Water Pollution in Ghana: CSIR-WRI researcher Dr. Franklin Obiri-Nyarko says over 60% of Ghana’s waterbodies are polluted by illegal mining, warning that even a shutdown won’t quickly restore rivers without integrated cleanup and dedicated, sustained funding. Invasive Species Biocontrol: MITPPC-backed work tests fungi to fight common buckthorn, aiming to reduce herbicide reliance while checking impacts on native plants and ecosystems. Climate Costs in Europe: New analyses estimate 2026 heatwaves have hit the UK economy hard (at least £4.4B in lost output) and could shave about €180B off EU growth, underscoring rising adaptation pressure. Extreme Weather Alerts in Canada: Environment Canada is moving tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings to storm-specific “free-form” areas so fewer people get alerts for storms unlikely to affect them. Tech for Climate-Smart Safety: Las Vegas deployed an AI pedestrian safety system as part of Vision Zero, using dynamic lighting to guide people across crosswalks. Rare-Earth Mineral Find: Russian scientists report a new rare-earth-rich mineral on the Kola Peninsula, potentially useful for advanced materials and ion-exchange applications. Community Environmental Justice: Newark youth produced short films on diesel emissions, shipping impacts, and tree canopy gaps—turning local research into public storytelling. Heat and Health Research: A lab study reports curcumin showed selective effects on cancer cells via NF-κB signaling in early experiments, not a human trial.