From geopolitical friction and climate chaos to a cost-of-living crisis and consequences for a haka heard around the world, 2025 has been a huge year for news.
Donald Trump’s return sparked trade wars, artificial intelligence is getting, well, more intelligent, and we’re rounding out the year with no end in sight for wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
At home, Treaty principles were again put under the microscope, a huge blow for the New Zealand Police, and an end to a devastating saga in Marokopa.
All of that mixed with TV shows that sparked worldwide conversation about the manosphere, and a little monster named Labubu.
Tom Phillips died after a shootout with police in September, after 1358 days in the bush with his children.
It was a devastating end to a near four-year saga – but thankfully all three children were found. There’s now an inquiry underway.
A huge blow for the New Zealand Police this year, after a damning report into Jevon McSkimming, a former Deputy Police Commissioner.
Allegations from a woman were seen to be ignored, and the “ambitions of a senior police officer were put above the interests of a vulnerable woman”.
During the course of this investigation, detectives found child sex exploitation material and bestiality on his work devices.
Green Party MP, and New Zealand’s first non-binary MP, Benjamin Doyle, came into controversy this year when their private Instagram account was exposed, featuring the phrase “bussy galore” captioning a slideshow that included a photo of their child.
This all blew up online, Winston Peters called them out, it triggered hate, including death threats towards Doyle and their family, and they resigned in September.
The Treaty Principles Bill led to the haka heard around the world, which led to several Te Pāti Māori MPs being suspended.
The bill, an Act Party coalition policy, failed a second reading with National and New Zealand First opting not to back it.
Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer were suspended for 21 days each, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke seven days.
Previously, the longest suspension for an MP had been three days, given to the former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon for criticising the speaker in the 1980s.
This year saw US President Donald Trump push aggressive tariffs – sparking trade wars and an ‘America First’ mindset.
All the while, he ordered slashes to federal spending through an Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge, exited the Paris Agreement, wanted to take over Greenland, and backed his health secretary when he linked paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism.
In September, far-right conservative Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a speaking event at a college in Utah.
It was quickly deemed politically motivated, and the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, was arrested the next day.
One subject that has featured prominently throughout the year has been the rise and rise of AI.
It’s accelerated innovation in healthcare, education and work – but there has been a lot of talk around job displacement, ethical dilemmas and an over-reliance on it, especially around love and friend relationships.
The cute-ugly monster plushie, Labubu, was everywhere.
Its popularity sparked conversation about society in 2025, including consumerism, scarcity psychology and how celebrity endorsements are still a mainstay.
After a couple went viral after being caught looking embarrassed on a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert in the US, people were wondering: “Have we lost the right to privacy?”
Details of their personal and professional lives spread across social media like wildfire, and the man involved resigned as CEO of a major tech company.
It’s not the first time people have gone from complete unknowns to internet sensations. So, in an age when just about everyone has a camera in their pocket, is having our worst moments captured and put on the internet outside of our control?
Listen to the full episode to hear a rundown of the year’s biggest stories with Chelsea Daniels and producers Richard Martin and Jane Yee.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.