Turkey's relative coronavirus success may turn sour amid looming economic crisis Turkey’s COVID-19 balance sheet: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had relative success in combat against the outbreak, but a financial collapse could be on the horizon. Turkey
Yemen’s Houthis announce first coronavirus case While 21 previous cases had been reported in areas controlled by the internationally recognized government, the real figure in the war-wracked country is likely far higher. Yemen
Bahrain eases coronavirus restrictions, allowing shops to reopen Beginning Thursday, shops and industrial businesses in the Gulf kingdom can resume business, though some restrictions remain in place. Bahrain
Saudi Arabia braces for economic impact Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council states must make dramatic cuts in spending, and not just on megaprojects, as unsustainably large annual deficits have arrived. Legacy: Gulf
IRGC soldiers killed in Kurdish area of Iran Iranian media reported that unknown gunmen killed three IRGC soldiers in Iran's Kurdistan province. Iraq
Houthis fire ballistic missiles despite Yemen cease-fire, say Saudis A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has accused the Iran-aligned rebels of launching ballistic missiles in violation of a unilateral cease-fire. Saudi Arabia
US ambassador’s annexation comments please Israeli right Israel's political right is delighted by US Ambassador David Friedman's support for the nascent government's annexation plans. Palestine
Gaza rocket shakes calm on border with Israel After 40 days of calm and with ongoing contacts to arrange a prisoner-swap deal a rocket was fired from Gaza at Israel’s southern communities. Palestine
UAE rejects Pakistani claim it is exporting virus The UAE said it tests everyone leaving the country and bars infected individuals from traveling, but Pakistan says up to half of those repatriated on some flights had COVID-19. United Arab Emirates
Lebanon’s lockdown extended amid fears of ‘second wave’ of virus To keep the coronavirus from spreading, a curfew and other restrictions on movement in Lebanon will continue through at least May 24. Lebanon
Facebook says it closed accounts, pages with links to Iranian government Facebook said that it shut down hundreds of accounts and pages promoting Iranian propaganda in its monthly report. Russia
Intel: Egypt releases US political prisoner Egypt has released American political prisoner Reem Mohamed Desouky. Originals
Trump defender Dershowitz, other star lawyers begin work for Azeri-Turkish billionaire An international team of lawyers will represent Azeri-Turkish billionaire Mubariz Mansimov Gurbanoglu, a shipping magnate who has been held on terrorism charges in Istanbul since March 17. Turkey
Islamic State prison riot underscores fragile security in northeast Syria The issue of what to do with Islamic State prisoners in northeast Syria continues to be a nagging problem. Syria
Report: Private sectors in UAE, Egyptian, Saudi economies suffer dramatic losses IHS Markit, a global information provider, shows how the private sector has suffered major blows in the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Intel: White House refuses to detail secretive Saudi nuclear talks to government watchdog The Donald Trump administration refused to disclose details of its talks with Saudi Arabia about possible cooperation on a civil nuclear program, according to a Government Accountability Office report released on Monday. Saudi Arabia
