“Ruckus”: The planet is moving towards 2025 between hopes and the return of Trump

The world wakes up Tuesday evening to celebrate 2025, at the end of a year marked by Olympic gold, the thunderous return of Donald Trump but also new upheavals in the Middle East and Ukraine, giving hope for peace to civilian populations.

In Sydney, more than a million spectators, gathered in the self-proclaimed “New Year’s capital of the world”, saw nine tons of fireworks light up the sky above its must-see opera house and the Harbor Bridge at midnight.

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The year 2024, which will certainly be the hottest on record, has also seen natural disasters made worse by global warming, from the deadly heatwave of the Mecca pilgrimage to the tragic floods of the Kathmandu Valley.

In Sydney, in one of the easternmost time zones on the planet, which were the first to reach 2025, many Australians say they are relieved to say goodbye to 2024.

“There are of course a lot of wars and ruckus in many places,” deplores Stuart Edwards, 32, an employee in the insurance sector, to AFP. “It would be good for the world if things would work themselves out.”

More than a million spectators, gathered in the city self-proclaimed “New Year’s capital of the world”, saw nine tons of fireworks light up the sky above its must-see opera house and the Harbor Bridge at midnight.

Record breaking tour for Swift

The crowd, American pop star Taylor Swift was able to experience it in 2024, before putting an end to her record-breaking world tour, “The Eras tour”. Baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng took over social media, while young football prodigy Lamine Yamal took Spain to the top of Euro 2024.

The Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games brought together all continents, a welcome celebratory break marked by a spectacular opening ceremony on the Seine and postcard-like sites.

Elections in more than 60 countries

Millions of people also went to the polls in more than 60 countries.

In Russia, Vladimir Putin once again won a presidential election despite accusations of fraud, while in Bangladesh, a student movement dethroned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina despite a violent crackdown.

A convict elected in the USA

No vote has been as scrutinized as that of November 5 in the United States, won by former President Donald Trump, targeted by two assassination attempts and criminally convicted.

From Mexico to the Middle East, Trump’s return to the White House in January is already generating agitation: he promised a customs offensive against China, pledged to fully support Israel and said he wanted to end the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours”.

Humanitarian disaster in Gaza

2024 will have been a year of upheaval in the Middle East, with the end of more than fifty years of undivided rule by the Assad clan over Syria, but also the return of the Israeli army to southern Lebanon and simultaneous explosions of pagers during a wave of assassinations in the ranks of Hezbollah.

In the Gaza Strip, civilians say they are exhausted by the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, triggered by the attack of October 7, 2023, and the serious humanitarian crisis that results from it.

In Syria, the approach of the New Year arouses hope and expectation, after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad by a coalition led by the Islamists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

In eastern Europe, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is approaching its third anniversary. In difficulty in the east, kyiv will have to deal with Donald Trump, whose election has sowed doubt about the future of American aid.

AI and pilgrimage in India

With advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and a slowdown in inflation on the horizon, 2025 is raising expectations in the economic sector.

Some 400 million Hindus are expected for the so-called “Kumbh Mela” pilgrimage, the largest gathering on the planet, from January to February in northern India.

Temperatures will continue to rise

After a year 2024 even hotter than the previous one, 2025 should be one of the three with the highest temperatures ever recorded, according to projections from the British meteorological agency Met office.

In northern Japan, heavy snow caused the cancellation of several flights at Hokkaido’s main airport, putting passengers at risk of seeing each other in the departure lounge at the start of the new year.