2025 News in Review

January:

• 15 people were killed and over 35 others were injured after a deadly massacre in New Orleans, Louisiana.

• Austrian government coalition talks collapsed, leading to the resignation of Chancellor Karl Nehmammer.

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned from his position.

• 126 people were killed after a devastating 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet.

• The Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed tens of thousands of acres and killed hundreds of people in Los Angeles, California.

• TikTok went dark in the United States after being banned by the US government– though it was later brought back by extension deals.

• Israel and Hamas agreed to a multi-phase ceasefire deal that released dozens of hostages and brought temporary peace to the region.

• Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.

• The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels invaded the Democratic Republic of the Congo, taking over the city of Goma.

• China launched their first major generative artificial intelligence, DeepSeek, which rocked the American AI industry and sent tech stocks plummeting.

February:

• Newly-appointed US President Donald Trump announced his first round of tariffs on foreign exports, specifically from the countries of Canada, Mexico, and China. He later halted the tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

• Trump struck a deal with El Salvador to send millions of undocumented immigrants to the Central American country's new megaprison.

• The Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, coming away with a dominant 40-22 win.

• Trump began talks with Putin over ending the Russia-Ukraine War.

• Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was charged with attempting a coup against incumbent President Lula de Silva.

• Now-former Pope Francis was admitted to a Rome hospital with double pneumonia and quickly fell into critical condition.

• The German people elected the conservative Christian Democrats, making party leader Friedrich Merz their next chancellor.

• The European Union lifted sanctions on Syria after the overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad, bringing them back into global markets.
  

March:

• Israel approved a proposal to extend their ceasefire with Hamas for another six weeks.

• The region of Kurdistan officially declared peace with Turkey, ending their decades-long conflict.

• Trump reimposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico after delaying them in February.

• Cyclone Alfred pummeled eastern Australia with heavy rain and large waves, doing significant damage to the country's coastline.

• 200 people were killed in a clash between Syria's new government and supporters of Assad.

• People across the Americas were treated to a total lunar eclipse, turning the moon bright red.

• Cuba's power grid failed for the fourth time in six months, leading to major blackouts across the country.

• Israel broke their ceasefire with Hamas, launching rounds of missiles and bombs at Gaza after two months of peace.

• The 2025 Global Happiness Report was released, with Finland taking the top spot once again.

• Friedrich Merz passed a massive, $1 trillion spending bill through the German Parliament, setting up a big win for his newly-elected party.

• Israel launched strikes at Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah for the first time in months.

• Over 1,600 people were killed after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, with the shaking rippling all the way to Thailand and China.

April:

• French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement, preventing her from running for office for five years.

• Trump announced the arrival of his reciprocal tariffs, placing levies on every single country that exports goods to the US.

• South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was officially impeached after a declaration of martial law in December 2024.

• The death toll from the Myanmar earthquake rose to 3,100, prompting the government to implement a temporary ceasefire to help people recover.

• Trump paused his reciprocal tariffs for 90 days just a week after their implementation.

• 221 people were killed after a roof collapse at a nightclub in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.

• The International Maritime Organization agreed on a new rule to force shipping companies to pay fees for the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by their ships.

• The People's Action Party of Singapore dissolved their Parliament in order to restore political support.

• Pope Francis passed away after suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage following his battle with double pneumonia.

• 26 tourists were killed after being attacked by Pakistani terrorists in Indian-occupied Kashmir, raising tensions between the two countries.

May:

• Trump announced that he plans to reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison– though no action has been taken on that directive till date.

• Israel's cabinet approved Operation Gideon's Chariots– a plan to take over Gaza.

• The Catholic Church chose their first-ever American pope, Pope Leo XIV.

• India and Pakistan launched multiple strikes at each other, with India retaliating for the attacks conducted by Pakistani terrorists on Indians in Kashmir in April. A ceasefire was quickly agreed upon.

• Trump accepted a $400 million, luxury Boeing 747-800 jet from Qatar for the US, sparking outrage among politicians.

• Trump secured $600 million in investments into the US from Saudi Arabia during his tour through Gulf countries.

• Spain instructed Airbnb to take down over 66,000 rental listings amid a housing crisis in Europe.

• The Trump administration announced a ban on all international students from Harvard University because of their resistance to abolish DEI policies, but it was later blocked by a federal judge.

• 18 people were killed during a knife attack in Hamburg, Germany.

• The US Mint announced that they would stop producing the penny.

• 47 people were killed after a car ramming attack in the UK during a parade celebrating Liverpool FC's win in the Premier League.

• Trump's reciprocal tariffs were blocked by the US Court of International Trade.

• Dozens of massive wildfires broke out across Canada, scorching hundreds of thousands of acres of land.

• Elon Musk completed his tenure at the US government after serving as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

June:

• 151 people were killed after heavy flooding struck Nigeria.

• Right-wing historian and former athlete Karol Nawrocki won the Polish presidential election after an extremely close battle.

• Lee Jae-myung won the South Korean presidential election after the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol.

• The government of the Netherlands collapsed after right-wing leader Geert Wilders withdrew his party from a major coalition.

• Trump announced the arrival of a sweeping travel ban, stopping citizens from 12 countries from coming to the US.

• An online feud between Trump and Musk quickly escalated, worsening relations and allowing everyone on social media to watch their battles.

• Spain's Carlos Alcaraz defeated Italy's Jannik Sinner in an epic French Open final for the ages– the longest-ever in the storied tournament's history.

• 260 people were killed in a devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

• Conflict broke out between Israel and Iran, with both sides exchanging strikes. It quickly erupted into an all-out war before the United States entered the conflict, striking three nuclear sites in Iran with bombs. Iran retaliated with strikes on a US base in Qatar, but Trump confirmed a ceasefire just a day later.

July:

• 39 people were killed after a massive explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in Hyderabad, India.

• The US Congress approved Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, bringing a slew of changes to the government and the country.

• The Seine River in Paris reopened to swimmers for the first time in over 100 years– a huge milestone, but it came at a huge cost to the French government.

• Over 160 people were killed after flooding inundated much of southern Texas, wiping out several summer camps that were hosting hundreds of children.

• Elon Musk's xAI-created chatbot Grok went berserk after a software update, posting several antisemitic comments and highly graphic, violent descriptions.

• France decided to make the territory of New Caledonia into a state, though the decision is yet to be officially approved by a referendum.

• Italy's Sinner took home the Men's Singles Trophy and Poland's Iga Światek won the Women's Singles Trophy at Wimbledon 2025.

• French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that he would increase the country's military spending by €6.5 billion over the next two years.

• A secret plan to move thousands of Afghans to the United Kingdom was revealed after a government official leaked the information.

• Israel and Syria came to an agreement on a ceasefire following several days of battles as Israel worked to support the Druze people.

• The UK announced that they would lower the eligible voting age to 16 for their next election in 2029.

• The DRC signed a peace deal with the M23 rebels, ending their invasion and the conflict in the eastern portion of the country.

• Tensions flared at the border of Thailand and Cambodia, leading to strikes and battles around historic Khmer temples. A ceasefire was signed, but the conflict continued.

• The FCC approved a major merger between Paramount and Skydance– one of the biggest media merger deals of the year.

• A new US-EU trade deal reduced tariffs on the European Union to 15%.

  
  

August:

• Japan and South Korea struck major deals with the United States, helping them avoid incoming tariffs.

• Australia confirmed a huge deal with Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to make frigates for the Royal Australian Navy.

• Several European countries agreed to buy $1 billion worth of US-made weapons for Ukraine.

• Pending a final decision by the US Supreme Court, Trump's reciprocal tariffs went into effect.

• Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to a historic peace deal after negotiations hosted by the United States, ending their decades-long conflict.

• The US and China agreed to extend their tariff treaty for another three months, and Trump decided to impose a 15% tax on all Nvidia and AMD chip shipments to China.

• Talks in Geneva, Switzerland, ended badly as countries failed to finalize a treaty to prevent global plastic pollution, with negotiations hindered by oil lobbyists and fossil fuel-producing countries.

• Air Canada suffered from a massive flight attendant strike, forcing them to cancel hundreds of flights. A deal was made several days later.

• New Zealand's government announced a new $1.6 billion spending package that included bolstering their military with US-made helicopters.

• An $18 billion deal saw Keurig Dr Pepper acquire JDE Peet's as part of their strategy to split into two companies.

• The hit movie K-Pop Demon Hunters was released, soaring past Red Notice to become the most-watched movie in Netflix's history.

• Thailand's prime minister was ousted after the country's Supreme Court ruled that she had violated the position's code of ethics.

September:

• The prime minister of Yemen, a member of the Houthi terrorist group, was assassinated by Israel in a targeted attack.

• At least 1,100 people were killed after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan.

• Over 1,000 others were confirmed dead after a deadly landslide in Sudan.

• The Los Angeles Clippers, an NBA team, were found guilty in a major scandal involving forward Kawhi Leonard where they exceeded their salary cap.

• Thousands of acres of crops were lost in the northern Indian state of Punjab after record flooding.

• Spain's Alcaraz defeated Italy's Sinner and Belarus' Sabalenka beat the US' Anisimova at the US Open finals in New York.

• The French Parliament ousted the country's prime minister again, sinking them further into political and economic turmoil.

• Global stock markets went into a frenzy over tech after Oracle dropped incredible revenue projections for the coming years in their quarterly report.

• Far-right political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a Utah rally, and the suspect was later arrested after a manhunt.

• Nepal elected their first-ever female prime minister after days of violent protests from the young generations of the country.

• The United States and China reached a framework deal for ownership of TikTok after an initial ban by the US government.

• The Trump administration announced a new $100,000 fee for all new H1-B applicants, dramatically changing the country's future immigration outlook.

• China announced their first-ever emissions reduction target at the UN General Assembly.

• Amazon was fined $2.5 billion in a settlement for tricking Prime customers into subscribing and then keeping their subscription.

• India defeated Pakistan in a thrilling finale to the Asia Cup but refused the trophy due to the Pakistan-attributed terrorist attack from earlier in the year.

October:

• The United States government shut down after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on a new spending bill.

• 72 people were killed after a deadly 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines.

• Japan elected their first-ever female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.

• France's prime minister resigned once again, further complicating French political matters.

• Renewables overtook coal as the world's largest source of electricity– a massive step forward for a planet powered by fossil fuels.

• Israel and Hamas agreed to a US-drafted peace plan, setting up future talks and negotiations to prevent additional conflict in the region.

• Venezuela's María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts against dictator Nicolás Maduro.

• 37 people were killed after heavy flooding and landslides struck Mexico.

• The European Union announced the implementation of a massive defense system involving four different systems to protect from Russia.

• Battles erupted on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but the conflict was quickly settled after negotiations in Qatar.

• Eight crown jewels were stolen from the Louvre in a brazen heist in broad daylight. The jewels have still not been recovered, despite multiple arrests.

• Australia and the US agreed on an $8.5 billion rare earths deal, helping the US circumvent China as a source of the precious metals.

• A massive NBA insider trading scandal was exposed after dozens of indictments involving two gambling schemes.

• Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, made landfall in Jamaica with catastrophic winds of over 185 mph.

• 64 people were killed after police raids against drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro.
  

November:

• Two courts ruled Trump's suspension of SNAP benefits as illegal, securing support for millions of Americans living below the poverty line.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in an epic finale to the MLB World Series, giving them their second back-to-back title.

• After over two decades of construction and around $1 billion in funding, the Grand Egyptian Museum finally opened, revealing King Tut's full tomb.

• A US federal judge blocked Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, calling the move unconstitutional.

• Typhoon Kalmaegi struck the Philippines, killing at least 114 people, before moving onto Vietnam. Typhoon Fung-Wong also battered the Philippines during the same period of time.

• The US' longest-ever government shutdown came to an end after the Senate approved a funding bill.

• Disney reached an agreement with YouTube TV over the distribution of ESPN services, ending a major dispute that wreaked havoc across the media and entertainment industry.

• Tehran's water crisis worsened further, with many taps running completely dry across the city of 10 million people.

• A blockbuster earnings report from Nvidia cooled investor concerns over a growing AI bubble.

• COP30 talks in Belém ended without an agreement to cut fossil fuels after oil lobbyists and fossil fuel-producing countries hindered efforts to save the environment once again.

• Jakarta overtook Tokyo as the world's most populous city in the latest UN report, with a population of around 42 million people.

• A devastating apartment fire in Hong Kong killed 44 people, and hundreds of others lost their homes and were forced to evacuate after the disaster.

• Hundreds of people were left dead after catastrophic flooding in southeastern Asia, inundating towns and cities in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.

December:

• Greece was named the world's top country for retirement in a new report.

• India was forced to revoke a mandate for a new cybersecurity app after massive backlash and privacy concerns.

• Australia confirmed that they would begin enforcing a new social media ban for all children under 16.

• A major water leak at the Louvre damaged hundreds of books amid security concerns after the heist of several priceless crown jewels.

• Netflix and Paramount Skydance entered into a bidding war for ownership of Warner Bros., which is still ongoing.

• Tensions between the US and Venezuela skyrocketed after the Trump administration began seizing oil tankers in the Caribbean.

• Disney's 'Zootopia 2' crossed $1 billion in revenue just two weeks after its release, turning it into one of the biggest box office hits of 2025.

• Far-right candidate José Antonio Kast won the Chilean presidential election.

• Australia announced a slew of new gun laws following a deadly massacre at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach.

• Trump expanded the US travel ban, adding 20 new countries to the list.

• Israel confirmed a new $37 billion natural gas export deal with Egypt.

• The EU agreed on a massive, $105 billion spending bill to fund Ukraine without using frozen Russian assets.

• India and New Zealand announced a new free trade agreement, helping bolster their relationship and boost imports and exports between the two.

• The US Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, ruling it unconstitutional.

• Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland as a state, marking a possible shift in the region's international support.

• Thailand and Cambodia signed another ceasefire, ending their monthslong conflict once again.