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
Egyptians fear coronavirus count falls far short of reality Officials deny Egypt has been holding back information on the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Egypt
Morocco, Algeria face off at UN over Western Sahara The Polisario Front is disappointed over the lack of interest from the international community in the group's four-decade-long battle for self-determination and an independent state. Algeria
Iraqi PM-designate meets with officials in push to form ‘government that serves the public’ Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi hopes to announce his proposed Cabinet soon. Iraq
Is the new OPEC+ deal a win for Russia? The new OPEC+ deal has some advantages for Russia but some of the potential long-term implications may be dire for Moscow. Saudi Arabia
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
Coronavirus changes Iraq’s traditions of physical touch The imposition of social distancing in Iraq to avoid the spread of the coronavirus has affected Iraqi cultural habits such as shaking hands and kissing. Iraq
Egyptians outraged over medical aid to Italy as supplies dwindle at home When Egypt's health minister visited Italy with a shipment of medical supplies, many citizens protested that trade and political ties were not worth the cost. Egypt
Islamic State spreading terror once again in Syrian desert The Islamic State is taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic and resuming its activities against regime forces in the Syrian desert. Syria
Jerusalem's Easter message is ‘your home is your church’ Virtual church and stay-at-home services have replaced physical presence in churches in Jerusalem due to the coronavirus, as church leaders are trying to deal with the needs of the faithful using modern technology and age-old empathy and concern for the needy. Palestine
Private sector asked to help cover Palestinian COVID-19 costs Officials issue call on Palestinians to help with the growing social and medical expenses from the coronavirus outbreak. Palestine
