Washington (CNN) The political tumult that rocked the world in 2016 might be an appetizer for 2017.

Crucial elections loom this year in France and Germany, where the same anti-establishment backlash that produced Donald Trump and Brexit could offer an opening to nationalist leaders who oppose Muslim immigration and further erode the European unity that has been a signature of the post-World War II era.

Populism: What next after Trump and Brexit?

Populism: What next after Trump and Brexit? 02:30

Populism: What next after Trump and Brexit?

The Middle East is spiraling deeper into the mire of fraying borders and sectarian disorder while violence in places such Syria is unleashing a tide of desperate refugees that is destabilizing Europe. Meanwhile, rising powers such as China, Russia and Iran are closely watching the developments to determine whether the convulsions in the West give them an opening to advance their own interests.

December 28: Women mourn the death of a family member in Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan. Local police said dozens of people were killed and many transported to hospitals after they consumed contaminated alcohol during the Christmas holidays.

December 28: Women mourn the death of a family member in Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan. Local police said dozens of people were killed and many transported to hospitals after they consumed contaminated alcohol during the Christmas holidays.

A gunman gestures after assassinating Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, at a photo exhibition in Ankara, Turkey. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the gunman was Mevlut Mert Altintas, a Turkish police officer. In a video circulating on social media, the shooter was heard shouting, "Allahu akbar (God is greatest). Do not forget Aleppo! Do not forget Syria! Do not forget Aleppo! Do not forget Syria!" Russia is the most powerful ally of the Syrian regime and has carried out airstrikes since September 2015 to prop up embattled leader Bashar al-Assad. Karlov, 62, had served in Ankara since July 2013.

Arabic writing that reads "some day we will return" is seen on a bus window as civilians evacuate Aleppo, Syria. The evacuations began under a new ceasefire between rebels and pro-government forces.

December 12: Children dressed as Santa Claus participate in a parade that collected food for the needy in Lisbon, Portugal.

December 12: Children dressed as Santa Claus participate in a parade that collected food for the needy in Lisbon, Portugal.

The remains of the Ghost Ship warehouse are seen in Oakland, California. A fire that killed 36 people ravaged the warehouse during a dance party on December 2. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, authorities said. See 2015: The year in pictures

Edgar Maddison Welch, a 28-year-old from Salisbury, North Carolina, surrenders to police outside a pizzeria in the nation's capital. He was later charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. Washington's Metropolitan Police Department said Welch admitted he had come to investigate "Pizza Gate," a fictitious online conspiracy theory. Two firearms were recovered inside the restaurant, and an additional weapon was recovered from the suspect's vehicle, police said.

Players from the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense mourn their fallen teammates during a tribute at the team's stadium in Chapeco, Brazil. A charter airplane carrying 77 people, including most players from Chapecoense, crashed near Rionegro, Colombia, on November 28. Seventy-one people were killed, officials said. Six survived: three players, two crew members and one journalist.

A burned car sits in a parking lot after a wildfire swept through Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Gatlinburg city officials declared mandatory evacuations in several areas as firefighters battled at least 14 fires in and around the city.

The ashes of longtime Cuban leader Fidel Castro are driven through the streets of Havana, Cuba. Cubans gathered across the country to see his remains make their way to Santiago de Cuba.

SWAT team members walk up the steps of a parking garage after an attack on the campus of Ohio State University. Authorities said Abdul Razak Ali Artan, an 18-year-old student, rammed his car into a group of pedestrians before using a butcher knife to cut several people. At least 11 people were hospitalized. Artan was fatally shot by a campus police officer.

Six children were killed after a school bus crashed and flipped over in Chattanooga, Tennessee. More than a dozen other students were injured -- some with severe head or spinal injuries -- and the driver faces charges of reckless driving and vehicular homicide.

Police use a water cannon on people protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline near Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The Dakota Access Pipeline is a $3.7 billion project that would cross four states and change the landscape of the US crude oil supply. But the Standing Rock Sioux tribe says the pipeline would affect its drinking-water supply and destroy its sacred sites.

November 14: A cat named James wears a collar and tie as he looks out the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The embassy has been home to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for more than four years now.

November 14: A cat named James wears a collar and tie as he looks out the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The embassy has been home to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for more than four years now.

Crowds in Fremantle, Australia, look at a supermoon. NASA scientists said the moon was brighter than it had appeared at any point in the last 68 years.

A member of Iraq's special forces guards two suspected ISIS fighters found hiding in a house in Mosul, Iraq. An Iraqi-led offensive was launched in October to reclaim Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city and the last major stronghold for ISIS in the country.

Orange County Fire and Rescue tweeted this image of a bald eagle trapped in a storm drain in Orange County, Florida. The other eagle pictured flew away. CNN affiliate WFTV reported that the bird was trapped for about 90 minutes.

US President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with President Barack Obama during a meeting at the White House. "My No. 1 priority in the next two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our President-elect is successful," Obama said.

November 9: An image of Donald Trump is projected onto the Empire State Building in New York after Trump became President-elect of the United States.

November 9: An image of Donald Trump is projected onto the Empire State Building in New York after Trump became President-elect of the United States.

A man reacts as he watches voting results at the Javits Center in New York City. Supporters of Hillary Clinton had their hopes shattered after Republican nominee Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States.

The Chicago Cubs celebrate after winning Game 7 of the World Series. The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in 10 innings to end the longest championship drought in major US sports. The Cubs hadn't won the World Series since 1908.

October 31: A woman is caned in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The province of Aceh is strictly Muslim and is the only province in the country implementing Sharia law. Public canings happen there regularly and often attract huge crowds.

October 31: A woman is caned in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The province of Aceh is strictly Muslim and is the only province in the country implementing Sharia law. Public canings happen there regularly and often attract huge crowds.

Smoke rises from "The Jungle," a makeshift migrant camp in Calais, France, that authorities began dismantling on October 24. During evacuations, some of the migrants set shelters on fire. By the middle of the week, more than 4,400 people had been bused out of Calais to other regions of the country. The town is known for being a major transit point for migrants trying to reach Great Britain.

October 24: A child's body is seen at a makeshift hospital after a cluster bomb attack in Douma, Syria.

October 24: A child's body is seen at a makeshift hospital after a cluster bomb attack in Douma, Syria.

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton gestures to the crowd after the final presidential debate, which took place in Las Vegas. There was no handshake between her and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Police stand guard at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, where the body of King Bhumibol Adulyadej was enshrined. The King's death was announced October 13. He was 88.

October 17: Fans dressed as "Star Wars" characters Darth Vader and Chewbacca use the bathroom during a film festival in Antalya, Turkey.

October 17: Fans dressed as "Star Wars" characters Darth Vader and Chewbacca use the bathroom during a film festival in Antalya, Turkey.

October 17: A passenger jet passes over a house as it prepares to land at London's Heathrow Airport.

October 17: A passenger jet passes over a house as it prepares to land at London's Heathrow Airport.

Jimji, 6, cries out "Papa" as workers move the body of her father, Jimboy Bolasa, for burial in Manila, Philippines. Bolasa, 25, was found dead along with his neighbor. New Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte campaigned hard on a no-nonsense approach to crime, and on several occasions he has hinted openly that he doesn't oppose his police force or even citizens taking the lives of suspected criminals. Critics see the approach as a complete disregard of due process. "It's absolutely crippling to see that image and to see that little girl experiencing so much pain and loss; to know that her father was never given a trial, never had the opportunity to defend himself in front of a court," Daniel Berehulak said about the photo, which he took on assignment for The New York Times. "He was tortured and executed in the space of 30-45 minutes." Duterte's crackdown: 6 stories from the front lines

A woman cries as the coffin of Roberto Laguerre is carried away for burial in Jeremie, Haiti. Laguerre, 32, died when the wall of a church next to his home fell during Hurricane Matthew.

Anias and Jadon McDonald, twins who were born conjoined at the head in September 2015, are seen eight days before they were surgically separated at a New York hospital. The procedure, known as craniopagus surgery, is so rare that it has been conducted only 59 times since 1952. CNN was allowed exclusive access to the surgery and the McDonald family.

Baseball fans and members of the Miami Marlins organization surround the hearse carrying Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died in a boating accident. Fernandez, a 24-year-old native of Santa Clara, Cuba, was a beloved figure in Miami, where so many of his countrymen have settled and prospered. He was a two-time All-Star and the National League's Rookie of the Year in 2013.

A staff member at the Tate Britain art museum poses next to Anthea Hamilton's "Project for a Door" during a press preview in London. A deeper look into the art world's most controversial award: The Turner Prize

First lady Michelle Obama hugs former US President George W. Bush during the dedication ceremony of the new Smithsonian museum devoted to African-American history. The friendship of Michelle Obama and George W. Bush

A protester embraces a member of the National Guard in Charlotte, North Carolina. Violent protests erupted in Charlotte following the death of Keith Lamont Scott, who was shot by police in an apartment complex parking lot. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said Scott exited his car with a gun and that he was shot after he wouldn't drop it. Scott's family said he was unarmed and sitting in his car reading a book. A two-month investigation later determined that the police officer was justified in shooting Scott and that "all the credible evidence" led to the conclusion that Scott was armed. Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray said he didn't reach the conclusions alone; a total of 15 prosecutors unanimously agreed with the decision.

Wax figures of celebrity couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are moved apart at Madame Tussauds London. Jolie had just filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The actors were married in August 2014.

A woman and man in East Liverpool, Ohio, are seen passed out from a drug overdose as a child sits in the back seat of a car. The East Liverpool city administration posted the photo on Facebook, along with one other image, in order to show the devastating effects of heroin addiction. Rhonda Pasek, the child's grandmother who is seen in the photo, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and ordered to pay $280 in fines after pleading no contest to endangering a child and disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Editor's note: A portion of this photo has been blurred by CNN because of the age of the subject.

Roman Catholic nuns from the Missionaries of Charity attend a service for the late Mother Teresa in Kolkata, India. Mother Teresa, who devoted her life to helping the poor and ill in India, was declared a saint by Pope Francis on September 4.

August 29: Migrants swim away from a crowded wooden boat as they are rescued in the Mediterranean Sea north of Sabratha, Libya. Thousands were rescued from more than 20 boats.

August 29: Migrants swim away from a crowded wooden boat as they are rescued in the Mediterranean Sea north of Sabratha, Libya. Thousands were rescued from more than 20 boats.

More than 300 wild reindeer were killed by a single lightning strike in central Norway. Kjartan Knutsen, a spokesman for the Norwegian Environment Agency, said the reindeer were huddled together because of the bad weather in Hardangervidda National Park. Humans rarely visit the remote area.

A rescued woman is carried away on a stretcher after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Amatrice, Italy. The earthquake devastated towns across central Italy and killed more than 250 people.

This still image, taken from a video posted by the Aleppo Media Center, shows a young boy in an ambulance after an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria. It took nearly an hour to dig the boy, identified as Omran Daqneesh, out from the rubble, an activist told CNN. The airstrike destroyed his home, where he lived with his parents and two siblings.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt looks back at his Olympic competitors during a 100-meter semifinal. Bolt won the final a short time later, becoming the first man in history to win the 100 meters at three straight Olympic Games.

Danielle Blount and her 3-month-old baby, Ember, wait to be rescued by the Louisiana Army National Guard near Walker, Louisiana. More than 30,000 people were rescued in southern Louisiana after heavy rains caused flooding.

Brazil's Globo media group released surveillance footage that shows US swimmers Ryan Lochte, James Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro. The Olympians initially said they were robbed at gunpoint there by men in police uniforms. Brazilian police said the athletes concocted a story to cover up an act of vandalism that led to a confrontation with security guards.

August 13: A young daredevil, center, waits for her turn as another person rides a motorbike around the "Devil's Barrel" at a carnival in Deli Serdang, Indonesia.

August 13: A young daredevil, center, waits for her turn as another person rides a motorbike around the "Devil's Barrel" at a carnival in Deli Serdang, Indonesia.

New York City police grab a man who was climbing the Trump Tower using giant suction cups. The 19-year-old was arrested and taken to Bellevue Hospital for a psychological evaluation, according to a law enforcement official. He was later charged with reckless endangerment and criminal trespassing.

The Olympic diving pool turned green in Rio de Janeiro. Officials blamed the color change on a chemical imbalance in the water, but they said there were no health risks to the athletes.

August 7: Performers dressed as Pikachu, a character from the Pokemon franchise, ride an elevator during the "Pikachu Outbreak" event in Yokohama, Japan. Hundreds of Pikachus were appearing at city landmarks to attract visitors in the Minato Mirai area.

August 7: Performers dressed as Pikachu, a character from the Pokemon franchise, ride an elevator during the "Pikachu Outbreak" event in Yokohama, Japan. Hundreds of Pikachus were appearing at city landmarks to attract visitors in the Minato Mirai area.

July 30: The barrel of a tank is seen as the vehicle moves across challenging terrain in Alabino, Russia. It was part of the International Army Games, a competition that involved troops from Russia and several other nations.

July 30: The barrel of a tank is seen as the vehicle moves across challenging terrain in Alabino, Russia. It was part of the International Army Games, a competition that involved troops from Russia and several other nations.

Skydiver Luke Aikins lands in a safety net in Simi Valley, California. He is the first person to land safely without a parachute after jumping from 25,000 feet.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, holds up a glass as she celebrates backstage at the Democratic National Convention. Among those joining her were her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, and her running mate, US Sen Tim Kaine.

July 26: A thunderstorm occurs over Mount Sakurajima as the volcano erupts in Tarumizu, Japan.

July 26: A thunderstorm occurs over Mount Sakurajima as the volcano erupts in Tarumizu, Japan.

Donald Trump, the Republican Party's presidential nominee, delivers a speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. "I have had a truly great life in business," he said as he accepted the nomination. "But now, my sole and exclusive mission is to go to work for our country -- to go to work for you. It's time to deliver a victory for the American people." Unprecedented: A race like no other

Turkish soldiers surrender on Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge after a failed coup attempt. At least 246 people were killed and more than 1,500 were injured in violence that broke out the night before. Thousands were detained, and the country went into a state of emergency.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson consoles Alton Sterling's son, Cameron, at Sterling's funeral in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling, 37, was fatally shot by police in Baton Rouge on July 5. Vigils and memorials spread across the country after cell phone video of the shooting was shared widely on social media. Federal authorities are still investigating what happened.

Evidence stickers and bullet holes are seen on the windshield of the truck used in a terrorist attack in Nice, France. A man deliberately drove a truck into a crowd, killing 84 people on Bastille Day. Authorities said the man plotted his attack for months with "support and accomplices." Life after the truck attack

July 11: A hamerkop tosses a toad in its mouth at Kruger National Park in South Africa.

July 11: A hamerkop tosses a toad in its mouth at Kruger National Park in South Africa.

A young woman stands in the street as two police officers move in to arrest her near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Louisiana. She was one of hundreds of protesters who blocked a Baton Rouge roadway to decry police brutality.

Police respond to a scene where shots were fired in downtown Dallas. Five police officers were fatally shot during a protest over police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Seven other officers were injured in the ambush, as were two civilians. The attacker was killed by a bomb-carrying police robot after negotiations failed.

Travelers embrace outside Istanbul's Ataturk airport after a deadly terror attack there. Three terrorists armed with bombs and guns attacked the main international terminal, opening fire and eventually detonating their devices. Turkey in the shadow of terror

Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, speaks to Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, at a meeting of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. Farage, the most vocal architect of Britain's seismic decision to leave the European Union, gloated to the Parliament as members booed and turned their backs on him. Juncker fired back in his own speech. "You were fighting for the exit, the British people voted in favor of the exit. Why are you here?" he said.

June 21: Lucy Lugo, wife of fallen police officer Endy Ekpanya, comforts their son, Julian, during his funeral service in Houston. Ekpanya, a police officer in Pearland, Texas, died after his patrol car was struck by another vehicle.

June 21: Lucy Lugo, wife of fallen police officer Endy Ekpanya, comforts their son, Julian, during his funeral service in Houston. Ekpanya, a police officer in Pearland, Texas, died after his patrol car was struck by another vehicle.

June 19: A cat rides on a motorcycle in Rio de Janeiro. The man in the photo said he always rides with his cat.

June 19: A cat rides on a motorcycle in Rio de Janeiro. The man in the photo said he always rides with his cat.

An Israeli army soldier aims his laser sight at a camera during a night raid in Hebron, West Bank. The army was carrying out raids in the West Bank, searching houses and making arrests a week after terrorists killed four Israelis at a popular food and shopping complex in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Former Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius walks without his prosthetic legs during his sentencing hearing in Pretoria, South Africa. His attorney was arguing that he was a vulnerable figure who should receive a lesser sentence for the 2014 murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. In July, a judge sentenced him to six years in prison.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator and star of the hip-hop musical "Hamilton," performs at the Tony Awards. The Broadway smash, about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, won 11 awards -- one short of the record set by "The Producers" in 2001.

People attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. At least 49 people were killed in what was the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

June 11: A member of the Queen's Guard fainted during the Trooping the Color parade in London. He recovered and returned to duty, authorities said.

June 11: A member of the Queen's Guard fainted during the Trooping the Color parade in London. He recovered and returned to duty, authorities said.

A poster that says "I Am Ali" covers a wall at the Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville, Kentucky. A festival was held there for boxing legend Muhammad Ali, a Louisville native who died June 3 at the age of 74. Behind the scenes with Muhammad Ali

June 7: A worker at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore demonstrates a way to feed jellyfish.

June 7: A worker at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore demonstrates a way to feed jellyfish.

A giant panda named Hao Hao holds her newborn baby in her mouth at the Pairi Daiza zoo in Brugelette, Belgium. Giant panda cubs are very small in relation to their mother -- 1/900th of the size. They are also pink, hairless and blind, not opening their eyes for several weeks.

After the remains of 40 newborn tiger cubs were found in freezers at a Buddhist temple in Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province, authorities started removing live tigers from the temple. The Wildlife Conservation Office was investigating the motives behind the temple storing the bodies and looking into the possibility that it was smuggling tiger parts, the organization's director told CNN. The "Tiger Temple" has long been popular with tourists who could walk among live tigers and pose for photos. The temple has said it is a sanctuary for wild animals. Suthipong Pakcharoong, the temple's vice president, told CNN that the temple would comply with the court order but that "there is nothing illegal and dangerous at all."

May 27: A member of the humanitarian organization Sea-Watch holds a migrant baby who drowned after a boat capsized off the coast of Libya. The first five months of 2016 were "particularly deadly," according to the U.N. refugee agency, with at least 2,510 migrant deaths through May compared to 1,855 in the same period in 2015.

May 27: A member of the humanitarian organization Sea-Watch holds a migrant baby who drowned after a boat capsized off the coast of Libya. The first five months of 2016 were "particularly deadly," according to the U.N. refugee agency, with at least 2,510 migrant deaths through May compared to 1,855 in the same period in 2015.

A massive fuel tank, which was built for NASA's space shuttle program, is transported to a science center in Los Angeles.

Cadet Alix Idrache sheds tears of joy as he graduates from the US Military Academy in West Point, New York. "I am from Haiti and never did I imagine that such honor would be one day bestowed on me," he said. He will soon be going to flight school. "Knowing that one day I will be a pilot is humbling beyond words," he said. "I could not help but be flooded with emotions knowing that I will be leading these men and women who are willing to give their all to preserve what we value as the American way of life."

Some of the wreckage from EgyptAir Flight 804 was found north of Alexandria, Egypt. There were 66 people on the plane when it crashed during a flight from Paris to Cairo.

A horse nuzzles Vietnam veteran Roberto Gonzales outside a VA hospital in San Antonio. Gonzales, a disabled horse trainer, wanted to spend some of his precious final moments with two of his beloved friends: his horses, Ringo and Sugar. He died two days later.

May 17: Plebes from the US Naval Academy perform situps with a 12-foot log on top of them during the annual Sea Trials training exercise.

May 17: Plebes from the US Naval Academy perform situps with a 12-foot log on top of them during the annual Sea Trials training exercise.

An opposition protester yells as he is beaten by riot police in Nairobi, Kenya. Police in Kenya's capital came under fire for what critics said was a heavy-handed response to a largely peaceful opposition protest. Kenya's police chief called for an internal investigation, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka.

A wildfire rips through the forest near Fort McMurray, Alberta. More than 88,000 people were forced to flee their homes.

US President Barack Obama drops the microphone after speaking at the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association. Obama's 10 best lines

April 28: A police officer reacts during a clash with protesters in Lyon, France. People were protesting proposed reforms to the country's labor laws, and strikes forced cancellations and delays at two airports serving Paris.

April 28: A police officer reacts during a clash with protesters in Lyon, France. People were protesting proposed reforms to the country's labor laws, and strikes forced cancellations and delays at two airports serving Paris.

April 28: New Volkswagen cars are parked at a plant in Wolfsburg, Germany.

April 28: New Volkswagen cars are parked at a plant in Wolfsburg, Germany.

A Prince fan touches a wall at a venue where the late musician often performed in Minneapolis. The iconic musician died two days earlier at the age of 57. Toxicology tests in June concluded that the entertainer died from an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl, according to a report by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office.

The Solar Impulse 2 flies over San Francisco. The solar-powered airplane, flying around the world without a single drop of fuel, landed in California after a two-and-a-half-day flight across the Pacific Ocean.

Four generations of British royalty are seen in this photo released by the Royal Mail, which put out a new set of stamps to commemorate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Seen with the Queen, from left, are her son Prince Charles; her great-grandson, Prince George; and her grandson Prince William.

A man in Chacras, Ecuador, investigates a road that collapsed after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake. It was the strongest earthquake to hit Ecuador in decades. Hundreds of people were killed.

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, center, attends the closing ceremonies of a Cuban Communist Party gathering in Havana, Cuba. Castro formally stepped down in 2008, and his brother Raul, right, is now President. Fidel Castro died in November at age 90.

People try to rescue horses along Cypress Creek after more than a foot of rain fell in parts of Houston, submerging subdivisions and several interstate highways.

Rescue workers search for missing people after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake caused a landslide in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture. A magnitude-6.2 quake rattled the area two days earlier.

April 14: A chimpanzee screams at a worker in Sendai, Japan, after it climbed an electric pole to avoid being captured. The chimp escaped from a zoo in Sendai and was on the loose for nearly two hours.

April 14: A chimpanzee screams at a worker in Sendai, Japan, after it climbed an electric pole to avoid being captured. The chimp escaped from a zoo in Sendai and was on the loose for nearly two hours.

March 31: Rescue workers and volunteers try to free people trapped under a collapsed overpass in Kolkata, India. More than a dozen people were killed and many more were missing after the overpass, which was under construction, collapsed in a congested area of the city.

March 31: Rescue workers and volunteers try to free people trapped under a collapsed overpass in Kolkata, India. More than a dozen people were killed and many more were missing after the overpass, which was under construction, collapsed in a congested area of the city.

Doug Ford cries into his mother's coat as he watches the casket of his father, former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, being placed into a hearse. Rob Ford died of cancer at the age of 46.

March 27: Migrants gather for a party at the border station of Idomeni, Greece.

March 27: Migrants gather for a party at the border station of Idomeni, Greece.

US Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, smiles at a bird after it landed on his podium in Portland, Oregon.

Smoke rises in Palmyra, Syria, where the Syrian army was battling ISIS militants. Syrian forces recaptured the city a couple days later. It had been in ISIS' hands for months.

March 24: A reveler's face is smeared with colored powder as he dances during Holi celebrations in Gauhati, India. The Holi festival of colors is a Hindu celebration marking the arrival of spring.

March 24: A reveler's face is smeared with colored powder as he dances during Holi celebrations in Gauhati, India. The Holi festival of colors is a Hindu celebration marking the arrival of spring.

March 24: A dinosaur balloon floats through Petah Tikva, Israel, during a parade for the Jewish holiday of Purim.

March 24: A dinosaur balloon floats through Petah Tikva, Israel, during a parade for the Jewish holiday of Purim.

A man sits near the top of a sequoia tree in downtown Seattle. Authorities were alerted to the man on March 22, and he was still clinging to its branches nearly a day later. He eventually came down and was charged with malicious mischief, according to the Seattle Times.

Two wounded women sit in the airport in Brussels, Belgium, after two explosions rocked the facility. A subway station in the city was also targeted in terrorist attacks that killed at least 35 people and injured hundreds more. Faces of fear and hope in Brussels

Cuban President Raul Castro tries to lift up the arm of US President Barack Obama at the end of a joint news conference in Havana, Cuba. Though they both acknowledged deep disagreements on human rights, political prisoners and economic reforms, the two leaders found common ground on the topic of the economic embargo on Cuba, which both want lifted. Obama went so far as to declare that "the embargo's going to end," though he couldn't say when.

The casket of Nancy Reagan lies in repose at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The former first lady died March 6 at the age of 94.

March 4: A snowy owl looks into a camera at an animal park in Neumunster, Germany.

March 4: A snowy owl looks into a camera at an animal park in Neumunster, Germany.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is helped off the Soyuz space capsule after he and two Russian cosmonauts landed in the Kazakhstan desert. Kelly spent nearly a year on the International Space Station. See his best photos from space

Otto Frederick Warmbier, an American college student detained in North Korea, bows during a news conference in Pyongyang, North Korea. Warmbier was accused of trying to steal a political banner that was hanging from the walls of his Pyongyang hotel. In a video supplied to CNN, Warmbier was seen sobbing and pleading for forgiveness. Warmbier's parents asked the North Korean government to accept his apology and "consider his youth and make an important humanitarian gesture by allowing him to return to his loved ones." But in March, Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

Leonardo DiCaprio hugs his friend, former "Titanic" co-star Kate Winslet, at the Academy Awards. DiCaprio won the best-actor Oscar -- the first of his career -- for his role in "The Revenant." See all the winners

A member of the Ku Klux Klan fights a man for an American flag during a KKK rally in Anaheim, California. Violence broke out between KKK members and counterprotesters, leaving five people injured and 13 people arrested, authorities said.

The APEX telescope in Chile released a map of the Milky Way that gave astronomers a detailed look at the cold, dense gas from which stars are born in our galaxy. It's the first image of its kind to be captured at the submillimeter wavelengths between infrared light and radio waves.

February 21: A chicken tries to eat a dead rat on a ranch in Roseburg, Oregon.

February 21: A chicken tries to eat a dead rat on a ranch in Roseburg, Oregon.

February 16: A diamond is studied in Ramat Gan, Israel. International Diamond Week attracted buyers from all over the world.

February 16: A diamond is studied in Ramat Gan, Israel. International Diamond Week attracted buyers from all over the world.

The chair of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is draped in black in Washington. He died several days earlier at the age of 79.

Rebels attack the Syrian regime's headquarters in the villages of Nubul and al-Zahraa. Earlier this year, a U.N. envoy estimated that 400,000 Syrians have likely been killed in the civil war that started in April 2011.

People show their support for those occupying the headquarters of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. The federal building in Oregon was occupied by armed protesters for 41 days until the last remaining ones surrendered to authorities.

A wild elephant wandered into the Indian town of Siliguri, trampling parked cars and motorbikes before being tranquilized by wildlife officials.

February 4: Riot police in Athens, Greece, try to avoid a Molotov cocktail thrown by protesters during a nationwide strike. Clashes broke out as tens of thousands of people protested pension reforms that were part of the country's latest economic bailout.

February 4: Riot police in Athens, Greece, try to avoid a Molotov cocktail thrown by protesters during a nationwide strike. Clashes broke out as tens of thousands of people protested pension reforms that were part of the country's latest economic bailout.

February 2: Dancers take part in a dress rehearsal of "Swan Lake" before it opened at the Joyce Theater in New York.

February 2: Dancers take part in a dress rehearsal of "Swan Lake" before it opened at the Joyce Theater in New York.

Comedian Bill Cosby, second from left, leaves a courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania, after a preliminary hearing. Cosby faces three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault from a 2004 case involving Andrea Constand, an employee at his alma mater, Temple University. She was the first of more than 50 women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct. Cosby has denied the allegations.

Jose Wesley, a baby born with microcephaly, cries in Bonito, Brazil. Microcephaly is a neurological disorder that results in newborns with small heads and abnormal brain development. An outbreak of the Zika virus was linked to a surge of babies with the birth defect.

A person walks their dog past a dead sperm whale in Skegness, England. Three whales washed up on the beach over the weekend. Experts believe they may have washed ashore while hunting.

The Turkish coast guard helps migrants after their boat toppled en route to Greece. Europe's migration crisis in 25 photos

January 16: A horseman jumps over a bonfire during the annual Las Luminarias festival in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain. In honor of Anthony the Abbot, the patron saint of animals, horses are traditionally ridden through bonfires to purify and protect them in the year ahead.

January 16: A horseman jumps over a bonfire during the annual Las Luminarias festival in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain. In honor of Anthony the Abbot, the patron saint of animals, horses are traditionally ridden through bonfires to purify and protect them in the year ahead.

A picture released by Sepahnews, the media arm for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, shows the Iranian Navy capturing 10 American sailors. The sailors were briefly detained after traveling into Iranian territorial waters. A report released in June by military investigators found that the 10 sailors suffered from "failed leadership" on a mission that was plagued by mistakes from beginning to end.

Andrew Watson, a resident of Flint, Michigan, drops to the floor in tears outside the doors to Flint's City Council. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was holding a news conference there about the city's water crisis. Snyder had declared a state of emergency three months after high lead levels were detected in Flint children.

A woman with a David Bowie tattoo poses in front of a Bowie mural in London. The rock legend died a day earlier after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 69.

Drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted by soldiers at a federal hangar in Mexico City. Members of Mexico's navy caught Guzman in an early morning raid in the coastal city of Los Mochis, a senior law enforcement official told CNN. Mexico planned to extradite Guzman to the United States, where he faces drug trafficking charges connected to his cartel, authorities said. He had been on the run since escaping from a Mexican prison in July 2015.

With tears running down his cheeks, US President Barack Obama talks about the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting during a White House news conference. "Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad," Obama said, referring to the 2012 massacre that killed 26 people in Connecticut. Obama, calling for a national "sense of urgency," unveiled a series of executive actions on guns, including expanded background checks.

January 5: Conservationists examine a tranquilized orangutan during a rescue-and-release operation in Sungai Magkutub, Indonesia. Orangutans were being relocated after they lost their habitat to forest fires in 2015.

January 5: Conservationists examine a tranquilized orangutan during a rescue-and-release operation in Sungai Magkutub, Indonesia. Orangutans were being relocated after they lost their habitat to forest fires in 2015.

January 1: Fireworks light the sky over Copacabana beach during New Year's celebrations in Rio de Janeiro.

January 1: Fireworks light the sky over Copacabana beach during New Year's celebrations in Rio de Janeiro.

Of course, the 15 years since the September 11 attacks have been dominated by war, strife and economic disruption. But what makes 2017 so unique is that America -- long a force for stability -- is poised to inaugurate one of the most impulsive presidents ever to walk into the Oval Office.

Far from acting as a brake against turmoil sweeping the globe, America under Trump could exacerbate it. Nicholas Dungan, an Atlantic Council senior fellow, said uncertainty about the President-elect could widen divides in the transatlantic alliance, the bedrock of 70 years of Western stability.

"Donald Trump is in many respects the anti-Barack Obama," said Dungan, who teaches at Sciences Po, an international research university in France. "With Obama, there was tremendous trust but very little performance. With Trump it looks like there will be a deficit of trust and a surfeit of action."

World on edge

It's no wonder that Trump has the world on edge, despite arguments among supporters that the unpredictable statesmanship he has previewed in the presidential transition could strengthen the US position around the globe by keeping rivals off balance.

He has questioned US alliances that kept the peace for decades in Europe and Asia and suggested he will "expand" the US nuclear arsenal. He has spent his transition feuding with spy agencies that concluded Russia interfered in the election. And he signaled to China that the taboo topic of Taiwan is on the table, casting doubt on 40 years of diplomatic protocol.

The Trump effect could be all the more pronounced because the political equilibrium of much of the world has been upset, straining institutions and assumptions in international relations that have endured for decades. To judge how much has changed, and why the prospects of 2017 look so uncertain, it's worth looking back a year.

When 2016 dawned, Obama, fresh from an Iran nuclear deal and seeing Obamacare upheld by the Supreme Court had every reason to expect a Democratic successor would secure his legacy. Republicans were confidently waiting for an establishment champion to emerge from their primary to send Trump back to reality TV.

In Britain, David Cameron was basking in a surprising parliamentary majority won in a 2015 election. Most end-of-year polls predicted the Remain camp would win a referendum on membership in the European Union.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Time Magazine's reigning Person of the Year , was lauded for her moral example in embracing desperate refugees from the Middle East and was Europe's undisputed leader.

And in Italy, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was readying a trip to the US to receive Obama's blessing after harnessing hope and change as a successful political message of his own.

Unthinkable happened again and again and again

But within months, the unthinkable happened -- again, and again, and again.

In a blink of an eye, Cameron was gone, felled by a referendum in which voters who felt economically and culturally dispossessed opted to leave the EU.

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Trump won the US election after a vitriolic campaign that tore at social, cultural and political divides and left the rest of the world confused about American power and identity.

Renzi is history, crushed Cameron-style by his own referendum defeat which dealt a second hammer blow to the EU.

And Merkel, rocked by a year-end terror attack in Berlin, faces a fight for political survival in a fall election hinging on immigration politics and a right wing resurgence spurred by her open door refugee policy.

In France, where Islamic terrorism has become more frequent, President Francois Hollande acknowledged his dismal approval rating and nixed a re-election bid . The best hedge against an earthquake election win in May by far right national front leader Marine Le Pen is France's two-round election system that could unite opposition against her.

A March election in the Netherlands promises a strong showing by far right leader Geert Wilders built on skepticism towards Brussels that is threatening the existence of the EU.

Still if Merkel or an establishment rival prevails in Germany, and the hot favorite in the polls to win the French presidency, Francois Fillon, is also victorious, 2017 could be remembered as the year the populist revolt began to ebb.

Adversaries mobilize

As the West reels, its adversaries are mobilizing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin defied Obama's predictions his venture in Syria would end in a quagmire. Now, he seems on the way to restoring the lost Russian influence that he watched ebb in despair after the fall of the Soviet Union.

In Asia, Chinese President Xi Jinping is accelerating that country's accumulation of regional power and challenging US influence and allies in the South China Sea. A volatile President in the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is trashing a prized US alliance.

Trump's rejection of a vast Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact has already empowered China and undermined eight years of Obama's Asia pivot.

JUST WATCHED Trump and China: What's at stake? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump and China: What's at stake? 01:26

The instability and uncertainty makes the choices Trump makes once he is inaugurated in January especially crucial.

Should the new administration follow through on the President-elect's tough rhetoric on China and take protectionist steps that could incite a trade war, tensions in Asia could spike considerably.

If Trump walks out on the Iran nuclear deal or infringes the Paris climate pact, he could send transatlantic relations into a spiral. Aligning the US closer to Moscow could also alarm European allies unless he makes a full-throated defense of NATO on his first trip to the continent.

JUST WATCHED What could Trump do about North Korea? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH What could Trump do about North Korea? 02:29

Asian allies Japan and South Korea are nervously trying to work out what Trump's campaign trail rhetoric means for crucial national security infrastructure in Asia. North Korea, meanwhile, is brewing what could be Trump's first big foreign crisis with its race for a functioning nuclear arsenal.

In the Middle East, Trump's vow to move the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv could light a match to Palestinian-Israeli antagonism and put US Arab allies in a tough spot.

Could Trump's strategy work?

Of course, there's no certainty that Trump will plunge the world into a new spiral of instability. Major policy shifts can be disorienting, but they aren't always negative.

Every President's foreign policy is in some ways a correction to that of his predecessor. So Trump's spontaneity could perhaps be an antidote to Obama's caution, which some critics said frittered away US power.

Questioning trade deals, alliances and conventions could actually end up strengthening the US at home and in the world, Trump supporters argue. And just because the One China policy has dictated relations between Washington and Beijing for decades does not mean it should always be so, they say. Trump's naval buildup, meanwhile, could reassure US allies who feel bullied by China.

And in an era of strongman leaders like Xi, Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a harder-to-read US President might keep American rivals off balance.

Foreign policy often begins at home. And if tax cuts and slashing regulation ignites explosive economic growth, a Trump boom could help lift anemic economies in Euorope and Asia.

Those who hope Trump will not upset the geopolitical apple cart also question whether responsibility will sober the President-elect.

"There's just a whole different attitude and vibe when you're not in power as when you're in power," Obama said in his year-end press conference. "What we have to see is how will the President-elect operate and how will his team operate when they've been fully briefed on all these issues, they have their hands on all the levers of government and they've got to got to start making decisions."