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As 2021 draws to a close, there is little doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate and change our lives in unimaginable ways. The pandemic which is far from over is perhaps one of the few events that have adversely affected the entire world. So far it has caused a staggering 5,324,969 deaths globally and has left millions without jobs and livelihoods. The new Omicron variant once again, at the year's end is overwhelming countries. It's threatening the fragile new normal we were hoping for. And while the Pandemic rages and continues to leave death and devastation in its trail,here's a look at the biggest international news events that have irrevocably changed the world's history.

The most defining images of the desperation ofpeople were witnessed in Afghanistan. Lakhs thronging the Kabul airport and the country's land borders,hanging on to any vestige of hope that they could escape the return of the brutal Taliban. After 20 years the US' chaotic and violent pullout left the country in a state of complete disarray. The Taliban, the poster boys of right-wing Islamist terror, were quick to take control and return the country to a terrifying archaic rule. Today, Afghanistan is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis, with millions staring at starvation and the country being set back decades in terms of its economy. Female education and inclusivity have been ignored and the world has also failed Afghanistan's women.

The Coronavirus pandemic has seen a distinct anti-China sentiment across the world. China's lack of transparency, geo-political tensions, unwanted aggression on its neighbours and in the South China sea have led to a re-aligning of world powers. The United States of America whose previous Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe called China the greatest threat to America" has been at the forefront of an anti-China bloc. The AUKUS, formed in September which includes Australia, the United Kingdom and the US is seen as the most significant security arrangement between the three nations since World War Two. It's also seen as an attempt by world powers to draw a line in the sand and begin countering China's aggressive moves. Another regional alliance that's been formed is the QUAD. Initially put together as a loose grouping between India, Japan, Australia, and the US, it has in the past year taken a more formal structure. While it has a broad range of issues on its agenda, all member nations are wary of China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

2021 has been a remarkable year for space exploration. We witnessed over 100 space missions this year and most of them were highly successful. The pinnacle of space exploration was perhaps the three missions to Mars. The UAE, US and China all managed to land their space crafts on the red planet. NASAs Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity helicopter have been exploring the Red Planet since touching down in February. 2021 was also the year when the world's richest took holidays in space,even if they were brief. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, his brother and two others travelled in a capsule with the biggest windows flown in space. The views of the Earth were stunning and when the capsule touched down after the 10-minute, 10-second flight, Jeff Bezos exclaimed: "Best day ever!" Billionaire Sir Richard Branson also successfully reached the edge of space onboard his Virgin Galactic rocket plane. Branson and his team of astronauts flew high above New Mexico in the US in the vehicle that his company had been developing for 17 years. The trip he said was the "experience of a lifetime".

Who would have ever imagined that the world's oldest democracy would witness scenes of absolute chaos and mayhem as hundreds of former US President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC. Lawmakers were forced to take shelter, the building was put into lockdown, the form US Vice President Mike Pence was evacuated and five people died. All this on the day when a joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes that would formalize then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Images of the insurrection shocked horrified and anguished Americans. And the deep political divisions that mark US politics stood exposed to the world. President-elect Joe Biden described the violence as "one of the darkest days in the history of our nation".

An intense heatwave in the Pacific Northwest lead to record temperatures in the US and Canada leaving over 400 people dead.Images of a submerged Germany and Belgium after flash floods left destruction and death in their wake,thousands displaced and hundreds dead in China's Henan after torrential rains swept through the province, intense landslides in Uttarakhand and flooding in parts of South India are all testaments to the rapid change in world's climate. Yet is enough being done to halt climate change? It was with that in mind that the UN summit COP 26 met in Glasgow this year. While the summit delivered on its primary goal of keeping alive the Paris Agreements aim to limit global warming to 1.5C above preindustrial levels, it failed to make significant progress on climate finance. Not just that a lot will depend on how countries individually act to bring down emissions and deliver on climate goals.

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Global events of 2021: US withdrawal from Afghanistan to COP 26; here's what went down - Republic World