World begins to welcome 2026 after a year of Trump, truces and turmoil

Fireworks lighting up the midnight sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year's Day celebrations in Sydney on Jan 1, 2026. - AFP

SYDNEY: New Year's Eve revellers toasted the end of 2025 on Wednesday (Dec 31) waving goodbye to 12 months packed with Trump tariffs, a Gaza truce and vain hopes for peace in Ukraine.

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