Entire villages in Sudan's West Darfur region have been burned to the ground by marauding militias
29 May 2023 - Entire villages in Sudan's West Darfur region have been burned to the ground by marauding militias, with aid agencies now warning the region is on the brink of a 'humanitarian catastrophe'. Widespread looting and the destruction of vital infrastructure has left many with little to no access to food, clean water, and medicine. A ceasefire between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has led to a lull in the violence around the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. But fighting has continued in Darfur, and as the conflict there enters its seventh week, the region appears to have plunged into chaos. (more)

Fresh attacks on Kyiv after intense drone barrage
29 May 2023 - Russian missiles have hit Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, following two nights of heavy drone strikes. They were all reportedly shot down and there are no reports of casualties. Flaming debris from the intercepted missiles landed in residential areas in central Kyiv. Russia has launched 16 air attacks on the Ukrainian capital this month. The latest, however, was unusual because it took place during the day -- and seemed to be targeted at the city centre. (more)

Slowing ocean current caused by melting Antarctic ice could have drastic climate impact, study says
28 May 2023 - A major global deep ocean current has slowed down by approximately 30 percent since the 1990s as a result of melting Antarctic ice, which could have critical consequences for Earth's climate patterns and sea levels, new research suggests. Known as the Southern Ocean overturning circulation, the global circulation system plays a key role in influencing the Earth's climate, including rainfall and warming patterns. It also determines how much heat and carbon dioxide the oceans store. (more)

The European capital where rent is triple the minimum wage
27 May 2023 - Georgina Simoes is a carer at a nursing home in the Portuguese capital Lisbon. She earns just above the minimum wage. Her rent, at euros 300 a month, is low by the city's current standards. But she still has to work two jobs to afford it. And conditions at the property are poor -- she can't shower because water leaks into the neighbours' flat. ...Georgina's circumstances are far from unique. (more)

US: PFAS levels in ground and air could be higher than expected, research suggests
27 May 2023 - Background levels of toxic PFAS 'forever chemicals' in the ground and air may be much higher than previously thought, federal testing of spatially random soil samples from across New Hampshire [US] suggests. ... PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals often used to make thousands of products resistant to water, stains, and heat. The compounds are ubiquitous, and linked at low levels of exposure to cancer, thyroid disease, kidney dysfunction, birth defects, autoimmune disease, and other serious health problems. They are called 'forever chemicals' because of their longevity in the environment. (more)

Many soft contact lenses in US made up of PFAS, research suggests
26 May 2023 - Many soft contact lenses in the US are largely made up of compounds called fluoropolymers that are by definition PFAS 'forever chemicals', new research suggests. Testing of 18 popular kinds of contact lenses found extremely high levels of organic fluorine, a marker of PFAS, in each. 'You could consider [the lenses] almost pure PFAS,' said Scott Belcher, a North Carolina State University researcher and scientific adviser on the contact lens testing. (more)

Germany falls into recession as consumers in Europe's biggest economy spend less
25 May 2023 - Germany has slipped into recession as last year's energy price shock takes its toll on consumer spending. Output in Europe's largest economy dropped 0.3 percent in the first three months of the year, following a 0.5 percent contraction at the end of 2022, official data showed Thursday [25 May]. ... A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of declining output. (more)

Chemical cocktails harmful to wildlife found in 81 percent of English rivers and lakes
24 May 2023 - Chemical cocktails that are harmful to wildlife have been found in 81 percent of river and lake sites tested in England, a study has found. ...Experts have said while the government monitors and regulates individual levels of chemicals, the cocktail effect of mixtures of substances is ignored. The government is due to publish a new chemicals strategy this year that is expected to contain a system for dealing with long-lasting 'forever chemicals', but campaigners are also asking ministers to crack down on harmful mixtures. (more)