The Residents

Smoke from wildfires in Indonesia, fuelled by a strong El Niño and land-clearing practices, is drifting across Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, degrading air quality across the region. The tinderbox conditions are raising fresh concerns about health impacts and the annual transboundary haze problem that recurs during dry seasons.

Google Maps has been updated with fresh satellite imagery of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, showing the scale of destruction across the city following months of Israeli military operations. The imagery is being shared widely online, with users pointing to the visible devastation of entire neighbourhoods as stark documentation of the war's impact on the city and its displaced residents.

A powerful typhoon has struck Japan, with authorities urging nearly two million people to evacuate as heavy rain and strong winds batter large parts of the country. Evacuation orders have been issued across multiple prefectures, and residents are being warned of possible flooding and landslides as the storm moves through.

Hurricane Polo is approaching Mexico's Pacific coast, with forecasters warning of life-threatening flooding as the storm nears land. Authorities are bracing for heavy rain and possible flash floods in affected states. Emergency services are urging residents in vulnerable areas to take precautions as the hurricane draws closer.

Israel says its border is open for Gazans wanting to leave, but residents desperate to exit the territory report they are still unable to do so. Practical and administrative obstacles continue to block departures, leaving many stuck despite official assurances that the way out is available.

Severe flooding is dominating headlines worldwide, with striking scenes emerging from multiple countries. Residents have been seen canoeing through flooded New York streets and riding a jet ski through Bangkok's inundated roads. In India's Uttar Pradesh state, at least 56 people have died amid the disaster. Images of the chaos are circulating widely as extreme rainfall continues to affect cities across several continents.

Sudanese families returning to the capital after waves of displacement are finding Khartoum largely uninhabitable, with the civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces having destroyed homes, infrastructure and basic services. Millions are confronting ruined neighbourhoods, scarce water and electricity, and little prospect of rebuilding while fighting continues across the country.

Flooding in Russia has washed out a cemetery holding graves of Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, with coffins seen floating down a river. A local resident filming one coffin remarked that while some people catch fish in the river, he catches coffins. The images are circulating widely and drawing grim commentary about the war's toll and the state of burial sites for fallen soldiers.

Arab News reports that a year after a truce hailed as bringing peace to Gaza, conditions on the ground remain largely unchanged, with reconstruction stalled and humanitarian hardship persisting. The piece argues the ceasefire has not translated into stability or recovery for residents, raising questions about the agreement's effectiveness.

An Israeli strike hit an apartment building west of Gaza City, wounding children among the residents, according to Middle East Eye reporting. The attack adds to the mounting civilian toll in Gaza, where densely populated residential areas have repeatedly come under fire. Casualty figures and further details from the scene remain limited as medics respond.

Russia is deploying jet-powered drones against Kyiv, bringing attacks into daytime hours and turning the Ukrainian capital into a front-line city during the day. The faster drones are harder for air defenses to intercept than earlier models, forcing residents to take shelter even in daylight and intensifying the war's impact on daily life in the capital.

Hurricane Polo has made landfall in Mexico, bringing life-threatening winds and the risk of significant flooding to coastal areas. Authorities and residents are bracing for damage as the storm moves inland, with emergency services on alert for flooding and wind impacts in affected regions.

Several military vehicles advanced south of Wadi Gaza in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, accompanied by gunfire, according to a resident reporting from the area, who described conditions as very bad and appealed for prayers. The report points to intensified ground activity in the central Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict.

Millions of people returning to Sudan's capital are finding the city largely unlivable, with widespread power cuts and piles of rubble left by two years of war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. Returning residents face destroyed homes, no electricity, and minimal basic services, raising questions about how Khartoum can be rebuilt and whether displaced families can realistically stay.

Reporting from Gaza is compiling testimonies from residents describing severe violence and hardship amid the ongoing war. Witnesses recount attacks, destruction and loss in their neighbourhoods, adding to a growing body of first-hand accounts from the territory. The testimonies are drawing renewed international attention to the human toll of the conflict.

At least 62 people have died in northern India after days of heavy rain triggered severe flooding. Monsoon flooding affects the region every year, and officials are working to rescue stranded residents and assess damage. Reports note the rising death toll as emergency response efforts continue across affected states.

People have been seen escaping from a historic building in Kyiv after it was hit by a Russian drone. The strike damaged the landmark structure in the Ukrainian capital, with residents fleeing the scene as emergency responses got under way. It is the latest in a series of Russian drone attacks on Kyiv amid the ongoing war.

Polish authorities issued shelter warnings to residents near the border after a Russian strike hit Ukrainian territory roughly 2km from Poland. Alerts urged people to find a safe place as air-defence responses and the risk of spillover put border communities on edge, highlighting how closely the war continues to press against NATO territory.

Russian forces are blocking all humanitarian aid to Oleshky, a city in Ukraine's occupied Kherson region, leaving residents facing starvation, according to a Euronews report. The situation has raised alarm over civilian conditions in occupied territories and renewed calls for international pressure on Russia to allow food and medical supplies through.

A Guardian report describes Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine's Kherson region, as 'hell on earth', saying the few remaining residents are reduced to eating weeds to survive. The account highlights severe food shortages, destroyed infrastructure and the dangers of life under occupation, drawing renewed attention to the humanitarian crisis in the occupied east bank of the Dnipro river.

Japan's government is moving to tighten rules for foreign residents, according to an Al Jazeera report that says the shift is throwing people's futures into doubt. The piece frames the policy as an economic story with direct consequences for migrant workers and their families, prompting debate over Japan's approach to immigration and labour.

Coastal erosion driven by rising sea levels is destroying homes and wiping out beaches along the California coast, with residents and officials warned that conditions will worsen. The report highlights how shoreline retreat and storm damage are forcing communities to confront the growing cost of climate-driven sea level rise, as scientists say the worst impacts are still ahead without major intervention.

Ukraine's capital has come under Russian attack for a third consecutive night, as the war reaches its 1,676th day. The repeated overnight strikes on Kyiv underline Russia's continued campaign of long-range bombardment against Ukrainian cities, keeping air defense units active and residents in shelters. The sustained pace of attacks is drawing attention to the strain on Ukraine's defenses and civilians.

Russian strikes across Ukraine have killed five people, including residents of the capital Kyiv. The attacks hit multiple locations, adding to the civilian toll of the war, which continues despite ongoing international efforts to push toward a ceasefire or peace negotiations.

Bangkok has declared all 50 of its districts disaster zones as severe flooding affects the Thai capital. The designation allows authorities to mobilise emergency resources and aid across the entire city. Residents are sharing reports of waterlogged streets and disruption, and the move has drawn wide attention across Thailand and neighbouring countries monitoring the flood situation.

A Russian strike hit a Ukrainian location in broad daylight, with images showing people desperately trying to escape through windows as the attack unfolded. Reports highlight how strikes continue to target populated areas during daytime hours, putting civilians at direct risk. The daylight timing and graphic scenes of escape have drawn attention to the ongoing toll of the war on ordinary residents.

Palestinian families displaced across Gaza are taking shelter in heavily damaged buildings that could collapse at any time, saying they have nowhere else to go. The report highlights the scale of destruction in the territory and the desperation of residents who have been repeatedly displaced, forced to choose between unsafe ruins and the streets as the conflict continues.

Bangkok has been declared a disaster zone after intense weekend rain left parts of the Thai capital flooded. Thousands of residents are sheltering in evacuation centers, while swollen reservoirs in an eastern province have prompted authorities to order more people to leave their homes as water levels continue to rise.

Bangkok has declared all 50 of its districts disaster zones following severe flooding triggered by heavy monsoon rains. The move allows city authorities to unlock emergency funds and resources for relief operations across the Thai capital. Residents have reported waterlogged streets and disrupted transport, and officials are urging people in low-lying areas to take precautions as more rain is forecast.

Internet access in Ethiopia's Tigray region has gone down amid escalating fighting. Communications blackouts typically accompany major offensives in the country's conflicts and leave residents unable to contact the outside world or share information about conditions on the ground. Observers are watching for reports on the intensity of the clashes and the humanitarian situation as connectivity remains severed.