FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first to celebrate the year 2026 at 5 a.m. Eastern Time, with celebrations planned in major cities, from Beijing to New York, throughout the day.
The world is closing out 2025, celebrating the end of a year that brought an American Pope, precarious peace talks, and a president whose influence was felt across the globe.
The Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first to celebrate the arrival of 2026 at 5 a.m. Eastern time, with celebrations planned in major cities, from Beijing to New York, throughout the day.
Sydney, considered the world's New Year's capital, will hold a defiant, albeit more subdued, celebration after the terrorist attack at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach, where 15 people lost their lives.
Security will be tight and, before the traditional midnight fireworks display, the iconic Harbour Bridge will be lit up in white as a symbol of peace and unity. The Australian city will also hold a moment of silence for the victims.
Trump, ceasefires and tariffs
The year began with the return of President Donald Trump to the White House, who promised to establish peace and reshape the global economic order.
Trump sparked outrage in early 2025 with his ambitions over the Arctic island of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, as well as Canada and the Panama Canal. He then imposed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners around the world, including China, which retaliated before the world's two largest economies backed down.
Trump helped broker a historic ceasefire in Gaza in October, ending two years of bloodshed in the Palestinian enclave. His peace plan has seen the release of all but one Israeli hostage, but the ceasefire remains shaky with hundreds killed in Gaza and uncertainty over each side's commitment to a complex second phase.
Trump has also claimed a role in stopping numerous conflicts, including the war between Thailand and Cambodia. The ceasefire he helped broker there was also unstable, but the year ended with a renewed ceasefire.
Russia and Ukraine will enter 2026 still at war, approaching four years since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
Trump promised to end the war within a day, but a deal has eluded the president despite months of intense diplomacy, including a spectacular shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, a red-carpet reception for Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska and a proposed peace plan that has fueled a mix of hope, disappointment and uncertainty across Europe.
In addition to the conflicts that dominated the news in 2025, the world also saw American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost become the next pope in May, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. He succeeded Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 in April.
The Louvre robbery captured the world's attention, and the year ends with priceless jewels still unrecoverable after the daring heist.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong has canceled its traditional fireworks display after a devastating apartment fire that killed more than 160 people in the Chinese territory.
Next year we will see voting in the US in the 2026 midterm elections, a chance for the public to signal its feelings about the second Trump administration.
This year will also bring two major sporting events: the Winter Olympics in Milan in February and the biggest ever soccer World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer. / Adapted from NBC news /
Lini një Përgjigje