As 2025 comes to a close, it's time for my annual YEAR IN REVIEW, where I will outline the 20 biggest news stories from throughout the year.
1) Southern California Forest Fires - Never in the history of Southern California has it witnessed a worsening wildfire that affected parts of Los Angeles, including the Pacific Palisades, where homes and businesses were burned into cinders.
2) Donald Trump's White House Return - Donald Trump's return to the presidency of the United States led to significant changes in the global order. This included the imposition of strict tariffs on foreign imports, a deterioration of efforts to resolve conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and strained relations with neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico, among other consequences.
3) Super Bowl LIX - The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to become Super Bowl LIX Champions with Jalen Hurts named MVP.
4) F1 75 - In 2025, Formula 1 celebrated its 75th anniversary. The festivities included Cadillac's announcement to join the F1 grid in the 2026 season, the highly anticipated F1 movie, the unveiling of F1's new regulations for 2026, and more. These events culminated in Lando Norris winning his first F1 World Championship title.
5) RRD VS ICC - Former President Rodrigo Duterte faced trial with the International Criminal Court regarding his bloody war on drugs during his presidential tenure (2016-2022), and he is currently locked up there at The Hague, pending investigation. During his arrest, the Philippine government, under the PBBM administration, is in deep turmoil over the FPRRD arrest dilemma.
6) Pope Francis passed away - Post-Easter, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88, as confirmed by the Vatican. He was the first Pope from Latin America and had been in the Vatican for 12 years as the successor to Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. During his tenure, Pope Francis dedicated his life to God and the Church. He also taught his devotees to live the values of the Gospel with honesty, courage, and love throughout the world, in favor of the poorest and marginalized sectors.
7) Yoon Suk-Yeol's impeachment - The South Korean government voted in favor of impeaching Yoon Suk-yeol due to his imposition of martial law on December 4, 2024. Yoon cited resistance from opposition parties to his governance as the reason for this declaration. Following the announcement, he attempted to dissolve the National Assembly and arrest opposition lawmakers and media figures. Ultimately, Yoon was impeached in early April 2025. His opponent in the 2022 election, Lee Jae-Myung, won the election and became the new South Korean president.
8) Pope Leo XIV - Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican held a conclave in search of the new Pope. A few moments later, a new Pope was named. An American-Peruvian cardinal named Robert Prevost was named as the new Pope after a two-day Conclave at the Vatican. He becomes Pope Leo XIV, the first Pope who hails from the USA. The new Pope will lead the Roman Catholics worldwide and uphold the legacy of his predecessors. Most world leaders are congratulating the new Pope, while others are concerned about the Catholic Church's future plans under the helm of Pope Leo XIV on key issues like LGBT and abortion rights.
9) Ai♡ScReam! - AiScReam is a sub-unit from the "Love Live!" series, combining members Ayumu Uehara (Nijigasaki), Shiki Wakana (Liella!), and Ruby Kurosawa (Aqours). The name plays on "ice cream," and the unit debuted with the single "Ai♡ScReam!" on January 22, 2025. This release features the title track, a coupling song "ICE LIMIT," and an audio talk segment. The catchy melody and playful lyrics led to a surge of fan-made content on TikTok, boosting its popularity within the Love Live! community.
10) K-Pop Demon Hunters - Released on June 20, 2025, the Netflix original animated movie K-POP Demon Hunters follows the K-pop girl group HUNTR/X, celebrated for their music but secretly dedicated to protecting the world from demons. The film was a massive success, inspiring limited theatrical releases, merchandise, fan-made content, and even real-world performances by HUNTR/X members.
11) Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Part 1 - Released in July 2025, the first part of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba's Infinity Castle movie trilogy follows Tanjiro Kamado and the Demon Slayer Corps as they launch their attack in the Infinity Castle. The film sets new global box office records and features a special role by Channing Tatum in the English dub.
12) Deadly Twin Quakes in PH - The fourth quarter of 2025 saw Cebu and Davao Oriental being hit by two separate deadly quakes that killed countless people and damaged numerous areas.
13) Japan's First Female PM - Sanae Takaichi made history as the first Japanese woman to become Prime Minister. Takaichi is known for her remarks against China's plot to invade Taiwan. Her remarks caused China to take aggressive actions against Japan, causing Japanese celebrities' appearances in China to be canceled.
14) Ghost Projects - The Philippines is mired in the issues of ghost flood project anomalies. Such issues prompted the PBBM administration to establish the Independent Commission on Infrastructure to further investigate the corruption caused by the ghost projects. There were massive protests that took part, condemning the widespread corruption that plagued the Philippine economy.
15) The New World's Fastest Production Car - The Yangwang U9 Extreme, an all-electric hypercar made by Yangwang, one of BYD's luxury brands, made headlines with its 496.22kph top speed and its 6:59.157 lap time at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
16) Miss Universe 2025 - Despite controversy over Miss Universe management, the pageant in Thailand went smoothly, with contestants from around the world. Fatima Bosch of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe, following her walkout over alleged mistreatment. She outperformed Thailand's Praveenar Singh, Venezuela's Stephany Abasali, the Philippines' Ahtisa Manalo, and Cote d'Ivoire's Olivia Yace.
17) The lengthiest US government shutdown ever - Due to the Republican majority in the US Senate failing to pass the 2026 budget, a government shutdown began in October 2025, becoming the longest in history. This led to airport disruptions and a potential hunger crisis from halted EBT funding. On November 13, 2025, lawmakers ended the shutdown, and President Donald Trump signed the bill shortly after.
18) BTS members discharged from military - The BTS reunion is approaching as members RM, V, Jimin, and Jungkook have completed their military service, reuniting with Jin and J-Hope.
19) Nintendo Switch 2 - Launched in June 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 offers the same flexibility as its predecessor, along with new features that enhance gameplay. Nintendo is confident that the Switch 2 will secure its future, and it’s already proving to be a commercial success. It stands as a worthy successor to the original Switch, capturing global interest.
20) Jeffrey Epstein files made public - Over a million files linked to the late sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein were made public for the first time ever.
As the saying goes, "The end of one nightmare is just the prelude to the next." So, what will 2026 bring us? Whatever it holds, we should prepare ourselves for any challenges and turbulence ahead. Until then, let's all have a happy New Year!
