water

Millions of Sudanese returning to Khartoum are finding a city barely able to sustain life, with widespread power cuts, destroyed buildings and rubble lining the streets. The capital, heavily damaged during two years of fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, lacks basic water and electricity services as residents attempt to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.

Millions of Sudanese are returning to Khartoum after fleeing the war, only to find the city largely unlivable. Basic services have collapsed: electricity is cut, streets are filled with rubble, and homes and infrastructure have been destroyed. Returning residents face severe shortages of water, power and shelter as they attempt to rebuild their lives in the ruined capital.

Conservation groups warn that the strong El Niño event is pushing ocean temperatures to levels that threaten coral reefs worldwide, with warming waters causing mass bleaching that corals may not survive. Environmental commentators describe the situation as an existential threat to reef ecosystems, which support roughly a quarter of marine life and protect coastlines.

Ukrainian officials report that Russian forces are detaining about 2,000 people in the occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, holding them without food or water. Nearly 50 of those being held are said to be children. The claim, reported by Ukrinform, adds to a pattern of allegations about the treatment of civilians under Russian occupation, and has prompted calls for international attention to the situation.

Russia's attacks on Ukraine are increasingly aimed at the country's digital infrastructure, hitting data storage centres and internet service providers alongside the well-documented strikes on power and water supplies. Commentators describe this as an assault on Ukraine's 'digital soul', warning that destroying data centres and connectivity threatens the state's ability to function and to preserve records, administration and communication during the war.

The United Nations reports a 20-fold increase in the number of Sudanese refugees crossing into Chad, as fighting and hunger drive people from the Darfur region and beyond. Aid agencies warn funding is running dry, leaving food, water and shelter dangerously short for the growing influx. Humanitarian groups are calling for urgent international support to prevent a wider regional crisis.

The rapid expansion of data centres in Alberta, Canada, driven by demand for AI computing, is running into hard realities around water use, energy supply and local politics. The discussion highlights tensions between economic development, natural gas power reliance, rural concerns and climate impacts as utilities and governments weigh the costs of the tech rush.

Gaza's sewage treatment infrastructure has been destroyed in the conflict, causing untreated wastewater to spread pollution across the territory. With plants non-functional, raw sewage is flowing into streets, farmland and the sea, raising serious public health and environmental concerns alongside the humanitarian crisis. Observers warn the damage could have lasting effects on water resources and disease risks in the densely populated enclave.

A powerful nor'easter is battering the US Northeast, bringing coastal flooding, heavy rain and strong winds. More than 130,000 customers have lost power, and forecasters warn that high tides could push water further into coastal communities. Utilities are working to restore service while residents in flood-prone areas brace for the next tidal cycles.

Datacenter developers in the United States are facing accusations that they are circumventing key pollution regulations. According to reporting by The Guardian, the rapid buildout of datacenter infrastructure may be exploiting gaps or exemptions in environmental rules, raising concerns among regulators and communities about air, water and emissions impacts as the industry expands at pace.

Sudanese families returning to Khartoum are finding the capital barely habitable, according to a Cape Argus report. Years of war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces have destroyed homes, water and power networks, leaving neighborhoods in ruins and basic services unavailable. Those coming back face ruined infrastructure, scarce jobs and continuing insecurity despite the army's recapture of parts of the city.

Sea level rise is transforming a California beach town and putting a key rail line at risk, according to ABC News reporting. Coastal erosion and encroaching water are forcing the community to confront long-term questions about housing, infrastructure and the future of the threatened rail corridor, which serves as an important regional transport link.

World Rivers Day is drawing attention to the alarming state of the world's rivers, with many waterways running low or drying up entirely. Coverage focuses on the pressures behind shrinking rivers, including drought, climate change, water extraction and pollution, and what their decline means for ecosystems and the billions of people who depend on them.

The United States and Russia weakened a global agreement on autonomous weapons, removing requirements for human oversight of lethal AI systems, according to a Washington Post investigation. The report has drawn attention across global news and discussion forums, renewing debate over international regulation of so-called killer robots and the risks of delegating lethal decisions to machines.

Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, in the occupied West Bank, are surviving without water after Israeli settlers cut off their supply line, according to a report in Mondoweiss. The item is being shared alongside sharply critical language, with users condemning Israeli settler activity in the area and invoking accusations of apartheid and calls for accountability at the International Criminal Court.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has issued a threat against United States warships operating in the Indian Ocean, according to a report by The Telegraph. The warning underscores continuing friction between Tehran and Washington over naval presence in the region. Details about the specific nature of the threat and any US response have not been disclosed, but the statement adds to tensions already heightened across Middle Eastern waters.

A new report highlights the scale of plastic waste accumulating in the Great Lakes, describing how fragments and debris are clogging the waters that supply millions of people in the United States and Canada. Coverage points to growing concern among scientists and local communities about pollution levels in the basin and the need for cleanup and prevention efforts.