Our daily nature walk around the world

🪸🌏 Scientists say the world’s coral reefs are headed for a record mass bleaching event. Bleaching occurs when corals become stressed, typically due to excess heat, and lose the symbiotic algae they need to survive. Bleached corals can recover – but if the water surrounding them is too hot for too long, it leads to mass coral death. Yesterday, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its international partners published a report warning that 54+% of the world’s coral reef areas have experienced bleaching in the past year, with that figure likely to surpass the recorded peak of 56.1% within the next few weeks.

🇸🇩 Sudan’s ongoing civil war passed the one-year mark. The war broke out between the Sudanese army and rebel paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces, who have been grappling for power following a military coup that deposed President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The year-long war has killed 14,000+ people, driven 8.5 million Sudanese residents from their homes, and left 18 million people on the brink of mass famine.

🇨🇳 China has reportedly directed local telecom carriers to phase out foreign chips. Earlier this year, Chinese officials ordered state-owned mobile operators to replace non-Chinese semiconductors by 2027 in an effort to reduce reliance on US-made chips, per a new WSJ report. The move came in response to a recent US ban on Chinese-made telecom equipment over national security concerns, as well as American restrictions on chip sales to China.