China has begun a fresh round of nationwide inspections to work out how much money local governments’ owe,

Artificial intelligence is using gallons upon gallons of water. Microsoft alone used more than 2,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water in its data centres last year. The latest numbers are leading to yet more questions about the sustainability and environmental dangers of the growth of artificial intelligence and related technology. Artificial intelligence requires vast computing resources, undertaking deeply complex calculations on behalf of people around the world. AI systems tend to be run in the cloud rather than on individual people’s computers, meaning that companies running them must operate vast server farms to deal with the queries of their users. Those server farms in turn need to pump in water to cool themselves down, because of the heat generated by those computers. That has long been a concern for environmentalists, but the sharp growth in artificial intelligence has led to even more use. Microsoft’s water consumption rose 34 per cent between 2021 and 2022, according to its latest environmental report, highlighted by the Associated Press. It was up to almost 1.7 billion gallons. Not all of that is from artificial intelligence. But Shaolei Ren, a researcher at the University of California, Riverside working to better understand the environmental impact of AI told the AP that the “majority of the growth” is because of the technology. Google also said that its water use had increased by 20 per cent over the same period. That varied across its different data centres, which are based in different parts of the US. For each 5 to 50 prompts, or questions, put to ChatGPT, it uses 500 millilitres of water, according to a paper that will be published by Professor Ren and his team later this year. Many technology companies have expressed concerns about their own water use, and how to minimise any negative effects of their data centres. The environmental concerns can be especially pressing because the use of water can be focused in particular areas around a data centre, meaning that the damage may not be spread. Google said last year for instance that “Wherever we use water, we are committed to doing so responsibly”. That includes analysing where water is being used and how much stress it might put on the surrounding area, for instance. Read More AI can help generate synthetic viruses and spark pandemics, warns ex-Google executive China’s ‘government-approved’ AI chatbot says Taiwan invasion likely Google launches AI to go to meetings for you

Two boys who were reported missing last week and found dead in two different rivers in Manhattan may have been last seen playing together at the water's edge, according to one law enforcement source.

A judge in Texas on Friday temporarily blocked a new law that prohibits gender-affirming care for most minors in the state.

By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) -Mines uprooted and dispersed by floodwaters surging downstream from the breached Kakhovka dam across swathes

Rep Matt Gaetz will seek to remove the Speaker this week, saying Republicans need "trustworthy" leadership.

Trade, climate change and the war in Ukraine are on the agenda as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is on his first foreign trip since taking office

Citigroup Inc. said a slew of new capital requirements that regulators will propose this week could hinder the

By David Shepardson and Diane Bartz WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Amazon.com is set to meet next week with the U.S. Federal Trade

A volcanic eruption could destroy the Icelandic town of Grindavik or lead to extensive ash clouds, experts have warned. The country has been shaken by more than 800 small earthquakes, prompting fears that the tremors could disrupt the Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula in the southwest of the country. Almost 4,000 people were evacuated from Grindavik over the weekend as authorities feared that molten rock would rise to the surface of the earth and potentially hit the coastal town and a geothermal power station. Ragga Agustsdottir, who lives close to Grindavik, said residents were fearful of what could happen if an eruption struck. “The scenario on the table now is that it will happen in or just north of the town of Grindavik. There’s no good option here,” she told The Independent. It comes as scientists warned Iceland’s south-western peninsula could face “decades” of volcanic instability following volcanic eruptions along the peninsula. “We expect to see volcanic eruptions along the peninsula, not just repeatedly in the same location. This instability could last decades,” the Icelandic Met Office’s Matthew Roberts told the BBC. Read More Iceland earthquakes: Are flights still running amid fears of volcano eruption? Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Your rights if you have a holiday booked Iceland earthquakes: Huge cracks appear on roads in volcano-threatened town Could an Icelandic volcano ground flights like in 2010?

Darin Schmidt was convicted in 2019 for the murder of David Bewing Jr in 2016 but he has been cleared of all charges

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s cabinet has classified Moldova and Georgia as so-called “safe countries of origin,” meaning asylum-seekers from there can be rejected and deported faster than in the past