Image caption, Matthew Wright appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Friday The former chief executive of Southern Water has appeared in court charged with conspiracy to defraud, over allegations water quality tests were manipulated to avoid penalties. Matthew Wright, 60, who denies any wrongdoing, appeared at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Friday alongside three other former employees. Wright, along with Philip Barker, 57, Clive Massey, 64, and Mark Gregory, 63, are accused of conspiracy to defraud the Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat. It is alleged that between January 2012 and December 2017, the group manipulated a self-monitoring regime by carrying out artificial no-flow events at wastewater treatment works, to avoid failing environmental checks. The alleged conduct could have avoided fines of £45m or higher, according to the charges.

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Water cyberattacks from Iran, China, and Russia target America's critical infrastructure. AI detection and anomaly detection tools could help defend aging water utility systems.

AI data centres are booming in Australia - but at what cost? The sheer size and noise of data centres are what people tend to notice first. Some say they sound like a jet plane about to take off, others complain of a high-pitched whine. When Lucy* puts her child to bed, she hears a constant humming. I'll hear it and think, 'What is that?

While Trump administration cuts have contributed to Americans' gastrointestinal distress, there are also deeper issues that make the US food supply chain susceptible to parasites and bacteria outbreaks. This summer, every meal feels like a risk. Just as the US is recovering from a major cyclospora outbreak stemming from tainted iceberg lettuce, salmonella has turned up in jalapeños, eggs, and even dog food. The jalapeño-related outbreak is now responsible for at least 431 illnesses and 57 hospitalizations in more than two dozen states. Meanwhile, a dual-pathogen outbreak of E. coli and salmonella linked to alfalfa sprouts has affected 55 people across 15 states.

Israel has attacked a critical water desalination plant and a mosque in Gaza as it intensifies attacks on the enclave despite a'ceasefire'. Why'pogrom' best describes what's happening in the occupied West Bank Nathan Cofnas on whether he feels responsible for Jason Arday's death Are humanoid robots the future of warfare?

For communities living around Naivasha, water is not an abstract resource. It sustains families, livestock, farms and schools. That reality has taken on new significance after plans for a major Microsoft-G42 data centre in Olkaria, near Lake Naivasha, stalled in May 2026 over concerns about available power capacity. Microsoft and United Arab Emirates-based artificial intelligence company G42 announced the project in 2024 as part of a $1bn digital investment package for Kenya. The proposed facility was to run on geothermal energy and eventually scale to as much as 1 gigawatt of capacity.

From granola to guacamole, a wide variety of foods have been recalled lately over salmonella risks. Experts say common-sense precautions go a long way. Just as the US's explosive diarrhea situation is starting to improve, there seem to be fresh new food risks to worry about. Jalapeño peppers, eggs, granola, and even dog food are being recalled because of possible contamination with salmonella bacteria. A growing outbreak related to contaminated jalapeños is responsible for 431 illnesses in 32 states, with 57 people requiring hospitalization, according to an August 19 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Water companies have been given the green light to increase bills for customers by an extra £3.4bn in coming years to meet increased pressures on infrastructure and the environment. Nearly a third of the extra funding provisionally approved for 13 water companies in England and Wales is earmarked for making sure water services are maintained. The rest will be used to meet rising demand from housebuilding and data centres and to address pollutants known as forever chemicals. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the proposal was real money out of family budgets at a time when they are struggling with the cost of living, and an environmental group described the decision as an insult. The regulator, Ofwat, said the extra spending would enable the firms to support growth and better environmental outcomes, and ensure important upgrades were not delayed.