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
New urban forest planted to save Beirut's river Local and international civil groups came together in Beirut to create an urban forest as part of a larger project to restore the heavily polluted Beirut River. Lebanon
Arrest of Ultras members casts pall on Afcon 2019 As Egypt prepares to host Afcon 2019, the government is taking stringent measures to control access to the games and ensure there is no repeat of the violent confrontations that have taken place in recent years. Egypt
Why can't an Arab Israeli couple find a home in Jerusalem? Jewish landlords are refusing to rent an apartment to a couple after determining that they are Arabs. Israel
Aleppo beekeepers no longer feel sting of war Honey production, a long tradition in the Aleppo countryside, is showing signs of recovery. Syria
Garbage collectors of Ankara discover sound of music in trash Members of The Tin Band, made up of municipality trash collectors, use recycled instruments they find in bins to give public concerts. Turkey
Trump declares Iran emergency to bypass Congress on Gulf arms sales The Donald Trump administration cited Iran as the justification to invoke emergency powers to transfer arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over congressional objections. Congress
Can Russian, Turkish military-technical cooperation go beyond S-400 production? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan boasted that Turkey will co-produce the S-500 missile system with Russia following completion of the S-400 deal, but existing realities put this into question. Turkey
US says Gulf troop surge ‘defensive in nature’ The Pentagon announced it will send additional US forces to the Middle East, but whether this is a smart defensive move or an unnecessary escalation of tensions with Iran remains to be seen. United States
Whispers become tweets as Turkish artists speak out against AKP Turkish artists, authors and entertainers have begun openly expressing their political views after years of silence, angered by the Istanbul election turmoil and encouraged by the winning opposition candidate to speak up. Turkey
Iran calling: How Iranians use humor to cope with Trump The US president’s statement that he hoped Iran would ring him up to reach a settlement has stimulated Iran's caustic wit — a talent perfected over centuries. Iran
Postponing Algeria's elections comes with opportunities, but also risks There is a growing likelihood that elections in Algeria will be postponed until later this year, which could give the popular movement more time to craft an agenda, but also allow the interim power structure to remain in place. Algeria
Trump seeks to bypass Congress on Saudi weapons sales amid Yemen war dispute Democrats are concerned the Donald Trump administration may use emergency powers to bypass Congress on arms sales to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia