Another deadline is looming and the world is again wondering: Will President Donald Trump tear up the deal Iran signed with world powers to curtail its nuclear program? 

The Islamic State group, or Daesh as it is known in Afghanistan, has killed hundreds of people in multiple attacks across the country since it first emerged in the region in 2014.

What a difference a year makes.

North and South Korea sat down to talk Tuesday after a year of mounting tensions, with North Korea testing ever-more capable missiles and conducting its largest nuclear detonation ever, and the U.S. and its allies responding with sanctions and harsh rhetoric.

The protesters rallied for days in Iran, chanting against government corruption and demanding justice.

That was last year, when depositors who lost their savings in the collapse of major government-run credit union took to the streets, shouting "Death to (Valiullah) Seif," Iran's Central Bank governor.

Syria's rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta near the capital is the regime's Achilles heel, and because of this it faces an almost inevitable military offensive, experts say.

Depending on who you ask in Europe, China's colossal East-West infrastructure programme is either an opportunity or a threat -- and when French President Emmanuel Macron visits next week, Beijing will be watching to see how keen he is to jump on board.

Since China launched the New Silk Road plan in 2013, the hugely ambitious initiative to connect Asia and Europe by road, rail and sea has elicited both enormous interest and considerable anxiety.

Here are key events that have marked Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution that overthrew the monarchy.

Recent unrest has highlighted the deep-seated frustration felt by many Iranians over the economy and their demands for reform, and attention now turns to how the political establishment will respond.

Often seen in monolithic terms outside the country, Iran's politicians are vetted by a conservative-dominated Guardian Council to ensure they are loyal to the Islamic revolution, and ultimate power rests with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

With protests appearing to die down in Iran, analysts say President Hassan Rouhani faces both challenges and opportunities for his efforts to reform the country.

Iran has seen its largest anti-government protests since the disputed presidential election in 2009, with thousands taking to the streets in several cities in recent days.

Travel restrictions and moves by the government to shut down social media networks have limited the ability of journalists to cover the ongoing unrest, which reportedly has killed at least 13 people. Here's what we know so far: