Türkiye battles multiple wildfires, hundreds evacuated
Türkiye continues battling large-scale forest fires across multiple provinces, with hundreds evacuated and extensive firefighting efforts underway since June 27.
What began as a viral TikTok video has now left shelves bare and pistachio prices surging. Dubai chocolate, a luxury milk chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and delicate kataifi pastry, has taken the world by storm. And the nut that gives it its green glow? In dangerously short supply.
Originally crafted by boutique Emirati chocolatier FIX in 2021, the bar exploded in popularity after a TikTok video late last year racked up over 120 million views. Influencers, foodies and retailers scrambled to get in on the craze. Knock-off versions from Lindt, Läderach and even British supermarkets like Morrisons followed fast.
But with fame came pressure. Pistachio kernels — the shelled green nuts used in these bars — are now scarce. According to industry expert Giles Hacking from CG Hacking, the price per pound has jumped from $7.95 to $10.30 in just a year. “The pistachio world is basically tapped out at the moment,” he told the Financial Times.
A poor U.S. harvest in 2023 had already tightened supply. American growers produced higher-quality nuts, which are sold whole and shelled — leaving fewer of the cheaper, shelled kernels for manufacturers. Iran, the world’s second-largest producer, has been shipping more pistachios to the UAE, with exports jumping 40% in six months. That’s helped feed demand in Dubai, but left other buyers short.
The result? Long queues outside chocolate shops, rationing in some stores, and a spike in prices that’s rattling supply chains well beyond the Gulf. In Germany, people have lined up outside Lindt boutiques for a chance at limited edition Dubai bars.
“This came out of nowhere,” said Charles Jandreau of the Prestat Group. “Suddenly you see it in every corner shop.”
The world’s sweet tooth has spoken. But the cost of viral delight is now being measured in nuts — and rising fast.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar has advised American citizens to shelter in place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, as part of a broader global security alert issued by Washington.
Severe storms overnight triggered mass flight cancellations and delays at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, just as the busy 4th of July travel period begins.
Russia’s Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova arrived in North Korea on Saturday with a large delegation, calling cultural ties between Moscow and Pyongyang stronger than ever.
The U.S. Senate advanced President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill after Republicans resolved concerns over rural hospitals and state tax deductions.
Poland’s six-month presidency of the EU Council ends Sunday, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk highlighting defence spending and migration policies as key outcomes.
Polish President Andrzej Duda made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Saturday, where he was awarded Ukraine’s Order of Freedom for his support during the ongoing war with Russia.
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