Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
UN says Libya arms embargo 'totally ineffective' A United Nations panel of experts accused several member states, including Turkey and Russia, of fueling the Libyan conflict. Libya
Turkey says rate of coronavirus infection stabilizes The health minister sees signs the fast-spreading contagion is coming under control as the number of new cases remains steady. But an independent physicians’ group warns the government may be undercounting. Turkey
Are there any partners for Turkey among radicals in Idlib? The reopening of the M4 highway in Idlib remains a tall task for Turkey, which is grappling with how to remove jihadi groups from the area. Syria
Syria’s Ras al-Ain to open trade crossing with Turkey Turkey is constructing a border crossing linking the opposition-held city of Ras al-Ain in northeastern Syria with Turkish territory. Syria
Intel: US plans anti-ship missile sale for Morocco Congress was notified today of US plans for a $62 million sale of anti-ship missiles for Morocco that would be launched from F-16 aircraft. Morocco
Intel: Turkey says S-400 stance unchanged despite US pressure Turkey’s stance on its S-400s hasn’t changed, even as the United States appeared to dangle support in Syria in exchange for Ankara abandoning the controversial Russian missile defense systems, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday. Syria
Amid pandemic, medical groups question Turkey’s weekend curfew approach Health workers’ advocates say precautions in Turkey may not be sufficient to contain the coronavirus and safeguard workers as the country grapples with the fast-spreading pandemic. Turkey
Intel: Trump tasks Pompeo with determining whether to lift Cyprus arms embargo Donald Trump tapped Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to determine whether to lift the decades-old US arms embargo on the disputed island of Cyprus, something Turkey has sought to forestall. Turkey
Cloud of doubt surrounds coronavirus figures reported by Iraqi government There is great skepticism in Iraqi society and in the media about the government’s statistics of how many people have been infected by and died from the coronavirus. Iraq
Israeli annexation talks threaten ties with Arab world The Israeli annexation discourse bolsters radical elements in the Arab world and undermines the moderates, thus threatening Israeli aspirations for diplomatic relations and commercial ties. Palestine
Will coronavirus crisis spur Hamas-Israel swap deal? Hamas has recently announced its readiness to make concessions in the prisoner swap deal with Israel, pushing mediators to communicate and reactivate the dossier that has been on hold for the past five years. Palestine
Gaza resumes coronavirus testing, but equipment remains in short supply COVID-19 testing has resumed in the Gaza Strip with kits from the World Health Organization, but testing supplies will soon run out again in the impoverished enclave. Palestine
Battles rage in Syria despite coronavirus cease-fires Clashes are raging between Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and Syrian Kurdish groups east of the Euphrates River in what Syrian Kurds claim that is a Turkish effort to prevent displaced civilians from returning to their homes. Syria
