If 2025 seemed like a big year for America, just wait and see what's coming next.
The past 12 months saw the US, thanks mainly to Donald Trump's return to the White House, dominate global headlines.
One minute, the US President was tanking world markets with his tariff policy, the next he was declaring peace in the Middle East. He unleashed a clampdown on migrants that delighted his followers but led to a quick erosion in civil rights. And the US Congress had its longest shutdown.
A series of events across America is expected to dominate the global news agenda again this year. Some will be celebratory; others could further polarise an already divided country.
Here is a look at what is coming up:
Semiquincentennial
This year America celebrates 250 years since the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence and asserted the 13 American colonies to be free of Great Britain and the Crown.
A series of big-spectacle events is planned, culminating on July 4, America's Independence Day. A military flyover above the nation's capital will be followed by what organisers claim will be the largest fireworks display in the world.
“We will renew the patriotism, pride and pioneering spirit of America and lay the groundwork for the next 250 years of independence and freedom,” Mr Trump said in a video last month announcing the Patriot Games, which will see two high school athletes from every state competing.
Trump turns 80
Not too long ago, the US President would mock his predecessor Joe Biden about his advanced age, but those jibes about “Sleepy Joe” have abated of late.
Mr Trump is already the oldest president to be inaugurated and, assuming he finishes his second term, will become the oldest president in US history.
He turns 80 on June 14 and has proved himself to have enviable energy levels for a person of any age, let alone an octogenarian, but time seems to be catching up on him and questions are being asked about his health.
In 2025, Mr Trump raised eyebrows when he repeatedly appeared with a large bruise on his right hand. His press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed this was due to his vigorous handshake, but that theory appeared to be undermined last month when Mr Trump's right hand also had a splotch of bluish discolouration.
His health has drawn further speculation after Mr Trump bragged about his cognitive tests and appeared to nod off during cabinet meeting. Photos of his visibly swollen ankles also drew scrutiny.
Football in the land of soccer
Running between June 11 and July 14, the Fifa World Cup comes to North America for the first time since the US hosted it in 1994.
This year, the US, co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, hopes to lay out a giant welcome mat for international tourists. But geopolitics and the Trump administration's harsh anti-immigrant stance could discourage some from visiting.
Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, leads the White House's Fifa World Cup 2026 Task Force aimed at ensuring the gargantuan event runs flawlessly.
He expects between five and 11 million extra visitors for the World Cup, which will take place in 11 US cities including Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Miami.
But organisers face questions about how welcoming the US can really be after nearly a year of harsh comments about other countries, including several that have qualified for the World Cup.
The Trump administration last month halted immigration applications from citizens of 19 “high-risk countries”. The same countries had already been subject to a June travel ban for visitor visas.
Midterms
With a conservative lock on the Supreme Court and a pliant, Republican-led Congress, the Trump administration has enjoyed largely unchecked power as it pushes through reforms at an unrelenting pace. Mr Trump signed 225 executive orders in 2025.
But things could change after the November 3 midterm elections, which typically result in a swing towards the party not in the White House.
Democrats remain unpopular, however, so a lot will hinge on the state of the US economy in the months before the election. Mr Trump was elected on a promise of bringing down prices and cutting healthcare costs, two crucial things he has – for the most part – failed to do.
Among the Arab American candidates to watch are Abdul El-Sayed, who is from Michigan and running for the US Senate, and Kat Abughazaleh, who is running for Congress in Illinois.
The economy
The US economy and its financial markets, which drive the outlook for much of the rest of the world, will be under a magnifying glass this year.
Bulls hope to see the 2025 rally in equities, particularly in AI stocks, continue apace. Bears see warning signs in rising unemployment rates and fret about the effects of AI on the workforce.
Afghanistan and 9/11
On September 11, America commemorates a quarter of a century since it came under attack by Al Qaeda operatives who hijacked four jetliners, crashing two into the World Trade Centre's Twin Towers and one into the Pentagon, while the fourth, thought to be headed to Washington, crashed in Pennsylvania.
The ensuing US-led war in Afghanistan lasted 20 years, ending only in US defeat and the Taliban's return to power in August 2021. This year will mark five years since the last US troops left Afghanistan.
A new war?
Somewhat lost in the jumble of end-of-year news was the story that the Trump administration has started bombing Venezuela.
This comes amid a US blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers, and as the Pentagon increases operations against alleged drug smugglers. How this will play out in 2026 is unclear.
