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
Egyptian TV host sparks controversy after saying there is 'devil' in unveiled women The recent remarks of a well-known Egyptian TV presenter on the hijab, criticizing those who are unveiled, stirred up a heated debate in Egypt. Egypt
IDF to set up field clinics as Israel's hospitals overflow As the number of infections continues to rise, Defense Minister Benny Gantz has ordered the Israeli army to prepare to run field hospitals to treat coronavirus patients. Israel
'Cuties' spurs calls by Egyptian authorities to censor Netflix There have been increasing calls in Egypt to censor certain Netflix content, while art critics believe it would be difficult to censor the work of the global network. Egypt
Many Egyptians unmoved by heroic 'train lady' story A woman who offered to pay a conscript's train fare has been celebrated as a national hero in Egypt, but skeptics suggest the incident was staged to deflect attention from bigger challenges faced by the country. Egypt
Travelers to Abu Dhabi tracked during mandatory quarantine The news from Etihad Airways comes as daily COVID-19 cases reach another peak in the United Arab Emirates, which has joined Jordan in using wristbands to track people entering the country. United Arab Emirates
Turkey begins vaccine trials with foreign drugmakers Turkey's health minister has announced the start of human trials in Turkey with Chinese, US and Russian vaccines and says the end of the crisis is in sight. Turkey
Is Israel-Gulf business ready to take off? Agribusiness, retail, housing, and hospitality look like good bets for Israel-Gulf trade. United Arab Emirates
Jordanians travel through time in this old signs museum In an attempt to preserve the memory of the Jordanian capital, Amman, a calligrapher opened a museum where he exhibits shop signs installed between the 1950s and 1990s. Jordan
Abu Dhabi investor surprises Israelis, interested in Jerusalem soccer club Despite — or because of — the racist attitude of Beitar Jerusalem’s fan club, an Abu Dhabi investor is now interested in investing in the soccer team and developing coexistence. Israel
Egyptian schools to add Chinese language China is growing its ties to Egypt with a deal with the government for Egyptian schools to offer the Chinese language. Egypt
Outrage, scramble as Israel faces three-week lockdown With new infections skyrocketing, Israel’s cabinet has declared a nationwide lockdown as of Friday to last throughout the holiday season. Israel
Second wave of virus ravages Israel's Arab population According to health experts, weddings and conspiracy theories are behind the high number of new infections in Arab-Israeli society. Palestine
