People watch fireworks display during New Year Celebration in Manila on January 1, 2018. The Philippines is mainly Roman Catholic but the celebrations draw on ancient superstitions and Chinese traditions in which the noise from firecrackers is meant to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck in the coming year. Adding to the danger of annual fireworks celebrations in the streets, there are over 1.2 million unlicensed firearms in the Philippines and some of those are used in the festivities. Noel Celis/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Here is a look back at some of the top stories from Asia in 2017.
— with Agence France-Presse