The 2025 It’s been a year full of changes and of great historical events: since the election of new Pope Leo XIV until the discovery of 3I/ATLAS – the third interstellar object ever observed in history –, from theft to Louvre per mega blackout in Spain.
Let’s look back together at the 10 most discussed news stories of these 12 months, listed in chronological order, told through the articles in our magazine Geopop.it and our in-depth videos.
Here are the 10 most memorable news stories of 2025
The Los Angeles fires
Between 7 and the 14th January 2025 the city of Los Angeles it was hit by a series of fires which caused considerable damage. Among the main causes are the drought – with almost no rainfall for 6 months – and the Santa Ana winds – intense, hot and dry – which in fact favored the spread of the flames, which even reached the homes of VIPs and the “Hollywood” sign. In total, they burned further 14,000 hectares of land and beyond 24 people lost their lives.
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
The Washington plane crash
The January 29, 2025 a airliner of American Airlines, with 64 people on board, and a military helicopter with 3 soldiers yes clashedending up in the Potomac River and causing the deaths of all 67 people involved. The causes of the accident have not yet been clarified by the NTSB, which will publish its final report in January 2026.
Among the hypotheses, however, there are some possibilities human errors during the landing phase at Ronald Reagan airport, characterized by very short runways, and safety procedures too permissive regarding the separation between scheduled aircraft.
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
The 4.6 magnitude earthquake in the Campi Flegrei, the strongest in the instrumental era
The March 13, 2025 to the Phlegraean Fields the strongest was recorded earthquake never detected in the area in instrumental times, of magnitude 4.6: the epicenter was located near Bagnoli, at a depth of just 2 km, which is why the shock was distinctly felt throughout Naplescausing panic and numerous people on the streets, as well as some collapses.
In the Campi Flegrei, in fact, an acute phase of the disease is underway bradyseismthe volcanic phenomenon of alternating lowering and lifting of the ground, which generates earthquakes: since October 2025, the speed of ground lifting has started to increase again, reaching 25 mm per month.
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
The blackout in Spain, France and Portugal
On April 28, 2025, Spain, Portugal and parts of France were hit by a mega blackout which paralyzed critical infrastructures such as rail transport, road traffic and telecommunications.
The blackout, probably caused by a sudden collapse in photovoltaic production, was so extensive since every electricity grid it is extremely delicate: in case of imbalances a cascade of disconnections which can leave an entire country without electricity in a matter of minutes, as happened in the Iberian Peninsula.
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
The conclave for the election of the new Pope
Between 7 and 8 May 2025 the Vatican took place conclave for the election of the new Pontiff, after the death of Pope Francis. On that occasion, all the cardinals of the world – under the age of 80 – gather in the Sistine Chapel in St. Peter’sto elect the new Pope following the procedures codified by specific norms of canon law.
Once a majority of 2/3 of the votes has been reached, the new Pontiff is announced via the white smoketo then be presented to the public using the famous formula Habemus Papam.
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
Donald Trump’s tariffs
The April 2, 2025 the President of the United States Donald Trump announced a series of duties against most business partners of the USA, including Europe: that day, renamed “Liberation Day”, kicked off a period of austerity and economic uncertainty, which triggered significant drops in global stock markets.
From August 1st the 15% duties on European goods headed to the United States, with tariffs also applied to the automotive sector (previously 25%) and the pharmaceutical sector (so far exempt).
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
The Air India flight crash
The June 12, 2025 the flight Air India AI171 crashed in Ahmedabad, India, with 242 people on board. Having crashed into a residential area, the plane crash resulted in the deaths of 260 people, with only one survivor among passengers on the flight.
The NTSB’s preliminary report confirmed that, just 3 seconds after takeoff, the commander forcibly shut down the engines, inevitably causing the aircraft to crash. Also for this reason, the disaster was one of the most discussed of the year, especially with regards to psychological support for the pilots.
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
There comet 3I/ATLASthe third “interstellar visitor” discovered to transit our Solar System, has been one of the “hot” topics in science in 2025, and not just because of its extreme scientific interest. Discovered on July 1st, it was immediately talked about well outside the circle of space enthusiasts due to the “theories” proposed by the Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loebaccording to which the celestial body – due to its numerous anomalies compared to the comets of the Solar System – could be a extraterrestrial technological artifact. Theories – It goes without saying – definitely denied by NASA and the entire scientific community. After reaching the point of maximum proximity to the Sun the October 29th and to the Earth the December 19ththe interstellar comet will have a close pass with Jupiter the March 13, 2026 and then it will move further and further away until it leaves the Solar System forever.
To learn more about the topic, find one of our articles here, to which the dedicated video is added.
The Global Sumud Flotilla
On October 2, 2025, the Israeli Navy has boarded and blocked the 47 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotillaa humanitarian mission headed to the Gaza Strip to transport food and essential goods. As underlined by the experts, it was aillegitimate Israeli action from the point of view of international law, having occurred in open international waters and through the use of force.
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
The theft of jewels at the Louvre
Last, but not least, the theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris, which occurred on October 19, 2025: four thieves stole 8 jewels of the French Crown, belonging to the Napoleon family, for a total value of 88 million euros. The robbers managed to sneak into the museum by entering the Apollo Gallery via a freight elevator, and then broke the window with a grinder in a blind spot of the cameras.
To learn more about the topic, find our article here, to which the dedicated video is added.
