These 10 events sent shock waves around the world, leaving excitement, confusion, disarray and relief in their wake. Could the world be changing for good or bad? Presented in no particular order.

Jamal Khashoggi’s murder

On 2 October, Jamal Khashoggi, a well-known journalist and critic of the Saudi government, walked into the country’s consulate in Istanbul, where he was murdered. Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor has said Khashoggi was killed inside the building on the orders of a rogue intelligence officer. Turkish officials however say they have evidence, including gruesome audio recordings, that the journalist was killed by a team of Saudi agents on orders that came from the highest levels. Khashoggi was the first dead person to be named Time Person of the Year.

Singapore summit

During a June 2018 summit in Singapore, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un announced that he wanted to end the nuclear tension between his country and the United States by signing an agreement with President Trump including the denuclearization of his country. The two drew worldwide criticism, however, for not offering any specific plan, outline, or proof of said denuclearization. The Supreme Leader later told South Korean officials that he’d like to denuclearize before President Trump’s first term ends in 2021.

FIFA World Cup

Half of the world tuned in to the FIFA World Cup in Russia so it was only right that outtakes from football’s biggest spectacle would dominate the internet. From the exciting matches, Russian hosts, behind the scenes drama, emotional footballers’ testimonials from Players Tribune, the delightful Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Kylian Mbappe’s retirement of Lionel Messi and a finale that delivered all the goods, the World Cup was indeed a spectacular affair.

Thailand cave rescue

In the summer, a 12-boy soccer team (the Wild Boars) and their coach were celebrating a teammate’s birthday when they made a routine trip into the Tham Luang cave in the Chiang Rai province of Thailand. Heavy rains that showered the region for the past few days flooded the cave and trapped them all inside. After a week without contact, British divers found the group in early July. An international crew of rescuers resolved to rescue the boys before the next monsoon just days away. During those few days, the world watched as all 13 were pulled to safety from the cave and immediately rushed to the hospital. The collective rescue effort included more than 100 divers from all over the world. Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL, died while supplying oxygen to the boys in the cave.

Black Panther becomes a cultural phenomenon

Marvel’s Black Panther didn’t just happen on the world. It took strategic marketing including grassroots organizing, GoFundMe campaigns and a release date during Black History Month. For Nigerians, Black Panther landed on a thirsty audience and was characterized by fans going to the cinemas repping Wakanda in their best traditional outfits. The discussions around the film ranged from the deep- relationship between Africans and African Americans- to the utterly superficial- Chadwick Boseman’s cool hotness- and sent ticket sales to record numbers.Windrush

Gaza Border protests

On 30 March 2018, a six-week campaign composed of a series of protests was launched at the Gaza Strip, near the Gaza-Israel border. Described by Palestinian organizers as the Great March of Return, the protests demanded that Palestinian refugees and their descendants be allowed to return to the land they were displaced from in what is now Israel. They also protested against the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the moving of the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Violence during the protests has resulted in the deadliest days of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the 2014 Gaza War.

The American Royal Wedding

This year’s royal wedding was a brief respite for a world in turmoil and an escape into a real-life fairytale. England’s Prince Harry wed American actress Meghan Markle (now known as the Duchess of Sussex) on May 19. Television viewership of the wedding was higher than that of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s, with more than 29 million people in the United States alone tuning in to watch Harry and Meghan get hitched. The wedding was also a first for the royal family in terms of the diversity on display.

The year in immigration

Immigration is reshaping societies around the globe, for better or worse. This year was no different. In America, Donald J. Trump’s promise to build a wall to keep Mexicans and Central Americans from crossing the United States’ southern border is central to the government shutdown. Trump also tried a border separation stunt that backfired and has threatened to revoke the citizenship by birth policy. Antipathy toward immigrants is spreading through Europe. Theresa May is hanging on by a thread as she races to deliver a Brexit everyone is happy with. Angela Merkel is on her way out and the populist Hungarian government of Viktor Orban is riding strong.

Indonesia earthquakes

Earlier this year, a series of powerful quakes hit Lombok, Indonesia, killing more than 550 people on the holiday island and neighboring Sumbawa. The death toll in Indonesia’s quake-Tsunami disaster nearly doubled to the initial hit, leaving more than 800 dead. Rescuers struggled to reach scores of trapped victims, as health officials resorted to mass burials and desperate residents looted shops for food and water. Indonesia is one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations. It lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide and many of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

Ethiopia and Eritrea end a twenty year feud and reopen their borders

Ethiopians and Eritreans celebrated the reopening of two key crossing points more than 20 years after a border war shut them. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace deal in July, restoring diplomatic and trade relations between the nations. Hundreds of people from the two countries hugged each other and some wept as their leaders led celebrations to mark the reopening. Ethiopia also announced that its troops would start withdrawing from the border area. The reopening at Burre gives landlocked Ethiopia access to the sea