Year in review 2014: A look back

A girl from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing the violence in the Iraqi town of Sinjar, rests at the Iraqi-Syrian border crossing in Fishkhabour, Dohuk province, in this August 13 file photo. Youssef Boudlal / ReutersShow less

From big ideas and giant leaps in space to earthly misadventures, The National reflects on the year that was.

It was a year filled with sadness and tragedy as the world learned more about the growing threat of ISIL, watched as Israel launched a 50-day offensive against Gaza and mourned when 133 children were killed in a Pakistan school.

Closer to home, the UAE community gathered together after a teacher was brutally murdered in a mall toilet by a ‘lone wolf’ attacker.

But the coming year promises major changes, not only in geopolitics but also in arts and culture.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is not scheduled to open until December next year, but there is much to look forward to - from unmissable exhibitions to must-read books - in 2015.

Stories that shaped the region

ISIL - The National's chief columnist Faisal Al Yafai weighs the impact of the Islamist terror group

Iraq - A bitter sectarian divide finally leads to the disintegration of a state, Jonathan Krohn reports

Syria - The violence has worsened while the world looked away. Phil Sands contemplates a shameful failure

Iran - US talks with the region's outcast state have strengthened Gulf alliances, Taimur Khan says

Oil - The apparent reluctance of Opec to stem the fall in the price of oil is examined by Anthony McAuley

Palestine - With independence a more distant prospect than ever, Orlando Crowcroft looks back in anguish

GCC - The six-state alliance had to overcome differences to face a deadly enemy, Justin Vela reports

Pakistan - Tom Hussain reports on a year of political infighting and a bloody terrorist attack

Libya/Tunisia - The very different fates of two neighbouring states interest Eileen Byrne and Chris Stephen

Reem Island murder - The killing of respected teacher Ibolya Ryan united Abu Dhabi in grief, James Langton writes

2014’s biggest stories - in pictures

2014 was a turbulent year. Stories that unmasked despicable horrors - deadly diseases, abductions, suicide bombings - made the headlines this year, but there are bright spots amid the coverage of atrocities, including a change coming in India and hope for an end to piracy in the Horn of Africa. These are the stories that captured your attention this year.

2014 in review

Starting with a rescue at sea in Italy and ending with a hostage situation in Sydney, 2014 was a year of dramatic events. Revisit some of the biggest stories of the year with our timeline of events.

The best images from 2014

- The photo editors at The National selected the best images from around the world in the past year.

2014’s Newsmakers

Qassem Suleimani - Who is the Iranian commander and why has he stepped out from the shadows?

Vladimir Putin - Why Russia's strongman believes he can weather any political storm

Angela Merkel - Love or hate her, the German chancellor is the most powerful figure in Europe

The biggest stories in life and culture from 2014

Space - This year, scientists have made some great leaps in exploring the universe

Books - Predictions of the titles and themes that will keep us turning the pages from this year to the next

Music - Tracking the technology and talent that shaped our listening then and now

Exhibitions - From the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi to the best new shows, we look ahead to 2015