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
Jordanian dry yogurt gets sweet deal Omar Sartawi, a Jordanian chef with unorthodox practices, took Bedouin dried yogurt and made it into white chocolate truffles — but the jury is still out on its taste. Jordan
Turkish women take to the streets to demand equality Activists say 15 years of rule by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has eroded women’s rights, even as he has vowed to end domestic violence and strengthen the role of women in Turkish society. Turkey
Turkish women's organization looks back on two decades of progress For more than two decades, an organization in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast called KAMER has led the uphill struggle to empower women and challenge often deadly social norms in these patriarchal and war-torn communities. Turkey
Israeli settlers hold country hostage to their ideology Americans and Israelis are hostage to powerful single-interest lobbies like the National Rifle Association and the right-wing settlement movement, which do not represent broad public opinion. Israel
Syrian children in Lebanon express their plight with poetry An exhibition in Beirut combines poems written by Syrian children with Lebanese and Syrian artists’ paintings, drawings and sculptures. Lebanon
Iraq’s legendary copper markets fade away Iraqi's legendary copper markets, once centers of commerce and socialization, are now fading away, from Baghdad to Najaf. Iraq
'The Journey': An Iraqi film in Iraqi cinema after 27 years Iraqi cinemas are making a comeback to display Iraqi films commercially, starting with director Mohammed al-Daradji's psychological thriller "The Journey." Iraq
Israeli photographers seek to define 'chutzpah' A recent photo exhibition examined whether "chutzpah," an Israeli word that has been exported into English and other languages, refers to vulgarity and disrespect or originality and guts. Israel
Indie film festival showcases Turkey's new directors Turkey’s premiere independent film festival, !f Istanbul, attracts 80,000 viewers to more than 100 films Turkey
Israel's ultra-Orthodox hold ruling coalition hostage over draft law Israel's ultra-Orthodox parties are holding up approval of the budget over a conscription law they are determined to see pass this session, threatening to destabilize the coalition. Israel
Egyptian writers use history to highlight the present Inspired by history and its relation to the present, novels by Rasha Adly and Ahmad Abdulatif landed them nominations for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Egypt
Erdogan calls for mobilization of army reserves in Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s growing advocacy of nationalism and war has triggered a new debate in the country, with the opposition calling for sending 800,000 Syrian males in Turkey to fight in Syria before mobilizing Turkish army reserves. Syria
