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
Why Lebanon's priests think marriage is better than celibacy In Lebanon, Maronites, Greek Catholics, Armenian Catholics and Syrian Catholics widely accept — and even prefer — married priests. Lebanon
Cairo's museum highlights dark history of nation's police force Egypt's National Police Museum in Cairo's Citadel examines the checkered history of an institution once revered for standing up for Egyptians, but in the years since independence has come to be feared and loathed for repression and torture. Egypt
Israel at the service of Putin, Russian World War II narrative The Russian Red Army's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II still beats proudly in the hearts of Russians, which is why Moscow sought to mark the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp on its own terms in Jerusalem. Israel
Artistic freedom of expression shrinks in 'new' Egypt Nine years after a revolution that had "freedom" as a primary demand, censorship of the arts and music is back in full force with added restrictions on organizing cultural events in Egypt. Egypt
New business council to provide network, funds for Rafah's budding businesswomen Palestinian women have started small businesses to make ends meet, but a new council aims to lead them to fields such as electronics or high-end products. Palestine
Should social media posts disqualify Israeli Arab legislator? An attempt to block Arab Knesset member Heba Yazbak from running in the March elections for allegedly voicing support for a terrorist raises the issue of whether the same should apply to Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir. Israel
How strong is Israel’s democracy? Israeli society must let elected Arab Knesset members speak up, even if what they say angers most Israeli Jews and destabilizes consensus. Palestine
Hamas releases Gaza comedian after public outrage Adel al-Mashwakhi left Gaza after his arrest and release in 2017 over a satirical video, but Hamas lured him back to Gaza years later, only to arrest and release him again. Palestine
Archaeology clashes with development in Turkey's ancient city of Sagalassos Excavated since 1990 by Belgian and Turkish archaeologists, Sagalassos offers not only a visit through majestic Roman monuments but also a glimpse on how people lived, worked, worshipped and died in the past. Turkey
Meet the dismissed sports host who challenged Iran’s state TV Popular sports host Adel Ferdosipour, who recently witnessed his show being taken off the air by hardliners in the state TV, has now launched a new show on the internet. Saudi Arabia
Iran's top cultural event jeopardized by artist boycotts Following a series of announced boycotts, including by the Iranian director Massoud Kimiai, this year's Fajr International Film Festival announced the cancellation of its opening ceremony in a gesture of solidarity with the families of the people killed when Iran-fired missiles struck a Ukrainian airliner. Iran
What reopening the Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue means for Egypt There are hardly enough Jews in Alexandria to form a quorum to hold prayers, making the renovation and reopening of the oldest synagogue in Egypt all the more meaningful to the country's Jewish community. Egypt
