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
Coronavirus: Netanyahu’s one-man show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no qualms about testing the boundaries of democracy as he manages the coronavirus crisis in a quasi-centralized fashion. Israel
Meet the women of the Knesset's Joint List Out of the Joint List’s 15 members in the Knesset, four are women, and, despite the obstacles they face, they are determined to pursue their agendas in the Knesset. Israel
Virtual pleasures: Egypt’s art and culture scenes move online Members of the Egyptian entertainment industry and cultural sector, hoping to keep busy and keep people indoors, are developing programming to make staying at home a little easier. Egypt
Turkey considers freeing some detainees as virus menaces prison populations Like other countries fearing an outbreak of COVID-19 in overcrowded prisons, Turkey is debating wether to free some of its 300,000 prisoners — but no political detainees, rights groups observe. Turkey
American detained in Syria moved to undisclosed location, family says An American psychotherapist's family is more worried than ever about the dual US-Syrian citizen who disappeared in Damascus in 2017 as a potential coronavirus outbreak looms over Syria’s prisons. Syria
Don't say it with music: Egyptian MP drafts new penalties for racy lyrics After the controversy over lyrics of a popular song, an Egyptian lawmaker drafted a new law that would put singers behind bars for talking dirty. Egypt
Iranians’ demands for quarantine fall on deaf ears Iran’s president has rejected calls for quarantine against the coronavirus with no explanation, but his reasoning seems to be related to the economic devastation following the US sanctions. Iran
Turkish soccer team lands in political hot water The soccer team of Turkey’s largest Kurdish-majority city has become the target of nationalist animosity from rival fans as well as the government, which accuses the club of being linked to armed Kurdish militants. Turkey
Coronavirus robs Bethlehem of Easter festivities Easter, along with Chrismas, has been a high point for tourism in Bethlehem, the birthpace of Jesus, but alas, not this year. Palestine
Artists reflect on age of anxiety in Sharjah A group of contemporary artists explore the ways everyday technologies have altered our collective consciousness and created the age of anxiety, but the exhibit in Sharjah has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. United Arab Emirates
Egyptian lawmaker calls for free COVID-19 tests as Cairo accused of profiteering The Egyptian authorities have come under heavy criticism for charging high fees for the coronavirus tests poor workers need to travel. Egypt
Profit, necessity spur trade across conflict lines in north Aleppo The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkish-backed rebels have reopened trade crossings in northern Aleppo, bringing a sigh of relief to residents. Syria
