Gulf

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar participated Tuesday in the 8th extraordinary meeting of the GCC Undersecretaries of Ministries of Industry Committee, held virtually via video conferencing. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,HE Mohammed bin Hassan Al Malki led the State of Qatar's delegation at the meeting. The meeting was attended by Their Excellencies the GCC Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Industry, HE the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Development Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat, and the CEO of the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting. The meeting discussed a number of topics on the agenda, particularly the vision for defining the Gulf national product, the Omani-Kuwaiti proposal to address the localization standard according to industrial sectors, in addition to the executive plan for the lists of goods subject to collective protection according to industrial sectors, and appropriate decisions were made regarding them.

Americas

Washington: Researchers from the University of Illinois and the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil found that dietary patterns at age two may influence cognitive performance at ages six and seven. Published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, the study tracked thousands of children from birth and assessed their diets at age two alongside later cognitive tests. Two main dietary patterns emerged: a healthy pattern including beans, fruits, vegetables, natural baby foods, and fresh juices, and an unhealthy pattern with processed snacks, biscuits, sweets, sodas, sausages, and processed meats. Children following the unhealthy pattern scored lower on intelligence tests, even after adjusting for socioeconomic and family factors. The effects were strongest in biologically vulnerable children, such as those with low weight, height, or head circumference in early life, highlighting the cumulative impact of nutrition and biological factors. Poor-quality diets may affect brain development through chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut-brain axis changes.

Americas

Washington: Apple announced a new feature titled "Charge Limit" on its MacBook devices as part of the new trial version of the operating system macOS 26.4. Having only been featured on iPhone and iPad, the new feature will allow users to determine the charging limit, thus enhancing its long-term performance. The company explained that its lithium-ion batteries used in its charging devices face immense pressure when used for long periods, when completely charged, heavily affecting its performance over time. "Charge Limit" allows users to select the charging percentage between 80% and 100%. It can be turned-on on MacBook via the battery settings by clicking on the details icon next to the "Charging” option. The move comes as part of Apple's endeavors to provide a better controlling experience in the health of its devices, especially with the increasing awareness of the importance of battery capability and its long-term performance.