2019: The year in pictures

The workers at the Brumadinho iron ore mine were having lunch when a nearby dam collapsed. A mudslide tore through the valley, killing nearly 250 people. There were also appalling environmental consequences. The mining company that bore responsibility, Vale, was ordered to pay compensation. The investigation is still ongoing, with German technical oversight firm TÜV SÜD also under scrutiny.

In March, a right-wing extremist killed 50 people in two mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. However, instead of yielding to division, New Zealanders closed ranks. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern comforted the victims, paid her respects — and took action, tightening gun laws. Across the country people have already handed in some 37,000 weapons.

In southern Africa, many people are still suffering from the effects of Cyclone Idai, which hit in March. It caused most damage in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, with severe flooding in Malawi. The port city of Beira in Mozambique was the worst hit: Almost every house was damaged. The whole region was forced to rely on food and help from outside. Nine months later, some areas are still in this position.

69 meters high, 130 meters long, around 850 years old: the vital statistics of the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. These alone cannot convey its unique qualities and value. Since April 15, when a fire destroyed the roof, the crossing tower, and large parts of the interior, the most famous church in France has been unrecognizable. It will take years to reconstruct.

Explosions shattered the festive Easter Sunday atmosphere in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. Bombs were detonated in churches and hotels by Islamist terrorists, who allegedly wanted to avenge the Muslim victims of the Christchurch attacks. By the end, more than 250 people were killed. Since then, the country has been experiencing increased communal tensions.

Nothing in Hong Kong has been the same since June. Hundreds of thousands of people have been protesting against what they perceive as Beijing’s growing influence over the city. At first, they were calling for the repeal of a proposed extradition law, but it has now morphed into a wider movement focusing on democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Sudan has had a particularly grueling year. First, a broad-based movement protested against the longtime president, Omar al-Bashir. He was finally forced out of office in April in a military coup — but that was when the real test began. Who should govern in future? Generals or civilians? In July, a transitional government was formed under the leadership of the civilian Abdullah Hamduk.

Three Brexit dates have passed this year: March 29, June 30 and October 31. The United Kingdom is currently still a member of the European Union, with its withdrawal now scheduled for January 31. There was one goodbye from Downing Street this year, though: Prime Minister Theresa May threw in the towel in June after an unsuccessful attempt at a Brexit deal, passing her duties on to Boris Johnson.

In 2019, the Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg managed to put the spotlight on the need for more climate protection. After sailing from Europe to New York, she asked international leaders at the UN General Assembly, on behalf of millions of protesters worldwide: "How dare you? How dare you do so little to stop global warming?" The 16-year-old has also become a target for climate change deniers.

This year, forest fires, probably exacerbated by climate change, have raged particularly badly: in Russia, the US, Australia... The fires in the Amazon rainforest, however, are due at least in part to another arsonist: Brazil's ultra-right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, has always encouraged farmers to free up new farmland and pastures. The ecological consequences are disastrous.

On most important Jewish holiday, it was only luck and a reinforced door that saved people from an armed right-wing radical attempting to force his way into the synagogue in Halle to carry out a massacre. When the door refused to give way, he moved on and shot dead a passer-by and a customer in a döner shop. The incident has reignited debate in Germany about right-wing extremism and anti-Semitism.

The Syrian war has been dragging on for eight years now, and this October the northeast of the country was hit further. First, US President Trump unexpectedly withdrew his soldiers; then President Erdogan sent Turkish troops across the border to take aim at US-backed Kurdish forces there. This almost led to a confrontation between Turkey and Russia — until Erdogan and Putin made a deal.

This year, people in several Latin American countries took to the streets in protest against their governments. In Bolivia, protesters challenged the legitimacy of President Evo Morales' electoral win, until the military finally forced him to step down. Meanwhile, violent unrest in Chile forced President Sebastian Pinera to cancel the global climate conference, which took place in Madrid instead.

The famous Italian city is accustomed to dealing with floods — but not ones this bad. The dirty saltwater stood at 187 centimeters above normal level. Mayor Luigi Brunaro has already estimated that the damage from the "flood of the century" will cost around €1 billion ($1.1 billion). With water levels around the world rising due to climate change, Venice is seriously in danger of going under.

US President Donald Trump was impeached by Congress in December on charges of abuse of office stemming from his "quid pro quo" request of Ukraine to investigate election rival Joe Biden in exchange for releasing US military aid. Despite admitting to discussing the deal on the summer phone call with Ukraine's president, Trump still enjoys the support of his Republican Party.