A look back at Asia in 2015
From Myanmar's historic elections to China's stock market slump, 2015 has been an eventful year for Asia. DW takes a look, in pictures, at the key occurrences across the continent during the year.
January 8 - An era ends in Sri Lanka
In this South Asian island nation, opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena surprisingly wins a presidential election, ousting the hardline incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had been in power for about a decade. In August, Rajapaksa again attempts a political comeback as prime minister by contesting the parliamentary elections. But his bid fails at the ballot box, ushering in a new political era.
January 30 - Terror strikes Friday prayers in Pakistan
Over 60 people die in a bomb attack on a Shiite mosque in the town of Shikarpur in southeastern Pakistan. The attack takes place when large numbers of people are at the mosque to attend Friday prayers. The Sunni extremist group Jundullah, an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban, claims responsibility for the attack.
February 4 - Dramatic pictures from Taiwan
A turboprop aircraft of the Taiwanese airline TransAsia Airways crashes into a river shortly after takeoff from a Taipei airport, killing 43 of the 58 passengers onboard. A report released in July by Taiwan's aviation safety authority says the pilot committed a fatal error shortly before the crash, namely by switching off a functioning engine, after the jet's other engine had failed.
February 25 - Death in snow-filled Afghan mountains
A winter storm triggers a huge avalanche to the north of Kabul, claiming nearly 250 lives. Damaged roads and a lack of equipment complicate the search and rescue operations.
April 18 - First IS attack in Afghanistan
In the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, over 30 civilians lose their lives to a suicide bombing. For the first time, Islamic State claims responsibility for a terror attack in the country.
April 25 - Earthquake in Nepal
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocks the landlocked Himalayan nation, raging entire villages to the ground. Even the capital Kathmandu, including many of its historic sites, suffers extensive damage. A second, 7.2-magnitude quake strikes Nepal on May 12. The quake is considered to be the deadliest natural disaster in the country's history, claiming nearly 8,800 lives, according to government data.
May - Misery on the high seas in Southeast Asia
The refugee crisis in the region escalates, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimating about 8,000 people being stranded on the high seas in rickety dinghies. Most of the refugees come from the border area between Myanmar and Bangladesh, where they suffer from immense discrimination. Malaysia and Indonesia later launch rescue operations.
June 1 - Drowning in the Yangtze
The Eastern Star cruise ship capsizes in the Yangtze River in central China, killing more than 440 people onboard, most of them older tourists who were on an 11-day river cruise on the Yangtze. The disaster is said to have been caused by a tornado.
May / June - Extreme temperatures in India and Pakistan
Heat waves engulf parts of India and Pakistan. Nearly 2,500 people lose their lives in India suffering from the effects of the extreme heat such as dehydration, heat stroke and exhaustion. The death toll in Pakistan stands at around 1,200. The recorded peak temperature in Pakistan - at about 49.5 degrees Celsius - is even higher than in India, where the figure was around 47.7 degrees Celsius.
July 14 - Agreement on nuclear deal with Iran
After years of rising tensions over Iran's controversial nuclear program, Teheran and six world powers -the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - reach a deal, prompting crowds to take to the streets of the Iranian capital cheering the agreement. As part of it, Iran agrees to drastically limit its nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions by the end of the year.
July / August - China's stock market rout
On July 29, the share prices on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges fall by over eight percent, the biggest intraday plunge since 2007. As early as mid-June, the overheated Chinese stock markets began to plummet. Massive state intervention, including interest rate cuts, led to further turmoil. The losses booked by small investors are likely to have a negative impact on consumer confidence.
July 29 - The death of a phantom
The Afghan government announces the death of the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar. According to the authorities, the radical Islamist leader died as early as 2013, possibly from tuberculosis. The US views the report as credible - and even the Pakistani military and intelligence services confirm it. The Taliban names deputy leader Mullah Mansur as Omar's successor.
August 11 - Japan restarts nuclear reactor
Japan restarts a nuclear reactor for the first time since the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station over four years ago. The reactor in the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in southern Japan is the first one to be back online, after the country had shut down all its nuclear reactors following the disaster. But the majority of Japanese oppose a return to nuclear power.
August 17 - Terror attack in Thailand
A bomb attack in Thailand's capital Bangkok kills 20 people, including many foreigners, while leaving over 120 injured. The explosive device is detonated in a popular shopping area close to the Erawan shrine. Chinese Uighurs are believed to be behind the attack.
September - Acrid smoke chokes Indonesia and neighboring countries
2,000 fires blaze in Sumatra and Borneo. Illegal slash-and-burn practices to make way for palm oil plantations trigger the catastrophic forest fires. The fire departments are rendered powerless and a state of emergency is declared in several regions affected by the fires. The smoke also blankets Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, affecting a total of 40 million people.
September 28 - The Taliban storm Kunduz
Taliban fighters conquer the provincial capital of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, where the German military was stationed until 2013. The occupation lasts several days before the Afghan army retakes control of the city with the help of foreign allies. In October, the US mistakenly conducts airstrikes on a Kunduz hospital operated by "Doctors Without Borders," leaving at least 30 people dead.
October 5 - Launch of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
After years of negotiations, 12 Pacific Rim countries sign-off on a free trade agreement. The partnership, which had been under negotiation since 2008, eliminates barriers to trade and investment. TPP countries include: the US, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The agreement, however, is missing one crucial partner - China.
October 15 - US and NATO troops remain in Afghanistan
Due to the resurgence of the Taliban, US President Barack Obama changes the timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. 9,600 soldiers are to remain in Afghanistan until 2016. At the beginning of December, NATO foreign ministers decide to provide the country with 12,000 troops to further support the Afghan army. Germany plans to raise its contingent from 850 soldiers to 980.
October 29 - Two children for Chinese families
The Communist leadership in China announces the official end to its "One-child policy," which came into force in 1979. Effective immediately, all couples may now have two children - with government permission. The policy change is Beijing's response to the threat of an aging society. The government also seeks to ensure that fewer girls are selectively aborted, as well.
October - Emotional family reunions in Korea
Over the course of several days, hundreds of relatives from North and South Korea reunite after being separated for decades. After the situation between the warring neighbors threatened to escalate following an incident in August, both sides agreed to work together to ease tensions and, in the process, consented to the family reunions.
November 7 - Historical meeting in Singapore
For the first time in the history, the leaders of the People's Republic of China and Taiwan meet for face-to-face talks. The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou takes place on neutral ground in Singapore.
November 8 - Political triumph for Aung San Suu Kyi
The "National League for Democracy" wins an absolute majority in the first free parliamentary elections to take place in Myanmar in over a quarter century. The party of Nobel Peace Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi also won during the country's last elections in 1990. At the time, the army did not recognize the victory, placing Myanmar's venerated "Lady" under house arrest for around 15 years.
December - China's capital covered in smog
For the first time, China issues its highest smog alert in Beijing. Car traffic has been temporarily restricted and factories have had to halt production, while schools and child-care centers remain closed. China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases in absolute terms and suffers from massive air pollution which is partially cased by coal-fired power plants.