Senate Paths to a Bipartisan Build Bill as AI Permitting Bites

Iran–us war and strait of hormuz Qatar-mediated diplomacy remains stuck between Washington’s demands for nuclear inspections and maritime access and Tehran’s insistence on ending attacks and the blockade, securing sanctions relief and releasing frozen funds first; strikes around Qeshm and the unresolved threat to shipping keep the Strait a live global risk.

Saudi–yemen escalation The Houthis claimed missile and drone attacks on Riyadh’s airport corridor and Aramco sites, while Saudi Arabia reported interceptions and minor shrapnel damage; the disputed claims and reported damage show the Iran-linked war widening toward the Saudi capital and oil infrastructure.

Gulf aviation shutdowns Conflict-zone warnings and continuing missile and drone threats are extending cancellations to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha, with Etihad keeping Riyadh and Dammam services grounded through 19 November; the disruption is constraining Gulf hubs beyond a short-lived schedule shock.

Russia’s fuel and cyber front A Ukrainian strike reportedly damaged three main processing units at Russia’s KINEF refinery, which handles about 7% of national refining capacity, while fuel purchases were capped in six regions; France separately attributed supermarket refrigeration hacks to Iran, underscoring how the conflict’s disruption is reaching civilian supply systems and infrastructure.

Ukraine’s winter energy war Russian attacks continue to drive emergency or rolling outages across Ukrainian oblasts, while fuel rationing and damage to substations and heat infrastructure deepen the risk as temperatures fall; Kyiv is seeking emergency repair support as the energy system becomes the central winter target.

Zaporizhzhia nuclear vulnerability The Zaporizhzhia plant has lost all external electricity for the 27th time and is again relying on diesel generators for cooling and essential safety functions, leaving repeated attacks and failures around the regional grid as the unresolved nuclear danger.

Eastern congo conflict M23-linked fighting continues to contest territory and transport routes in eastern Congo, while persistent insecurity and heavy-rain hazards add pressure to communities and aid access; a separate military court’s death sentences for 66 soldiers underline the conflict’s severe command and accountability crisis.

Cabo delgado displacement Insurgent violence in northern Mozambique is driving thousands—mostly women and children—from their homes; more than 205,000 people are now spread across over 80 displacement sites in Cabo Delgado, where food, shelter, health care and sanitation remain in short supply.

Ethiopia–kenya border displacement Deadly clashes along the Ethiopia border have displaced more than 50,000 people into and around Kenya, where shortages of food, bedding and cooking supplies are increasing exposure to diarrhoea, malaria and other preventable harms.

Sudan’s shelter and aid crisis Drone attacks are disrupting fuel, electricity, water, hospitals and aid convoys, while 15.4 million people need emergency shelter and funding lets agencies reach only about 10%; another 2,510 people fled five North Darfur villages toward Chad as insecurity worsened.

Myanmar’s civilian war The junta’s offensive in Rakhine continues to hit homes, bridges, markets, medical sites, while UN experts put post-coup deaths above 100,000, mostly civilians; nearly 3.8 million people remain displaced and more than 16 million need aid.

Gaza’s flooded displacement camps The season’s first major storm flooded tens of thousands of tents—reported at about 70,000 by Gaza authorities—and more than 26,000 households reported damaged shelters or belongings; at least five people, including children, died when a rain-soaked embankment collapsed, while damaged drainage, scarce fuel and blocked or insufficient shelter supplies leave hundreds of thousands exposed to further flooding.

Southeast asian flood emergency Monsoon flooding and landslide threats remain widespread across central Vietnam, southern Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia: Thailand still has 162,800 people affected and 88 deaths reported, while floods in North Sumatra and Aceh damaged homes, bridges and a school and North Sulawesi reported deaths and missing people.

Indonesia wildfire haze crisis Persistent fires in Sumatra and Borneo have produced 425,167 acute respiratory-illness cases across seven provinces since 20 August, including 184,018 children; delayed rains and continuing South Papua fires are prolonging a cross-border smoke emergency.

India cyclone murasu Authorities are preparing to evacuate about 30,000 people in vulnerable parts of Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Murasu approaches with 100–110 km/h winds, stronger gusts and heavy rain, after another recent cyclone killed at least six people in eastern India.

El niño global risk multiplier WMO says 2026 is among the four warmest years recorded, with January–September temperatures about 1.47°C above the preindustrial average, while a rapidly intensifying El Niño is expected to peak around December and persist into 2027; WHO has classified the anticipated health impacts as a health emergency because heat, storms, floods, smoke, disease and food insecurity will compound already-stressed systems.

Philippines power-grid risk The Philippines warns that Super El Niño could trigger red alerts across all three major grids: drought may reduce hydropower to about 40% just as extreme heat raises cooling demand, creating a compound generation squeeze.

Cop31 implementation test COP31 in Antalya is opening with nearly 200 countries focused on turning climate pledges into measurable delivery, but record heat, floods, wildfire smoke and a strengthening El Niño are exposing the gap between commitments and operational resilience.

Portugal and spain brace for storm charles A depression named Charles is expected to bring torrential rain, gusts above 120 km/h and rough seas from Wednesday, with Madeira affected first; authorities are preparing for a multi-day Atlantic storm rather than a completed one-day weather event.

Bundibugyo ebola outbreak WHO reports 10,668 confirmed cases and 5,198 deaths across 67 health zones in eight provinces, with transmission active in 51; insecurity is obstructing the response as two candidate vaccines enter a ring-vaccination trial for a virus without an established licensed vaccine.

Russia’s broadening hiv transmission Epidemiologists citing Russian health data say HIV transmission is spreading beyond traditional risk groups in 27 regions, with more people transmitting unknowingly because they do not know they are infected.

Glp-1 drug safety warning The US drug regulator ordered updated safety labeling for GLP-1 weight-loss medicines over a potential increased risk of a rare eye condition that can cause permanent vision loss, following an assessment covering 126 trials and more than 134,000 patients.