Turkey detains 233 ahead of NATO summit, including LGBTQ+ activist Yildiz Tar The operation included alleged militant suspects as well as LGBTQ+ and leftist activists, raising concerns over the scope of the crackdown. Turkey
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
Dubai princess' number on Pegasus spyware list The phone numbers for Princess Latifa and some of her friends appeared on a leaked database of surveillance targets reportedly selected by customers of the Israel-based NSO Group. News Brief
The Takeaway: Biden-Abdullah White House summit key to Israel-Jordan reset Jordan-Israel ties had hit rock bottom under Netanyahu; Also: Will Zarif pick up Raisi’s road map on the Iran deal?; Israel prepares Raisi file; Egypt, Ethiopia compete for power partnerships; Saudi-Ethiopian ties strained by Nile dam dispute; Russia’s vaccine diplomacy stumbles; the latest Pharaonic parade. Israel
Israeli firm NSO Group tied to high-level hacks A sweeping investigation found the names of world leaders, human rights defenders and journalists included on a leaked list of 50,000 alleged surveillance targets. Israel
Syrian man in Netherlands convicted of war crimes for soldier's execution A court sentenced Ahmad al Khedr to 20 years in prison for his role in the 2012 execution of a regime soldier, which was captured on film. Syria
Has Erdogan achieved his goal to build his 'New Turkey'? As Turkey marks the fifth anniversary of the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt, the putsch has served as a founding myth for Erdogan’s "New Turkey." Turkey
Microsoft says Israeli company's malware used to hack dissidents, activists Microsoft said around half of the victims were located in the Palestinian territories, and many of the remaining targets were based in the Middle East. Israel
Who is Masih Alinejad, target of an alleged Iranian kidnapping plot? Prosecutors say the four Iranian defendants plotted to forcibly take the Brooklyn-based author and activist to Iran where her "fate would have been uncertain at best.” Iran
Iraqis campaign against impunity for violence Activists in Iraq and abroad are seeking to pressure Iraqi authorities into preventing impunity for perpetrators of abuses. Iraq
Egypt upholds life sentences for 10 Muslim Brotherhood leaders The Brotherhood members are serving life sentences related to a 2011 jailbreak. Egypt
Israeli Supreme Court OKs surrogacy for same sex-couples, single men Israel’s High Court of Justice said restrictions barring same-sex couples from using surrogate mothers to become parents must end in six months. Israel
Kuwaiti poet arrested for insulting emir Jamal al-Sayer's apparent arrest came after he tweeted that Kuwait's rulers were violating the constitution. News Brief
Health professionals urge Blinken to press Egypt on prison conditions More than 200 health professionals have signed on to a letter asking Secretary of State Antony Blinken to urge Egypt to address dire conditions inside its prisons. Egypt
