Fireworks, Reflection as World Ushers in 2026 After Year of Trump and Turmoil

Celebrations rang out across the globe on Thursday as revellers welcomed 2026, drawing a close to a turbulent year marked by record heat, sweeping trade disruptions under US President Donald Trump, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

As a fragile truce settled over war-ravaged Gaza, violence continued unabated in Sudan. The year also saw the installation of a new American pope at the Vatican, the death of pioneering zoologist Jane Goodall, and a global craze sparked by Labubu dolls.

In Sydney, New Year celebrations began with a minute of silence in memory of victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, before fireworks illuminated the sky at midnight.

Hundreds of thousands gathered along the shoreline under heavy police presence, barely two weeks after 15 people were killed at a Jewish festival in Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades. The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit in white to symbolize peace.

Pacific nations including Kiribati and New Zealand were the first to usher in 2026, followed by Sydney, then Seoul and Tokyo, as celebrations rippled westward with each passing hour.

In Hong Kong, authorities cancelled a major New Year fireworks display to honor 161 people killed in a deadly November fire that engulfed several apartment blocks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was “10 percent” away from a deal to end the war with Russia, now approaching its fourth year.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, in his traditional New Year address, urged citizens to believe that Moscow would achieve victory in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also praised Pyongyang’s “invincible alliance” with Russia, where North Korean troops have been deployed in support of Moscow.

In Vyshgorod, Ukraine, beauty salon manager Daria Lushchyk said the war had turned her work into “hell,” but clients continued to come.

“Nothing can stop our Ukrainian girls from coming in and getting themselves glam,” Lushchyk said.

Tariffs, conflict and fragile ceasefires

For many, the past year blended anxiety and excitement, while others endured war — alongside headline-grabbing moments such as a daring jewel heist at the Louvre.

Pop star Taylor Swift became engaged to NFL player Travis Kelce, and K-pop group BTS made their long-anticipated comeback.

Trump returned to the White House in January, unleashing a wave of tariffs that sent global trade and stock markets into turmoil. The 79-year-old Republican met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu five times during his first year back in office, including hosting him at his Mar-a-Lago estate during a lavish New Year’s Eve celebration.

Following two years of devastating war in Gaza, pressure from Trump helped secure a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October, though both sides accuse each other of serious violations.

“We bid farewell to 2025 with deep sorrow and grief,” said Gaza City resident Shireen Al-Kayali.
“We lost a lot of people and our possessions. We lived a difficult and harsh life, displaced from one city to another, under bombardment and in terror.”

Meanwhile, optimism emerged in Syria despite lingering internal challenges. In Damascus, residents marked one year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

“There is no fear, the people are happy, all of Syria is one and united, and God willing… it will be a good year for the people and the wise leadership,” said marketing manager Sahar al-Said, 33, as church bells rang.

In Dubai, thousands waited up to nine hours for fireworks and laser shows at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

Celebrations also filled Paris near the Eiffel Tower, where champagne corks popped, while Bulgaria officially adopted the euro. Large crowds danced through Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party.

In Brazil, massive crowds packed Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach for what authorities called the world’s largest New Year’s Eve celebration.

“A wonderful, unforgettable day,” said Ayane de Fatima, 30, adding she hoped 2026 would be “free from the bad things happening in the world”.

In Washington, the monument was illuminated as the United States launched celebrations for its 250th anniversary. In New York, thousands braved freezing temperatures and tight security for the iconic Times Square ball drop.

Nearby, at an abandoned subway station close to City Hall, Zohran Mamdani — a leftist critic of Trump — was sworn in as New York City’s first Muslim mayor.

Sports, space and artificial intelligence ahead

The year ahead promises major moments in sports, space exploration and artificial intelligence.

Athletes will converge in Italy in February for the Winter Olympics, while 48 nations are set to compete in the largest football World Cup ever, hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada in June and July.

NASA plans a 10-day crewed mission to orbit the moon, more than five decades after the last Apollo lunar flight.

Meanwhile, after years of enthusiasm, artificial intelligence faces growing scrutiny, with wary investors questioning whether the boom is beginning to resemble a market bubble.

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