Saudi courts ordered to stop flogging for ‘tazir’ crimes Judges in the kingdom can no longer prescribe flogging as a punishment for lesser crimes. By Al-Monitor Staff
First commercial flight between UAE and Israel lands in Tel Aviv The Etihad Airways cargo plane brought COVID-19 aid to Palestinians via Ben Gurion airport. By Al-Monitor Staff
Intel: Biden warns against West Bank annexation as Israel lobbies Trump for green light Former Vice President Joe Biden told campaign donors today that any Israeli annexation of the West Bank would “choke off any hope for peace,” according to a transcript of the presumptive Democratic nominee’s remarks seen by Al-Monitor. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Rocket hits Baghdad's Green Zone in first such incident for new PM The rocket reportedly landed near the US Embassy and caused little damage. By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Israeli soccer fans dream of returning to stadiums Israeli soccer players have resumed training sessions and might even play again, but the fans are still kept away from the stadiums. By Or Weil
Hifter’s forces in Libya withdraw from parts of Tripoli in major setback The capture of two towns and a key air base were the latest in a series of setbacks for military strongman Khalifa Hifter. By Al-Monitor Staff
Turkey’s crackdown on mayors amounts to coup, says opposition party The arrest last week of five mayors from the Peoples’ Democratic Party leaves it with control of just a fifth of the cities it won in an election last year. By Ayla Jean Yackley
Dubai police test using surveillance cameras to detect coronavirus The CCTV cameras will also test the distance between individuals in shopping centers and public places. By Al-Monitor Staff
Syrian government freezes assets of Assad cousin The move to seize the assets of the businessman is the latest in a dispute that began to heat up late last year. By Al-Monitor Staff
Intel: China tangled in US sanctions web for ties to Iran’s Mahan Air The United States sanctioned a China-based company today for providing “general sales agent services” for Iran’s Mahan Air. By Bryant Harris In Washington, reporting on Congress
Iran cancels anti-Israeli rallies over pandemic fears A fresh spike in coronavirus transmissions has forced Iranian officials to cancel a state-organized annual march against Israel. By Al-Monitor Staff
Intel: Pompeo, Cavusoglu discuss US-Turkey coronavirus cooperation Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed US-Turkish COVID-19 cooperation during a phone call with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday. By Al-Monitor Staff
Iraq takes action against bogus social media posts Fake social media accounts have been spreading misinformation and leaked documents for political and criminal ends. By Adnan Abu Zeed
Netanyahu asks to be excused from showing up at corruption trial Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose new government was sworn in Sunday, is trying to avoid having to appear before the court at the start of his corruption trial Sunday. By Al-Monitor Staff
Qatar Airways mandates full-body protective gear for flight attendants Passengers will also be required to wear masks per the Gulf carrier's new onboard safety measures as it looks to expand flights amid the crisis. By Al-Monitor Staff
Israel advances 'travel bubble' with other Mediterranean countries Israel is in talks with Greece, Cyprus and a few other countries with low infection rates about creating travel corridors for resuming international flights. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs