Production: Cynthia Selemela & Minenhle Thusi | Journalist: Ishmael Mabena

Welcome to your Daily NovaNews Newscast, your trusted source for the stories that matter most, from your street to the world stage. Let’s get into today’s headlines.

Southern Africa is among the regions the UN warns could be hardest hit as El Niño sweeps the globe, threatening 50 million people with increased hunger. The UN’s weather chief says the event is literally off the charts used for the past four decades and the damage is already unfolding worldwide. In Argentina, floods have killed two and forced more than 2,000 from their homes. In Peru, at least 12 have died in fires.

In other news, Cape Town activists want a pause on new data centre construction, warning that giant facilities could use over 4.4 billion litres of water a year, enough for more than 18,000 households. Near the proposed site in the vicinity of Cape Town International Airport, thousands of residents in the Barcelona informal settlement live without piped water. Activists say they want clear rules before any more centres are built.

And finally, around 200 passengers who paid to live aboard a cruise ship are stranded in Cambodia after the operator ran out of cash. The company blamed soaring fuel costs and gave passengers just seven hours to pack and leave.

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