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
Trump, Putin both want piece of Middle East peace talks Russia and the United States can each bring advantages to the Mideast peace negotiating table, but neither is likely to solve all the issues without the other's cooperation. Palestine
US pushes for Plan B in Syria Facing the collapse of a US-backed de-escalation zone in Syria’s southwest, the Donald Trump administration is split on plans to counter thousands of Iranian troops in the war-torn country. Syria
Fight over oil offers opportunity to protect Libya's wealth Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s Libyan National Army forces have retaken Libya's strategic oil crescent region and announced that the rogue Benghazi-based National Oil Corporation will now administer it. Libya
Egyptian activist creates music from garbage “Music has logic, and anything can make a sound,” says Shady Rabab, who received a UN prize for addressing poverty and waste management in Egypt by making musical instruments from trash and training young people in a band. Egypt
Child abuse case brings outrage, but no change in Iran Just a month after a high-profile child molestation case shook Iran, the outrage has died down and very little is being done to prevent future abuse. Iran
Congress seeks to hand off Israel boycott fight to Trump Congress is taking a third stab at legislation combating boycotts of Israel and its West Bank settlements by passing the buck to the Donald Trump administration. Palestine
Sufi women blazing new trail in Nablus A unique group of some 40 women come together each week at a religious school in Nablus to practice Sufi rituals and study the faith. Palestine
Kushner peace push undermined by Trump's policies Jared Kushner’s Middle East peace push is being undermined by a series of administration policy decisions that have alienated both the Palestinian leadership and people. Palestine
Syria cease-fire deal unravels as Trump, Putin prepare to meet A southwest Syria de-escalation deal heralded by the Donald Trump administration as an example of successful US-Russian cooperation is unraveling as the US and Russian leaders prepare to meet. Syria
Russia welcomes Erdogan’s re-election Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's re-election was seen in Russia as a sign that Ankara would maintain its current policies in Syria and perhaps diverge further from Washington. Turkey
Film explores how things have, and haven't, changed for Tunisia's women The female-directed drama "Beauty and the Dogs" shows how much Tunisia has changed since the revolution in which it was set. Tunisia
Istanbul exhibit casts light on Ottoman photography An Istanbul exhibit looks at the photographic albums that Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid sent to German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in an effort to entice Germany to invest in Anatolian railways. Turkey