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
Turkey ramps up pharmaceutical expansion Amid a wave of government-driven nationalism, Turkey’s latest “national” project is to develop a strong pharmaceutical sector. Turkey
Humiliated Netanyahu scapegoats pro-democracy NGO Frantic to extract himself from his immigration failure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accusing a US-based nongovernmental organization called the New Israel Fund of sabotaging an agreement with Rwanda. Israel
Aspiring filmmaker brings visual tricks to Gazans With basic equipment, aspiring filmmaker Mahmoud Alzaq takes his YouTube followers on a journey of visual tricks and illusions. Palestine
Israelis pick Passover food fight The Israeli public is less concerned than the litigants might like about a Supreme Court case over the widely observed prohibition on unleavened food in hospitals during Passover. Israel
How Israel’s divided society can thrive As Israel prepares to celebrate 70 years since it declared independence, it is time to come to terms with the fact that embracing diversity may be better than forcing cohesion. Israel
How an Oklahoman is scoring goals in Iran A woman from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has emerged as an unlikely mover and shaker in Iranian women’s soccer. Iran
What's behind Israeli education minister's worldwide quest for Jews? The report of a committee created by Minister of Education Naftali Bennett to increase the world’s Jewish population offers no reasonable explanation as to why this should be a strategic national objective for Israel. Israel
Egyptian women take on men in technology As the Egyptian government tries to increase participation of women in the labor market, Egypt’s tech-savvy women aim to get ahead in a sector traditionally reserved for men. Egypt
Egyptian art show pays homage to diva Umm Kulthum An exhibition in Cairo casts a nostalgic look at Umm Kulthum, the great Egyptian diva, and her fans who loved the aesthetic life of the '50s and '60s in Egypt. Egypt
Is Iran ready to block Telegram? The popular messaging app Telegram may soon be replaced by Soroush, a domestic messaging service. Iran
More real than the news: Turkey's satire magazine coats truth in humor Turkey's largest satirical website, which has 5.4 million followers on Twitter, maintains its tongue-in-cheek criticism against all odds. Turkey
Police roam university campus in Istanbul after students criticized government Several Turkish university students remain in police custody for protesting Turkey’s military operations in northern Syria as the president leads a crackdown on academics who have dared to voice their opposition. Turkey
