Key events during 2025:
1. The Return of Donald Trump and the Trade War
January 2025 marks the return of Donald Trump as US President. His economic policies focused on high tariffs triggered a major trade war with China, where tariffs briefly hit 145% on Chinese goods. Tensions eased only in October after the trade deal was signed, although it briefly raised fears of a global recession.
In everything in 2025: US President Donald Trump Source: Getty / Alex Wong/Getty Images
2. Global Conflict and Peace Efforts
- Gaza: After two years of destruction and the fall of more than 69,000 casualties, a ceasefire agreement was finally signed on October 10, 2025. However, the humanitarian crisis and acute famine still haunt Gazans.
- Sudan: Civil war continues to worsen with reports of genocide in Darfur and widespread sexual violence, creating one of the world's largest refugee crises.
- Ukraine: The war against Russia entered its fourth year with the number of civilian casualties increasing by 27%. Relations between President Zelenskyy and Trump have been strained over their strategy for negotiating the region.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears at the Iceland summit Source: Getty / picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty I
3. Leadership Change and Youth Revolution
- Vatican: The world mourns the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88. He was succeeded by Cardinal Robert Prevost who took the name Pope Leo XIV, making him the first Pope of American origin.
- Generation Z protests: A wave of youth protests hit various countries. In Nepal, massive protests against corruption succeeded in toppling Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli after deadly riots.
4. Natural Disasters and Climate Crisis
The year 2025 is one of the deadliest years due to extreme weather:
- A devastating fire in Los Angeles killed about 440 people.
- A heatwave in Europe claimed 16,500 lives, while Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean region.
- In Indonesia, mudslides and mudslides hit Aceh and Sumatra, cutting off logistical access and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate.
- At the COP-30 summit in Brazil, the United Nations warned that the world is on a path of 2.6C warming, which permanently threatens the sustainability of agriculture and human safety.
Muddy Road condition at Bireuen, Aceh Credit: SBS News/Claudia Farnhart
