How to sum up a year in 12 images? It’s a tough undertaking but we’ve chosen one photo from each month to build a mini-portrait of 2018.
As you might suspect, headline news provided the fodder for some of our selections. One image shows female protestors dressed in costumes inspired by dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale on Washington DC’s Capitol Hill, during a Senate hearing about sexual assault allegations involving Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
And June’s G7 summit provided the setting for one of the most iconic images of the year - German photographer Jesco Denzel’s snapshot of a defiant Donald Trump facing off against a cluster of world leaders led by Angela Merkel.
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There are also glimpses into the quirkier side of life, be it a mass wedding ceremony in South Korea or a masked penitent dragging a cross through a Spanish village as part of an Easter ritual.
But while there was no shortage of newsworthy happenings, some of the most arresting images featured here depict everyday life.
From a snow-spotted Household Guardsman standing firm in the face of the Beast from the East to the very second that England fans saw the ball hit the back of Croatia’s net in the World Cup semi-final, enjoy our snapshots of moments that capture an eventful year.
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How China is battling the chikungunya virusUnder The Radar Thousands of cases of the debilitating disease have been found in the country
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Deep thoughts: AI shows its math chopsFeature Google's Gemini is the first AI system to win gold at the International Mathematical Olympiad
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Book reviews: 'Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji' and 'Blood Harmony: The Everly Brothers Story'Feature The surprising history of emojis and the brother duo who changed pop music
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Europe counters Putin ahead of Trump summitSpeed Read President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week for Ukraine peace talks
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Is Trump's new peacemaking model working in DR Congo?Talking Point Truce brokered by the US president in June is holding, but foundations of a long-term peace have let to be laid
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Who wins from a Trump-Putin meeting?Today's Big Question Trump might get the leaders together for a photo op but brokering a peace deal won’t be easy
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How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
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US and EU reach trade dealSpeed Read Trump's meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen resulted in a tariff agreement that will avert a transatlantic trade war
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Trump threatens Russia with 'severe tariffs'speed read The president also agreed to sell NATO advanced arms for Ukraine
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Trump U-turns on weapons to UkraineSpeed Read Unhappy with Putin, Trump decides the US will go back to arming Ukraine against Russia's attacks
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IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
