(Left to right) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and South African President Jacob Zuma at the Third BRICS Leaders Meeting in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province on April 14 (JU PENG)

BRICS Expansion

South Africa joined Brazil, Russia, India and China at their summit this year, turning BRIC into BRICS. These emerging economies vowed to play a bigger role in global issues such as international monetary and financial system reform, climate change, energy and food security and nuclear security.

Residents wave flags as they celebrate the independence of South Sudan in the capital Juba (XINHUA/AFP)

South Sudan's Independence

South Sudan declared its independence on July 9 to become the 193rd UN member state. Salva Kiir Mayardit took office as president of the new republic.

The north and the south battled two civil wars for more than half a century before reaching a peace agreement in 2005. During a referendum in January, nearly 99 percent of the voters approved the secession of the south from Sudan.

Osama Bin Laden, leader and symbol of Al Qaeda (XINHUA)

Killing of Osama Bin Laden

U.S. President Barack Obama announced on May 1 that Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan. Bin Laden, born in 1955 in Saudi Arabia, was believed to be the one who masterminded the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in New York City and Washington, D.C. His death marked a victory of the U.S. antiterror war. But it doesn't mean the end of Al Qaeda or the worldwide campaign against terrorism.