PARIS: Next year promises trips around the Moon, footballing spectacles and a battle for control of the US Congress.

Here are five big events to watch out for in 2026.

Climate: Will the world act?

The world is already experiencing record heat — and things are likely to get hotter in 2026.

Last year was the warmest on record, but the UN says there is an 80% chance that at least one year will be even hotter by 2029.

How will nations react? COP30 in Brazil recently showed that multilateralism in climate action is not dead, despite the US boycott and geopolitical conflicts.

“2026 must be the year in which international climate diplomacy reinvents itself,” said Rebecca Thissen, from Climate Action Network.

“COPs are not an end in themselves but a high point in an international political agenda that desperately needs to get on the same page,” she added.

A close eye will be kept on how many countries respond to Colombia´s invitation to the first international conference on phasing out fossil fuels in April.

Aleksandar Rankovic, director of The Common Initiative think tank, was disappointed by COP30’s outcome and wondered if the “Gen Z-led rebellions that have emerged worldwide will start fighting for climate as well” in 2026.

Biggest football World Cup

The biggest World Cup in history will see 48 countries competing in the United States, Canada and Mexico, under the gaze of President Donald Trump.

The most-watched sports event in the world will unfold over nearly six weeks, from June 11 to July 19, with the US providing 11 of the 16 venues.

US President Donald Trump’s tensions with the co-hosts over tariffs and immigration could make for a politically charged competition.

On the pitch, a richly talented French squad led by Kylian Mbappe will be determined to make up for their defeat to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the 2022 final in Qatar, but Spain also have high hopes.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be 41 when the tournament kicks off, has said his sixth World Cup will be his last, and he would dearly like to crown his career with a first global title for Portugal.

Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and the tiny island nation of Curacao are among the countries appearing for the first time.

Fans could face eye-watering costs for the most popular games due to Fifa’s use of dynamic ticket pricing.

Gaza, Israel, Netanyahu’s future

US pressure led to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into force on October 10, after two years of war.

The truce is proving highly fragile, and Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip leaves many points unresolved, such as future stages of the Israeli army’s withdrawal, reconstruction of the Palestinian territory and its future governance.

By formally endorsing Trump´s plan, the UN Security Council laid the groundwork for the deployment of an international force in Gaza that, fundamentally, neither Israel nor Hamas wants.

The Palestinian group refuses to disarm under the conditions set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is threatening to resume fighting if the Gaza Strip cannot be demilitarised through diplomacy.

Now 76, Netanyahu intends to run again in the elections due to be held no later than November 2026.

His multi-party coalition, which now holds just 60 of 120 seats in parliament, remains fragile.

A broad majority of Israelis want to see Netanyahu held accountable for the failures that led to the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

A relative majority also oppose him receiving the presidential pardon he requested at the end of November in a bid to rid himself of his long-running corruption trials.

Netanyahu might therefore be tempted to pursue the military option against Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon to keep his far-right allies on board, and secure the total victory he has promised Israelis.

Control of US Congress

As voters brace for the 2026 US midterm elections, the stakes could hardly be higher — for Trump, Congress and the nation.

Trump isn’t on the ballot, but a strong Republican showing would validate his authority beyond the White House.

But if his favoured candidates fail to perform, it could expose cracks in his movement and complicate any succession plan.

Republican control of Congress, meanwhile, is hanging by a thread.

Razor-thin majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate hinge on defending constituencies with vulnerable incumbents in battlegrounds like Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio.

With no checkbox marked “Trump” on the ballot, the president is having to pull out all the stops to make sure his supporters turn out en masse.

Democrats see and opportunity, especially as the party of the incumbent typically loses seats in midterms.

Forecasts suggest Republicans could struggle to hold the House, and Democrats are also targeting four Senate seats needed to take control.

While full Republican control would let Trump cement his legacy, Democratic control in either chamber would slow his agenda and likely entangle his administration in investigations.

Astronauts around the Moon

Politicians and enthusiasts dream of the day when people will walk on the Moon again.

Although it’s unlikely to happen next year, Nasa is planning a crewed mission to fly around the Earth’s satellite — the much-delayed Artemis II is scheduled for lift-off by April at the latest.

It would be a huge step towards Americans once again setting foot on the lunar surface, a goal announced by Trump in his first term.

China aims to land on the Moon by 2030 and is also making progress.

Its Chang’e 7 mission is expected to be launched in 2026 for an exploration of the Moon’s south pole, and testing of its crewed spacecraft Mengzhou is also set to go ahead next year.

India, which landed a robot on the Moon in 2023, is another country with emerging space exploration ambitions, planning to send an astronaut into orbit in 2027.

SYDNEY:  A man credited with saving lives for wrestling a gun from one of the alleged attackers during a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach received a cheque for more than A$2.5 million ($1.65 million) on Friday, after tens of thousands of people contributed to a donation website.

Ahmed al Ahmed hid behind parked cars before charging at one of the gunmen from behind, seizing his weapon and knocking him to the ground. Ahmed suffered gunshot wounds after apparently being fired on by a second perpetrator and remains in hospital after undergoing surgery.

Ahmed, a Muslim father-of-two, was presented with an oversized cheque at his St George hospital bed by Zachery Dereniowski, a social media influencer and co-organiser of the GoFundMe page, videos posted online showed.

More than 43,000 people worldwide contributed to the fundraising, including billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman who gave A$99,999 and shared the fundraiser on his X account. Australia’s prime minister and the state premier have visited Ahmed in hospital to praise his bravery.

When handed the cheque, Ahmed asks, “I deserve it?” to which Dereniowski says “every penny”, the video shows.

When asked what he would say to the people who donated, Ahmed said: “To stand with each other, all human beings. And forget everything bad … and keep going to save life.”

“When I saved the people I [did it] from the heart because it was a nice day, everyone enjoying celebrating, with their kids, women, men, teenagers, everyone was happy and they deserve, they deserve to enjoy,” Ahmed said, raising his uninjured fist in the air.

“This country [is the] best country in the world, but we’re not going to stand and keep watching — enough is enough. God protect Australia. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.” The tobacco store owner did not say what he planned to do with the money.

Ahmed, 43, left his hometown in Syria’s northwest province of Idlib nearly 20 years ago to seek work in Australia.

As many as 15 people were killed and dozens wounded on Sunday after two gunmen opened fire at people celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights at the famous beach.

Authorities allege a 50-year-old father, who was shot dead by police, and his 24-year-old son, who was critically wounded, carried out the attack.

• Thousands march in Dhaka demanding arrest of Hadi’s killers.
• Fires reported at major newspaper buildings, staff trapped inside.
• Police launch manhunt, offer reward for assassination suspects.

Violence broke out in Bangladesh’s capital early Friday after a youth leader of the country’s 2024 pro-democracy uprising who was injured in an assassination attempt died in a hospital in Singapore.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Dhaka after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, was announced, to demand that his killers be arrested.

Several buildings in the capital, including those housing the country’s two leading newspapers, were set on fire, according to authorities, with staff trapped inside.

Hadi was a key figure in last year’s uprising that ended the autocratic rule of prime minister Sheikh Hasina and sent her fleeing to India. He was running for a parliament seat in the February 2026 national election.

On December 12, Hadi was shot by masked assailants as he was leaving a mosque in Dhaka. He was airlifted to a hospital in Singapore for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.

At least three cases of arson were reported in Dhaka after the news of his death spread early Friday, a spokesperson for the Fire Brigade and Civil Defence force told AFP, including a fire at the Daily Star building and another at a building housing the Prothom Alo newspaper.

The two papers are the largest in the South Asian country, but protesters accused them of being aligned with neighbouring India, where Hasina has taken refuge.

Zyma Islam, a reporter for the Daily Star said she was trapped inside the burning building.

“I can’t breathe anymore. There’s too much smoke. I am inside. You are killing me,” she wrote on her Facebook page.

The fire at the Daily Star building was brought under control at 1:40 am (2040 GMT), firefighting officials said.

However, 27 employees were still inside.

“We took refuge at the rear of the building and could hear them chanting slogans,” Ahmed Deepto, a Star reporter, told AFP, referring to protesters.

The house of India’s deputy ambassador to Bangladesh was also surrounded by hundreds of people who were trying to demonstrate in a sit-in, but police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, according to local news reports.

In addition, protesters blocked a key highway leading from the capital and attacked the residence of a former minister in Chittagong in the country’s southeast, according to footage shown on local television.

Protesters also attacked Chhayanaut, a center in Dhaka devoted to Bengali culture.

‘An irreparable loss to the nation’

Earlier Friday, Singaporean authorities announced that Hadi had died in a local hospital.

“Despite the best efforts of the doctors…, Mr Hadi succumbed to his injuries,” Singapore’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement, adding that it was assisting Bangladeshi authorities with repatriating his body.

In Dhaka, the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus confirmed Hadi’s death.

“His demise is an irreparable loss for the nation,” Yunus said in a televised speech.

“The country’s march toward democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed.”

The government also announced special prayers at mosques on Friday and a half-day of mourning on Saturday.

Hadi, a senior leader of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha, was an outspoken critic of India, where Hasina remains in self-imposed exile.

Manhunt for gunmen

Bangladeshi police meanwhile have launched a manhunt for Hadi’s shooters, releasing photographs of two key suspects and offering a reward of five million taka (about $42,000) for information leading to their arrest.

Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading Bangladesh until the February 12 vote, has called the shooting a premeditated attack carried out by a powerful network aimed at derailing the election.

Muslim-majority Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million people, will directly vote for 300 lawmakers for its parliament, with another 50 selected on a women´s list.

The last elections, held in January 2024, gave Hasina a fourth straight term and her Awami League 222 seats, but were decried by opposition parties as a sham.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by three-time former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is widely tipped to win the upcoming vote.

Zia is in intensive care in Dhaka, and her son and political heir Tarique Rahman, is set to return from exile in Britain after 17 years on December 25.