Yearender: A list of 2021's top 10 global events

COVID-19: Virus keeps world on edge

Countries across the globe, including India, remained hopeful that 2021 will bring hope for a brighter future as vaccination drives against COVID-19 started. However, with the virus changing its pattern significantly, the Delta variant emerged as the biggest nemesis to the world.

In India, the country from where the virus variant is believed to have originated, witnessed a devastating second wave of the pandemic at the beginning of the year with people struggling to get hospital beds or oxygen supply amid phenomenally rising cases. The spike in deaths left crematoriums and burial grounds overwhelmed. Returning to the horrors of 2020, several states in India resorted to lockdowns to keep the virus spike under control.

Similar scenarios were seen in other nations in the world, including in Europe where rise in COVID-19 cases continued. The year is ending with yet another chapter of uncertainty as the Omicron variant, which was detected in South Africa in November, sweeps nations at a fast pace, triggering a fresh panic. Restrictions to keep the viral spread low has been initiated in several nations across the world including in India.

Protests against lockdown were reported in countries like Australia, Netherlands and Austria as administration once again initiated tough steps to control the spike.

Afghanistan: Taliban 2.0 era begins

As the US started leaving Afghanistan, uncertainties prevailed over the war-torn country with Pakistan-backed Taliban forces sweeping through cities, capturing them and finally entering Kabul on Aug 15, claiming their authority over a country which had previously witnessed their retrograde rule as well. After taking control over the Presidential palace, the Taliban announced their interim government in September. The Kabul airport witnessed devastating images as the Taliban started entering the capital city. People tried to flee the nation. In desperation, people were seen even hanging to the wings of the aeroplanes, leading to their death.

Joe Biden: US gets a new President

With the promise of restructuring the fate of Americans after the Donald Trump era, Joe Biden took oath as the President of the USA on Jan 20. Kamala Devi Harris, the first woman of colour and both an African-American and Indian-American (daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father), also took pledge as the vice-president of the nation. Biden replaced Donald Trump as the President  after registering a big victory in the polls. However, the US role in withdrawing troops in a manner that left Afghanistan defenceless against Taliban and its backers in Pakistan dented his image.

Myanmar coup: Uncertainty prevails

Myanmar’s powerful military, known as ‘Tatmadaw’, deposed the ruling government in a coup d’etat and took control of the Southeast Asian country.
The military junta even went ahead and declared Myanmar leader Aung Suu Kyi’s party National League for Democracy’s landslide victory in the 2020 elections as invalid. ‘Tatmadaw’ chief General Min Aung Hlaing ‘even announced himself as the Prime Minister of the country. Suu Kyi was also sentenced to two years in prison.

Indian PM Narendra Modi withdraws farm laws

Amid Covid19 and the devastating second wave that hit India badly, the country was witnessing a massive farmers' protest over three farm laws the Narenda Modi government passed. However, in November Prime Minister Modi appeared in a national address and announced his government's decision to repeal all the three contentious farm laws against which farmers had been protesting for over a year. Farmers have been protesting at Delhi borders since 2020 against the laws namely the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

Meta: Facebook changes name

World's popular social media platform Facebook changed its company name to Meta. The company also introduced its new corporate logo which is designed like an infinity-shaped symbol that was slightly askew. Facebook and its other apps, such as Instagram and WhatsApp, are now operational under the Meta umbrella.

Pandora's Box:

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) began publishing 11.9 million leaked documents (known as Pandora Papers), 2.9 terabytes in size, this October which started exposing secret offshore bank accounts of at least 35 world leaders, over 100 billionaires and celebrities, unveiling a new web of secret data.It was one of the biggest exposure as far as financial secrecy is concerned since the 2016 Panama Papers leak. ICIJ, however, refused to reveal the source of the document.

End of Angela's regime:

Germany witnessed a major political change in 2021 when Olaf Scholz took oath as the new Chancellor, replacing Angela Merkel. Marking a strong presence in the country's politics,Scholz  steered the Social Democrats to election victory in late September. He even positioned himself as the continuity candidate because he played a key role in the Merkel government as vice-chancellor.

Bundestag, which is the German Parliament, backed Scholz as chancellor by 395 votes to 303. With the changes in the political paradigm of the country, Germany will now try to witness a new regime ahead in 2022 following 16 years of Merkel's rule.

Israel: Naftali Bennett replaces Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel also saw a political change when Naftali Bennett took over as the new Prime Minister of the country. He replaced Benjamin Netanyahu who ruled the nation for 12 years.

Beijing 2022: China's new challenge

Several nations, including the US, Canada, Australia and Britain have announced they would diplomatically boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics in February. The countries cited China's rights abuses, particularly in Uyghur Muslim inhabited Xinjiang, as the reason behind taking the step.

(Images: UNI/Wikipedia/Official FB pages/Free Wallpapers/Wallpaper Cave/IBNS Archives)