2025: Global unrest and economic tension dominates Jan: Trump second inauguration Mar: Protests in Turkey Mar: Myanmar earthquake May: Pope Leo XIV elected Jul: Malnutrition in Gaza Aug: Europe wildfires Sep: Gen Z protests in Nepal Oct: Israel-Hamas ceasefire Nov: Hong Kong inferno Dec: Sri Lanka’s cyclone JAN 7 The most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history claim 30 lives and devastate large residential areas 15 Yoon Suk Yeol becomes the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested after a standoff over an insurrection investigation 20 Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, becoming the second president to serve non-consecutive terms 29 An American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter collide over Washington D.C., killing all 67 people on board FEB 4 Worst mass shooting in Sweden’s history asa gunman kills 10 people at an adult education centre 28 Trump clashes with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, telling him to make a deal with Russia MAR 19 Protests erupt across Turkey after the arrestof the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on charges of corruption and terrorism 21 South Korea’s worst wildfires kill at least 32 people and destroy historic temples 28 A 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar kills over 5,000 people, while nearly 100 more die when an under-construction skyscraper collapses in Bangkok 31 France’s Marine Le Pen is barred from office for five years after being found guilty of embezzling EU funds APR 2 President Trump announces 10%baseline tariff on all imports to U.S., calling it Liberation Day 28 Mark Carney – who replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister in March – secures a fourth consecutive mandate for the Liberal party in general elections 28 A widespread blackout in Spain, Portugal and France plunges millions into darkness MAY 6 Conservative leader Friedrich Merz iselected Germany’s Chancellor, vowing to revive Europe’s largest economy 8 Cardinal Robert Prevost becomes the first U.S.-born pontiff taking the name Pope Leo XIV after the death of his predecessor Francis JUN 2 Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web captures global attention after 117 attack drones target airfields deep within Russian territory 12 An Air India flight crashes after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground 22 U.S. B-2 bombers strike Iran’s nuclear sites, joining Israel’s campaign against the Islamic Republic in a 12-day war JUL 4 Flash floods ravage a swath of central Texas,killing at least 135 people 9 Riding the AI frenzy, chipmaker Nvidia becomes the world’s first $4tn company, briefly hitting $5tn months later 23 Over 100 aid agencies warn of “mass starvation” in Gaza, accusing Israel of blocking food supplies AUG 7 Sweeping new Trump tariffs take effecton more than 90 countries pushing U.S. duties to their highest rate in a century 28 Wildfires hit Spain, Portugal, Romania, France and other European countries, affecting a record one million hectares 27 Internet melts down as Taylor Swift announces engagement to sports star Travis Kelce SEP 9 A deadly uprising topples the governmentin Nepal and similar Gen Z protests flare up in Indonesia, Madagascar, Morocco and Peru 10 Divisive conservative activist Charlie Kirk is fatally shot while speaking at Utah University 10 NATO jets shoot down Russian drones over Poland – the first time shots are fired by NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine 12 Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro is sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a military coup OCT 9 Israel and Hamas agree to the first phaseof President Trump’s Gaza plan, a step toward ending the two-year war 20 A brazen robbery at the Louvre museum in Paris sees thieves make off with several French crown jewels 21 Staunch conservative Sanae Takaichi makes history to become Japan’s first female prime minister NOV 4 Zohran Mamdani, 34, becomes New York City’s first Muslim mayor and the youngest in over a century to lead the largest city in the U.S. 26 A massive fire in Hong Kong engulfs seven tower blocks, killing at least 151 people in one of the worst disasters in the city’s history 28 Sri Lanka’s worst cyclone this century kills at least 638, while catastrophic flooding claims hundreds more across Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand DEC 10 Australia passes a law requiring social media platforms to ban users under 16 14 Australia’s worst mass shooting in 30 years, in which
 a father and son – followers of Islamic State group – kill 15 people at a Jewish celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach 18 After a tense summit EU leaders agree to a $105 billion loan to Ukraine over the next two years, after failing to agree on using frozen Russian assets Pictures: Getty Images, Newscom, Shonagon © GRAPHIC NEWS