A year full of upheavals, conflicts and developments with a global footprint is captured in the report of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) for 2025. From Donald Trump‘s tumultuous return to the White House and the fragile balances in the Middle East and Ukraine, to the social uprisings of Generation Z, colossal investments in artificial intelligence and record-breaking extreme weather events, ten events marked the year and shaped the international landscape, highlighting an era of intense uncertainty and profound change.
Here is the review of 2025:

Donald Trump, the noisy comeback

Attack of protectionism, mass deportations of illegal immigrants, dismantling entire sections of the federal government… After returning in January to the White House for a second term, Republican Donald Trump has embarked on a barrage of measures under his doctrine of “America first”, making extensive use of executive orders, though the judiciary blocked some of his decisions.

Disregarding, according to opponents, fundamental rights and other powers, he targeted opponents, sent militias into major cities led by Democrats, attempted to intimidate the media, and fought diversity and inclusion programs. He also developed intense diplomatic activity, with more or less success.

Polls, however, show growing dissatisfaction among Americans on economic issues, especially the cost of living. Sound defeats in local polls have put his party in a vulnerable position ahead of the midterm presidential election in the fall of 2026.

Fragile ceasefire in Gaza

US pressure resulted in a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, two years after the devastating war in the Gaza Strip erupted following an unprecedented attack by the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas on 7 October 2023 on Israeli soil.

The ceasefire has allowed for a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, the exchange of the last hostages held alive in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and increased humanitarian aid entering Gaza, although that aid still falls significantly short of needs, according to the UN and non-governmental organizations.

Israel is awaiting the return of one last hostage body before it begins consultations on the second phase of the ceasefire, a stage that, under the terms of the U.S.- and U.N.-endorsed plan, must lead to the demilitarization of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped that this second phase would begin “very soon, but violence continues to rock that territory, with both parties accusing each other of ceasefire violations.

Regional tensions continue with continued Israeli strikes on the strongholds of the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. Iran was also hit by Israeli and US raids on its nuclear facilities during a 12-day war in June with Israel, which erupted from an Israeli attack. In September, Israel targeted Hamas officials in an unprecedented attack in Qatar.

Effortless efforts for peace in Ukraine

Donald Trump’s return to power marked the first serious efforts aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

The praise and blame of the US president fluctuated between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. In February, Donald Trump lashed out at the Ukrainian president in front of cameras and inside the Oval Office, accusing him of being ungrateful to the United States.

Direct talks between Russians and Ukrainians in Istanbul and then a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska failed to produce any concrete progress toward peace, and Washington announced sanctions against the Russian oil sector in October.

International negotiations were nevertheless held in late November based on a US draft, the initial version of which was considered by Kiev and its European allies to be too favourable to Moscow. After a new round of talks with Trump’s envoys in December, Ukraine said “progress” had been made, though the issue of Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory remains at an impasse.

On the front, the Russian military has continued its slow advance into the east, after completely pushing Ukrainian forces out of the Russian border region of Kursk in March. Moscow has stepped up its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and the Ukrainian railway network, while Kiev is targeting oil facilities in Russia.

Global trade war

Citing trade deals unfavorable to his country, Donald Trump announced in waves additional tariffson products imported into the United States, which varied depending on countries or zones of origin. It also imposed specific customs duties on sectors considered strategic (steel, aluminum or copper).

As the targeted countries considered or implemented trade retaliation, they began tough negotiations that resulted in numerous agreements, such as with the European Union or, in late October, with China, marking the beginning of a truce in a conflict that shook the global economy.

Bilateral negotiations were instead suspended with Canada after an anti-protectionist ad that the US president found offensive.

Pushing to lower the cost of living for Americans, Donald Trump agreed in mid-November to cancel customs tariffs on certain foods, such as imported coffee and imported beef.

A new pope, Leo IV

Robert Francis Prevost became on 8 May, at the age of 69, the first American pope, following the death of his predecessor, Francis, to whom he was an adviser. The white smoke, announcing the election of the 267th head of the Catholic Church, rose over the Sistine Chapel after a brief conclave of cardinals that lasted less than 24 hours.

Smiling and unassuming, Prevost, born in Chicago and counted among the moderate cardinals, took the name Leo XIV. The new pontiff, who was for nearly 20 years a missionary in Peru, whose citizenship he has taken, continues his predecessor’s work with social action for the poor, immigrants and ecology.

At the same time, he also gave reassurances to conservative circles, allowing a traditional mass to resume in the Vatican after three years of restrictions. He ruled out in the short term the ordination of women as deacons or the recognition of same-sex marriage.

Generation Z rebellions

In Asia, Africa, or Latin America, young people of Generation Z (under 30) have multiplied mobilizations for improved living conditions and against social media exclusion or elite corruption.

They held marches in Peru against the growing insecurity and order of politicians, or in Morocco, where the authorities launched efforts in social sectors, but also prosecuted more than 2,000 people.

In other countries, the protests, which were violently suppressed, developed into a wider challenge to power: after riots in Nepal, Maoist Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli had no choice but to resign. In Madagascar, mobilisation led to the military overthrowing President Andri Rajoelina, who fled abroad.

In Tanzania, young people participated en masse in post-election protests, which were drowned in blood. The pirate manga One Piece flag (a skull and crossbones with a straw hat), often carried by protesters, became an international symbol of the fight against oppression on social media.

Colossal investments in artificial intelligence

Tech giants and niche startups are spending increasingly colossal sums to fund the frenzied development of artificial intelligence. According to US research and advisory firm Gartner, global spending on artificial intelligence is expected to reach around $1.5 trillion in 2025 (+50% in a year) and exceed $2 trillion next year.

The sector’s astronomical stock market valuations -those of US microprocessor giant Nvidia had at one point surpassed the unprecedented $5 trillion level- are, however, causing fears in the markets of a potential speculative bubble.

The concerns caused by artificial intelligence were moreover fuelled by numerous examples of misinformation, accusations of copyright infringement or mass layoffs, notably at Amazon.

The parents of a teenager in California who committed suicide even accused OpenAI’s AI assistant ChatGPT of encouraging their child’s suicide with specific advice. Since then, the startup has stepped up parental controls, and California has enacted legislation that regulates so-called “chatbots.”

Spectacular burglary at the Louvre

On October 19, thugs in workmen’s vests broke into the famous Parisian Louvre museum in broad daylight, using a lift normally used for removals, after breaking a glass panel. They then broke into exhibit windows and stole crown jewels, estimated to be worth 88 million euros, all within eight minutes.

Escaping on a scooter, they dropped the crown of Empress Eugenia (wife of Napoleon III), which was found damaged.

This spectacular burglary at the Louvre was commented on around the world and brought to light the security failings of the world’s most famous museum.

Charges have been laid against four men suspected of being part of the burglary group, but no loot has been found so far.

American strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific

Washington has deployed a significant military force off Venezuela since August, officially to combat drug smuggling destined for the United States.

A series of strikes have been carried out in recent weeks in the Caribbean and Pacific against vessels suspected of carrying drugs, causing the deaths of about 100 people in operations whose legality is questioned by experts.

Caracas sees this as a pretext aimed at overthrowing President Nicolas Maduro and seizing the country’s oil reserves.

After arresting an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude on December 10, Washington announced a “complete blockade” of “sanctioned oil tankers” that sail to or from Venezuela.

Washington accuses Nicolas Maduro of heading a cartel and offers a $50 million reward for his capture.

Record extreme weather

Killer floods, severe storms. Extreme weather events have succeeded one another, with their frequency and intensity increasing due to climate deregulation caused by human activity, according to scientists.

Cyclone Melissa, one of the most powerful to ever sweep the Caribbean, devastated entire regions of Jamaica and flooded Haiti and Cuba.

In Southeast Asia, the Philippines was hit in less than two months by Typhoons Ragasha, Kalmagi and Fung-wong. Vietnam was devastated by storms, floods, and landslides, while two tropical storms claimed hundreds of lives late in the year in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

As temperatures rose, forest fires intensified in Europe, and record forest acres burned during the summer.

In the US, fires started by lightning caused the northern section of the famous Grand Canyon in Arizona to close in mid-July for the rest of the tourist season.