Artistic heart of Iraq's Kurdistan thrives, but wants more public engagement Sulaimaniyah, often called the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s “culture capital,” has become something of a haven for artists, though obstacles remain for the vibrant and self-sustaining artistic center they envision. Iraq
Libyan artists turn to black comedy to show youth exploitation A play dubbed “Chocolate Egg” uses black comedy to show the exploitation of young Libyans by officials to lure them into military formations. North Africa
Saudi 2030 to expand art scene in Jeddah, Riyadh With Saudi Arabia’s new social reform plan the local art scene is blooming with a plethora of cultural initiatives. Legacy: Gulf
Gaza's first female beekeeper expands apiary The enclave's first female beekeeper speaks about the challenges facing Gaza's beekeeping profession. Palestine
Lebanon's short-lived venture into outer space In the early 1960s, the Lebanese Rocket Society developed rockets to explore space and for other peaceful purposes, but its projects quickly attracted the attention of governments seeking military advantage. Lebanon
Netanyahu's stab at premier for life Ahead of Israel's next elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing a bill that would limit the task of forming a coalition to a party leader. Israel
Tunisian documentary smashes taboos with gay love story Nasreddine Shili’s hyperreal documentary takes a tender look at homosexuality, poverty and drug use in Tunis slums. Tunisia
Is Hebrew U dropping Hebrew for English? Some Israeli researchers and politicians are critical of a decision by the Hebrew University to teach more classes in English, but administrators believe such a switch is necessary to maintain the institutions status. Israel
Do Iraqis consider George Bush a liberator or oppressor? Iraqis have different opinions about the late President George Bush, as some praise him for attacking the dictator Saddam Hussein, and some slam him for the devastating sanctions he imposed on Iraq. Kuwait
Egyptian authorities go after futsal fields The Egyptian government decided to remove all futsal fields squatting agricultural lands, which raised the ire of the youths whose main outlet is sports. Egypt
Netanyahu against anti-porn bill, rejects online regulation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fearing the very concept of regulating internet use, objects to proposed legislation that would limit and block visits to pornography sites on the internet. Israel
Turkish, Israeli chefs bring Ottoman-inspired cuisine to downtown Haifa Dozens of Arab and Jewish chefs took part in A-Sham Arab Food Festival in Haifa this year, to prepare Turkish and Ottoman-inspired dishes at tens of restaurants in the city. Israel
Roman-era mosaics home at last in Turkey's Zeugma Turkey has welcomed back 12 fragments of mosaics illegally excavated and exported decades ago to the United States and they are now on exhibit at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep. Turkey
Forged Jerusalem home sale gets Jordan’s attention A Jordanian parliamentarian revealed forged documents notarized by a Jordanian lawyer to sell a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem to Israelis, raising the ire of Jordanians and Palestinians alike. Palestine
Mosul's new literary cafe brings together readers, budding writers With its walls lined with books in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian, Book Forum cafe provides a place for Mosul's youth to read, debate and smoke the hookah. Iraq
