Analysis Iran’s mismanagement in focus as fires ravage 25-million-year-old forests Prolonged wildfires are raging across Iran's northern Hyrcanian forests, highlighting mismanagement, insufficient resources and climate stress, and forcing volunteers and foreign aid to intervene. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Syria attends Brazil’s COP30 as most Middle East leaders skip talks Two years after the UAE and Egypt hosted back-to-back climate conferences, global headwinds are threatening climate action as talks begin in Belem amid notable absences. United Arab Emirates
Over 200 hospitalized in Tunisia’s Gabes as anger over pollution crisis grows President Kais Saied is facing one of his biggest challenges yet as demands for the closure of the city’s phosphate processing plant increase. Tunisia
Drought-stricken Iraq sends delegation to Turkey to discuss water cooperation Turkey recently agreed to release more water to Iraq amid the drought in the country, indicating improving coordination on resource management after years of tensions over Turkish dams. Iraq
Record rainfall forces Gulf cities to rethink climate change A climate change monitor estimates that global warming made the Gulf deluge 10-40% more intense than it would have been in the pre-industrial era. United Arab Emirates
Turkey landslide leaves nine gold mine workers trapped As rescuers work to reach several people who have been trapped in the gold mine for more than six hours, observers are ringing alarm bells over the risk of contaminated soil entering the nearby Euphrates River. Turkey
Saudi mining firm Ma’aden announces gold discovery Saudi Arabia seeks to boost its mining sector, including via investment at home and abroad. Legacy: Gulf
Business & Tech Briefing: Dubai gears up for COP28 By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Over 8,000 dead in Morocco earthquake, Libya floods The two natural disasters in North Africa occurred within days of one another. North Africa
Morocco earthquake: death toll passes 2,400, historic Marrakesh buildings damaged Most of the casualties from the massive tremor were in an area south of Marrakesh. Morocco
Israeli environmental report warns of threats to Eilat coral reef Following an alarming report by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Israeli environmentalists are calling for tighter limits on oil shipping in the Gulf of Eilat. Israel
US sanctions Lebanese environmental group for Hezbollah ties The US imposed sanctions on Green Without Borders and its leader, Zuhair Subhi Nahla, for providing cover for Hezbollah's activities in southern Lebanon. Lebanon
Turkey roasts as extreme weather fuels wildfires, disrupts air traffic In Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Antalya, soaring humidity levels have also disrupted air travel. Turkey
Culture From Egypt to Iran, heatwave compounds Middle East electricity problems, climate change burdens Countries like Iraq are particularly susceptible to climate change, as recurring blackouts make it harder to stay cool indoors. Kuwait
Iran: Unprecedented heat wave triggers emergency holidays The high temperatures have widely been linked to the overall impacts of climate change, which is hitting Iran twice harder than global averages, according to official data. Iran
After saving Yemen from oil tanker spill, can diplomacy end its war? Work begins to transfer oil off the decrepit FSO Safer, but US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking says further progress toward peace will require Yemenis talking to one another. Yemen
