Pictures of the year 2010

30 December 2010 Last updated at 08:53

Pictures of the year 2010

The 2010 World Expo opened in the city of Shanghai in what China hoped would be further proof of its rising global influence. Almost 250 countries and international organisations showcased their culture in an event themed around sustainable development.

An earthquake in Haiti in January left many thousands dead and millions hungry, their homes, schools and hospitals destroyed and their livelihoods taken away. The response to a cholera outbreak was described as "inadequate".

A strong aftershock rocked the country a week later, sending screaming people running into the streets. However, rescue teams continued to find people alive in the rubble.

An eruption beneath Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier which began on 20 March created an ash cloud that forced airspace closures across northern Europe. Most of the ash had dispersed by the beginning of May, when the eruption resumed.

Heavy monsoon rains in north-west Pakistan caused rivers to burst their banks. At least 1,600 people are believed to have been killed and entire villages were swept away. Some 20 million people were affected and six million needed food aid.

An explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig allowed millions of gallons of oil to spew into the Gulf of Mexico. The well was finally "killed" in September, five months after the disaster began.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Athens and other Greek cities to participate in May Day rallies, angered by the harsh austerity measures demanded by the EU in return for a financial bail-out package.

Fighting between Thai troops and anti-government protesters brought the streets of Bangkok to a standstill. At least 90 people were killed during 10 weeks of protests and clashes.

A month-long record-breaking heatwave sparked nearly 50 fires in the Moscow region. More than 2,000 people were left homeless. President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the armed forces to help fight the flames.

Nelson Mandela: "The 2010 Fifa World Cup is more than just a game: it symbolises the power of football to bring people together from all over the world, regardless of language, the colour of one's skin, political or religious persuasion."

For more than two months, 33 men were trapped underground in Chile's San Jose mine. As the rescue attempt gathered pace in the Atacama Desert above, hundreds of relatives and dozens of international media organisations set up camp there.

Experts from the EU were brought to Hungary to tackle the toxic sludge spill that claimed seven lives and devastated large areas. Hungary says it will take more than a year and cost tens of millions of dollars to clear up the damage.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says the US will start reducing the number of its soldiers in Afghanistan next July. The commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, Gen David Petraeus, said that he might advise President Obama to delay the exit.

The Commonwealth Games got under way in Delhi, as organisers sought to shake off suggestions that preparations were incomplete. About 80,000 police were reinforced by 17,000 paramilitary troops to counter the danger of an attack by extremists.

North Korea revealed its past and future to the outside world with a rare invitation to the world's media to come to Pyongyang to see a major military parade. Kim Jong-il also appeared with his son Kim Jong-un, who is expected to be country's next leader.

World leaders and human rights groups reacted with joy at the release from house arrest of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. She walked from her Rangoon house at the end of her sentence having been detained for most of the past two decades.

Dilma Rousseff was elected president of Brazil to succeed Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Ms Rousseff, 62, who has never before held elected office, becomes the country's first female president.

Republicans took control of the US House of Representatives and diminished the Democratic majority in the Senate. President Obama, pictured with stitches on his lip from a basketball injury, faces a new and more complicated relationship with Congress.

At least 350 people were killed in a stampede during festival celebrations in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. Hundreds more people were injured in the crush. Huge crowds had gathered on a small island for the final day of the Water Festival.

Freezing weather disrupted travel across Europe during late December. Icy and snowy roads caused traffic problems across large parts of western and northern Europe and dozens of people are reported to have died from exposure.

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Pictures of the year 2010

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