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
Blinken calls Syrian humanitarian situation 'untenable' At a meeting of the members of the US D-ISIS coalition in Rome, the US secretary of state makes appeal for "stabilization." Syria
Can Oman help mediate peace in Yemen? The third UN envoy to Yemen is about to leave his post without any tangible peace progress on the ground in Yemen, as Oman continues its quiet mediation efforts. DONT USE - Gulf Pulse
Gulf states want Iran deal talks to address Tehran’s missiles program, support for proxy groups The Gulf Cooperation Council’s statement on Wednesday echoed similar demands from members of Congress. DONT USE - Gulf Pulse
Ancient fossilized fish found in Egypt that survived in hot waters Fossilized fish dating back 56 million years have been discovered in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, shedding light on a time period when Earth was experiencing massive warming. Culture
Qatar's emir hosts Venezuelan vice president for official visit Qatar's ally Turkey also has good relations with Venezuela. The US sanctions Venezuela and supports an opposition government in the South American country. DONT USE - Gulf Pulse
Egyptian Museum of Antiquities gets makeover to compete for tourists The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square is undergoing a facelift that tourism officials and curators hope will allow it to compete with the Grand Egyptian Museum, soon to open its doors to visitors. Culture
Egypt traces relics of Ramses III back to Saudi Arabia An Egyptian archaeological mission is preparing to launch an excavation project in Saudi Arabia after several discoveries showed that ancient Egyptian King Ramses III had a presence in the Arabian Peninsula. Culture
Sudan puts Russia naval base deal under review A top military officer denied the review was connected to increased ties with the United States. Russia / Mideast
Ethiopia’s reported filling of Nile dam heats up tensions with Egypt, Sudan Cairo is ramping up pressure on Addis Ababa again in tandem with Khartoum's forces. Sudan
UAE ramps up diplomacy following Israel-Hamas conflict 'There is no worse tragedy than that of Palestine over last 100 years,' Emirati political analyst Abdulkhaleq Abdulla told Al-Monitor. DONT USE - Gulf Pulse
Ramadan series revives debate on verbal divorce, marital rape in Egypt One of the most watched Ramadan series renews the debate on verbal divorce and marital rape in Egypt. Culture
Documentaries explore Cairo’s old neighborhoods, alleyways An Egyptian archaeologist has launched an initiative to shed light on Cairo’s heritage by filming short documentaries about the various alleys and streets in the capital. Culture
