Afghanistan’s Deadly Earthquakes, West Bank Settler Violence, Mississippi’s Prison Homicides, Chile’s Data Center Boom

An investigation by The Marshall Project and partner outlets has found that chronic understaffing, gang violence, and delayed medical care have fanned the flames of prison homicides in Mississippi over the past decade. In this edition of our Data Journalism Top 10, covering stories from September 3 to 16, we also share a Bloomberg CityLab report on the rapid global shift to urban living projected to peak by 2080, The Economist mapped the control tactics Israel is applying in the West Bank that echo its actions in Gaza, and NZZ examines how Europe’s fortified borders are reshaping migration on the ground.

Mapping Afghanistan’s Earthquakes

Image: Screenshot, Reuters

On August 31, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck northeastern Afghanistan, followed by multiple aftershocks that caused widespread death and injury. Using data from the USGS, EU, and academic studies, Reuters charted a timeline of aftershocks near Jalalabad, some reaching 5.6 in magnitude. The story also mapped historical earthquakes since 1980 and epicenters of magnitude 5.0-or-greater quakes since 1950. A diagram highlighted the vulnerability of homes commonly built with burnt or sun-dried bricks and heavy roofs, which are prone to collapse, contributing to the destruction of over 5,400 houses in the August 31 quake.

Inside Mississippi Prison Homicides

Image: Screenshot, The Marshall Project

Part of the Mississippi’s Deadly Prisons series, The Marshall Project’s latest investigation found that prison homicides in the state — which often go “unanswered” — are caused by chronic understaffing, gang violence, and delays in treating life-threatening injuries. The investigation discovered that, in the past decade, there have been 42 killings in the state’s prisons, with five killings alone in the first half of 2025. Reporters from The Marshall Project, Mississippi Today, the Clarion Ledger, the Hattiesburg American, and The Mississippi Link reviewed thousands of records and conducted extensive interviews, uncovering that the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman has been the deadliest facility, with at least 19 homicides from 2015 to 2024, murder rate five times higher than the state’s already nation-leading average.

Israel Replicates Gaza Tactics in the West Bank

Image: Screenshot, The Economist

Several Western governments are preparing to formally recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in New York next week, as Israel’s war in Gaza approaches its second anniversary and has left more than three-quarters of the territory destroyed or damaged, and physically split by Israeli forces. At the same time, the occupied West Bank is facing intensifying pressure from settlers, who are expanding into areas traditionally under Palestinian Authority control. Drawing on data from Peace Now and OCHA, The Economist mapped thousands of newly approved settler homes, while data from the conflict monitor, ACLED, revealed a sharp surge in settler violence against Palestinian civilians since October 7, 2023. Together, these patterns highlight Israel’s replication in the West Bank of tactics deployed in Gaza, including the bisecting of land — a strategy that The Economist notes erodes the territorial continuity essential for a viable Palestinian state and therefore any two-state solution.

Charting Global Urbanization Trends 

Image: Screenshot, Bloomberg CityLab

Bloomberg’s CityLab visualized global urban expansion, projecting that by 2080, up to 90% of the world’s population could be living in cities. Drawing on data from the UN, US Census, Eurostat, and Greater London Authority, the analysis models how population growth will peak and then decline in many regions, with profound implications for housing affordability, job competition, and aging societies. Charting trends across 10 global regions over 100 years, the data revealed stark contrasts: Africa and India are set to experience the fastest urbanization in the coming decades, while some East Asian nations may already have peaked. The study ultimately argues that urbanization will itself be a driver of long-term population decline because of the wealth disparities it tends to generate.

Inside US Deportation Hubs

Image: Screenshot, the Guardian

The Guardian’s four-month investigation examined the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana — a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility operated by the GEO Group, a private prison investor — revealing systemic violations under Trump-era deportation policies. Using leaked flight manifests from ICE’s largest airline contractor, Global Crossings (GlobalX), the investigation uncovers how the facility allowed for rapid transfers and deportations, processing over 20,000 detainees in the first 100 days of Trump’s second term, equating to nearly 200 per day. It also revealed that 20% were held beyond the mandated 72-hour limit, some for over 10 days. Drawing on public records, DHS data, 911 call logs, and interviews with former detainees, the investigation exposed overcrowding, poor hygiene, limited medical care, and restricted access to legal counsel, portraying the facility as a “black hole” isolating immigrants from support.

Europe’s Troubled, Tightening Borders

Tracking migrants entering the EU through the Balkan route over time, from 2014. Image: Screenshot, NZZ

Swiss newspaper NZZ investigated Europe’s hardening border controls and its results, focusing on the 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) of fences erected since 2015 to deter migration. The immersive report spotlighted two areas: the Hungary–Serbia frontier, where Hungary became the first EU state to fortify its borders with electrified fencing, leaving thousands of migrants stranded in Serbia at the mercy of smuggling gangs, and the Greek island of Samos, where the closure of the Balkan route has led to severe overcrowding. Drawing on Frontex statistics, IOM migrant deaths data, and interviews, NZZ examines how macro-level immigration policies have translated into harsh on-the-ground realities such as violence, slum-like conditions, and mounting pressure on both migrants and local communities.

Why Is Russia Losing Less Military Equipment?

Charting by month the number of the Russian army’s destroyed, damaged, or captured infantry personnel carriers and armored fighting vehicles (yellow). tanks (blue), and trucks and armored cars (red) in its war in Ukraine. Image: Screenshot, IStories

Using Oryx’s OSINT data on Russian equipment losses, IStories reported a sharp decline in destroyed tanks and armored vehicles between June and August of this year, compared to the same period in the previous three years. Two bar charts reveal that in the summers of 2022, 2023, and 2024, vehicle losses were twice as high as in 2025. Analysts attribute this shift to Russia’s reduced reliance on armor after devastating losses near Avdiivka in 2023, in favor of infantry assaults backed by artillery and drones. The investigation also suggests Russia’s reserves are severely depleted, with only 40–50% of stored tanks and fighting vehicles still serviceable. Drones have further transformed the battlefield, exposing and destroying columns before they reach the front, while some experts believe Moscow is conserving its remaining armor for a future offensive.

Exploring Deep-Sea Mining 

Image: Screenshot, ABC

Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to fast-track US deep-sea mining, in a bid to harness critical minerals and rare earths that China is already extracting. As part of an investigation on the future of deep-sea mining, Australian broadcaster ABC used 3D modeling to explore 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) below the surface of the ocean in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an area of the northern Pacific floor located roughly between Mexico and Hawaii, which is home to polymetallic nodules containing cobalt, nickel, copper, and other essential minerals. Using data from the International Seabed Authority, the story maps the little-understood depths of the ocean and the commercial drivers that risk upsetting fragile environments with sediment plumes from mining.

Chile’s Data Center Boom

Mapping the locations of Chile’s newly approved data centers. Image: Screenshot, El CLIP

Chile is embracing the AI boom by easing regulations and creating a roadmap to help tech firms rapidly invest in regional data hubs, despite global concerns over energy consumption, El CLIP reported. The government has approved 23 data centers, many operated by major tech players like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, prompting local opposition. El CLIP examined Chile’s regulatory approach to land acquisition and energy access, revealing that environmental impact assessments are no longer required for these projects, overlooking concerns around water use and local consent. Drawing on official documents and interviews with environmental experts and urban planners, the investigation highlighted the trade-offs in Chile’s rush to attract investment in massive server farms.

What Makes a World-Champion Paralympic Swimmer 

Image: Screenshot, The Straits Times

The Straits Times profiled Yip Pin Xiu, Singapore’s most decorated athlete, tracing her journey from a young swimmer diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease — a genetic condition that affects nerves in the hand, arms, legs, and feet — to becoming a seven-time Paralympic gold medalist and world champion. The feature report highlighted her mastery of the backstroke, showcasing how powerful arm technique, precise body positioning, and efficient turns allow her to excel despite limited leg movement. Combining interviews with Yip and her coach, along with multimedia visuals of Yip in the pool, the story analyzed the skills needed to be a world champion and places Yip’s achievements in context within Paralympic sport.

Bonus: Exploring the David Bowie Archive

Image: Screenshot, The New York Times

When David Bowie died in 2016, he left a meticulously boxed and organized archive of around 90,000 items — sketches, personal letters, behind-the-scenes Polaroids, and other ephemera. The David Bowie Centre, an outpost of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, is currently displaying 200 of these items at a time, and members of the public can also place orders in advance to view, and even touch, some of these 90,000 items. But for those who can’t make it in person to gaze at his Ziggy Stardust jumpsuit, The New York Times has produced a compelling visual catalog of some of these archive items — from sticky notes to music video clips — for readers to browse.

Hanna Duggal is a data journalist at AJ Labs, the data, visual storytelling, and experiments team of Al Jazeera and a GIJN contributor. She has reported on issues such as policing, surveillance, and protests using data, and reported for GIJN on data journalism in the Middle East, investigating algorithms onTikTok, and on using data to investigate tribal lands in the US.