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
Gaza Strip to get laboratory for coronavirus testing Israeli and Chinese genomics companies plan to provide a COVID-19 testing lab for the Gaza Strip, but in the meantime, there are no test kits to be had there. Palestine
Will Iran back UN-Saudi initiative for cease-fire in Yemen? For Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, Yemen is too big to fail; for Iran, it’s a penny stock investment to keep the kingdom bogged down in a quagmire. Yemen
War-ravaged Yemen reports first case of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has officially struck Yemen, which war and poverty have left with a health care system in shambles. Yemen
Shops reopen in Bahrain as government rolls back restrictions Bahrain is allowing stores to reopen if they follow social distancing guidelines but theaters and tourist locations remain closed and food delivery and takeout remain the order of the day for restaurants. Legacy: Gulf
Intelligence sharing remains key to fight against IS The Islamic State is continuing to carry out guerrilla attacks; developing and maintaining a comprehensive intelligence picture of the group is seen as an important weapon to keep its militants at bay. Iraq
COVID-19 pandemic intensifies Iran sanctions debate Iran hawks are doubling down on sanctions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and Democrats can’t agree on how much relief the United States should give Iran. United States
Intel: State Department backs up watchdog report on Syria chemical weapons use The United States agrees with the recent assessment of a global chemical weapons watchdog that found the Syrian regime used banned weapons against its own people, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday. Syria
Roadside bombing in southeast Turkey kills five civilians While no group has yet to claim responsibility for the attack, Ankara is pointing the finger at the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. Turkey
Israel passes ball of prisoner exchange deal back to Hamas On the back of the coronavirus crisis, Israel is now examining a three-phased plan proposed indirectly by Hamas for the exchange of prisoners. Palestine
Iraq's Kurdish region issues arrest warrants over funeral linked to surge in COVID-19 cases Two banned funeral services held in Erbil in March have led to at least 72 coronavirus infections. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Intel: US, Iraq to meet on American troop presence Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced today that the United States and Iraq will convene next month to hammer out several thorny issues, including the status of US troops who remain stationed in Iraq. Iraq
Ultra-Orthodox welcome soldiers’ help in battle against coronavirus When the ultra-Orthodox residents of Bnei Brak realized that the army was there to help them against the coronavirus, their negative attitudes changed almost overnight. Israel
