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
Intel: Trump tasks Pompeo with determining whether to lift Cyprus arms embargo Donald Trump tapped Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to determine whether to lift the decades-old US arms embargo on the disputed island of Cyprus, something Turkey has sought to forestall. Turkey
Dubai to reopen some food stores to pre-Ramadan shoppers UAE grocers will be allowed to briefly reopen ahead of Ramadan, with stores subject to social distancing and sanitation inspection. United Arab Emirates
The show must go on: Egypt's Ramadan soap operas defy COVID-19 Egyptian production teams are racing against time to complete the TV shows they hope will bring some Ramadan cheer to Egyptian and Arab audiences during the crisis. Egypt
Banks can't save Gulf economies Because of the way they are set up, GCC banks will have a hard time providing the funds that could help jump-start regional economies as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll. Legacy: Gulf
Intel: Pro-Israel super PAC warns Netanyahu against West Bank annexation The leaders of a prominent pro-Israel super PAC with close ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rivals against moving forward with plans to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported today. Israel
Reports of child abuse in Turkey spike amid pandemic A prominent children's rights activist told Al-Monitor that complaints of child abuse incidents have doubled since the closure of the schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. Turkey
Intel: US signals support for Iraq’s latest prime minister-designate Secretary of State Michael Pompeo signaled support for Iraq’s newest prime minister-designate, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, in a statement today. Iraq
Independent filmmakers dramatize COVID-19 in videos posted online With art and culture temporarily confined to the internet, Egyptian artists are documenting the pandemic in short films, graffiti and creative photography. Egypt
Virtual tours bring Egypt's museums, archaeological sites online Cairo had hoped that 2020 would be a golden year for Egyptian tourism, but the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the industry. Egypt
Mothers versus minister as Egyptian students go online because of COVID-19 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has done much to secure women's support, but angry mothers may be a major crack in the relationship. Egypt
Baghdad's monuments fall apart or destroyed despite laws Laws cannot protect Baghdad's monumental buildings, particularly when owners prefer that they fall down so they can replace them with modern buildings. Iraq
Is the new OPEC+ deal a win for Russia? The new OPEC+ deal has some advantages for Russia but some of the potential long-term implications may be dire for Moscow. Saudi Arabia
