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Revellers on New Year’s Eve celebrated the close of 2025, bidding farewell to a year filled with tariffs, a ceasefire in Gaza, and tentative hopes for peace in Ukraine. This year was among the warmest on record, with intense heat fueling wildfires across Europe, causing droughts in Africa, and bringing heavy rains to Southeast Asia.
In Sydney, Australia’s harbor city known as the “New Year’s capital of the world,” festivities carried a subdued tone. Just two weeks earlier, a tragic shooting at Bondi Beach, involving a father and son, resulted in 15 deaths—the deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades in Australia. As a mark of unity and hope, a moment of silence will be observed at 11:00 pm local time, while the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge will glow white to symbolize peace.
“2025 has been a challenging year for many,” said Steph Grant, a 32-year-old from Sydney working in advertising. “Hopefully, 2026 will bring brighter days,” she added. Expecting hundreds of thousands to line the shoreline, Sydney will host a spectacular fireworks display involving nine tons of explosives at midnight, with heightened security from heavily armed police officers.
Sydney’s celebration will kick off an international stretch of New Year’s festivities, including the glamorous celebrations in New York and the Hogmanay festival in Scotland. Over two million people are forecasted to gather on Brazil’s Copacabana Beach for what officials label as the world’s largest New Year’s bash.
In 2025, viral Labubu dolls took the world by storm, a daring theft occurred at the Louvre, and K-pop sensation BTS made a much-anticipated comeback. The year also saw the passing of pioneering zoologist Jane Goodall, the Vatican selecting a new pope, and the politically charged assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, initiating a wave of tariffs that destabilized global markets. Using his platform, Truth Social, he criticized his declining approval ratings and claimed, without evidence, that polls were rigged. He emphasized strong borders, low inflation, a robust military, and a thriving economy as hallmarks of his administration, expressing optimism for the new year.
However, many anticipate ongoing economic difficulties in 2026. In Mexico City, Ines Rodriguez, a 50-year-old shopkeeper, voiced concerns about declining income and economic instability. Similarly, Fernando Selvaggi, a 61-year-old business owner in Buenos Aires, noted that most of his colleagues are struggling with limited work and low profits.
Meanwhile, after two years of conflict that devastated Gaza, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was brokered in October, thanks to U.S. pressure. But tensions persist, with both sides accusing each other of violations, casting doubt on the longevity of the truce. The conflict escalated sharply on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel, killing over 1,200. Israeli retaliation has resulted in the deaths of over 70,000 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, according to Gaza’s health authorities—a figure deemed credible by the United Nations.
World leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, exchanged New Year greetings. Both nations highlight their leaders’ close relationship—Putin attended a grand Chinese military parade in September, and Xi indicated readiness to strengthen bilateral ties.
The ongoing Ukraine conflict, initiated by Russia’s invasion in 2022, approaches its four-year mark in February. While hopes for renewed diplomatic efforts grew in 2026, Russia dismissed the prospect of a ceasefire near year’s end. The core sticking points remain Ukraine’s refusal to cede territory and Russia’s unwillingness to relinquish land.
Looking ahead, 2026 is expected to be a year of sports, space exploration, and pressing questions surrounding artificial intelligence. NASA’s Artemis II mission, supported by Elon Musk, aims to send humans around the Moon in a 10-day test flight, marking a return to lunar exploration after more than five decades. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence faces increased scrutiny amid concerns it could be entering a market bubble.
On the sports front, the Winter Olympics will take place in Italy’s Dolomites, drawing athletes to the slopes. Additionally, between June and July, the largest football World Cup in history will occur, with 48 teams competing across venues in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This tournament, expected to attract millions of fans from Brazil’s beaches to New Zealand’s far-flung locations, promises an exciting year ahead in global sports.
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