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
Algeria cracks down on press as protest movement persists Algeria's massive protest movement, temporarily stifled by the pandemic, is also seeing many activists and journalists jailed as the government. Algeria
Turkish Health Ministry admits to posting partial COVID-19 data Turkey’s health minister acknowledged Wednesday that state records do not reflect the full number of COVID-19 cases in the country, drawing fire from medical groups that have long claimed infection rates were underreported. Turkey
Iraqi protests hit one year mark On the anniversary of the start of Iraq's massive protests, Iraqis are preparing for a new wave of demonstrations in Baghdad and other cities. Iraq
Egypt renews demands to retrieve Nefertiti bust from Germany Egypt has repeatedly tried to retrieve Nefertiti’s bust from Germany, which Cairo claims was illegally smuggled out of the country when it was discovered more than 100 years ago. Egypt
Grand Egyptian Museum to display thousands of artifacts Egypt gears up for the big opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2021, where 50,000 artifacts will be displayed. Egypt
Terror charges follow Islamic State woman repatriated to Italy An Italian woman and her four children have been repatriated to Italy, where she was arrested on terror-related charges for having gone to Syria with her husband to join the Islamic State. Syria
Arab-Israeli soccer star joins Emirati league Following normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the Emirati Al-Nasr soccer club has recruited Arab-Israeli star Dia Saba, who will be the first Israeli to join a Gulf league. United Arab Emirates
Syriac manuscripts recovered from suspected Islamic State fighter in Mosul Stolen manuscripts resurface as Iraqi security forces engage Islamic State cells, but safety concerns for minority communities still loom large. Iraq
Jihadist regime forbids philosophy in Syria’s Idlib Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Syria’s Idlib province, forbids the teaching and even discussion of philosophy. Syria
Netanyahu won't crack down on ultra-Orthodox despite virus surge Though the ultra-Orthodox community's disregard for pandemic measures has emerged as central to Israel's virus problem, Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu can't afford to endanger his political alliance with them. Israel
Gaza women use social media to reveal domestic abuse In light of the rise of domestic abuse cases in the Gaza Strip, women are resorting to social media to share their stories and try to protect their rights. Palestine
Beirut blast put 1 in 4 children at risk of missing school The Aug. 4 explosion in Lebanon's capital damaged 163 schools and left 85,000 students and their families with tough choices. Lebanon
