The China Mail - World bids farewell to 2025, a year of Trump, truces and turmoil

It was one of the warmest years on record, the stifling heat stoking wildfires in Europe, droughts in Africa and deadly rains across Southeast Asia.

There was a sombre tinge to party preparations in Australia's Sydney, the self-proclaimed "New Year's capital of the world" and one of the first major cities to see in 2026.

Barely two weeks have passed since a father and son allegedly opened fire on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people in the nation's deadliest mass shooting for almost 30 years.

Parties will pause for a minute of silence at 11 pm (1200 GMT) and the famed Sydney Harbour Bridge will be bathed in white light to symbolise peace.

"It has been a difficult year for so many people," said Steph Grant, a 32-year-old Sydney resident.

"Here's hoping the world looks like a brighter place in 2026," said Grant, who works in advertising.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to cram Sydney's foreshore as nine tonnes of fireworks explode on the stroke of midnight.

Security will be tighter than usual, with squads of heavily armed police patrolling the crowds.

- Truce and tariffs -

Labubu dolls became a worldwide craze in 2025, thieves plundered the Louvre in Paris in a daring heist, and K-pop heartthrobs BTS made their long-awaited return.

The world lost pioneering zoologist Jane Goodall, the Vatican chose a new pope, and the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk laid bare America's deep political divisions.

US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, launching a tariff blitz that sent global markets into meltdown.

From palm-fringed islands in the South Pacific to the sprawling factories of Shanghai, few escaped the trade assault unscathed.

And after two years of war that left much of the Gaza Strip in ruins, US pressure helped land a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.

Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians.

Israel retaliated to the deadliest attack since its formation with a military campaign that has killed more than 70,000 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers reliable.

Each side has accused the other of flagrant truce violations, raising doubts about long-term calm.

The war in Ukraine -- sparked by Russia's invasion in 2022 -- meanwhile grinds towards its four-year anniversary in February.

There were hopes a renewed burst of international diplomacy might produce a breakthrough this year, but Russia shot down any notion of a temporary ceasefire in the final days of 2025.

As envoys shuttle between Moscow, Washington and Kyiv, one major obstacle remains: Ukraine is reluctant to give up land, and Russia is unwilling to give it back.

- Sports, space and AI -

The coming 12 months promise to be full of sports, space travel and serious questions over artificial intelligence.

More than 50 years since the last Apollo lunar mission, 2026 looks to be the year that mankind once again sets its sights towards the moon.

NASA's Artemis II mission, backed by Elon Musk, plans to launch a crewed spacecraft that will circle that moon during a 10-day test flight.

After years of unbridled enthusiasm, artificial intelligence is starting to face mounting scrutiny.

Nervous investors are already questioning whether the years-long AI boom might be starting to resemble something more like a market bubble.

Athletes will gather on Italy's famed Dolomites to hit the slopes for the Winter Olympics.

And for a brief few weeks between June and July, nations will come together for the biggest football World Cup in history.

For the first time, 48 teams will compete in the world's most-watched sports event, playing in venues across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

From the beaches of Brazil to the far-flung reaches of New Zealand, The tournament is expected to draw millions of fans.

M.Chau--ThChM