India has a critical opportunity to drive resilient urban development, says new World Bank report - World Bank Group

'My daughter's bed was propped up on books,' says mum amid child poverty fears3 hours agoShelley PhelpsWales Westminster correspondentSarah RuscoeSarah Ruscoe's daughter Sabrina is among Wales' one-third of children living in relative poverty"I was sleeping on the sofa, she had a bed that was propped up on books. One of the legs had fallen off completely. "Sarah Ruscoe, a single mum out of work because of a health condition, said she had worried her daughter's bed would collapse in the night after finding herself in a "dire" financial situation. A food bank user, Ruscoe said "every year seems to be getting worse" as she struggled to make her benefits cover essentials. A charity eventually paid for a new bed for daughter Sabrina, 11. But MPs heard this week that the general picture of one in three children living in relative poverty in Wales had not changed in 20 years, with a think tank saying the problem was becoming entrenched. On Wednesday MPs at the UK Parliament's Welsh Affairs Committee opened an inquiry on ending child poverty in Wales.

United States intelligence agencies have warned that Iran is in “advanced stages” of plans to target US personnel abroad, prompting Washington to place staff on high alert in the Middle East, according to US officials and an official memo cited by Axios and The New York Times (NYT). The alert comes as the US and Israel signal they may be preparing for a new military campaign against Iran, which Tehran has reportedly threatened to retaliate against, in part by targeting communications cables in the Gulf. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Are global oil reserves sufficient to withstand renewed US-Iran war?list 2 of 3Netanyahu promises Iran regime change: Can Israel topple Tehran government?list 3 of 3Iran says seven ships hit in Hormuz Strait, warns US of wider responseend of listThe heightened threat assessment has prompted Washington, already on guard over escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthis, to trim Washington’s diplomatic presence in the Middle East, the NYT has reported, citing officials. Here’s what we know about the latest US warning, and how it fits into the broader US-Iran conflict:What has the US said about Iran’s alleged plans to attack Americans?

A white 'bathtub ring' on the rocks at Lake Mead (the reservoir behind the Hoover Dam) shows how far water levels have fallen. (vitkievit/iStockphoto/Getty Images) The Southwestern US is in an ongoing megadrought that began in 2000, largely driven by overconsumption of water and climate change. Water scarcity in the region is immediately visible in the Colorado River and the reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. As the region's agricultural industries and human populations grow, water levels continue to fall. Currently, surface reservoirs contain just 15 months' worth of water, based on average current consumption rates. Farmlands use up the majority of the Basin's water supply: about 52 percent of water from the Colorado River goes to agricultural irrigation. When those rivers, lakes and reservoirs dry up, those industries – and the ~40 million people who live in the Colorado River Basin – rely on another, hidden source of water below ground. But researchers from Virginia Tech and Indiana University Bloomington show those groundwater supplies are also rapidly declining, in ways they didn't expect.