Environment – War Watch

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Climate crisis | Donald Trump | Drought | Environment | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Protest | Water | World news

How ‘day zero’ water shortages in Iran are fuelling protests
ByJames Meadway January 15, 2026

Supply failures dramatic example of how climate crisis threatens basic human need – and with it political stabilityIran protests – live updatesGripped by a terrible drought now entering its sixth year, Iran’s cities are on the brink of what its meteoro…

Read More How ‘day zero’ water shortages in Iran are fuelling protests
Animals | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Birds | Conservation | Donald Trump | Endangered species | Environment | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | UK news | United Arab Emirates | Wildlife | World news

How demand for elite falcons in the Middle East is driving illegal trade of British birds
ByPhoebe Weston and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism January 5, 2026

Exclusive: data reveals hundreds of UK nests have been raided in the past decade amid growing appetite to own prized birds for racing and breedingIn the echoing exhibition halls of Abu Dhabi’s International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition, hundreds o…

Read More How demand for elite falcons in the Middle East is driving illegal trade of British birds
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Climate crisis | Donald Trump | Environment | Farming | Food security | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Jordan | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | World news

‘These trees may not survive’: Jordan’s ancient olive harvest wilts under record-breaking heat
ByMohamed Ersan in Amman January 1, 2026

Extreme heat and drought has destroyed 70% of Jordan’s olive crop, endangering livelihoods of 80,000 families and a centuries-old traditionAbu Khaled al-Zoubi, 67, walks slowly through his orchard in Irbid, northern Jordan, his footsteps kicking up dus…

Read More ‘These trees may not survive’: Jordan’s ancient olive harvest wilts under record-breaking heat
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Climate crisis | Communities | Donald Trump | Environment | Gaza | Housing | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestine | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Water | World news

A polycrisis has shattered our world this year. But with care, we can put it back together | Elif Shafak
ByElif Shafak December 31, 2025

The challenges and strains have been almost too much to take. But in 2025, words of depth and courage have been an antidote to numbnessI once saw a young glassblower in Istanbul, still new to his craft, shatter a beautiful vase while taking it out of t…

Read More A polycrisis has shattered our world this year. But with care, we can put it back together | Elif Shafak
Africa | Archaeology | Artificial intelligence (AI) | Asia Pacific | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Bashar al-Assad | Benjamin Netanyahu | Biology | British Museum | Children | China | Climate crisis | Computing | Crime | Culture | Denmark | Donald Trump | Emmanuel Macron | Environment | Evolution | Family | Fossils | Gaza | Health & wellbeing | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Keir Starmer | Labour | Law | Life and style | Middle East and north Africa | Morning sickness | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Parents and parenting | Petrol prices | Politics | Pregnancy | Qatar | Religion | Russia | Science | Sierra Leone | Society | Syria | Technology | Tuvalu | UK news | USAID | Vladimir Putin | World news | YouTube

The best of the long read in 2025
ByMiddle East and north Africa | The Guardian December 23, 2025

Our 20 favourite pieces of in-depth reporting, essays and profiles from the yearVictor Pelevin made his name in 90s Russia with scathing satires of authoritarianism. But while his literary peers have faced censorship and fled the country, he still sell…

Read More The best of the long read in 2025
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Environment | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | World news

Rainfall creates crimson spectacle at beach on Iran’s Hormuz Island
ByAssociated Press in Tehran December 18, 2025

Streams of soil turn sand and surrounding water red, creating sharp contrast with blue waters of Persian GulfRainfall on Iran’s Hormuz Island briefly transformed the coastline of its Red Beach into a striking natural scene this week, as red soil flowed…

Read More Rainfall creates crimson spectacle at beach on Iran’s Hormuz Island
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Environment | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | World news

Rain transforms Iranian beach into striking red spectacle – video
ByMiddle East and north Africa | The Guardian December 18, 2025

Rainfall on Hormuz Island briefly transformed the coastline of its famed Red Beach into a striking natural scene this week, as soil flowed into the sea and turned the water shades of deep red. The beach is known for its vivid red sand and cliffs, creat…

Read More Rain transforms Iranian beach into striking red spectacle – video
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Environment | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Iraq | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Rivers | Water | World news

‘No water, no life’: Iraq’s Tigris River in danger of disappearing
ByHannah Lynch in Iraq December 16, 2025

Unless urgent action is taken life will be fundamentally altered for the ancient communities who live on its banksAs a leader of one of the oldest gnostic religions in the world, Sheikh Nidham Kreidi al-Sabahi must use only water taken from a flowing r…

Read More ‘No water, no life’: Iraq’s Tigris River in danger of disappearing
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Environment | Flooding | Gaza | Health | Infectious diseases | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel-Gaza war | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestine | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | United Nations | World news

Families washed out of tents as flood waters course through Gaza
ByJulian Borger in Jerusalem December 12, 2025

Gaza has been hit by heavy rains and low temperatures, deepening the misery of most of its 2.2 million population who are living in tents after two years of Israeli bombardment. Thousands of homeless people have been washed out of their makeshift shelt…

Read More Families washed out of tents as flood waters course through Gaza
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Drought | Environment | Extreme weather | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | South and central Asia | Sri Lanka | US news | World news

Sri Lanka braced for more damage after torrential rain kills hundreds across Asia
ByOllie Lewis December 1, 2025

Meanwhile, Iran grapples with one of worst droughts and temperatures fall 10C below normal in USMore heavy rainfall is expected in Sri Lanka in the coming days, likely resulting in further damage across the country. It comes after torrential rainfall i…

Read More Sri Lanka braced for more damage after torrential rain kills hundreds across Asia