Artistic heart of Iraq's Kurdistan thrives, but wants more public engagement Sulaimaniyah, often called the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s “culture capital,” has become something of a haven for artists, though obstacles remain for the vibrant and self-sustaining artistic center they envision. Iraq
Libyan artists turn to black comedy to show youth exploitation A play dubbed “Chocolate Egg” uses black comedy to show the exploitation of young Libyans by officials to lure them into military formations. North Africa
Saudi 2030 to expand art scene in Jeddah, Riyadh With Saudi Arabia’s new social reform plan the local art scene is blooming with a plethora of cultural initiatives. Gulf
Gaza's first female beekeeper expands apiary The enclave's first female beekeeper speaks about the challenges facing Gaza's beekeeping profession. Palestine
UN warns Yemen at risk of 'devastating famine' within months The looming famine comes as Yemen records its highest-yet rates of child malnutrition. Yemen
Eight peacekeepers dead in Sinai helicopter crash The American, French and Czech members of the peacekeeping force crashed conducting a routine mission and one US soldier survived. Egypt
Al-Azhar to sue France over prophet cartoons During a visit to Cairo by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb rejected any form of insults to the Prophet Muhammad and vowed to sue France over the publication of controversial cartoons. Egypt
End of kafala no panacea for Egyptian workers in Saudi Arabia Although Egypt officially welcomes the end of the kafala system in Saudi Arabia, some observers worry the changes will be largely cosmetic as abusive work contracts remain in place. Saudi Arabia
Cairo frets over workers in Libya as Tripoli struggles to establish security As Libya inches toward a political resolution of its long war, Egypt is focusing on protecting its workers in the country. Egypt
Tunisia allows man to drop slavery-linked name One Tunisian man has won the battle to remove a part of his name that indicated slave status, but human rights organizations see the decision as a small step in a country that still suffers rampant racism and discrimination. Tunisia
Netflix to show first movie about Iraq battle against Islamic State in Mosul “Mosul,” an Iraqi film production on one of the stories of the battle to liberate the city, is set to be shown on Netflix this month. Iraq
Saudi Arabia to ease restrictions on foreign workers The labor overhaul will allow foreign workers to leave the country without their employers' approval. Saudi Arabia
Facebook, Twitter, other social media companies fined in Turkey The Turkish government issued Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other major platforms fines of $1.18 million each for failing to comply with a new social media law. Turkey
Bahrain approves Chinese COVID-19 vaccine for front-line workers The experimental vaccine is currently in phase III clinical trials. Bahrain
Arabs in Israel join anti-French demonstrations, boycott Demonstrations against French President Emmanuel Macron were staged in Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Jerusalem, and now east Jerusalem shopkeepers are boycotting French products. Israel
Iran announces new record in COVID-19 deaths The Health Ministry confirmed 440 deaths on Monday, bringing the death toll to 35,738. Iran
