Asia's year in pictures

BBC News Online looks at some of the region's most striking images and news events from 2001.

2001 began with Philippines President Joseph Estrada fighting to stay in office - he was to spend most of the year in jail

Reunited: Three sisters hug after the arrival of the first direct passenger cruise from China to Taiwan in more than 50 years

Japan's economy had a terrible year - recession, record unemployment, and no obvious way back

On 1 April, a US EP-3 spyplane and a Chinese military jet collided in midair - Beijing-Washington relations sank to new depths

Burma's military government courted regional leaders - Thailand's PM Thaksin Shinawatra visited Rangoon in June

In Japan, Junichiro Koizumi promised economic reforms and found unprecedented popularity on becoming prime minister

It has been a bad year for typhoons and storms in the region - the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have been hit hard

Indonesia's sacked President Abdurrahman Wahid refused to leave the palace but eventually he had to accept his fate

Australia hit the headlines when it turned away more than 250 refugees seeking asylum

I can fly: Kuala Lumpur played host to thrill seekers from 16 countries for the International Extreme Skydiving Championship

East Timor held its first democratic elections - likely future president Xanana Gusmao took his place in the queue

12 September - one day after the terrorist attacks on the US, Asia woke to read the shocking news.

The region's reaction ranged from offers of military support - Australia sent troops and Japan sent naval vessels...

... to anti-US demonstrations and support for Osama Bin Laden, particularly in areas with large Muslim populations

Friends at last: After a rollercoaster year, Presidents Jiang and Bush mended relations at the Apec summit in Shanghai

US Navy divers recovered the last of nine bodies from the Japanese trawler Ehime Maru which sank after colliding with a US sub

Sydney to London in two hours? Unfortunately Australia's hypersonic scramjet failed in its October test flight

And Tommy Suharto, on the run for more than a year, was finally captured by Jakarta police while asleep