Middle East crises loom in background as NATO leaders gather in Washington While this year's summit is expected to focus largely on the ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran's military support for Russia and Turkey's strategic balancing act with Moscow are expected to weigh on NATO leaders gathered in Washington. Washington Pulse
US, Israel hold second virtual meeting on Rafah Biden administration officials have denied offering to green-light an Israeli invasion of Rafah if Israel holds off on retaliating against Iran. Washington Pulse
One year on Sudan’s war: 14,700 killed, 8.6M displaced, 4.9M face starvation As the war in Sudan enters its second year, the humanitarian situation is worsening by the day with no prospects of an imminent end of the hostilities. North Africa Pulse
State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war. Washington Pulse
US blames Iran for Gulf tanker attack Secretary of State Mike Pompeo points finger at Iran in Thursday's attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Gulf
Qatar, Bahrain duck congressional backlash against Gulf arms sales As scrutiny grows over arms transfers to Washington’s Gulf allies, the Senate narrowly voted to allow weapons sales to Qatar and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia
Intel: How Russia is trying to calm Turkey-Syria tensions Russia announced today that it had helped negotiate a cease-fire in rebel-controlled Idlib province this week as rising tensions between Turkey and Syria threaten to escalate into open conflict. Syria
Russia, Turkey broker shaky cease-fire in Syria’s Idlib Within hours of the announcement of a truce, Syrian forces are accused of firing on both rebel targets and a Turkish army outpost, but even a tentative respite is welcome as renewed clashes have displaced hundreds of thousands of people since April. Syria
Beirut lights candle for HIV awareness A memorial event in solidarity with people living with HIV/AIDS and to raise public awareness was held for the seventh year in Lebanon, where the rate of HIV infection continues to rise. Lebanon
Congress opens several new fronts in bid to block Gulf arms sales The House joined Senate efforts to stop the Donald Trump administration from selling arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia
Congress directs Pentagon to press Saudi Arabia on Yemen refueling bill The Senate version of the annual defense bill calls on the Pentagon to hold the Saudi-led coalition accountable for paying back the United States for aerial refueling in the Yemen war. Originals
Cigarette surfboard shames Lebanese smokers Environmental activists have built a stand-up-paddle board from used cigarette butts to show the cost of trash to Lebanon’s coast and culture. Lebanon
Coding academy opens new opportunities for Moroccan youth 3W Academy Maroc aims at addressing youth unemployment in Morocco through accessible tech education. Morocco
After 50 years, Israel opens up 'Land of the Monasteries’ Israel was late in recognizing the potential of the Qasr al-Yahud site, but it hopes to do better now that the region is cleared of landmines and will open to the public. Israel
Meet Iraq's human rights advocate who lived through two genocides Dr. Widad Akreyi, who lived through the 1980s Anfal genocide and the 2014 Yazidi genocide, has become one of the major defenders of human rights in Iraq and beyond. Iraq
Iran’s concert tax infuriates artists, music fans Iran’s musicians worry that a new tax that chips away 10% of concert revenues would deliver a blow to their stage performances. Iran