Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal? The deal, announced as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding last September, would have seen the PIF inject up to $200 million into the opera institution over the next eight years. Saudi Arabia
Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Culture The weight of war: Erdal Duman’s sculptures probe politics of violence As missiles cross again Middle Eastern skies, Turkish artist Erdal Duman’s brightly colored weapons ask an uncomfortable question: When does war really begin? Turkey
Culture 'Gesture of resistance': Gaza war and Iran repression in Oscars spotlight This year’s Oscars nominations include Middle Eastern films whose themes of war, government violence and protest have shone a spotlight on politics at home. Iran
Musicians bring art to streets to save picturesque hill in Amman A group of Jordanian artists is working to preserve the cultural heritage of Amman's beloved Jabal Luweibdeh area and protect it from overdevelopment. Jordan
Who's clowning around? Beirut school teaches misunderstood discipline The first street theater school in the Middle East opened in Lebanon to teach clowning, a discipline that has challenged conventional thinking, encouraged discussion and provided moments of joy to societies for thousands of years. Lebanon
UNESCO-listed Anatolian town gets contemporary museum The Odunpazari Modern Museum aims to develop the cultural offer in the Anatolian town of Eskisehir. Turkey
Daring new TV show offers close glimpse into mysterious Ankara nightlife Nightclubs, or pavyons as they are called in Turkish, form a well-known but evasive culture with its extravagance and debauchery in Turkey's capital. Turkey
Can Elia Suleiman's satirical film bring Palestine its first Oscar? "It Must Be Heaven" centers on the story of a Palestinian fugitive in search of a new homeland — with a reference to national poet Mahmoud Darwish's line “Where do the birds fly after the last sky?” Palestine
Can this documentary bring Iran its third Oscar? The documentary "Finding Farideh" has been chosen as Iran's submission in the international feature film category to the Academy Awards, but some argue that the movie does not fit the criteria. Iran
Who is pulling the strings in Egypt's irreverent puppet show? A new satirical puppet show in Egypt has thousands of fans — but there is a major debate on who is behind it. Egypt
World-renowned Palestinian artist finds peace in Jerusalem Palestinian artist Kamal Boullata will be buried in Jerusalem despite resistance from the Israeli government. Palestine
Can Egypt's 'Passage' lead to an Oscar? "The Passage," an Egyptian film on the War of Attrition following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, has received an enthusiastic reception at the box office in Egypt and has raised some eyebrows in its treatment of Egyptian-Israeli relations. Egypt
No sex, slang or booze: Turkish state is watching New regulations requiring government oversight for online content are narrowing Turks' media world even further. Turkey
Free thought, boundless hospitality define Algerian arts festival The homegrown, independent Raconte-Arts has become Algeria’s most important community arts festival, but can it cope with the challenges posed by its own success? Algeria
'Broken Wings' carry Khalil Gibran home to Lebanon Addressing issues of patriarchy, immigration and religious power, beloved writer Kahlil Gibran’s century-old novel 'Broken Wings' and a musical based on it are powerfully relevant today. Lebanon
