El Niño Winners and Losers: 451,000 Heat Deaths and Rain for Argentina
El Niño winners and losers in 2026: a projected 451,000 heat deaths, a record lull in Atlantic hurricanes and better harvest prospects for Argentina.
Subscribe
Sign-up to receive our newsletter
California Orders an AI Kill Switch as the Labs Ask to Slow Down
California orders frontier AI firms to build a kill switch and host auditors as AI leaders urge a slowdown and the US and China discuss AI alerts.
Latest Stories
Londoners Underpay £3.1bn in Property Tax, Think Tank Finds
The Resolution Foundation wants England to swap council tax and stamp duty for a single 0.7% levy on home values. A mansion tax is already on the way, and other countries show how differently homes can be taxed.
A Judge Orders Trump’s White House to Readmit CNN, MS NOW and Politico
A federal judge ordered the White House on 24 September to restore press passes for CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Days earlier, the ban left Trump speaking at his own event with no microphone to carry his words.
EU Labelling For Power-Hungry Data Centres
The European Commission has adopted a rating scheme for EU data centres. Every site above 500kW will carry a label, and the first reported figures show a sector reusing 1.8% of its heat.
A €2.5bn Fuel Tax Cut, a $5,000 Promise and the Limits of Paying Voters
Germany cut fuel tax before a vote and lost. Trump promises $5,000. What pre-election handouts cost, and whether they win votes.
Subscribe
Sign-up to receive our newsletter
A $3.60 Test Is Moving TB Diagnosis Out of the Laboratory
Portable molecular tests that work inside a village clinic are reaching 13 countries. A new $10 million commitment pays for the part that usually fails, which is getting health systems to switch.
World Bank Mobilises $112 Billion in Private Capital for Developing Economies
The World Bank Group mobilised a record $112 billion in private capital during its 2026 fiscal year. The lender says more of that money now reaches lower-income economies and job-rich sectors.
Global Emissions Are Set to Fall in 2026, and a War Did It
Global fossil fuel emissions are on course to decline this year for the first time outside a recession or a pandemic. The cause is a Gulf conflict that has destroyed oil demand, rather than the effect of climate policy.
