The Guardian

A strong El Niño event is pushing global temperatures beyond existing records well before the phenomenon is expected to reach its peak. The Guardian reports the record-breaking heat has arrived months earlier than forecasters anticipated, raising concerns about further warming as the El Niño intensifies into 2026.

A powerful nor'easter storm has struck the US east coast, bringing heavy winds that have knocked out power to homes across the region. The Guardian reports the storm has also been linked to at least one death. Residents and officials are dealing with downed lines, damage and ongoing outage restoration efforts as the system moves through.

A new projection reported by The Guardian estimates that the developing El Niño could be linked to around 450,000 additional deaths over the coming six months. The figures point to the human cost of extreme heat, drought and food insecurity associated with the climate pattern, and researchers are urging governments and aid agencies to prepare health and humanitarian responses now.

Experts warn that allies of Donald Trump could exploit the period when midterm votes are counted to disrupt or challenge results. Reporting by The Guardian describes growing fears that loyalists positioned in key swing states could use the so-called counting window to amplify false claims of fraud, echoing tactics seen after the 2020 election and raising concerns about the integrity of the certification process in November's contests.

New research has identified 485 chemicals used in US pesticide products that are linked to breast cancer, according to coverage of the paper in The Guardian. The findings raise questions about the safety of food and other consumer products, arriving as rates of early-onset breast cancer surge worldwide. The study is prompting discussion about pesticide regulation and potential public health impacts.

Developers of datacenters in the United States are facing accusations that they have circumvented key federal pollution rules, according to a report by The Guardian. The allegation adds to growing scrutiny of the environmental footprint of datacenter construction, which has surged with the boom in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Critics say regulatory gaps are letting projects avoid standards on air, water and emissions that other industries must meet.

A new survey reported by the Guardian finds that around three in four GPs in the United Kingdom say they are too busy to talk with their patients in depth. The findings point to mounting pressure in general practice, with doctors citing workload and time constraints, and are likely to fuel debate over NHS funding, staffing and health policy.

New Jersey regulators have issued a record $1.1m fine against DataOne's datacenter in Vineland after an investigation with Floodlight and the Guardian found dozens of generators operating without permits. The penalty, described as the largest of its kind by the state regulator, has drawn attention to the environmental footprint of datacenter expansion and the scrutiny of their backup power infrastructure.

The Guardian reports that Donald Trump is lashing out as his political influence weakens, warning that 'the weaker he gets, the more dangerous he gets'. Coverage links his combative stance to the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections, with tensions involving the Federal Reserve, the Supreme Court and China. Commenters are debating whether a weakened Trump poses a greater risk to institutions as Republicans head into a contested election year.

A Guardian report examines a hyperscale AI datacentre being built in a small Indian village, where residents say land was confiscated and promises made to the community have been broken. The story highlights the local costs of the global AI infrastructure boom, as large-scale computing projects expand into rural areas and raise questions over land rights and compensation.

A Guardian investigation finds that scientists from Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco have worked as authors on IPCC climate reports, the scientific assessments that underpin global climate policy. Critics say the arrangement gives major fossil fuel producers influence over the documents used to justify emissions cuts, renewing debate about industry involvement in official climate science.

The Guardian reports that the Trump family and other allies close to the administration have struck financial deals tied to the AI boom while the White House works to shield the fast-growing artificial intelligence sector from regulation. Critics say the overlap between policy-making and private financial interests raises conflict-of-interest concerns, and the report has prompted discussion about ethics oversight in US technology policy.

The Trump administration has sharply reduced the federal government's collection of data on American education, curbing the testing and statistics that track how US students perform in math and reading. The Guardian reports the cuts leave educators, researchers and policymakers with far less information about school achievement and learning gaps, raising concerns that declining student outcomes will go unmeasured and unaddressed.

A High Court ruling means houses in Yatton, North Somerset, can be built on floodplains even when they fail a safety test, the Guardian reports. Commentators are questioning whether this is a legal loophole or intended policy, arguing the decision shows policymakers and developers still fail to grasp flood risk, particularly as climate change makes flooding more frequent and severe across England.

The Guardian reports that Amazon's Ring is positioning its neighbourhood-focused features as a replacement for local WhatsApp groups, and argues this would encourage excessive neighbourhood surveillance and suspicion. The piece warns the shift could turn community chat into a platform for nosy reporting on neighbours, dubbed a 'curtain-twitching disaster', raising concerns about privacy and the privatisation of local communication networks.