World Rivers Day / Iraq: Iraq’s environment minister warned the Tigris and Euphrates are being polluted and said her ministry will monitor sources and pursue legal action against violators. Elections & Environment / Gaza: Palestinian election authorities are preparing up to 110 polling centres for about 1.25M voters, but security and access to materials remain the biggest hurdles amid heavy destruction. Nature-positive Tourism / Saudi Arabia: AlUla won Gold for nature-positive responsible tourism, citing protected areas, native tree planting and wildlife releases. Oil & Water Risk / Saudi Arabia: SLB secured four multi-year well construction contracts from Aramco covering 450+ wells, underscoring continued fossil-fuel investment. COP31 & Waste / Türkiye: Türkiye’s Zero Waste Movement marked its ninth year, reporting a rising recycling rate and pushing methane reduction ahead of COP31 in Antalya. Water & Farming / Jordan: Rising fertiliser and farm costs are squeezing Jordan’s food security, with Strait of Hormuz disruptions blamed for price spikes. Water Access / Global: Global Water Challenge and Cargill expanded their Cargill Currents partnership into Türkiye and several Latin American countries to improve safe water, sanitation and watershed restoration. Renewables / Türkiye: Renewables reached 62.9% of Türkiye’s installed power capacity, with solar and wind continuing to grow. AI Privacy / Big Tech: Smart glasses and AI gadgets are drawing fresh privacy backlash, with regulators and venues tightening restrictions.