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Italy Advances Tougher Measures on Migrant Arrivals

ILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a bilateral meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance (not pictured), during his visit to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, February 6, 2026.  Italy’s government has approved a new migration bill that would grant authorities the power to impose temporary naval blockades during periods of intense pressure on the country’s borders. The proposal, backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is designed to curb irregular sea crossings by restricting access to Italian territorial waters. The draft law would allow officials to bar vessels from entering for up to 30 days, with the option to extend the measure to six months if national security or public order is deemed at risk. The plan also strengthens border surveillance, increases penalties for human smuggling, and expands the list of offenses that can lead to deportation. Supporters argue the move is necessary to manage migration flows more effectively, whi...
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Johannesburg Faces Unprecedented Water Crisis: Taps Run Dry

 

For the past two weeks, Tsholofelo Moloi has stood in line with thousands of South Africans, waiting for water. Johannesburg, the country’s largest city, is grappling with an unprecedented collapse of its water system, affecting millions of people. This crisis has left residents, both rich and poor, facing a shortage of severity they’ve never witnessed before.

Several factors have converged to create this dire situation. First, hot weather has led to shrinking reservoirs. But the real culprit lies in decades of neglect and crumbling infrastructure. Johannesburg’s water system has suffered from lack of maintenance, exacerbating the crisis.

South Africa, already familiar with hours-long electricity shortages, is now adopting a term called “watershedding”. Just as loadshedding refers to power outages, watershedding means going without water. Moloi, a Soweto resident, expresses the stress her community faces: “We need to cook, children must attend school, and we need water to wash their clothes. It’s very stressful.”

Over the weekend, water management authorities warned that failure to reduce water consumption could lead to a total collapse of the water system. Reservoirs might drop below 10% capacity, necessitating shutdowns for replenishment. Imagine weeks without water from taps, especially as demand remains high due to scorching weather.

As World Water Day approaches, activists and residents are outraged. They see this as a crisis that has been brewing for years. The ruling African National Congress faces a serious challenge in this year’s election, with public frustration reaching dangerous levels.

Johannesburg, once accustomed to localized water shortages, now grapples with a citywide drought. The arrival of winter is weeks away, and no official drought declaration has been made. Residents are urged to conserve water, but for many, the cost of a 1.3-gallon bottle of water is steep in a country where over 32% of the population is unemployed.

The taps have run dry, and Johannesburg’s water crisis demands urgent attention. 

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