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
Syrian regime says it's time for the displaced to return Hundreds of people displaced from al-Waer neighborhood in Homs, Syria, have now left the Zoghra camp outside of Aleppo and returned to the regime-controlled Homs. Syria
Egyptian restaurant captures customers with jail decor A new prison-themed restaurant in Cairo serves customers life and death sentences in sandwich form. Egypt
Archives belie Israel's narrative of Palestinian conflict Early members of the Zionist movement and later Israelis have consistently attempted to control the narrative of the conflict with the Palestinians, including by seizing photographic evidence of Palestine and the Palestinians' history. Palestine
Feature film to mark new beginnings for Gaza cinema The Gaza Strip's closed movie theaters will reopen at the end of the summer for the first feature film made by a local company. Palestine
Cyclists get a bumpy ride in Beirut Cyclists are becoming a more common sight on Beirut's treacherous roads, despite a lack of safety infrastructure. Lebanon
New Tunisian law takes long stride toward gender equality Tunisia’s parliament passed landmark legislation to fight violence against women in the country. Tunisia
Mystery shrouds disappearance of first female mayor in Egypt’s Sharqiyah After Egyptian female activists thought that the appointment of a woman as mayor would serve the cause of female empowerment, they were surprised by her disappearance 120 days ago under mysterious circumstances. Egypt
Dahlan muscles his way into Gaza with UAE money A reconciliation effort between Hamas and estranged Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan could resolve the bad blood among Palestinians resulting from the 2007 infighting between Fatah and Hamas. Palestine
Turkish parliament expels more pro-Kurdish lawmakers in absentia Turkey has stripped two more pro-Kurdish lawmakers of their seats in its ever-widening dragnet as pro-Kurdish politicians and their supporters take to the streets of Diyarbakir. Turkey
Israeli, Turkish chefs hope food can bridge divide For Israeli food blogger David Dudi Califa, a victim of the IS attack in Istanbul a year ago, the best reply to terrorism is to cook with love. Israel
Yazidi boys forced to fight for IS still need psychological help Hundreds of Yazidi boys indoctrinated by the Islamic State have managed to escape, but without professional treatment, their trauma continues. Iraq
Palestinian Christians, Muslims come together over Al-Aqsa protests Palestinian Christians are participating alongside Muslims in demonstrations and sit-ins in Jerusalem in a show of solidarity for their cause. Palestine
