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
Wildfires ravage Syria’s Latakia for 4th day in row: What to know A Syrian official recently said that 2025 has been the driest year in decades, as wildfires persist along the coast, and the response is being hindered by the effects of the war. Syria
Egypt’s Sisi talks water security with Rwanda's president in wake of Ethiopia’s megadam debut Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Cairo to discuss coordination efforts and developments in the Nile Basin region following Ethiopia’s inauguration of its controversial dam. Egypt
Erdogan struggles to contain political fallout from Turkey’s wildfires The wildfires scorching Turkey since last week threaten not only an environmental disaster but also a big political fallout for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
The Takeaway: Does Raisi sink prospects for Iran nuclear deal? Maybe not, but diplomacy just got harder; also, Egypt pushes plans to address climate and water crises; Sudan calls out Ethiopia on recent floods; Russia says it is helping save Syria’s heritage; Turkish cleric takes issue with dress code for Olympic women; remembering Beirut’s port explosion; more! Iran
EU offers Turkey assistance as wildfires continue to rage The government faced calls to step down after it emerged that the country did not have any usable fire-fighting planes in its inventory. Turkey
Forest fires rage in Lebanon, Syria and Turkey At least four people were killed in the fires. Lebanon
Israel suspends fuel-transport deal with UAE The environmental decision to halt the fuel-transport deal with the Emirates created the first real diplomatic crisis between the countries since the signing of the Abraham Accords. Israel
Al-Azhar sheikh demands 'serious action' on climate change The leading Sunni Muslim religious authority's comments followed floods in Turkey and scorching temperatures in Iraq, among other issues. News Brief
New environment minister has ambitious plans for Israel New Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg has announced some lofty goals, including raising the target for renewable energy to 40% by 2030. Israel
Ancient fossilized fish found in Egypt that survived in hot waters Fossilized fish dating back 56 million years have been discovered in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, shedding light on a time period when Earth was experiencing massive warming. Culture
Massive Turkey-led logging in Iraqi Kurdistan causes outcry Extensive logging led by Turkey in Iraqi Kurdistan has set off an outcry, fueling the already strong anger toward the Turkish military presence in northern Iraq. Turkey
UN urges Houthis to permit inspection of aging oil tanker The Houthis, who control access to the FSO Safer, have prevented the UN from sending a technical team to assess the risk of a potential massive oil spill. Yemen
Environmentalists call Eilat oil shipping disaster waiting to happen Environmental groups claim that the new project to transport Gulf oil via Eilat to Europe is likely to damage the local unique coral reef. Israel
Saudi Arabia plans to plant 10 billion trees in the desert Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s tree-planting program raises environmental awareness, helps society reconnect to nature and creates employment opportunities for rural communities. Legacy: Gulf
