The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
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
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Intel: Iran launched its first satellite into space. Then Trump threatened to destroy Iranian vessels. President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran today on Twitter, saying he has “instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.” Originals
First confirmed coronavirus case in Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp A Palestinian refugee woman tested positive for the coronavirus in Lebanon amid fears that the conditions in such camps could lead to an outbreak. Palestine
How a German court is trying to bring Syrian war criminals to justice Because Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, victims of torture and abuse by the Syrian government are seeking justice in Germany and other countries. Syria
Rouhani hits out at skeptics of Iran pandemic statistics The Iranian president said skeptics of the official coronavirus narrative in his country are serving as enemy mouthpieces. Iran
Israel bans visits to military cemeteries, imposes Ramadan curfew Israel’s Cabinet banned visits to military cemeteries on Memorial Day and imposed a curfew on Arab towns for the month of Ramadan. Israel
Larger than expected rate cut raises pressure on Turkish lira Turkey’s central bank surprised market watchers Wednesday with a significant interest rate cut to bolster the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, though analysts say the move poses inflationary risks. Turkey
Iraqi Kurdistan rejects NGO accusations of blocking aid to Syrian Kurds The government of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region is responding with anger to relief organizations' claims that it is blocking aid to the northeast Syria as COVID-19 rages, with officials saying it has "bent over backward" to help. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Iran's IRGC launches first military satellite as tensions with US flare Iran launched a military satellite into orbit on April 22, a significant defense breakthrough at a time of heightened tensions with the United States. Iran
Saudi King approves tarawih prayers without public attendance at holiest mosques Saudi Arabia's King Salman says only staff can perform prayers at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. Saudi Arabia
Iran’s Rouhani calls for coronavirus cooperation in calls with Gulf leaders The Iranian president stressed regional cooperation to fight the virus in separate calls with the leaders of Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. Iran
In Yemen: Death by bullets or coronavirus Although one case of the coronavirus was officially confirmed in Yemen, sources say there are four infected people in isolation. Yemen
Coronavirus brings more suffering to Gaza’s women With the suspension of the Sharia courts’ work due to the confinement in the Gaza Strip, many Palestinian women have been struggling to get their rights to custody and alimony, while many have been separated from their children. Palestine
