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
Under public attack, Cairo film festival cancels award to French director Lelouch The Cairo International Film Festival's decision to honor Claude Lelouch, the French-Jewish film director who called Israel his homeland, caused a stir among filmmakers and intellectuals, eventually leading the festival to backpedal. Egypt
Israeli activists call out military academy for messianic teachings Human rights activist and attorney Yair Nehorai is petitioning the Supreme Court to halt the state funding of the Bnei David Military Preparatory Academy, which he claims advances a messianic worldview and is working to undermine democracy. Israel
Dogs get their day in Beirut A dog festival in Lebanon urges the government to create more animal friendly policies, as well as more public spaces for the country's dogs. Lebanon
Women at heart of Dahuk film festival From Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad to the film "Girls of the Sun" at the Cannes Film Festival, 2018 has been a year of Kurdish women. Iraq
Netanyahu ignores Iran's scientific, educational advances Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised himself for security achievements, but neglected to address the worrying decline in Israeli research and higher education. Israel
Big score for Iranian women as doors open to men's soccer games For the first time since 1979, Iranian women are allowed to watch men's soccer matches in Tehran despite stubborn and stiff opposition from hard-liners. Iran
What is behind Tunisia's rising illiteracy? Tunisians' first reaction to rising levels of illiteracy is to blame it on the economy, but experts say the mindset toward education has changed for the worse since the days of independence. Tunisia
Iraq's PMU militia wants its own soccer club The Popular Mobilization Units, an Iraqi military organization, seek to enter the world of sports by establishing a club to compete in official soccer events. Iraq
What's next for Israel: early elections or war in Gaza? With early elections expected and rumblings on Israel's border with Gaza, the opposition appears unable to come together to present a credible alternative to the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
India, Iran or Turkey: Iraqi students look abroad for post-grad studies Stiff competition for a very limited number of seats at public universities and high fees at private institutions are pushing Iraqi students to pursue post-graduate studies abroad. Iraq
Egyptians outraged by wedding photos as ancient sites tapped for revenue Egypt's cash-strapped Ministry of Antiques is making money from renting out historical venues, but the public is less than pleased with archaeological venues being used for private events. Egypt
Young Egyptian engineers race ahead in electric vehicles Nine teams of Egyptian engineering students qualified for a mentorship program and funding to build their own designs and compete in Egypt's first electric vehicle competition. Egypt
