New Delhi, Dec. 31 -- John Lennon wrote and recorded a song in 1975 with these evocative lyrics: So this is Christmas/ What have you done?/ Another year over/ And a new one just begun. This song was part of his anti-war activism, but the words could apply to various causes.

As the sun sets on 2025 and the calendar gets reset for 2026, it might be worthwhile to take a moment to reflect upon what whizzed past as a means of getting a better handle on what awaits us. Two big-picture events and one big technology trend monopolized headlines over the past year.

The sharpest dissonance was caused by US President Donald Trump's illogical and unilateral tariff impositions against a host of countries that disrupted global trade flows and dampened...