East Timor became the world's newest country, and one of its poorest.

Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest, but there was no breakthrough in political reform.

South Korea ignited football fever across Asia by reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup (AP photo).

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced he planned to retire in 2003 after two decades in power.

In October, nearly 200 people were killed in nightclub bombings on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin officially retired as Communist party chief, though seemed to have kept his grip on power