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
Istanbul's African community squeezed between small jobs, huge discrimination A new photo book highlights the bleak reality of Istanbul's African community in terms of employment and discrimination. Turkey
Assyrian diaspora seeks to reconnect with homeland GISHRU, an association of Assyrians around the world, has been organizing visits to northern Iraq, to bridge the gap between the diaspora and the communities at home. Iraq
Congress forgoes Iran war restrictions to save anti-Assad bill In order to assure passage of a long-stalled Syria sanctions bill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted down legislation restricting President Donald Trump’s ability to attack Iran. Syria
Tunisia frees UN expert but 'battle has only just begun' Theories abound as to why the Tunisian government has charged Moncef Kartas with espionage, but new information regarding similar charges against his fixer shed light on the true nature of the flimsy case against Kartas. Libya
Egypt's deaf communicate their woes through cinema The Deaf Film Lab initiative trains Egypt's deaf and hard of hearing youth on how to use the camera to communicate with others in society. Egypt
Egypt’s soccer fans call foul on Africa Cup tickets Several Egyptian activists on social media, sports critics and public figures have rallied against the ticket prices of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt
Democrats fret over Iran escalation risk Democrats are urging the Donald Trump administration to tamp down tensions with Iran following an all-members briefing. Congress
Iran sticks to its guns: No room for talks with Trump Iran's president has once again ruled out dialog with his US counterpart amid mixed signals from the White House. Yet third-party mediation remains an option both sides seemingly favor. Oman
Can Iran rely on Russia to dodge US pressure? Iran is relying on Russia to minimize the impact of the US "maximum pressure" campaign, but Russia seems to have reservations while it also enjoys certain advantages if US-Iran tensions remain unresolved, albeit at a controlled level. Russia
Turkey groans under economic pressure from Saudis Once Turkey's biggest foreign buyers of real estate, Saudis are increasingly boycotting the country as the kingdom's chamber of commerce warns citizens away. Saudi Arabia
Award-winning book narrates migration in five letters Hoda Barakat's "The Night Post," which tells the story of five Arab migrants, won the International Prize for Arabic Fiction amid controversy. Lebanon
A century of Lebanese documents preserve shifting identities The exhibition “Identity Papers” uses old government documents and artworks to show how identity is created, informed and changed by official papers. Lebanon