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
Palestinians married to traditional wedding dresses Palestinians are launching initiatives to keep the henna dress, and its link to Palestinian identity and heritage, alive around the world. Palestine
US, Russia in talks for UN resolution on Syria Secretary of State John Kerry has cautiously heralded US-Russian agreement over a potential UN resolution on Syria's chemical weapons, though the two sides' differences over investigative processes and resultant military action are daunting. Syria
Will Rouhani, Larijani reshape Iran’s political landscape? With parliamentary elections coming up, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and parliament Speaker Ali Larijani may join forces to counter the hard-liners. Iran
Rafsanjani announces he will run in Assembly of Experts elections Reformist Iranian media has welcomed the news that Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani will run in the February 2016 elections. Iran
Mystery surrounds Iraqi statue's missing glass of wine The latest vandalism of a Baghdad statue underlines the cultural and political strife dividing Iraqis. Iraq
You won't believe what these Israeli hikers find on their 1,000 kilometer journey Israelis and tourists are captivated by the 1,000-kilometer Israel National Trail, which National Geographic selected as one of the world's 20 most highly recommended treks. Israel
Lobbying 2015: Iraqi Kurds to US: Don't forget, we were your friends first The Kurdistan Regional Government has emerged as one of America’s best allies, but will its lobbying operation help it from falling prey to politics now that Iraq and Turkey are more fully engaged in the fight against IS? Iraqi-Kurdistan
Lobbying 2015: US won't let Syria drag down Lebanon Lebanon’s central bank and its private financial firms are spending big money to prevent US pressure from unraveling one of the only sectors that still functions in the politically gridlocked nation. Lebanon
Lobbying 2015: Chaos in Libya confounds Congress Libya’s lobbying campaign can seem almost as chaotic as the country itself. Libya
Lobbying 2015: Turkey resents America’s love story with the Kurds The United States and Turkey are finding ways to work together in Syria and Iraq despite Washington’s growing concerns with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian streak. Syria
Lobbying 2015: Iraq turns to US to keep country together Iraq launched a massive lobbying push two years ago to convince the US not to let the country fall apart. With the Islamic State finally on the defensive, are Kurdish dreams of independence the next target? Iraq
Few dengbejs remain to sing Kurdish stories In the old city of Diyarbakir, a dengbej house was established for the few remaining Kurdish storytellers to gather and try to keep their tradition alive, although younger generations are resorting to pop culture to convey the people’s suffering. Syria
