Xinhua News Agency selected world's top 10 world news events of 1999 on December 24. The following are the events in chronicle order:

1. Euro Is Born

Euro -- the single currency of the European Union (EU) -- was born on January 1, sweeping away monetary borders between 11 of the 15 EU member states and forging an integrated economic and monetary alliance that Europe had been dreaming of for decades.

The birth of Euro, which helped enhancing the power of the EU and promoting its economic and political integration, opened a new era in which Europe will play a bigger role in a multipolar world.

As a challenge to the center position of the US dollar in the international monetary system, the Euro will exert major impact on the global financial markets and on the development of world economy as a whole.

The euro zone groups Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain whose national currencies will remain in circulation till 2002.

2. US Pushes ahead with Missile Defense System

On March 17 and 18, the US Congress and Senate passed the bill on the NMD system, making it a law to research and develop a national missile defense system.

On October 13, the Senate rejected the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on nuclear weapons, which had been adopted by the United Nations and signed by 154 countries.

The US project to develop NMD and Theater Missile Defense system in Asia will upset the global strategic balance and trigger off new arms races in outer-space.

By refusing to ratify the CTBT, the US aims to maintain its nuclear deterrence, and as a result, will pose an incalculable, serious negative impact on the international disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation process.

3. NATO Bombs Yugoslavia

On March 24, without authorization from the United Nations Security Council, the US-led NATO forces launched military strikes against a sovereign country -- the Yugoslav Serb Republic.

The aggression, noted down as a dangerous precedent in the history of international relations, posed serious threat to world peace and development.

During the 78-day brutal bombings, NATO fighter jets powdered 21,000 tons of bombs down to the Yugoslav surface of 100,000 square kilometers. Thousands of civilians were killed and 6,000 wounded. Civil infrastructures, such as schools, factories, bridges, hospitals, power plants and news media, were repeatedly targeted.

At midnight on May 7, NATO attacked the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three Chinese correspondents, injuring more than 20 diplomats and leaving the embassy building devastated.

NATO's barbaric act aroused strong indignation and condemnation among the Chinese and all other peace-loving people in this world.

4. India, Pakistan Fight over Kashmir

India unleashed heavy air raids on May 26 to drive "the Pakistani infiltrators" out of its controlled area of Kashmir.

Amid the raids, India fighter jets frequently shelled across the line of control the Pakistani side of Kashmir and met counterattacks from Pakistan.

Then the two went into a two-month armed conflict, the worst one since 1971; and both suffered heavy human losses.

During the conflict, India test-fired the medium-range ballistic missile Agni-II and surface-to-air Trishul-II. Islamabad answered with two missile tests -- the medium-range surface-to- surface Ghauri-II and short-range ballistic Shaheen.

The armed conflict and missile-launching aroused immediate concern in the international community, which was worrying a potential escalation of nuclear arms race.

5. Turkey Shaken by Earthquake

On the early morning of August 17, a powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale shook central and western Turkey. On November 12, another quake measuring 7.2 hit western Turkey again.

At least 18,000 people were killed, 43,000 injured and 600,000 became homeless following the two disasters. The economic damages were estimated at 20 billion US dollars.

The huge loss was mainly attributed to shoddy construction and unscrupulous building contractors who had skimped on construction materials and traded quality for speed, ending up in buildings that massively collapsed once hit by earthquake.

6. Russia Sweeps Chechen Illegal Forces

In August-September, armed illegal Chechen forces trenched into the neighboring Russian Republic Dagestan, and together with the local separatists, ignited anti-government riots.

The Chechen terrorist forces also set a series of bomb blasts in Moscow and other Russian cities, killing at least 300 civilians.

Having restored order in Dagestan, Russian federal forces then launched a fierce military campaign in Chechnya to sweep out the illegal forces and terrorists.

Now two thirds of Chechnya is under Russian control, and the capital Grozny besieged.

So far, more than 6,500 illegal armed militants have been reportedly killed, and on the Russian federal side, 305 men have been killed and 863 wounded.

The West has been critical of Russia's military campaign in Chechnya; but Russia stressed that the Chechnya issue is its internal affair and brooks no foreign interference.

7. China, US Reach WTO Deal

China and the United States signed on November 15 a bilateral agreement on China's entry into the World Trade Organization following six days and nights of tough bargaining.

The "win-win" deal reached after 13 years of struggle was based on mutual understanding and compromising. It is in the interests of both sides and will help Sino-US relations develop on a full scale.

China's deal with the US, a major nation in WTO, will accelerate its entry into the trade organization and inject new impetus to world development and prosperity.

8. Entire Sequence of Protein-Coding of Chromosome 22 Deciphered

On December 1, researchers from Britain, the United States and Japan announced that they had deciphered the entire sequence of the protein-coding genes of chromosome 22, mapping out its 33.4 million base pairs.

The achievement, a great scientific breakthrough, was the first time that the entire sequence of genes of human chromosome was mapped out.

Many diseases and syndromes, including some cancers, immunodefiency, schizophrenia, retardation and heart disease, have a genetic component linked to chromosome 22, the second smallest of the 23 pairs of human chronosomes.

9. Panama Canal Returned to Panama

The return of Panama Canal to Panama was celebrated on December 14 at the Miraflores Locks at the canal's Pacific entrance, near the city of Panama.

Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso and former US president Jimmy Carter signed exchange of notes by which the Panama Canal was returned to Panama after 85 years of US administration.

The hand-over marked the victory of the Panamanian people's long struggle to resume their sovereignty. With Panama Canal returned, American colonialism in Panama and Latin America came to a definite end.

According to the Torrijos-Carter treaties of 1977, the formal delivery of the canal will be held on December 31, 1999. Before the date, every and all US troops should have been withdrawn out of the canal region.

10. China Resumes Exercise of Sovereignty over Macao

On December 20, Chinese President Jiang Zemin announced that China officially resumed exercise of sovereignty over Macao at a hand-over ceremony.

At the same time, the Macao Special Administrative Region government came into power.

The return of Macao marked a great national event in the Chinese history and a milestone in the country's cause of reunification following Hong Kong's return in 1997. (Xinhua)