape and illegal detention of hotel employee.
On June 3, former Serb Bosnian General Ratko mladic was put on trial at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague for his link to the Srebrenica massacre in 1995 when around 8,000 Muslims were killed.
On July 14, Mumbai terrorist attack in the economic capital of India leaves 17 people dead.
On July 20, Serbia announced that Croatian Goran Hadzic, one of the individuals responsible for the massacres in Bosnian between 1991 and1995, was arrested and sent to ICJ for trial.
On July 22, explosions at the cabinet and headquarters of the ruling party in Oslo, Norway, leads to death of 87 individuals.
On July 24, Russian forces killed three individuals in operations at the Dagestan region.
On September 6, the criminal court on Yugoslavia sentenced General Momcilo Perisic, who commanded the Yugoslav Army during the wars in Bosnia and Croatia, was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
On September 7, bombings targeting the Supreme Court in New Delhi left nine people dead and 45 people injured.
On September 29, US Department of Defense began trial of Abd Al-Rahim Al-Nashiri alleged to be the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing in 2000 and other terrorist attacks.
On October 13, Spanish aid workers were abducted by Somali gunmen at the Kenyan and Somali borders.
On November 18, Philippines police arrested former President Gloria Arroyo on chargers of rigging the 2007 elections.
On December 14, a hand-grenade attack on a bus-station in Belgium leaves four dead and 125 others injured.
The Conflict in Cote d'Ivoire: On January 1, the outgoing president Laurent Gbagbo challenged the vote count of the 2010 presidential elections and refused to stand down, accusing the international community of backing a coup d'{tat led by his rival Alassane Dramane Ouattara. He called for dialogue to end the standoff with leader of the opposition Rally of the Republicans (Rassemblement des Republicains or RDR) Ouattara, who claimed victory in the disputed elections and was recognized by the United Nations.
On January 3, the African Union (AU) mediation mission, visiting the country, suggested that Gbagbo leaves the presidential palace in exchange for immunity against judicial prosecution and protecting his personal assets.
On January 4, the AU mediators said Gbagbo accepted holding unconditional talks with Ouattara in order to reach a peaceful settlement to the crisis and ended the siege imposed by his forces on Ouattara's house in the capital city of Abidjan.
On January 6, Gbagbo declared UK and Canadian ambassadors in Abidjan personas non grata.
On January 11, an armed clash between Gbagbo's loyalists and Ouattara's supporters left five deaths in Abidjan.
On January 22, Gbagbo ordered French ambassador to leave the country and ordered his forces to intercept and inspect the vehicles of the UN peacekeeping force.
On February 20, Ouattara's supporters staged a demonstration in Abidjan but Gbagbo's forces opened fire, killing two of them.
On February 22, Ouattara's supporters exchanged fire with the pro-Gbagbo troops in the city, killing ten soldiers.
On March 13, the spiraling violence in Abidjan displaced dozens of thousands of residents while the AU renewed the call for Gbagbo to step down.
On April 1, Ouattara's supporters captured the state-run TV station, close to Gbagbo's palace.
On April 2, the United Nations denounced the escalating violence, urging Gbagbo to admit electoral defeat and stand down.
On April 3, the French forces took over the country's main airport in Abidjan as fighting and the ensuing security vacuum were escalating. France said sent an extra 300 soldiers to its former colony, taking the total number of its troops to over 1,400. On April 9, Gbagbo's forces attacked Abobo and PK-18, two districts to the north of Abidjan controlled by Ouattara's supporters, with machine-guns and artillery.
On April 11, the pro-Ouattara troops, backed by the French forces, launched a flash commando operation on the presidential palace, to the south of Abidjan, and managed to capture Gbagbo alive.
On April 12, UN-recognized President Ouattara urged his people to calm down and exercise self-restraint after Gbagbo's arrest. Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the arrest as a major breakthrough in the unjustifiable prolonged conflict.
On April 24, Ouattara ordered all troops, regardless of their allegiances, to return to their barracks and the security forces to restore calm and rule of law to Abidjan and other parts of the country.
On May 10, militiamen, loyal to Gbagbo, massacred 200 people and fled into neighboring Liberia, one day after a mass grave, containing 50 bodies believed to be killed by Gbagbo's forces, was discovered on the outskirts of Abidjan.
On November 29, Gbagbo arrived in The Hague to stand trial before the ICC for war crime charges.
On December 1, Leader of the Ivorian Popular Front (IPF) Pascal Affi N'Guessan boycotted the reconciliation talks with the RDR in protest against Gbagbo's prosecution.
The United States: On January 6, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced a Pentagon budget cut amounting to USD 78 billion and a major military trim. Under his plan, the USD 14 billion worth amphibious Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) project was scrapped, the Marine Corps slashed 15,000 - 20,000 people, a 10 percent cut, and the army's active duty personnel shrank by 27,000, 4 percent cut.
On January 9, Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat Senator, was shot in the head and Giffords was shot in the head and six other people were killed when a gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, opened fire at them outside a grocery store in Casas Adobes, Arizona.
On February 20, trade unions staged mass rallies in 50 states across the country in protest against Gov. Scott Walker's bill to cut state employees' benefits and diminish union bargaining rights.
On May 11, President Obama suggested major amendments to the immigration regulations and naturalizing the illegal immigrants estimated at 11 million, mainly from Latin America.
On May 14, the US authorities accused six US nationals and other Pakistanis of supporting the Pakistani Taliban movement, thus worsening the already tense ties with Pakistan.
On June 21, the Senate approved Leon Panetta as Secretary of Defense, replacing Gates.
On October 14, Obama ordered the deployment of 100 fully-equipped soldiers, the bulk of who are from the Army Special Forces, to Uganda to support the regional taskforce fighting the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). He said the move did not need explicit Congress approval since the 2010 LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act already authorized increased and comprehensive U.S. efforts to help eliminate the threat posed by the LRA to Ugandan civilians and regional stability.
The US Economy: On February 25, the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing was awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to build the next-generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft that will replace 179 of the USAF's 400 KC-135 tankers. Under the USD 35 billion worth contract Boeing has to manufacture and deliver to the USAF 18 initial combat-ready tankers by 2017.
On March 21, AT and T announced a USD 39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA - the largest ever merger in the US mobile telecommunication industry.
On July 12, the Department of Commerce said the US trade deficit hit a record high in 31 months, driven largely by an increase in the cost of imported crude oil. The deficit surged by more than 15 percent to USD 50.2 billion, according to the figures released by the Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis.
On July 30, the House of Representatives approved a bill developed by the House Speaker John A. Boehner to lift the federal debt ceiling and cut the public spending by USD 900 billion.
On August 2, the Senate passed by a solid bipartisan margin, and sent to the President, the Budget Control Act of 2011. The bill raises the debt ceiling, protects the full faith and credit of the United States, and reduces the budget deficit.
On September 3, the federal government sued 17 US and European banks and demanded USD multi-billion in damage for their failure offer basic guarantees for real estate credits.
On September 9, President Obama announced his American Jobs Act of 2011 aiming to respond to the national employment crisis in the long run. The initiative secured USD 447 billion for creating nearly two million jobs.
On September 13, the US Census Bureau reported that the number of Americans living in poverty went up by 15.1 percent to 46.2 million, a record high.
On September 19, Obama unveiled a plan to cut down the budget deficit by USD three billion in the ten years ahead.
On October 6, thousands of demonstrators gathered at Zuccotti Park, located in financial district of New York, and formed "Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. They protested against social and economic inequality, high unemployment rate, greed, as well as corruption, and the undue influence of corporations.
On October 12, the Republican Senators blocked the Obama-conceived American Jobs Act of 2011 which aimed to secure USD 447 billion for creating nearly two million jobs.
On December 13, the OWS activists blocked the gates of three seaports on the US western coast, prompting the federal authorities to arrest a large number of them.
Operation to Kill Bin Laden: On May 2, President Obama announced, in a televised speech, that Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda organization and most wanted for the US, was killed in a CIA-backed commando operation code-named Operation Neptune Spear. The US forces in neighboring Afghanistan are in passion of bin Laden's body pending his burial, Obama said.
The raid was carried out by a team from the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and targeted bin Laden's compound in Belal district of Abbottabad city, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, some 50 km northeast Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, without informing the Pakistani authorities.
On May 3, Obama hailed the killing as "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat Al Qaeda." He said it's a great day for America, adding that justice has been done.
Later in the day the United States closed down, pending further notice, its embassy and three consulates in Pakistan as a precaution for possible reprisal acts by Al-Qaeda.
On May 3, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari denied Western claims that the Pakistani security services may have knowing bin Laden's whereabouts or harboring him before his death. He was reacting to US and British demands for answers from Islamabad as to how the al-Qaida chief was able to live undetected in a large house in a garrison town. Zardari added that his country has been the biggest victim of terrorism and the spearhead of the global anti-terror combat.
On May 8, Obama asked the Pakistani authorities to investigate a possible network that could have provided safe shelter for bin Laden.
On May 11, bin Laden's fourth son Omar denounced the extrajudicial killing of his father at the hands of the US forces. He urged, in a statement carried by New York Times, probing the death and releasing his father's three wives who were nabbed by the US forces from the scene of the killing.
On May 14, the Pakistani parliament approved in a joint meeting by its two chambers, a bill calling for reviewing the ties with the United States and an impartial inquiry into bin Laden's death.
The World Economy: On January 5, The World Bank unveiled its first bonds in the Chinese currency, Yuan or RMB. The 500 million Yuan worth bonds aimed to offer investors the chance to diversify their currency holdings and promote the internationalization of the Yuan.
On January 15, the British Petroleum (BP) and Russia's state-owned Rosneft announced their "Global and Arctic Strategic Alliance," a world-class exploration program in the Russian South Kara Sea - one of the most prospective unexplored basins in the world. Under the deal, the two international energy conglomerates agreed to explore and develop three license blocks - EPNZ 1,2,3 - on the Russian Arctic continental shelf. They also agreed to establish an Arctic technology center in Russia which will work with leading Russian and international research institutes, design bureaus and universities to develop technologies and engineering.
On January 17, Chinese President Hu Jintao argued that the era of US dollar dominance of the global currency system is coming to an end. He defended the Yuan's upmanship, saying his country will work to replace the US dollar with the Yuan, acknowledging that the process will take a long time.
On January 20, China signed USD 45 billion worth contracts with several US companies, most notable among which is the USD 19 billion contract with Boeing to acquire 200 passenger aircraft.
On January 27, the 41st Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum opened in Davos, Switzerland, amid cautious optimism about the ability of the world economy to restore the pre-crisis growth levels.
On February 15, an Ecuadorian court held Chevron responsible for the widespread environment pollution of the country's Amazon basin and ruled that the oil company be fined USD eight billion.
On February 15, the ministers of finance of the Euro-zone countries, meeting in Brussels, approved launching a permanent bailout fund involving 500 billion Euros for the region's stumbling economies.
On March 10, the US magazine Forbes ranked Carlos Slim, a Mexican business magnate and philanthropist, as the world's richest person for the second year in a row. Slim's wealth grew by USD 20.5 billion in 2010 to USD 74 billion, thus surpassing that of Bill Gates and his (Slim's) compatriot Warren E. Buffett.
On March 18, the world's seven most industrialized countries intervened to curb the rising exchange rate of the Japanese Yen against the US dollar after the Yen hit a record high since the end of the World War II.
On April 1, the Republic of Ireland stated that its banking system is suffering from unbearable crisis with the solvency gap expanding to as much as 99 billion Euros ( some USD 140 billion). The announcement came one day after the Central Bank instructed four lenders to raise 24 billion Euros.
On April 7, the European Central Bank (ECB) pushed up the interest rate in the Euro-zone from one to 1.25 percent in a bid to guard against the inflation risks.
On April 12, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that the world economic recovery has solidified though the unemployment remains high.
In its World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF noted that the recovery proceeds in the United States, a gradual and uneven recovery is under way in Europe, rapid growth continues in Asia, Latin America faces buoyant external conditions, and growth has returned to pre-crisis rates in many African countries, while the recovery in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faces an uncertain environment.
On April 20, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Nobuo Tanaka said the recent surge of the oil prices put a cap on the demand from the world's major economies such as the United States and China. He called on the OPEC members to increase their daily output in order to stabilize the market.
On May 7, the Chinese government announced a plan to invest up to 745.5 billion yuans in the development of the national railway network this year.
On May 20, the IMF agreed to offer a 26 billion Euro bailout package to Portugal over the coming three years, including 6.1 billion Euros in urgent financial assistance.
On May 30, the Chinese yuan exchange rate versus the US dollar hit an all-time record high of 6.4856 yuans.
ON June 7, the long-awaited maritime delimitation treaty between Russia and Norway entered into force. The new treaty, signed in Murmansk, on September 15, 2010, opened opportunities for petroleum and gas exploitation activities, whether unilateral or bilateral, in the Barents Sea which accounts for 30 percent of the world's oil and gas reserves. On June 12, the World Economic Forum on East Asia opened in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia with leaders from the business, government and civil society addressing the key challenges facing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states.
The two-day gathering, hosted by the chair of ASEAN in 2011 and member of the G-20, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the forum.
On June 17, the IMF warned of the growing risks posed to the world economic growth by the debt crisis of Greece and US budget deficit.
On June 19, Spain's austerity plan including the cap on the public spending prompted mass protests across Madrid.
On July 2, the Bank of Moscow, Russia's fifth largest and mainly state-owned commercial bank, received USD 14 billion state rescue package - the largest bailout in Russian history.
On July 8, the IMF approved the second stage of the economic stimulus package for Greece amounting to USD four billion.
On July 15, the Italian parliament approved the government-conceived austerity plan which aims to cut down the public spending by 48 billion Euros until 2014 in the face of a looming budget deficit.
On July 29, China and Germany signed commercial trade agreements involving USD 15 billion to promote their bilateral trade over the coming five years.
On August 14, President of the European Council Van Rompy welcomed the austerity measures, recently adopted by Italy, as vital for the entire Euro-zone.
On August 15, Google announced takeover of Motorola Mobility for USD 12.5 billion.
On August 24, the credit-rating agency Moody's downgraded Japan's long-term sovereign debts from AAA-3 to AAA2.
On September 6, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin opened the first line of the North Stream - a Russian-German 1,224-kilometre gas pipeline - at a ceremony held in Lubmin, northern Germany. The pipeline, costing a total of USD 12.5 billion, started delivering natural gas directly from Russia's Yuzhno-Russkoye gas-field in Siberia to Germany.
On September 8, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warned the world's seven most-industrialized countries of slower economic recovery due to the deepening debt crisis of the Euro-zone.
On September 15, five European central banks jointly intevened to shore up the Euro-zone banking system through pumping large funds.
On September 17, the EU finance minister approved, during their meeting in Poland, strict measures for developing the budgets of their countries in order to curb the rising inflation rates.
On September 20, Standard and Poor's downgraded Italy's crediting rating from A+/A-1 to A/A-1 due to the growing economic instability.
On September 25, the IMF warned that it could have no sufficient funding for stumbling economies if the Euro-zone debt crisis continued.
On September 26, the IMF unveiled an ambitious stimulus package for the Greek economy amounting to USD two billion in addition to writing off half of the country's debts.
On October 7, the Fitch Ratings downgraded the credit ratings of Italy and Spain.
On October 7, the European Commission approved Microsoft's USD 8.5 billion acquisition of Internet-calling service Skype; the hefty price-tag is almost ten times Skype's revenues in 2010.
On October 9, France, Belgium and Luxembourg reached agreement to bail out the Dexia Bank Belgium.
On October 20, the Greek parliament finally approved the austerity plan envisaging sharp pay cuts and laying off some 30,000 civil servants.
On October 21, the EU finance ministers adopted a bailout plan for Greece involving eight billion Euros.
On October 31, the International Labor Organization (ILO) warned that the world employment market is on the verge of recession which could risk triggering social instability in many countries.
On November 14, the heads of state and government of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting (APEC) concluded their 6-day meeting on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, with an agreement to promote free trade and economic cooperation among their 21 countries.
On November 19, the EU negotiators reached an agreement to push up the EU budget by two percent to 129 billion Euros.
On November 22, Brazil fined the US energy giant Chevron USD 28 million in damage for the early November oil spill off Rio de Janeiro.
On December 11, the daily oil output of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) hit a three-year record high of 30.785 million barrels.
On December 14, OPEC's ministers of oil agreed to keep the output ceiling unchanged at 30 billion bpd. Some members of the global cartels agreed to cut down their production to help Libya restore its pre-crisis levels of exports.
On December 14, the Euro exchange rate against the dollar went down to below USD 1.31, a record low in the year.
On December 16, the IMF managing director Christine Lagarde warned of a bleak economic outlook, saying that the world is on the brink of a great depression.
On December 20, the Euro-zone finance ministers agreed to boost the crediting resources of the IMF by 150 billion Euros in a bid to ward off the looming debt crisis, but Britain declined to help.
World's major democratic events: On January 10, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed an amended constitution, cementing the legal framework for presidential, parliamentary and state governorship elections.
On January 14, Nigerian President Jonathan was elected as the Presidential flag-bearer of the ruling People's Democratic Party for the 2011 Presidential election by 77.7 percent of valid votes cast.
On January 16, Marine Le Pen elected as leader of France's biggest far-right party, the National Front Party.
On February 21, Crushing defeat for Germany's ruling Christian Democratic party in Hamburg state elections.
On February 26, Ireland's main opposition party Fine Gael claimed a historic victory in parliamentary elections.
On March 6, Irish center-right Fine Gael Party and Labour Party agreed on forming a coalition government.
On April 4, Nursultan Nazarbayev was re-elected Kazakhstan's president for five more years by securing 95.5 percent of votes.
On April 16, Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore dismissed his government and replaced top military leaders after a rebellion by a number of presidential guards.
On April 19, Hungarian parliament approved new constitution.
On April 19, Cuba's ruling Communist Party held its sixth congress which focused on political, economic and social reforms to modernize the state.
On May 3, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party won a majority of seats in a historic election that saw the left-leaning New Democratic Party become the official opposition.
On June 2, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan survived a no-confidence vote after offering to resign once the country is on the road to recovery from the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.
On June 5, Portugal's center-right Social Democrats (PSD) defeated the ruling Socialist Party in parliamentary election.
On June 6, Peru's President Keiko Fujimori conceded defeat in presidential election to Ollanta Humala, who won a narrow victory.
On June 12, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party won nearly 50 percent of the vote in a parliamentary.
On June 13, Italian Prime Minister Silvo Berlusconi suffered significant political setbacks after voters overwhelmingly repealed four of his major policies during last weekend's referendums.
On September 24, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced he will run for March 2012 presidential elections. On September 25, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) lost majority in the French Senate for the opposition Socialist Party (PS) and its allies.
On October 10, Poland's ruling coalition won 37 of votes.
On October 14, Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government won a key confidence vote in the lower house of parliament.
On October 15, Nine Liberian opposition parties, including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's two main challengers, rejected election results.
On October 16, Haitian Parliament approved new government.
On October 16, Fran\ois Hollande wins French Socialist presidential election.
On October 24, Cristina Kirchner re-elected as Argentina's president in landslide.
On October 27, South African opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA) elected Lindiwe Mazibuko as first black parliamentary leader.
On October 29, Labour Party candidate Michael D Higgins elected to succeed Mary McAleese as the ninth president of Ireland.
On November 11, Greece's new coalition government headed by former European Central Bank Vice President Lucas Papademos was sworn in, amid hopes to put an end to the country's political turmoil.
On November 12, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi resigned after losing parliamentary majority.
On November 18, Italian parliament approved new government headed by Mario Monti.
On December 4, Russian ruling party United Russia won 49 percent of the vote, a significant drop from their current two-thirds majority in parliament.
On December 9, Congo's President Joseph Kabila won another term in office.
On December 11, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered an investigation into allegations of fraud in parliamentary elections.
On December 12, Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard reshuffled her cabinet, focusing on job creation and labor relations, as she tries to reverse plummeting voter support ahead of elections due within two years.
Notable deaths: On February 6, Egyptian-born French poet Andree Chedid died at the age of 90. She was the author of Le Sixieme Jour, The Multiple Child, From Sleep Unbound and L'autre.
On February 28, US actress Jane Russell, co-star of Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", died at 89 in Los Angeles.
On March 18, US secretary of state under Bill Clinton Warren Christopher died in Los Angeles at 85.
On April 9, US film director Sydney Lumet, passed away at 86 in New York.
On April 30, Argentine writer and human rights champion Ernesto Sabato died aged 99.
On May 1, Much-loved British heavyweight champion Sir Henry Cooper died at 76.
On May 7, Famous Spanish golfer Severiano Ballesteros died at age 54 after a brain tumour operation.
On May 16, Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru died after falling from a first-floor balcony at his home in the town of Nyahururu.
On June 7, Best-selling British novelist Jennifer Worth, who wrote the popular Call the Midwife trilogy, died aged 75.
On June 8, Spanish prize-winning and politically committed novelist Jorge Semprun, who was also a scriptwriter, French Resistance fighter and concentration camp survivor, died at the age of 87.
On June 9, India's most highly prized painter Maqbool Fida Husain died aged 95.
On July 20, British painter and grandson of Sigmund Freud Lucian Freud died in London at age 88.
On September 3, Cuban Defence Minister Julio Casas Regueiro, a veteran of the revolution, has died of heart failure, aged 75.
On September 25, Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai ,who became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, died at age 71 in a Nairobi hospital.
On September 30, Medical scientist Ralph Steinman died three days before being chosen as one three recipients of Nobel Prize of Medicine of 2011.
On October 5, US entrepreneur Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and the driving force behind devices such as the iPod and the iPhone died at age 56 of cancer in Palo Alto, California.
On November 7, US heavyweight boxer Joe Frazier died at age 67 in Philadelphia.
On November 27, British film director Ken Russell, at age 84 in London.
On November 28, The only daughter of former Soviet leader Josef Stalin Svetlana died in the United States aged 85.
On December 3, legendary Indian film star Dev Anand died at 88 in London.
On December 4, Former Brazil football captain Socrates died aged 57.
On December 16, British-born author and journalist Christopher Hitchens died aged 62.
On December 18, Czech Republic's former president Vaclav Havel died aged 75.
On December 19, North Korean President Kim Jong-il died of heart attack at 69.
Major UN-related events: On April 22, the United Nations rebuffs a request from Sri Lankan government to withdraw a UN panel report accusing Sri Lankan army of committing war crimes during fighting against Tamil rebels, ended in 2009.
On June 13, The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) held conference in London in which public and private donors pledged USD 4.3 billion.
On June 21, The United Nations General Assembly reelected the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, by consensus to a second five-year term.
On July 19, The United Nations declared famine in two regions of southern Somalia.
On July 25, The United Nations called an emergency meeting to discuss mobilizing aid for drought-stricken east Africa, where famine has been declared in parts of Somalia.
On September 4, UN-sponsored reconciliation talks opened in Somalia.
On October 10, A UN report found Afghan prisoners systematically tortured and abused.
On October 10, A UN annual report on world hunger warned against the spread of hunger due to the food crises.
On November 2, The UN held a conference on future of Afghanistan after NATO troops' pullout in Istanbul.
On December 4, The UN global warming conference of 2011 kicked off in Durban, South Africa.
On December 5, the German city of Bonn hosted a UN-sponsored conference on the future of the war-torn Afghanistan, with the participation of more than 100 countries.
On December 6, The UN Security Council toughened sanctions against Eritrea after its East African neighbors accused it of continuing to provide support to Islamist militants.
On December 11, the UN climate change talks in Durban agreed a pact that for the first time would force all the biggest polluters to take action to slow the pace of global changing.
On December 13, Canada pulled out of Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
On December 25, The UN General Assembly approved a 5 percent decrease in the United Nations' budget for 2012-2013 over the previous two-year period, only the second time in 50 years that the world body has slashed its spending.
Major sports events: On January 9, Sweden's tennis player Robin Soderling defeated Andy Roddick to win Brisbane title.
On January 10, Barcelona's Argentinean player Lionel Messi named FIFA World Player of the Year for the second year in row.
On March 22, Michel Fran\ois Platini of France reelected head of the Union of European Football Associations.
On March 27, German Sebastian Vettel won the Australian Formula One (F1) Grand Prix.
On April 16, US investors took over 60-percent stake in the Italian famous club AS Roma.
On April 17, Kenyan runner Emmanuel Mutai won London Marathon in a course-record time.
On April 20, Real Madrid defeated Barcelona to win Copa del Rey. On May 8, German Sebastian Vettel won the Grand Prix of Turkey.
On May 11, Barcelona won third-straight Spain's La Liga.
On May 14, Manchester City ended a barren sequence of 35 years without a major trophy as Yaya Toure's late strike gave them a deserved FA Cup Final victory over Stoke City.
On May 28, Spanish club Barcelona defeated British Manchester United 3-1 to win the UEFA Champions League for the fourth time.
On June 4, History-making tennis legend Li Na notched the first-ever grand slam women's singles title for China and Asia, beating defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy.
On June 14, British tennis player Andy Murray beat French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win Queen's championship.
On July 3, Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic beat Spanish rival Rafael Nadal to win Wimbledon men's title.
On August 27, The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics kicked off in Daegu city, South Korea.
On September 13, Top-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat second seed Rafael Nadal of Spain to win US Open Title.
On September 25, Patrick Makau of Kenya won Berlin Marathon, setting a new world record.
On October 9, British driver Jenson Button won Japanese Gran Prix in front of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.
On October 16, German Sebastian Vettel won the Grand Prix of South Korea.
On December 16, Andre Ayew of Ghana won 2011 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.
On December 18, Barcelona of Spain beat Brazil's Santos 4-0 to win its second Club World Cup in three years.
International relations: On January 1 and 12, North Korea calls for bettering relations with South Korea via economic and military collaborations.
On January 20, US President Barack Obama receives Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao at the White House, focus on issues regarding dispute within monetary policy.
On February 10, India and Pakistan agree on resuming peace talks on issues of dispute.
On April 10, China calls US to stop criticizing Beijing on issues of human rights.
On April 29, Royal UK wedding for Prince William and Kate Middleton held in Westminster Cathedral with participation of 1,900 guests.
On May 1, thousands gather in Rome to celebrate for beatification of late Pope John Paul II.
On May 8, Cambodia and Thailand fail to reach agreement on border dispute on sideline of ASEAN conference in Jakarta, Indonesia.
On May 21, India worried about Pakistani-Chinese growing military relations, considers it as challenge.
On July 16, US President Barack Obama receives at White House spiritual leader of Tibet the Dalai Lama.
On July 26, India and South Korea sign agreement on nuclear cooperation. Deal allows Seoul to export nuclear technology for New Delhi.
On September 11, Rwandan President Paul Kagame visits Paris in first visit since war of 1994 in efforts to mend the relations between the two nations.
On September 22, Pope Benedict XVI on official first visit to his homeland Germany since Papacy.
On September 28, Serbian-Kosovo talks under EU sponsorship in Brussels fail to defuse tension between the countries over northern Kosovo issue.
On October 4, Afghan President Hamid Karzai visits India and signs several strategic agreements on development security level.
On October 22, US and South Korea come to agreement on retrieving remains of US soldiers fighting in Korean war.
On December 1, US Foreign Secretary Hilary Clinton holds talks with Burmese President Thein Sein in capital Naypyidaw, the first visit for a US official to the country in 50 years.
Arts and Culture: On January 17, "the Social Network" wins four golden globe awards for 2010 in a festivity held in California.
On March 17, Italian Maestro Riccardo Muti wins USD one million prestigious Birgit Nilsson award.
On May 18, American Writer Philip Roth wins Man Booker International Prize for his contribution to literature.
On May 23, "Tree of Life" film directed by Terrence Malick wins 64th Cannes' Palme d'Or.
On September 11, "Faust" movie for Russian Director Alexander Sokurov wins Golden Lion of Venice Film Festival.
On September 29, Chinese solar power pioneer Huang Ming wins "alternative Noble" award for 2011.
On October 3, Three Scientists from US, Luxemburg, and Canada win Noble Prize for medicine for immune system research.
On October 5, Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his discovery of quasicrystals, a mosaic-like chemical structure. On October 6, The Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer won the 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature.
On October 7, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and Yemeni human rights activist Tawakkul Karman win Noble peace prize for 2011.
On October 19, British Novelist Julian Barnes wins Man Booker for his novel "The Sense of and Ending." On October 27, "We needs to talk about Kevin" wins 55th London Film Festival On November 18, Iranian film "A Separation" wins BBC World Cinema Award.
On November 28, BBC Arabic wins "News Channel of the year" Hot Bird's TV Awards.
On December 4, Melancholia Wins European Film Award. (more)