In pictures and videos: These were the moments that defined 2025

A look back at the images and moments that defined Australia and the world in 2025.

(Left to right) Nepal's gen Z protests, Palestinians embrace released detainees, a mourner after the Bondi Beach terror attack, and Hong Kong's Tai Po fire. Source: SBS News

Both in Australia and around the world, 2025 was marked by moments that shaped the global conversation.

From gen Z–led protests in Nepal to a devastating fire in Hong Kong, from harrowing images of starvation in Gaza to scenes of relief and joy as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas led to the release of the final living Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Closer to home, Australians returned to the polls to elect a second consecutive Labor government, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came face-to-face with United States President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House.

As the year draws to a close, SBS News has compiled some of the most powerful photos and videos capturing the defining stories of 2025.

Bondi Beach terror attack

Australia's deadliest terror attack in decades unfolded on 14 December, when two gunmen opened fire on a crowd of people gathered for a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.

Fifteen people were killed, while dozens of others were injured.

A mourner cries as he lays flowers at a Bondi Beach vigil. Source: AAP / Bianca de Marchi

The horrific attack also witnessed moments of great heroism, with a clip of 43-year-old tobacco shop owner Ahmed Al-Ahmed disarming one of the alleged gunmen going viral around the world.

Mourners place flowers at a memorial at Bondi Beach on 15 December. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi

Australians gathered at the site of the attack to hold vigils and commemorate those killed, placing flowers and other tributes at a makeshift memorial site at Bondi Pavilion.

The deadliest shooting in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 has prompted the NSW government to introduce stricter protest and firearm laws.

Surfers and swimmers form a ring during a paddle out at Bondi Beach following the shooting. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

'March for Humanity'

Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched across Sydney Harbour Bridge in August, calling for an end to the war in Gaza.

They also called on Israel to lift restrictions on aid into Gaza, amid warnings from aid agencies that millions of Palestinians faced starvation.

Organisers estimated up to 300,000 people took part in the protest. Police said the figure was 90,000. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins

Israel repeatedly denied it was behind chronic food shortages in Gaza, instead accusing Hamas of deliberately preventing supplies from being distributed and looting aid for themselves, which the militant group denies.

'March for Humanity' organisers said up to 300,000 people took part in the protest in Sydney, while NSW Police put the figure at 90,000.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange joined thousands of protesters during the March for Humanity in Sydney. Source: AAP / Flavio Brancaleone

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, former foreign minister Bob Carr and federal MP Ed Husic took part in the march.

Pope Francis' funeral, Pope Leo's inauguration

In late April, hundreds of thousands gathered in Rome and millions more around the world tuned in to witness Pope Francis' funeral, a final tribute to a pontiff who called on humanity to "build bridges, not walls".

The choice of a simple wooden coffin was due to Pope Francis' wish to have "the funeral of a shepherd, not of a sovereign", as Catholic archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravell put it at the time. Source: AAP / Gregorio Borgia / AP

However, one of the most iconic images to emerge from the occasion had nothing to do with the late pontiff — save for the fact that his funeral served as a moment for two world leaders to hold a face-to-face meeting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the funeral of Pope Francis in St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City in April. Source: AAP / Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

In early May, following two days of deliberation, the group of cardinals known as the conclave chose the new leader of the Catholic Church — and the world's nearly 1.4 billion Catholics.

Pope Leo became the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church in May, taking part in a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of his papacy.

Worshippers attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV at St Peter's Square at the Vatican in May. Source: AAP / Flavio Brancaleone

Some 200,000 people gathered for the two-hour papal mass in St Peter's Square at the Vatican.

Australians go to the polls

Labor was elected for a second consecutive term in May, with Australians turning out to the polls — some after a morning dip at the beach.

Early morning swimmers place their vote at Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club in May. Source: Getty / Lisa Maree Williams

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was joined by his now-wife Jodie Haydon and son Nathan at Labor's election night party.

"Serving as your prime minister is the greatest honour of my life," Albanese told party faithful at the Canterbury-Bankstown RSL on election night.

"And it is with a deep sense of humility and a profound sense of responsibility that the first thing that I do tonight is to say thank you to the people of Australia for the chance to continue to serve the best nation on earth."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was joined by son Nathan and partner Jodie Haydon at Labor's election night party. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

Hong Kong's Tai Po fire

Striking images and videos of a massive fire that engulfed several residential buildings in Hong Kong's Tai Po district quickly spread across the world in late November.

More than 160 people were killed during the blaze, with dozens injured, according to the latest local official figures.

The massive fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po district killed at least 161 people, according to local authorities. Source: AAP / Vernon Yuen / Nexpher Images / Sipa USA

Hong Kong has set up an inter-departmental task force to investigate the cause of the fire and how it spread so quickly, but has not yet released its findings.

Albanese's White House visit

Albanese's highly anticipated meeting with Trump took place at the White House in October.

The bilateral meeting took 10 months to secure, but was hailed as a success after Albanese emerged with a new economic deal and strengthened ties to Australia's closest ally.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the White House in October. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

A moment of tension emerged when Trump told Australia's ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, "I don't like you either" in response to a question about previous disparaging remarks by Rudd about the president.

Daniel Andrews at Beijing military parade

In September, former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews attended China's World War Two military parade in Beijing, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Daniel Andrews has defended the controversial visit to China. Source: AAP / Sergei Bobylev

The military parade was part of China's celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of World War Two.

Andrews has defended his presence at the military parade, but also condemned Russia and Iran, whose leaders also attended.

Former foreign minister Bob Carr was also invited to attend the event, but he chose to attend separate indoor events instead.

Cyclone Alfred

Tropical Cyclone Alfred barrelled down the Queensland coast in March, bringing torrential rain and flooding.

Boys play in sea-foam at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast in March. Source: AAP / Dave Hunt

Tens of thousands of people were left without power, and one fatality was recorded.

Waves crash onto rocks as people look on at the Gold Coast Seaway in March. Source: AAP / Jono Searle

The cyclone ranked among the 10 most economically catastrophic events of 2025, according to the United Kingdom-based humanitarian relief charity Christian Aid, causing losses of roughly $1.8 billion, AAP reported in late December.

Gaza ceasefires and hostage-detainee exchanges

Following two years of horrific images emerging from the Gaza Strip, the world witnessed a period of more positive images in October, after a US-brokered ceasefire deal led to the release of the remaining Israeli hostages taken by Palestinian militant groups on 7 October 2023.

Released Israeli hostage Evyatar David arrived by helicopter at a hospital near Tel Aviv on 13 October 2025. Source: Getty / Kobi Wolf / Bloomberg

Under the deal, the hostages were set free in exchange for the release of about 1,700 Palestinians detained without charge under "administrative detention" policies by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war, and around 250 Palestinian prisoners.

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered to greet those released from Israeli prisons. Source: Getty / Salwan Georges / The Washington Post

It followed a ceasefire earlier in the year, which also saw similar exchanges. That truce only lasted until it was broken by a wave of Israeli airstrikes in March, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing Hamas of refusing to release Israeli hostages and rejecting proposals to extend the ceasefire.

Meanwhie, Hamas accused Israel of going after "defenceless civilians" and overturning the ceasefire agreement.

Many internally displaced Palestinians took the opportunity created by the January ceasefire to return from the south of the Gaza Strip to their homes in the north. Source: AAP / Mohammed Saber / EPA

In both periods, the exchanges were staggered and often delayed by disagreements that sparked significant public anxiety, as people on both sides waited to see whether their loved ones would be released.

Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker — who was not part of the first phase of releases — gathered with other families of hostages and their supporters to light a makeshift Shabbat table on fire while blocking a highway in Tel Aviv on 24 January 2025. Source: Getty / Alexi Rosenfeld

As part of the October deal, Hamas also agreed to hand over the remains of Israeli hostages who died while in captivity.

A body, believed to belong to one of two Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza, is handed over to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) teams in Beit Lahia, Gaza, on 3 December 2025. Source: Getty / Hamza ZH Qraiqea / Anadolu

As of late December, it had handed over the remains of all but one, with the group citing logistical difficulties in the devastated territory.

Famine in Gaza

Amid an aid blockade by Israel, famine was declared for the first time in Gaza, as determined by the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee in August. It was the first time the IPC had recorded famine outside of Africa.

The report detailed that famine in Gaza City and surrounds was "entirely man-made, it can be halted and reversed", with the committee calling for swift action. Israel dismissed the findings, with Netanyahu saying Israel "does not have a policy of starvation".

Palestinian children hold out their pans in front of a charity kitchen in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip in September. Source: Getty / NurPhoto

An image of toddler Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a child in Gaza, went viral and was published widely by media outlets as a depiction of reports of starvation in the enclave.

In the photo, published by Turkish news agency Anadolu, the frail toddler has a starkly pronounced spine and shoulder blades, wears a plastic bag nappy, and is being held by his mother.

A British journalist and antisemitism researcher said the image was "misleading" and that media outlets did not acknowledge the 18-month-old's pre-existing medical conditions. The New York Times later issued a clarification about its publication after "new information" surfaced.

Oxfam Australia told SBS News at the time that children with pre-existing conditions may already experience immune deficiencies, so are often most affected by a lack of food.

An image of toddler Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq facing life-threatening malnutrition went viral in 2025. Source: Anadolu / via Getty Images

Marko Kerac, who helped draw up the World Health Organization's treatment guidelines for severe acute malnutrition, also said it was typical in the early stages of a hunger crisis that those most impacted suffered from pre-existing illnesses.

In December, the IPC said that it no longer classified any areas in Gaza as experiencing famine, following the October ceasefire and Israel partly easing restrictions on aid deliveries.

However, it said the situation across the Gaza Strip was still critical, and that 1.6 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity over the next four months. The UN says aid is still restricted, and has called for unimpeded humanitarian access across Gaza.

Erin Patterson found guilty

In July, after an 11-week trial, Erin Patterson was found guilty on three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in a case that captivated both Australia and the world.

In 2023, Patterson deliberately poisoned her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian Wilkinson by serving them a beef Wellington meal containing death cap mushrooms at her Gippsland home.

Erin Patterson was sentenced to life in prison in August after being found guilty on murder and attempted murder charges in July. Source: AAP / Jason Edwards

Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died in hospital days after the meal, while Ian Wilkinson spent two months in hospital recovering.

In August, Patterson was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years.

The Zelenskyy-Trump clash

A March press conference between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy started in a seemingly amicable way, but soon turned nasty, with Trump and US vice president JD Vance suggesting Zelenskyy's approach had hindered peace efforts.

Relations between the two have since improved, and in the last week of 2025, the two leaders met again in Florida to discuss Ukraine's 20-point peace proposal.

After the meeting, Trump said he and Zelenskyy were "getting a lot closer, maybe very close" to an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands at the start of a joint news conference following a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in December. Source: AAP / Alex Brandon

But both leaders acknowledged one or two "thorny issues" remain unresolved.

The 20-point plan addresses issues around security guarantees, territory, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and its relation with the European Union and NATO.

Ukraine insisted on pausing the war on the current battle lines, but Russia wanted to claim all of Donbas.

Assassination of Charlie Kirk

In September, US right-wing commentator and activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead at an event at a university in the state of Utah.

The alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, was arrested a short time later. In December, the 22-year-old man made his first in-person court appearance.

Kirk, founder of conservative group Turning Point USA, had been a long-time keen supporter of Trump, who attended Kirk's memorial service and called him a "martyr for American freedom".

Erika Kirk joins US President Donald Trump onstage during the memorial service for political activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in September. Source: Getty / Joe Raedle

Kirk's widow Erika said she forgave the alleged shooter during her husband's memorial service.

Nepal's gen Z uprising

In early September, Nepal's long-serving prime minister resigned after a wave of protests — triggered by a social media ban but fuelled by long-burning frustration with corruption — rocked the Himalayan nation.

Thousands of young protesters took to the streets of Kathmandu in September demanding the government lift a social media ban and tackle corruption. Source: AFP / Prabin Ranabhat

The protests left at least 72 people dead and hundreds injured — although some younger Nepalis said the gen Z protesters who sparked the demonstrations shouldn't be blamed for the violence that ultimately transpired.

The Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal government's various ministers offices was set on fire during protests on 9 September. Source: Anadolu / Sunil Pradhan / via Getty Images

General elections are expected to be held on 5 March 2026.

A post-Assad Syria

In late 2024, opposition forces launched a major offensive that led to the fall of Syria's Assad regime, which had governed Syria since 1971.

While those events are outside the remit of this compilation, it was not until January 2025 that photos emerged of a statue of former president Hafez al-Assad that had been toppled on top of a mountain in Dayr Atiyah.

Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria until his death in 2000, with his son Bashar al-Assad stepping in to replace him as president until he was overthrown in 2024. Source: AP / Ghaith Alsayed

After meeting Trump in the Saudi capital Riyadh in May, Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, made a historic visit to the White House in early November.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office several hours after meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, US President Donald Trump said: "We want to see Syria become a country that's very successful ... and I think this leader can do it, I really do." Source: AAP / Syrian Presidency press office via AP

During his visit, the former al-Qaeda fighter — who spent years in US-run prisons in Iraq and had a US$10 million ($15 million) bounty on his head (lifted in late 2024) — was seen shooting hoops with US military commanders.

In early December, many Syrians turned out to celebrate the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime.

Revellers took to the streets of Syria's capital of Damascus ahead of the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Assad Regime on 8 December, which has been declared an official public holiday, labelled Liberation Day. Source: Getty / Chris McGrath

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