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
Report: Pompeo expected to ask UN to reimpose Iran sanctions Reuters reported that the US Secretary of State is likely to head to UN headquarters in New York on Thursday to ask for the reimposition of sanctions on Tehran. Originals
Sultan of Oman names new foreign, finance ministers in government reshuffle Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said named new finance and foreign ministers and added two new female ministers under new royal decrees. Originals
Classrooms under fire: Yemen’s warring parties launched 380 attacks impacting schools, report finds A new report has found that the Saudi-led coalition, Houthi rebels, government forces and other factions in Yemen's civil war have all occupied, used or attacked schools. Originals
Egypt upgrades Giza Plateau to attract tourists back to Pyramids The Egyptian authorities are advancing their plans to develop the Giza Plateau, where the Pyramids are located, as part of efforts to boost tourism. Egypt
Kushner: US won’t sign off on West Bank annexation 'for some time' Top US presidential adviser Jared Kushner has said the focus will be implementing the agreement reached last week between Israel and United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates
UAE, Israel continue normalizing ties The two countries are working on direct flights and now allow phone calls to one another. Israel
Why Israel-UAE deal doesn't merit the hype While many in the United States and Israel have celebrated the deal as a geopolitical "earthquake," it's unlikely to lead to transformational change. Originals
US seizes multi-million-barrel Iranian fuel shipment bound for Venezuela The US government has seized more than a million barrels of Iranian fuel contained in four tanker ships bound for Venezuela. Originals
Oman says it supports UAE-Israel normalization of ties Israeli officials told the local press they are in talks with Oman to reach a similar normalization in ties. United Arab Emirates
Women in Gaza turn to bodybuilding Despite the fact that bodybuilding is frowned upon in Palestinian society for women, some girls and women in the Gaza Strip have become interested in this sport. Palestine
YouTube, Tiktok help low-income families survive in Egypt Low-income Egyptian families have discovered a way to make money via video-steaming platforms like YouTube and Tiktok. Egypt
Turkey’s 'healthy tourism' efforts tested as foreign tourists trickle in Some 40,000 Russian holidaymakers have thrown a life jacket to Turkey’s main touristic hub of Antalya, while other coastal areas count on locals to keep afloat. Turkey