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
Gaza's schoolchildren get first taste of interactive learning A publishing company in the West Bank is introducing e-books and interactive learning to primary school students, which despite the power outages has been a success so far. Palestine
Saudi defense spending soars, but not to America's benefit Saudi Arabia's military spending is not currently benefiting the United States, as no large arms deals are on the table. Saudi Arabia
Egypt's new law to prevent harassment of tourists gets mixed reaction In an effort to curb aggressive vendors and beggars, Egypt imposed heavy fines on those who harass tourists, but could it work on the ground? Egypt
Tunisia's military votes for first time in 62 years Tunisian military and security personnel voted in Tunisia's first local elections since the 2011 revolution, but some are worried that this could lead to the military becoming too political. Tunisia
Congress wants return on $1.5 billion investment in Israel missile shield US taxpayers fork over millions of dollars every year for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. As worldwide threats grow, Congress wants deployed US troops to reap the benefits. Israel
As tensions flare with Iran, Israel embraces Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role as mediator between Israel and Tehran is gaining importance as turmoil threatens to boil over in Syria. Israel
Ancient city of Mardin gets big dose of contemporary art Contemporary artworks at the 4th Mardin Biennial pay homage to the heritage of Mardin, a multicultural city with a strong Assyrian, Arabic and Armenian past. Turkey
Iraqi calligraphers try to revive their art Iraq's recently liberated Anbar province hosted an Islamic calligraphy festival to return the craft to the cultural and artistic forefront. Iraq
Congress prioritizes smart bombs for Israel despite US shortages US lawmakers are scrambling to defend Israel from rising regional threats. Israel
Iran may use nuclear deal structure to try to isolate US Foreign Minister Zarif has said Iran may file a complaint against Trump’s sanctions violations with the JCPOA’s Joint Commission. United States
Iranians may turn to ‘military president’ as nuclear deal collapses The collapse of the JCPOA could fan political winds in Iran, leading to the rise of a military president. United States
Divided Republicans struggle to formulate post-Iran deal policy While some GOP leaders cautioned President Donald Trump against withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, others praised the move and pushed for new sanctions — and even a war authorization. Congress