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 United Nations says there is an 80 percent chance that at least one year will be even hotter by 2029. 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.

Biggest football World Cup

The biggest World Cup in history will see 48 countries competing in the United States (US), 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 11 June to 19 July, with the US providing 11 of the 16 venues. Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and the tiny island nation of Curacao are among the countries appearing for the first time.

Gaza, Israel, Netanyahu’s future

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. Meanwhile, Netanyahu, 76, intends to run again in the elections due to be held no later than November 2026. A broad majority of Israelis want to see him held accountable for the failures that led to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

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

US space agency 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 this year.