Culture In Syria, detention of Hassan Akkad raises alarm about free expression under Sharaa Akkad, a British-Syrian filmmaker, was detained Wednesday night after his campaign questioning the whereabouts of funds allegedly pledged for relief, reconstruction and community initiatives across Syria. Syria
Amnesty International accuses Israel of state-led ethnic cleansing in West Bank In a new report, Amnesty International said that the escalating forced displacement and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank is part of a state-led campaign to control the Palestinian territory. Palestine
Interview As Sudan war drags on, US-Iran conflict compounds humanitarian crisis in Darfur Save the Children US President and CEO Janti Soeripto said delivering aid in Sudan remains extremely difficult, with supply trucks often delayed for weeks or months even after entering the country. Janti Soeripto President and CEO of Save the Children US
Israel's Netanyahu suing New York Times over column on Palestinian rape Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's accusations of systematic sexual abuse and rape of Palestinian prisoners, calling the claims a "blood libel." United States
Interview Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable' Ehud Olmert Former Israeli prime minister
Saudi-led coalition kills own fighters in prison airstrike Many of those killed by Saudi-backed forces in an assault on a Houthi-run detention facility in Yemen were prisoners loyal to the Saudi-led alliance. Saudi Arabia
US waives human rights rules to send military aid to Egypt The State Department has authorized the release of $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt despite human rights concerns from US lawmakers, Al-Monitor has learned. Egypt
Brotherhood detainees feel their leaders abandoned them A group of Muslim Brotherhood detainees have signed a letter from inside prison, asking the authorities to pardon them as they are ready to quit political work after feeling abandoned by the group’s leadership. Egypt
Egypt's new NGO law: Better, or ‘repackaged’ tyranny? A law governing Egypt's civil society groups underwent numerous amendments before going into effect this month, but is still generating heated debate over its supposed benefits. Egypt
Why UN fears exposing Israel The United Nations did not include Israel in its "list of shame" of states committing grave violations against children, despite the figures and statistics released in its special report pointing to the contrary. Palestine
Why Egypt matters — maybe more than ever The US-Egyptian partnership deepens in Sinai, but human rights issues won’t go away. Palestine
Iraq’s ever-increasing enforced disappearances The number of forcibly disappeared persons in Iraq remains significant, amid no serious measures from the Iraqi government to address the issue. Iraq
Improved Turkish-Chinese ties come at a cost to Uighurs Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rhetoric on protecting Uighurs' human rights has become subdued as he attempts to lure Chinese investment and other funds to Turkey. Turkey
Three years on, coup attempt continues to reshape Turkey On the third anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt, politics, foreign policy and daily life continue to bare marks of the night that would remake Turkey. Turkey
Artists persevere in Iraq despite death threats Iraqi artists of all stripes face pressures from religious extremists but they refuse to be cowed and continue holding cultural events. Iraq
Why is the Jordan Valley so important to Israel? Palestinians in the Jordan Valley face daily incursions and land grabs by the Israeli army and settlers, actions that aim to reinforce Israel's policy of maintaining control over the valley at any cost. Palestine
Nubians offered compensation for lost land Egypt is offering compensation to 11,700 Nubian citizens who have been displaced from their land for the sake of building the Aswan Dam. Egypt
