Residents carry belongings from tsunami-devastated homes in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture on March 14 (XINHUA/AFP)

Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Disaster in Japan

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan on March 11. The earthquake and the tsunami it triggered killed at least 15,000 people, leaving more than 90,000 others homeless. The earthquake and tsunami jointly caused radiation leaks at a nuclear plant in Fukushima.

The nuclear disaster was believed to be the most serious since 1986. It was not until December 17 that the Japanese Government declared the nuclear power plant had ceased to leak substantial amounts of radiation, achieving a condition that suggests a stable state known as a "cold shutdown." Economists predicted Japan's losses could reach several trillions of U.S. dollars.

A Somali boy sits on a plastic bucket in Dadaab, the world's biggest refugee camp located on the Kenyan-Somali border (LIU CHAN)

Famine in the Horn of Africa

The most serious drought in the past six decades struck the Horn of Africa this year. More than 12 million people from different countries in this region were affected by famine. Millions of people lack access to fresh water and over 2 million children were malnourished. The famine sounded the alarm over food security in the world.

A symbolic 7 billionth baby, named Danica Camacho, rests on her mother's chest on October 31 in a hospital in Manila, the Philippines (XINHUA)

Global Population Hits 7 Billion

The world's population hit 7 billion on October 31, according to UN estimates. Global population reached 6 billion in 1998. It is expected to grow to 9 billion by the middle of this century.