Major events have not only made headlines but shaped the world in the past twelve months. Some may be over, but for many other events, there is no end in sight. They are going to persist and have a longer impact. How will they develop and what can we expect in 2018? Take a look.

Missile launches, military drills, sanctions, intensifying rhetoric ... There is seemingly no way out for the DPRK crisis, are we going to have a solution in 2018?

In the Middle East, a major blow for ISIL. Are they going to be completely eliminated or regroup and make a comeback?

To Europe, huge hurdles still remain in Brexit negotiations. Will there be protracted talks, or satisfaction for all?

In Africa, Zimbabwe experienced a dramatic and somewhat unexpected change of power in 2017. How will the new president lead the country towards a smooth presidential election in 2018? Is Africa's democracy entering a mature stage?

In Russia, another five years for Vladimir Putin? Is Russia going to make a comeback as a leading world power on a road of rejuvenation and revival, just as promised by President Putin?

The United States will be holding its mid-term elections. Democrats surprisingly emerged victorious in Alabama's special Senate election. Will this be a barometer for the mid-term election, and deal a major blow for Trump's already embattled administration?

For China, the Belt and Road Initiative signals its open-minded economic policies. This year's Belt and Road Forum sends a message that China will further boost the initiative. But as anti-globalization surges, will China's Belt and Road Initiative prevail?

In sports, two major events for 2018. "Peace" is among the themes of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Not only sporting spirit, the Korean Peninsula also needs warmth during this cold season. Will the Games make the inter-Korean relations closer, and bring a thaw in bilateral ties? Banned from Pyeongchang, Russia still has the World Cup. Threats from ISIL, the absence of some top teams - can the Russia World Cup go beyond our expectations?

In technology, artificial intelligence brought many surprises to the world this year. AlphaGo defeated world number one Go player Ke Jie. What can we expect from AI in the new year?

China's Wukong satellite detected mysterious signals in the measurement of high-energy cosmic rays. Could this lead us closer to proving the existence of invisible matter in the universe?

As the world enters 2018, we're still trying to find the answers to all these and many more questions.