ByPaul Wallis
EDITOR AT LARGE
DIGITAL JOURNAL
January 1, 2026
Globally, the last 12 months are expected to be the third hottest ever recorded after 2024 and 2023. — © AFP Sergei GAPON
Nobody will be asking 2025 to come back for an encore. It was a disruptive, infuriating year for the world in general. Not much was achieved.
If it were a choice between America the Beautiful and America the Futile, the former is much in demand. The latter is far beyond any attempt at ridicule.
Then there’s China, untroubled by the mess in the West. Its client state Russia is basically out on its feet. China is doing fine. The much-hyped disruption to world trade has worked entirely in its favor.
The Middle East continues to be its adorable and downright cute self. A millennia or so of constant war and human misery are looking for work outside, it seems.
Europe has suddenly woken up to the fact that it’s not part of the US. That took 80 years.
The AI bubble refuses to burst and instead has found a use for itself as “adult AI”. Even non-existent sex is artificial, and people are prepared to pay for it, according to somebody. Trillions of dollars are following the logic of this macro-masturbation.
The global affordability disaster sails serenely on, much like the Titanic. Just browse this link for the latest in the obscene soap opera previously known as global economics. The global cost of living isn’t about “inflation”, which is an arbitrary periodic measure between ridiculous costs and insane costs. The world isn’t doing too well on that basis.
Organized crime is rattling along nicely, so you don’t need to send donations just yet. You’ve been doing that for decades anyway. Much good that does anyone.
The common denominator is that politics makes it all so much worse. Politics is usually the sole historical instigator of major crises. Now, there’s no restraint on the politics, and nobody is trying to fix the crises. It’s idyllic, isn’t it?
OK, so given that it took 305 words to cover the essentials, did the world end in 2025?
In some ways, it did. Total incompetence tends to be consistent.
The world went blind deliberately. It’s deaf to criticism and dumb to the point of making a house brick look like Einstein.
Thanks, global media, for blinding the world. When AI takes you over, nobody will be able to care. You’re now worthless. AI will do better without the gerontocracy, anyway.
There is no forward vision. Expectations are now only for the worse. Back in the Boomer days, the future, particularly this century, was supposed to be brilliant. The future is now a theoretical thing, unplanned and mismanaged on principle, and it only happens in calendars anyway.
There is no longer any such thing as a credible status quo. China could be totally poleaxed by a global depression. Global supply chains could fall to pieces with ease in a serious trade war. The credit markets can barely stand a strong breeze as it is. Hyperinflation could bankrupt the richest of the rich. This mess should end.
It’s not like the past was some Rhapsody in Realism either, but it wasn’t totally unsustainable, unlike this blocked and overflowing sewer of irrationality.
Should it have ended? The next few decades will tell. One thing is for sure, though – It’s survival that will ultimately dictate, not politics.
No more 2025s, thanks. One was enough.
_________________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.
January 1, 2026
Globally, the last 12 months are expected to be the third hottest ever recorded after 2024 and 2023. — © AFP Sergei GAPON
Nobody will be asking 2025 to come back for an encore. It was a disruptive, infuriating year for the world in general. Not much was achieved.
If it were a choice between America the Beautiful and America the Futile, the former is much in demand. The latter is far beyond any attempt at ridicule.
Then there’s China, untroubled by the mess in the West. Its client state Russia is basically out on its feet. China is doing fine. The much-hyped disruption to world trade has worked entirely in its favor.
The Middle East continues to be its adorable and downright cute self. A millennia or so of constant war and human misery are looking for work outside, it seems.
Europe has suddenly woken up to the fact that it’s not part of the US. That took 80 years.
The AI bubble refuses to burst and instead has found a use for itself as “adult AI”. Even non-existent sex is artificial, and people are prepared to pay for it, according to somebody. Trillions of dollars are following the logic of this macro-masturbation.
The global affordability disaster sails serenely on, much like the Titanic. Just browse this link for the latest in the obscene soap opera previously known as global economics. The global cost of living isn’t about “inflation”, which is an arbitrary periodic measure between ridiculous costs and insane costs. The world isn’t doing too well on that basis.
Organized crime is rattling along nicely, so you don’t need to send donations just yet. You’ve been doing that for decades anyway. Much good that does anyone.
The common denominator is that politics makes it all so much worse. Politics is usually the sole historical instigator of major crises. Now, there’s no restraint on the politics, and nobody is trying to fix the crises. It’s idyllic, isn’t it?
OK, so given that it took 305 words to cover the essentials, did the world end in 2025?
In some ways, it did. Total incompetence tends to be consistent.
The world went blind deliberately. It’s deaf to criticism and dumb to the point of making a house brick look like Einstein.
Thanks, global media, for blinding the world. When AI takes you over, nobody will be able to care. You’re now worthless. AI will do better without the gerontocracy, anyway.
There is no forward vision. Expectations are now only for the worse. Back in the Boomer days, the future, particularly this century, was supposed to be brilliant. The future is now a theoretical thing, unplanned and mismanaged on principle, and it only happens in calendars anyway.
There is no longer any such thing as a credible status quo. China could be totally poleaxed by a global depression. Global supply chains could fall to pieces with ease in a serious trade war. The credit markets can barely stand a strong breeze as it is. Hyperinflation could bankrupt the richest of the rich. This mess should end.
It’s not like the past was some Rhapsody in Realism either, but it wasn’t totally unsustainable, unlike this blocked and overflowing sewer of irrationality.
Should it have ended? The next few decades will tell. One thing is for sure, though – It’s survival that will ultimately dictate, not politics.
No more 2025s, thanks. One was enough.
_________________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.
World bids farewell to 2025, a year of Trump, truces and turmoil
By AFP
December 30, 2025
New Year's Eve rehearsals in New York, which will see in 2026 16 hours after Sydney - Copyright AFP TIMOTHY A. CLARY
New Year’s Eve revellers will toast the end of 2025 on Wednesday, 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 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.
By AFP
December 30, 2025
New Year's Eve rehearsals in New York, which will see in 2026 16 hours after Sydney - Copyright AFP TIMOTHY A. CLARY
New Year’s Eve revellers will toast the end of 2025 on Wednesday, 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 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.
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