By Ethan Cidro, Senior Reporter

2025 started out not so well. Whether it be forest fires, the multitude of plane crashes that occurred just as 2024 ended, or how things turned out politically, the beginning of the year was marked with tragedy and hardships. (Mind you, 2024 itself was not a good year for flying as there were many flight-related accidents that occurred, but it is terribly stunning when the year that followed had nearly just as many incidents occurring.)

We also saw dozens of riots, protests and gatherings, with some like Nepal’s anti-government protests being referred to as a revolution against corruption. Some weren’t even political but centred around sports, which everyone knows is even more dangerous as a producer of riots. Whether it be the Nika riots that protested against Emperor Justinian in 532 AD, or last year’s celebration riots in Paris over Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 victory, some phenomena seem to never change, even after a millennium and a half.

As for 2026, it seems we aren’t excluded from similar excitements of eventful developments internationally and politically. With the bombing of Venezuela’s capital and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, to the anti-government protests occurring in Iran, which is now being called an uprising or a revolution, 2026 indeed is starting out with its own share of events that spike the adrenaline.