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
'Breath': Iran's first Oscar nominee by female director Iranian films have won several Oscars for best foreign language film, but this year’s nominee is the first directed by a woman. Iran
'Nile Hilton Incident' tops box offices everywhere but Egypt Egyptian-Swedish Tarik Saleh’s award-winning noir thriller offers both a glimpse into Egyptian police corruption and the expanding power of the state security forces over the art world. Egypt
Huntsman heads to Russia to tackle Mideast, China New US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr., a seasoned diplomat and no close friend of President Donald Trump, has his work cut out for him. Russia
Congress clashes with Trump administration over aid for Iraqi Christians The Senate is under pressure to quickly pass a House bill encouraging the State Department to bypass the United Nations in doling out humanitarian assistance. Iraq
Amman Design Fair pays homage to disappearing crafts Amman Design Week, one of the budding events in the region, underscores the need to modernize traditional crafts with new design. Jordan
Syrian refugee athletes struggle to get back in the game Some Syrian competitors in the martial arts who fled the war and now live in Egypt have established their own sports clubs to help other Syrian athletes based in Egypt get back into competitions. Egypt
Egyptian military breaks into movie business The Egyptian movie world is chock full of films glorifying the country's military and security forces, and security bodies are becoming increasingly involved in the industry. Egypt
Trump prompts Rouhani administration, IRGC to close ranks Despite their many differences, the Rouhani administration and the IRGC are showing a unified stance amid talk of a US plan to designate the Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. United States
Palestinian refugees in Amman use painting to challenge UNRWA After the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East erased Palestinian symbols and slogans painted on the walls of a refugee camp's school in Jordan, artists gathered to duplicate messages on the structures facing the school. Jordan
Lebanon’s new wines step on stage Old and new vineyards show off their wines and present them to local and international buyers at Beirut's Vinifest. Lebanon
Saudis could seek Russian bailout in Yemen Saudi Arabia is eager to put an end to the Yemeni conflict, and Russian mediation is looking like its best option. Saudi Arabia
Can UAE be a bridge between the US, Sudan? The UAE has persuaded the United States to lift sanctions against Sudan given Sudan’s efforts to counter Iran’s expanding and consolidating regional influence. United Arab Emirates
