Middle East crises loom in background as NATO leaders gather in Washington While this year's summit is expected to focus largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran's military support for Russia and Turkey's strategic balancing act with Moscow are expected to weigh on NATO leaders gathered in Washington. Washington Pulse
US, Israel hold second virtual meeting on Rafah Biden administration officials have denied offering to green-light an Israeli invasion of Rafah if Israel holds off on retaliating against Iran. Washington Pulse
One year on Sudan’s war: 14,700 killed, 8.6M displaced, 4.9M face starvation As the war in Sudan enters its second year, the humanitarian situation is worsening by the day with no prospects of an imminent end of the hostilities. North Africa Pulse
State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war. Washington Pulse
Will Great Mosque of Samarra and its minaret survive? The 1,200-year-old minaret of the Great Mosque in Samarra is in dire need of restoration, which the Iraqi authorities and UNESCO have started working on. Iraq
Old meets Magic Kingdom: Disneyland-style park comes to Egypt After years of planning, Egypt is finally making progress toward establishing its own Disneyland-style theme park. Egypt
Egyptians divided over army's foray into culture The Egyptian Ministry of Defense organized a stand at the Cairo International Book Fair to showcase the army’s achievements in the cultural scene, but some critics warned of ulterior motives. Egypt
Senate rebuffs White House request to water down Palestinian aid cuts The US Senate wants to beef up legislation cutting aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the House passed a watered-down version last year at the insistence of President Donald Trump’s peace envoy. Palestine
Diyarbakir's signature dessert is multicultural tradition Diyarbakir owes its famous dessert, kadaif, to the 18th-century Armenian population, but today, Muslim transports from nearby Bingol have taken over the trade. Turkey
Pentagon seeks massive boost in bomb budget for Iraq, Syria The Defense Department wants $1.8 billion for precision-guided munitions to finish wiping out the Islamic State. Iraq
Egyptian women tell their story in 'Colored Dress' An Egyptian docudrama seeks to highlight the success stories of real women who have battled with social norms and economic difficulties to pursue the lives they want. Egypt
Deportation of African migrants angers Israeli restaurateurs Israeli restaurateurs call upon the government to drop its plan of massive deportation of African migrants and offer them residence status. Israel
Female storyteller brings new twist to old Jordanian tales Sally Shalabi, a Palestinian-Jordanian storyteller, reinterprets the folk tales of the past to suit the events of the day, where women take on a more prominent role and are no longer bystanders. Jordan
Questions abound as Iranians claim US Treasury licensing plane sales to Iran The US Treasury Department is reportedly finally moving on issuing the necessary licenses for airplane sales to Iran after a long period of inactivity. United States
Emerging Egyptian artist gives Orientalism new look Up-and-coming Egyptian artist Hossam Dirar has used old Orientalist paintings for his works in a new exhibition in Cairo. Egypt
US expected to name former Cheney aide as Syria envoy The Trump administration is expected to name John Hannah the next US Syria envoy. Syria
