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
As Iran applauds BLM, Afghan minority short on rights While the Iranian government points to the "Black Lives Matter" movement as proof of American hypocrisy, Iran's Afghan minority has a different take. Iran
Lebanon's Baalbeck Festival moves world audience with dramatic online performance Lebanon's beloved Baalbeck Festival has survived various challenging times, and this year was no exception. Lebanon
Qatar coronavirus cases top 100,000 as restrictions ease The Gulf state announced 546 new cases and five more deaths from the virus on Monday. Qatar
Despite promises, displaced Iraqis linger in limbo Iraq's prime minister has prioritized helping the displaced, but efforts to restore them to their homes are still hindered by political disagreements, a lack of funds and the absence of infrastructure and services. Iraq
Amazigh languish in underserved pockets of southeast Tunisia Post-revolutionary Tunisia has been friendlier to its indigenous Amazigh, but the concentration of wealth and power in the north continues to marginalize the remote communities. Tunisia
Erdogan vows to tighten social media controls after insults on family Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will to introduce new measures to hold social media platforms accountable after his family members were insulted online. Turkey
Intel: Pompeo warns Turkey against reverting Hagia Sophia to mosque US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo waded into the Turkish debate today over whether the historic Hagia Sophia museum should be made back into a mosque. Turkey
Intel: Congress urges UN to reopen humanitarian aid crossings into Syria A bipartisan group of US lawmakers urged the United Nations to reopen a key border crossing into Syria, which Russia shut down in January using its veto power at the Security Council. Syria
Northwest Syria holds breath for decision on cross-border aid Syrians in Idlib fear aid cuts as much as new battles as their living conditions worsen. Syria
How Caesar Act could hurt Lebanon's Tripoli With residents of Tripoli already suffering shortages under Lebanon’s mounting system-wide collapse, the US Caesar Act promises to both hinder investment in Tripoli and increase cross-border smuggling. Lebanon
Palestinian journalists hamstrung by Israel, PA law, internet giants Palestinian journalists face pressure from multiple directions, even in the relative freedom of the internet. Palestine
Turkey cries 'LGBT propaganda' after official faces backlash for pedophilia tweet Activists saw the tweet from the head of Turkish Red Crescent as targeting the LGBTI community and say such rhetoric puts it at greater risk. Turkey
