The show must go on: Egypt's Ramadan soap operas defy COVID-19 Egyptian production teams are racing against time to complete the TV shows they hope will bring some Ramadan cheer to Egyptian and Arab audiences during the crisis. Egypt
Israel's deadline after the deadline Blue and White leader Benny Gantz has 48 hours to choose between a fourth round of elections and a unity government under conditions orchestrated by Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Egyptian village cordoned off amid coronavirus outbreak The Egyptian government imposed a lockdown on a village in Giza governorate after discovering several cases of the coronavirus, but it is helping the residents to get through this. Egypt
Arab party next leader of Israel’s left-wing camp? With the Jewish left-wing parties crumbling, the Arab Joint List seeks to lead the camp and appeal also to Jewish voters. Israel
Egyptian MP proposes compulsory citizen donations to fight COVID-19 An Egyptian parliamentarian is planning to submit a bill obliging citizens to make donations to a government fund in order to help in the fight against the coronavirus, with some saying mandatory donations are illegal and a form of taxation. Egypt
Banks can't save Gulf economies Because of the way they are set up, GCC banks will have a hard time providing the funds that could help jump-start regional economies as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll. Gulf
Intel: Pro-Israel super PAC warns Netanyahu against West Bank annexation The leaders of a prominent pro-Israel super PAC with close ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rivals against moving forward with plans to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported today. Israel
Netanyahu’s moment of truth Israel may be headed for its fourth set of elections in a little more than a year. Israel
Iran warns of economic fallout from coronavirus as ‘low-risk’ shops reopen As its death toll from the coronavirus hits 4,585, Iran — desperate to get the economy going — allows an assortment of shops to reopen and lifts its ban on travel between provinces. Originals
Reports of child abuse in Turkey spike amid pandemic A prominent children's rights activist told Al-Monitor that complaints of child abuse incidents have doubled since the closure of the schools amid the coronavirus pandemic. Turkey
Iran welcomes Iraq’s new prime minister In today’s Iranian media roundup, officials and news outlets have reacted to the appointment of Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi with praise and expressions of confidence. Iraq
Intel: US signals support for Iraq’s latest prime minister-designate Secretary of State Michael Pompeo signaled support for Iraq’s newest prime minister-designate, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, in a statement today. Iraq
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
Israel and Turkey, first signs of warming up? The recent publication over Turkey selling to Israel medical equipment to fight the coronavirus could signal a small, yet significant warming up of relations. Palestine
Why didn’t Erdogan let Turkey’s interior minister resign over coronavirus curfew fiasco? The attempted resignation of Turkey's powerful interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, has exposed the emerging cracks in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party Turkey
Coronavirus outbreak in Turkish prisons leaves three inmates dead The global COVID-19 pandemic has hit several Turkish prisons, infecting at least 14 inmates so far and killing three. Turkey
