Clean-up began in the US Capitol on January 7, 2021, after it was stormed by supporters of outgoing US President Donald Trump the previous day. The protesters smashed windows to enter the building and then went into the offices of several lawmakers. Washington police said a gun and petrol bombs were discovered on the Capitol grounds. More than 50 arrests have been made since the assault.

A congressional proceeding to certify the US presidential election results turned chaotic and violent on January 6, 2021, as supporters of outgoing US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building, forcing the evacuation of Vice-President Mike Pence and lawmakers.

Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer and a citizen journalist in China, was sentenced to four years in prison on December 28, 2020, for her reports out of Wuhan as the coronavirus outbreak unfurled early this year. A Shanghai court found her guilty of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. Reporters and supporters were blocked from entering the court to see Zhang during the trial.

These four astronauts are "ready to work" after boarding the International Space Station from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule on November 17, 2020. The crew members arrived after a 27-hour journey. Their spacecraft lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in the US state of Florida on November 15, 2020. The launch was the first fully operational crewed mission done for Nasa by SpaceX, Elon Musk's private rocket company.

As a Hebei provincial official back in 1985, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the US state of Iowa and did a homestay in the small town of Muscatine. The house where he lived was later renamed the Sino-US Friendship House and for a time served as a symbol of promising US-China ties. But much has changed in recent years to reshape the relationship between Washington and Beijing. Now the house has been left empty and neglected. Local people have lost their enthusiasm about Xi Jinping, who some say "doesn't seem like the same person" as the Communist Party official who visited years ago.

Crowds have gathered in New York City to demand all votes be counted in the US presidential election. As the rallies took place on November 4, 2020, the day after Americans went to the polls, Democrat candidate Joe Biden was leading in several key states over Republican incumbent President Donald Trump. The Trump campaign has already started legal challenges of projected results in some states, filing lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.

New Yorkers gathered at Times Square on a chilly evening on November 3, 2020, closely watching the results trickle in from the 2020 US elections. As ballots were being counted across the country, some tight margins were being reported in swing states with millions of ballots yet to be counted as of 10pm on Election Day. Supporters of US President Donald Trump and his challenger, former vice-president Joe Biden, braved the cold overnight, with many saying the results were far too early to call.

In Manhattan’s Chinatown in New York, a small number of voters queued up outside polling stations to cast their ballots on US Election Day. More than 100 million people cast early ballots before polls officially opened on November 3, 2020, and it could take days for votes to all be counted. Some in New York City said they are worried about possible civil unrest after the elections.

Waving rainbow flags and shedding tears of joy, two lesbian couples in Taiwan tied the knot on October 30, 2020 at a mass military wedding – the first time same-sex partners have been married at military events. 

Bangkok's motorbike taxi drivers have become quiet allies to Thailand's pro-democracy movement. They offer protesters discounted lifts and help keep an eye out for trouble.

At Thailand’s pro-democracy protests, neither demonstrators nor police are the first to arrive at the rally sites. Street food vendors are usually already there, prepared and anticipating everyone's hunger.

Thousands of Thai protesters gathered at one of Bangkok’s busiest intersections on October 15 despite a freshly-imposed decree banning groups of more than four people.

Clashes broke out between Thailand’s pro-democracy protesters and monarchy supporters at a rally in Bangkok on October 14.

Thai police scuffled with dozens of protesters before the royal motorcade was scheduled to drive by on October 13. At least 21 demonstrators were arrested, drawing chants and further protests as King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s convoy swept past.

A Berlin district ordered a local Korean organisation to remove a statue commemorating women used as sex slaves by the Japanese military during World War II. The central borough’s mayor said the statue goes beyond what had been approved.

Family members of 12 Hong Kong fugitives detained at sea by mainland authorities in August accused the Hong Kong government of lying about the capture. 

The months-long Covid-19 lockdown in India has devastated the country’s economy and millions of Indians have lost their livelihoods. As a result, more children have been forced to take up jobs to help support their families. 

Family members of 12 Hong Kong fugitives detained at sea by mainland authorities last month marched to China’s Hong Kong liaison office on September 30, calling for their release and access to independent lawyers.

Nongluck Chairuettichai, 63, is the oldest member ever to compete for Thailand’s national longboard team. First picking up the sport out of curiosity, she says it has helped her recover from breast cancer.

In Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, a fitness centre opened its doors only to women. The centre’s founder, Maryam Durani, aims to fight for equal rights for women in the conservative country.

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has lost a bid to challenge his disqualification from last year’s district council elections.

Beijing’s passage of the national security law in Hong Kong on June 30 has drawn international criticism. The European Council said it “deplores” the move. The US has condemned the law, and legislators called for “severe consequences”.

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong says he expects to be a “prime target” of the national security legislation in Hong Kong. The proposed law will target separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, but it is unclear what activities would constitute such crimes and what the punishments would be.

As anger over police brutality and racism spread worldwide, some are comparing the US protests sparked by George Floyd’s death to anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong.

Taiwan has drawn up a plan to provide humanitarian support, including a basic living allowance, to Hongkongers seeking asylum on the island. The new Taiwan-Hong Kong Service and Exchange Office would open on July 1. Taiwanese authorities stress that it was not a rescue plan, but a “show of support” for Hongkongers. 

As protests against racism and police brutality continue worldwide, many black officers find themselves in a difficult position. UK officers Karen Geddes and Steven Mason say the police uniform “feels heavier at the moment”.

The death of African-American George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, US, by a white police officer, has sparked anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests across the US and the world at large. George Floyd's brother made an emotional plea to the US Congress.

As Singapore begins easing its coronavirus lockdown measures, many migrant workers in the country are worried about keeping their jobs as the economy looks grim amid the pandemic.

A group of university students in Tehran, Iran, held a George Floyd demonstration to show support for the protesters in the US.