TOKYO -- The coronavirus again dominated the news in 2021, as parts of the world scrambled to contain one COVID wave or another while others rushed to roll out vaccination programs. As the year draws to a close, the virus is making another comeback, in the form of the highly virulent omicron variant.
The year brought disasters to Indonesia in the form of volcanic eruptions and to the Philippines in the form of the deadliest typhoon to strike the archipelago in years.
