2025 News: Biggest Stories & Predictions | Interactive

As 2025 draws to a close, key terms ranging from artificial intelligence to Zohran Mamdani have dominated headlines across politics, conflict, technology, and climate. An analysis of Al Jazeera’s most-viewed stories and Google’s top searches reveals a year defined by ongoing conflicts and a rapidly changing technosocial landscape.

Artificial Intelligence

Adoption of artificial intelligence is rapidly growing, sparking conversations about its impact on the workplace and economies. A Reuters Institute survey conducted in six countries found that the proportion of respondents using generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT, jumped from 40 percent to 61 percent this year. Concerns about job losses and potential economic downturns have emerged alongside significant deals involving major AI players like Nvidia, Google, Meta, and OpenAI.

Global annual AI spending is projected to reach $375 billion by the end of 2025 and exceed $3 trillion annually by 2030, encompassing infrastructure, power, and resource costs, according to UBS projections.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin reached new heights in 2025, fueled by institutional investment and the growth of crypto ETFs in the US. President Trump positioned himself as a proponent of cryptocurrency, overturning a US Securities and Exchange Commission crackdown on crypto companies and rewarding pro-crypto executives and firms who supported his 2024 election campaign.

On October 6, Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $126,080 before finishing the year at $88,400, demonstrating the volatility of the digital asset.

Charlie Kirk

Conservative activist and media figure Charlie Kirk became a central and controversial figure in 2025 following his assassination, which sent shockwaves through US politics. As the founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk had built a large following through provocative speeches and his alignment with Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.

Kirk was shot dead on September 10 near Utah Valley University during a debate. His assassination triggered reactions across the political spectrum and intensified debates around political violence and extremism in the US.

Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump oversaw a period of significant change during his second term, impacting a wide range of issues. He signed 225 executive orders in 2025 alone, surpassing the number from his first term.

Upon taking office on January 20, Trump pardoned those involved in the 2021 Capitol Hill riots and announced sweeping global tariffs, particularly targeting China. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” triggered deep federal spending cuts and reduced funding for major US programs, including USAID. His administration also tightened immigration enforcement and rolled back environmental and diversity policies.

Internationally, Trump questioned longstanding alliances, scaled back support for Ukraine, and escalated pressure on Iran, including US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Domestically, his policies polarized Americans, especially regarding healthcare and defense spending, leading to the longest government shutdown in US history before Thanksgiving.

Elections

Following an unprecedented election cycle in 2024, 2025 saw approximately 69 elections take place globally, involving hundreds of millions of eligible voters. National elections were held in countries such as Germany, Canada, and Japan. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi became the first woman to hold the post of prime minister.

Far Right

Far-right politics gained prominence, particularly on social media, influencing public opinion. In Europe, far-right parties achieved their strongest results on record, with the AfD winning 20.8 percent of the vote in Germany’s federal election.

A rally in the UK, led by right-wing activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, drew a large turnout of protesters and counter-protesters in August. Elon Musk’s participation via a live link highlighted the influence of social media networks in promoting particular narratives.

Gaza

Israel’s war on Gaza passed two years, with ongoing air and ground assaults and repeated displacement of the population. A turning point occurred in August when the IPC declared famine in Gaza, citing Israel’s blockade of aid and purposeful starvation of the population.

In 2025 alone, Israel killed at least 25,000 Palestinians and injured 62,000 others. A ceasefire was brokered between Hamas and Israel in October, but Israeli attacks have continued.

Houthis

The Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen were central to the wider Middle East crisis, drawing global attention for both military actions and diplomatic developments. The group’s attacks on commercial shipping and military targets in the Red Sea disrupted a key global trade route, prompting Israeli and US air strikes on Houthi positions and infrastructure.

According to ACLED, there were more than 48 strikes on Yemen in 2025 from Israel, including strikes on Hodeidah port.

Iran

On June 13, Israel launched strikes on dozens of nuclear, military, and infrastructure sites across Iran, including the country’s main nuclear facility in Natanz. During the 12-day conflict, Israel also attacked residential neighborhoods, killing several nuclear scientists and military commanders.

Iran retaliated with hundreds of ballistic missiles against Israeli cities. The United States subsequently joined the attacks, bombing three nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 22, drawing widespread international concern and prompting emergency UN Security Council meetings.

Jeffrey Epstein

The Jeffrey Epstein saga continued to make headlines in 2025 as new documents, emails, and images were released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Photos of Epstein’s private island, call logs, and email exchanges with high-profile figures were published, sparking political debate.

Emails allegedly referencing Donald Trump and claiming a victim had spent time at his house led to fierce partisan disputes over context and accuracy. The White House dismissed the disclosures as a smear.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar was a prominent artist in music, driven by the success of his song “Not Like Us,” which became his longest-charting rap song, spending over 50 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also topped charts after Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance, which was watched by more than 133.5 million viewers.

Louvre

In October, the Louvre Museum in Paris was the target of a brazen art robbery, with thieves making off with priceless French crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million. Using a truck-mounted lift, the gang broke in during broad daylight, cut display cases, and escaped on scooters. French authorities launched a manhunt, but most of the stolen jewels remain missing.

Migration

Migration debates continued worldwide, with polarising policy changes. In Europe and North America, asylum rules and border controls were tightened, including a “one in, one out” plan between France and the UK. In the US, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) escalated operations, detaining more than 68,000 people and deporting hundreds of thousands.

Nuclear

As of 2025, there are 12,241 nuclear warheads active worldwide, with several countries increasing or modernising their stockpiles. US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities reportedly delayed Iran’s nuclear program by one to two years. The US and UK signed a partnership to accelerate advanced and small modular reactors, while Germany continued its nuclear phase-out.

Occupied West Bank

Alongside the war in Gaza, Israel launched its largest military assault in decades on the West Bank, expanded illegal settlements, and carried out regular home demolitions. The UN’s OCHA documented 1,680 attacks by Israeli settlers in more than 270 communities across the West Bank so far in 2025. The olive harvest was also marked by widespread settler violence, with 178 attacks documented in October and November.

Pope

In April, the Catholic Church underwent a historic leadership transition with the death of Pope Francis and the election of a new pontiff. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was selected and took the name Pope Leo XIV, marking the first time a pope has been elected from the United States.

Qatar

Qatar was a key diplomatic player and a flashpoint in regional conflicts in 2025. In September, Israel carried out an air strike on Doha, targeting Hamas leaders and killing a Qatari security official, triggering widespread condemnation.

RSF

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were a central driver of the country’s civil war, expanding their territorial control and deepening a humanitarian crisis. The RSF consolidated its grip over parts of western Sudan, including areas around el-Fasher. At least 4,200 civilians were killed by the RSF, and the group was accused of systematic abuses, including ethnically targeted violence and attacks on hospitals.

Syria

December 8 marked one year since the fall of the al-Assad dynasty. The 14-year-long war led to a large migration crisis, with approximately 6.8 million Syrians fleeing the country at its peak in 2021. More than 782,000 Syrians have returned to Syria over the past year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Tariffs

On April 1, Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs on trading partners, rattling global trade. The levies generated more than $124.5 billion in revenue between January and September 2025, but the Tax Foundation estimates they amount to an average tax increase of $1,100 per US household.

Ukraine

The war in Ukraine entered its fourth year, defined by intensified fighting, stalled diplomacy, and a shift in US policy. Russian forces controlled roughly 19 percent of Ukrainian territory. The conflict saw an escalation in advanced warfare, including the use of long-range missiles and drones.

Venezuela

The situation in Venezuela drew global attention under the Trump administration, with the US deploying troops, warships, and aircraft across the region. The US began strikes on Venezuelan boats it claimed were trafficking drugs, resulting in more than 100 deaths.

Weather

2025 began with the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, destroying thousands of homes. Total global insured loss for natural catastrophes and climate-related events for the first nine months of 2025 was estimated at $105 billion. Other extreme weather events included heavy rains and flooding in Asia, and Hurricane Melissa, the strongest storm to hit Jamaica.

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping pushed for strategic autonomy and regional dominance in 2025. He oversaw China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and chaired the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin. Relations with the US were dominated by renewed trade and technology tensions following Trump’s tariff mandate.

Yoon Suk Yeol

In December 2024, South Korea was thrust into a political crisis after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. A year later, prosecutors indicted Yoon Suk Yeol for insurrection on December 15, accusing him of seeking to provoke military aggression from North Korea.

Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani became New York City’s first Muslim, South Asian, and African-born mayor by winning 50.8 percent of the vote. Campaigning on rent freezes, universal childcare, and green infrastructure, he galvanised multiracial working-class coalitions. His campaign experienced intense scrutiny online, with Equality Labs tracking more than 17 million social media posts containing Islamophobic and xenophobic content. Mamdani is scheduled to be sworn in on January 1, 2026.