The Takeaway: Could a Bennett-Lapid coalition last in Israel? Fractious politics makes for unstable governance; the scoop on Biden’s meeting with Israel’s Mossad chief; Gulf rethinks Chinese vaccine policies; more Egyptian mummies; Saudi Arabia; Turkey; and more! Israel
Iraqi president confirms Baghdad hosted Saudi-Iranian talks 'more than once' President Barham Salih said the first round of talks occurred in early April, which he described as 'important and significant.' Iraq
Islamic State takes border station in Iraqi desert with 'drug smuggling wali' A recent incident along Iraq’s western border and alleged connections between drug smuggling and Islamic State cells in the area have raised concern. Iraq
Will Turkey’s efforts to woo Egypt yield fruit? Egypt and Turkey began talks in Cairo today aimed at reseting ties after nearly eight years of a diplomatic rift. Turkey
Eritrean president meets Sudan leaders over border dispute Eritrea is seeking to defuse allegations that it has aided Ethiopia in its border dispute with Sudan, Sudan
Israel’s Lapid gets 28 days to compose new government Now that President Reuven Rivlin tasked Yair Lapid with forming the next government, the head of Yesh Atid party has 28 days for the complicated mission. Israel
Turkey’s good words not worth much to Saudi Arabia Turkey’s efforts to mend ties with the Gulf bloc don't pass Riyadh's tacit preconditions. Turkey
Iraq announces 10-day lockdown amid virus surge Iraq, which is struggling to vaccinate its population, recently topped 1 million coronavirus cases. Iraq
Israeli settlers burn Palestinian farmland in West Bank Tensions in the Palestinian territory as well as Jerusalem have led to considerable violence between Jews and Arabs in recent weeks. Palestine
US senators urge Biden administration to back another Yemen donor conference The bipartisan group called on the administration to mobilize the international community to support Yemen's humanitarian needs. Yemen
Suspected Israeli airstrikes hit factory on Syrian coast The attack was the first since a missile from Syria landed near an Israeli nuclear reactor last month. News Brief
Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief meets with Syrian counterpart in Damascus The meeting takes place during the first official visit to Damascus by Saudi Arabia since 2012. Saudi Arabia
After Netanyahu's failure, Lapid tapped to form Israeli government After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failure, President Reuven Rivlin has handed the mandate for composing the government to Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. Israel
Iran's president claims sanctions will soon be lifted President Hassan Rouhani has vowed to fulfill his promise to remove sanctions during the final months of his administration. Iran
Christians upset as Egyptian government ignores Easter Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly did not declare Easter an official holiday, upsetting many Egyptian Christians and human rights organizations. Egypt
Egypt, UAE boost security cooperation in Chad, Sahel In the wake of the killing of Chadian President Idriss Deby at the hands of rebel groups, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt agreed on the need to boost cooperation to preserve the stability and security of the Sahel region, while also seeking to counter Turkey's influence. Egypt