2021 in pictures: A world in unrest

On January 6, a mob of Trump supporters assaulted the United States Capitol, which houses the country's congress and senate. Conspiracy theorist Jake Angeli, sporting tattoos across his chest and wearing a buffalo hat, became a poster boy for an increasing number of far-right political supporters.

This year, among the most important natural disasters, is the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Lava flowed for over 80 days until late December when Spanish authorities declared that volcanic activity had stopped and life would begin to go back to "normal" on the island.

The statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro turned 90 this year, and the Brazilian government made renovations to make sure it looked its best for the special occasion.

Many thought 2021 would be the year that humanity finally defeated Covid-19. While progress has been made, there's still a long way to go, and at any moment, a new variant can set back all that has been achieved against the virus. This crematorium in Eastern Germany is one of many reminders that Coronavirus is still among us.

The US-Mexico border was once more the setting of embarrassing images like this, with US border patrol hunting down hundreds of Haitian immigrants in September 2021.

Climate change has brought the increase of all sorts of weather phenomena. In July, the rise of water levels in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands is just one example of these problems.

Not everything is bad news when it comes to the virus. Health workers from all over the world have worked around the clock trying to inoculate as many people as possible. Pictured: Medical professionals cross the Camaná river, in Southern Peru, on their way to vaccinate the elderly.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was taken into police custody in early 2021. Navalny, who traveled to Berlin in 2020 after being allegedly poisoned by government authorities, is regarded as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. His case is just one of the many human rights violations around the globe.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth's consort, passed away on April 9, at the age of 99. He was, to date, the oldest-ever male member of the British royal family.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were finally held in 2021 after being suspended last year due to the pandemic. Many restrictions were needed for the events, making experts wonder if Covid-19 had changed the world of sports forever.

This picture shows Lionel Messi celebrating Argentina's victory over Brazil in the Copa América tournament. In 2021 Messi signed with Paris Saint-Germain, leaving FC Barcelona after 15 seasons. Indeed the end of an era.

One of the most shocking images in 2021 was of the Taliban takeover of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, after the retreat of US troops. Some even have drawn comparisons to the American defeat in the Vietnam War.

Another battle that still rages on is against climate change. Images like the wildfires in Greece and Turkey this summer are a grim reminder that climate emergency is real and affects everyone.

Here we see Kim Kardashian attending New York's Met Gala this year. Events like this are slowly possible once again thanks to widespread vaccination among the population. This shows that while Covid-19 has redefined many things, it has not stopped life.

For decades, Bulgarian artist and long-time Paris resident Christo (1935-2020) envisioned the Arc de Triomphe covered in silver blue fabric. Although the artist is no longer with us, his works and ideas remain as a tribute to his life. Something beautiful to keep in mind in a time that sometimes feels defined by tragedy.

This summer, Chinese panda Huan Huan (meaning Happy) gave birth to twin cubs in the Beauval Zoo of Loir-et-Cher, located in Central France. Nature continues to grow, sometimes despite human intervention, other times thanks to it.

Three generations of a Kurdish family rest before trying to pass the Polish-Belarusian border. Everyday situations like this highlight how the lives of ordinary people are affected by international events in higher echelons and the uncertainty of what's coming ahead.

Two astronauts from a European-Israeli team train a Mars simulation mission on the Negev desert in southern Israel. Humanity has always been looking to the skies, and 2021 was no exception. Maybe we'll be closer to living among the stars next year, though first, we must fix so many problems here on Earth.