MANAMA: Bahrain is working steadily to promote the values of peaceful coexistence, the protection of individual rights, and efforts to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, an international forum heard on Tuesday.
Noor Al-Khulaif, Bahrain’s minister of sustainable development, told the UN’s High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development that her country is committed to fast-tracking efforts to achieve the SDGs, under the leadership of King Hamad and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Bahrain News Agency reported.

DUBAI: Nations worldwide are once again in the throes of coping with record-high temperatures amid an intense summer heatwave, forcing governments in the Middle East, Europe and the Americas to issue health warnings and advise people to remain indoors and stay hydrated.

Several recent studies, including a report by the World Meteorological Organization, have warned that there is a 66 percent chance of exceeding the global temperature threshold of 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels in at least one year between 2023 and 2027.

DUBAI: Iran’s clerical rulers are clamping down on dissent ahead of the anniversary of the death of a young woman in morality police custody, fearing a revival of nationwide protests that rocked the Islamic Republic for months.

Journalists, lawyers, human rights advocates and students have been arrested, summoned or faced other measures in a campaign that one activist described as “instilling fear and intimidation.”

GAZA: A heat wave in the Gaza Strip that has sent temperatures over 38 degrees Celsius worsened power shortages and sparked discontent among residents who expressed frustration with the ruling Hamas group.

Hamas, which has run the territory since 2007 blames a 16-year-long Israeli blockade for devastating Gaza’s economy and undermining development, including the power network.

More than 2.3 million people live in a narrow strip of land squeezed between Egypt and Israel, suffering power cuts for up to 12 hours a day. 

JUBA: Tunisia, one of the world’s top five olive oil producers, is standing at a critical turning point. The country’s olive oil industry, which has long been a vital source of economic stability and foreign currency, is facing challenges that could determine its future.

With the rise of super intensive farming using Spanish olive varieties and methods, Tunisia has witnessed a surge in production levels and profits for big investors. However, this newfound success faces new obstacles.