Not everything that happens in a year is breaking news or makes headlines. That doesn’t make these other stories less interesting. They just go unnoticed if we aren’t paying attention.
2025 had plenty of the second kind—nothing newsy or heavy, just moments that didn’t trend for long, but somehow felt good, relevant and insightful.
These are some of the uplifting global news stories from 2025 that you may have missed—stories that remind us that good things are still happening, often away from the spotlight.
Books & Culture: The words that defined the year
Since this blog is all about words, we will start with Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year—Slop—defined as low-quality, AI-generated content. It refers to fake news, absurd videos, skewed or disruptive advertising images, cheesy propaganda, and that sort of thing. “AI slop is everywhere,” The Wall Street Journal said. Of course, slop can also mean walking through mud or just being clumsy. Meanwhile, Oxford’s much-awaited Word of the Year 2025 is Rage bait, defined as online content deliberately designed to provoke anger or outrage usually meant to drive traffic, clicks or engagement.
Books & Authors: Kiran Desai makes Barack Obama’s reading list
Indian author Kiran Desai’s Booker Prize-shortlisted novel, Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, made it to former US President Barack Obama’s year-end list of favourite books—a list that once again highlighted literature from around the world, including voices from India. The recognition will likely draw more readers to the novel, described as “a spellbinding story of two young people whose fates intersect and diverge across continents and years—an epic of love and family, India and America, tradition and modernity." Obama shares his favourite books, films and music every year, typically just before Christmas.
Science & Space: Are we really alone in the universe?
New findings and ongoing research continue to strengthen the case that life beyond Earth may not be as unlikely as we think. On July 1, a NASA survey telescope in Chile discovered only the third confirmed interstellar object—a comet—to pass through our solar system. Named 3I/ATLAS, it is currently about 420 million miles (670 million km) away. It made its closest approach to Earth on December 19, a rare and significant moment in our cosmic neighbourhood.
Health & Ageing: Now make your brain look eight years younger
Here's something pretty amazing. Our brain’s “real age” can actually change based on how we live. Things like staying optimistic, sleeping well, managing stress, and having solid social support act like natural anti-ageing boosts for the brain. Researchers at the University of Florida found that people who adopted healthier habits had brains that looked up to eight years younger than expected, even for those dealing with chronic pain. Lifestyle choices and stress management, over which we have control, can help keep our brains feeling younger than the number on our birthday cakes.
Culture & Lifestyle: Retro shopping for joy and comfort
In 2025, British shoppers embraced joy, expressive colour and comfort—a trend the John Lewis annual How We Shop, Live and Look report calls “Nowstalgia.” Influenced by a revival of 1990s music, fashion and culture, this movement went beyond mere shopping: it was about feeling good. The Oasis reunion tour, for example, is said to have sparked vibrant, feel-good shopping across fashion (baggy jeans, bucket hats, parkas), home décor (cheerful interiors, vintage furniture), tech (record players, film cameras, cassette/LP players) and pop culture (posters, books, memorabilia). People chose comfort, emotional well-being and a sense of happiness over simply using things.
Neighbourhood Heroes: Delhi firefighters rescue over 6,700 animals
Delhi’s firefighters weren’t just putting out fires in 2025—they were busy saving animals, too. Between January and November, the Delhi Fire Service rescued more than 6,700 animals and birds, rescued more than 6,700 animals and birds, averaging more than 20 rescues a day. From pets trapped in houses and cattle stuck in drainage lines to birds tangled on rooftops and high-rise ledges, these neighbourhood heroes showed up time and again to protect the voiceless. These acts show how first responders protect more than just people.
Books & Libraries: Suffolk County libraries hit 4 million digital checkouts
If you needed proof that reading is alive and well, Suffolk County, New York, has it. Suffolk County libraries logged a record four million digital book checkouts on Livebrary.com in 2025, according to the Suffolk Cooperative Library System—indicating the popularity of ebooks, audiobooks and other digital media across the county. On average, readers check out over 11,000 digital items per day from the digital branch of the county’s 56 public libraries. “Suffolk County library patrons understand how valuable their libraries are and what an incredible opportunity it is to have access to a vast collection of digital media at their fingertips,” Kevin Verbesey, Director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, said in a news release.
In a world where round-the-clock news, especially the grim kind, can feel overwhelming, stories like these can be refreshing—reminding us that the world isn’t all noise and there's still plenty that can make us feel good about life.
Tell us which story uplifted you most in 2025, and why.
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