JAKARTA - The year 2021 is only a matter of hours, leaving a number of events that have captured the attention of the international community, in the midst of the dynamics of global developments in the world.
Politics, the military to health have become the focus of a number of events in the world, from the United States, the Middle East, to Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the mutation of the corona virus has troubled the world twice this year.
Including sad news from the United Kingdom, along with a number of events in the world that have attracted the attention of the international community, summarized by VOI from various sources.
Capitol Hill RaidThe Capitol Hill building, located in Washington DC, was stormed by supporters of Donald Trump, as the United States Congress discussed the results of the Presidential Election won by Joe Biden on January 6, 2021.
At least four people died and dozens were injured and arrested, including police officers. The US House of Representatives prepared a Congressional gold medal for the policemen who died in these riots.
Joe Biden himself was finally declared the winner of the US presidential election and was sworn in on January 20. Trump stood his ground, not attending Biden's inauguration. Having faced a second impeachment attempt, Trump survived because of Republican dominance in Congress.
Meanwhile, investigations into the Capitol Hill riots are still ongoing. Donald Trump is also still linked, with him making a last resort, to ask the Supreme Court to block records of the Capitol Hill riots last week, citing CNBC December 24.
Myanmar CoupMyanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in raids in the early hours of February 1, National League for Democracy (NLD) Party Spokesperson Myo Nyunt said.
Apart from Suu Kyi, Myo Nyunt said President Win Myint and other leaders had also been "taken away" in the early hours of the morning. The incident follows days of tension between the civilian government and the military. This tension has the potential to trigger a coup after the military accused Myanmar of rigging elections.
The military, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, immediately met resistance from civilians, by forming the Civil Disobedience Movement, to groups of armed civilian groups from various states in the Land of a Thousand Pagodas.
Suu kyi and Win Myint are still in military custody and are undergoing a series of trials on various charges the regime has leveled against them. Temporary,
More than 1,300 people have died in the crackdown on protests and more than 11,000 have been jailed, according to a tally by rights group Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP). Meanwhile, the military regime denied the group's death toll.
Death of Prince Philip MountbattenPrince Philip Mountbatten, husband of Queen Elizabeth II and a prominent figure in the British royal family for nearly seven decades, has died at the age of 99, Buckingham Palace said on Friday 9 April. The Duke of Edinburgh, as he is officially known, has been by his wife's side during his 69-year reign, the longest in British history.
The United Kingdom held a funeral service for the late Prince Philip Mountbatten in the Chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle, Saturday 17 April. Prince Philip's casket was covered with the oversized flag representing Greece, Denmark as Prince Philip's family line, the Coat of Arms of Edinburgh, and the Navy Crown symbolizing his career in the Navy. The Navy hat and sword were placed on Prince Philip's coffin.
Prince Philip's funeral mass in the Chapel of St. George is led by the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby along with Dean of Windsor David Conner. Mass was attended only by the royal family of 30 people.
After Mass, the heartbreaking sound of the Bagpipe by Major Pipa of the Kingdom of Scotland marked the start of Prince Philip's funeral. Slowly, Prince Philip's body was lowered for burial. The trumpet of royal honor then sounded in the Chapel of St. George.
After that, the sound of the royal piano followed by Queen Elizabeth stepping out of St. Chapel. George was accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by the British Royal family.
Hamas - Israel 11 Day WarThe Israeli military launched a deadly airstrike into the Gaza Strip, following the escalation of clashes with the Palestinians on Monday, May 10, beginning an 11-day war between Palestinian Hamas and Israel.
Gaza Strip health officials said at least 20 people were killed in Israeli air strikes, which were launched after Palestinian militants fired rockets near Jerusalem.
After 11 days of fighting, Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on May 21 at 2am. The death toll from Israel's attack on the besieged Gaza Strip, which ended last week following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, has risen to 254, including 39 women and 66 children, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Regarding casualties on its side, Israel said 12 people died and hundreds were treated for injuries in the rocket attacks that caused panic and sent people rushing to shelters.
In Washington, President Joe Biden appreciated Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi, for his diplomacy and coordination that was able to defuse the armed conflict between the two sides.
Delta VariantThe mutation of the corona virus, known as the Delta variant from India, has captured the world's attention, after WHO designated it as a variant of interest (VOI) in April 2021 and a variant of concern (VOC) in May 2021, although it began to be known in October 2020.
This variant hit health systems around the world, not only in its native India, causing a spike in death rates throughout May, June and July 2021. Countries around the world have decided to close their international borders.
The wave of the Delta variant is slowly receding, although until now there is still this variant in the community, as the two-dose COVID-19 vaccination program has begun to penetrate various countries in the world.
Taliban Take Over AfghanistanThe Taliban group succeeded in taking over the Afghan government, having won a resounding victory in an 11-day battle against the Afghan military, capturing Kabul and entering the presidential palace on August 15.
The Taliban entered Kabul late Sunday without armed clashes and have established control of government offices vacated by Afghan forces, taking control of the city to be established within hours, Al Arabiya TV said.
The Taliban said in a statement quoted by the television channel that no combat operations were taking place in the country's capital and the group had taken control of all of Afghanistan.
The success of the Taliban is inseparable from US President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw all troops from the country by 31 August, which he announced in April. This decision was later followed by the Allies.
The return of the Taliban brought a massive two-week evacuation under way in Afghanistan, with the military and foreigners and Afghans working with the West flocking through the military evacuation from Kabul Airport. The majority of countries in the world have decided to close their embassies in Kabul.
Chaos had colored the evacuation process, including the bombing by terrorist groups that occurred twice around Kabul Airport. The ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) group claimed responsibility for the attack. The death toll, according to Afghan health officials, put 72 people dead, including 28 members of the Taliban. Meanwhile, the United States military said 13 of its members were victims.
The Taliban officially announces a new structure for Afghanistan's government. Mullah Hassan Akhund, who is a co-founder of the group Mullah Omar, was appointed head of government with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar who is the head of the Taliban's political office as his deputy.
"All those mentioned are holding their positions in an 'acting' capacity," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a press statement, citing Reuters on September 8.
Indonesian Presidency at the G20 SummitIndonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) symbolically received the chairman's relay or Group of 20 (G20) on Sunday 31 October in Rome, Italy. This makes Indonesia for the first time will hold the presidency of the G20 which is a global forum consisting of countries that contribute 80 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).
President Jokowi also directly invited world leaders to continue discussions at the G20 Summit in Indonesia which is planned to be held in Bali on 30-31 October 2022.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi appreciated the support from a number of friendly countries, related to the G20 Presidency. As the G20 Presidency, Indonesia's vision is to focus on global recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovery is meant as a strong, inclusive and beneficial recovery for G20 countries and the world.
"We will build consensus to become a bridge builder and ensure that the interests of developing countries are reflected in G-20 decisions. In this effort, the Indonesian Presidency will push for a number of priority issues, including: productivity, resilience, sustainability, partnership or enabling environment and global leadership or global leadership," said Foreign Minister Retno in a virtual press statement.
Omicron Variant in Late 2021The world community is preparing to celebrate Christmas and New Year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to subside, when a new variant of the corona virus from South Africa shocked the world at the end of last November.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday 26 Novemver classified the variant B.1.1529 detected in South Africa as a "variant of concern" for SARS-CoV-2, saying it may be spreading faster than other forms, citing The Jerusalem Post.
Preliminary evidence suggests there is an increased risk of reinfection and there is an "adverse change in the epidemiology of COVID-19," the WHO said in a statement after a closed-door meeting of independent experts who reviewed the data.
Although said to be more infectious, this variant is considered not as virulent as the Delta variant, although it can burden the health system, while research on this variant is ongoing.
The simultaneous circulation of the Delta and Omicron variants of the coronavirus created a 'tsunami of cases', World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the conference.
"Delta and Omicrom are now twin threats that are increasing cases to record numbers, causing a spike in hospitalizations and deaths," Tedros said.
Due to the Omicron variant, thousands of international flights ahead of Christmas and New Year were cancelled. Commercial airlines worldwide canceled more than 4,500 flights over the Christmas weekend, as the rising wave of COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant, created greater uncertainty and misery for holiday travelers.
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