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
Egypt’s education system set for major overhaul Egyptians hope the new education reforms announced by the Ministry of Education will bring about major changes to address longstanding problems in public schools. Egypt
Palestinians in Israel speak up against hate speech, police brutality Police brutality has become a common refrain among Arab Israelis who dare demonstrate against oppression and hate speech. Israel
Turkey's traditional carpets meet quantum physics The Turkish artist Belkis Balpinar adds new interpretations, including inspirations from science, to the tradition of symbolism in Anatolian kilims. Turkey
Death does not stop voice of this Palestinian singer A posthumous album by Rim Banna titled "Voice of Resistance" expresses her hope and despair for Palestine through her own texts while she battled cancer. Palestine
Weary Istanbulites flock to seaside Izmir Tired of traffic, extreme concretization and decelerated social interaction, white-collar, educated Turkish people are abandoning Istanbul for Turkey’s Aegean coastal province of Izmir. Turkey
Protests, arrests as Cairo metro fares skyrocket Sudden and drastic price hikes have upset the millions of Egyptians who depend on the Cairo metro every day. Egypt
Troubling tactics of the Israeli Police The arrest and injury of Arab Israeli activist Jafar Farah raises questions about police brutality and the use of arrest as a deterrent. Israel
Israeli architects dissect flashpoint structures in Venice The curators say that their goal in creating this year’s Israeli architectural exhibit for the Venice Biennale was to offer up an honest and evocative model of five flashpoint Middle Eastern sites. Palestine
After Iran deal exit, average Iranians worried about the future Uncertainty in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is fueling pessimism about the future among ordinary Iranians. Iran
Women fill leading roles in Egypt’s Ramadan TV series Egyptian cinema was considered a pioneer in featuring strong female characters 50 years ago; is this trend making a comeback in Ramadan TV series now? Egypt
After calls to change the Quran, Turkey moves to ban all things French President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s anger over a French manifesto on changing the Quran failed to generate outrage among the Turkish public, but did result in decisions on education policy harmful to Turkish students. Turkey
Egyptian director's debut film honored at Cannes The touching low-budget Egyptian film "Yomeddine" took the Francois Chalais Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Egypt
![An Egyptian woman walks with children in front of the Aziz Al Masri primary school on March 25, 2018 in central Cairo, ahead of the March 26-28 presidential election.
Egypt's military said on March 24 on Twitter that it was making "intensive preparations for the armed forces to secure the presidential election" on March 26-28, after a bombing killed two policemen in Alexandria. / AFP PHOTO / FETHI BELAID / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by FETHI BELAID has been modified in](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2018/05/GettyImages-937684852.jpg/GettyImages-937684852.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=30uJDdhd)
