Unexpected closures occurred in 2025 in Spanish beaches due to the presence of large numbers of blue dragons (Glaucus atlanticus) along the Mediterranean coast. Small in size but with an explosive sting, these sea slugs are dangerous to human health, and have been causing some of these places to become restricted swimming areas.

One of the biggest decisions in the United States has restricted the power of the president to impose tariffs using the emergency powers. In a 7-4 ruling issued by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, on 29 August 2025, the former president Donald Trump was found guilty of illegality in his tariff orders under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 1977. According to the court, IEEPA does not give generalized power to unilateral tariffs. The court judgment, which affirms an earlier Manhattan Trade Court decision, is on hold pending appeal to the Supreme Court in October.

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an important system of ocean currents at risk of collapsing in the next century, unlike any other period. Studies caution that its tipping point could be reached within a few decades, and that it could be completely shut down within 50-100 years.

Recent studies have noted the lethal consequences of tropical deforestation that is increasing local temperatures and causing the premature deaths of thousands of people per year. Close to 28,000 individuals died annually between 2001 and 2020 due to heat that was directly related to the loss of forests.

In 2025, The Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (Educate Girls) is the first Indian organisation to be awarded the coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award. The award reflects its efforts to break difficult cultural stereotypes and educate girls, giving young women skills and confidence to rise above illiteracy. The other winners this year are Shaahina Ali of the Maldives and Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva of the Philippines.