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
Many in northern Syria live off rubbish dumps Years of war pushed many people to the brink of poverty, leading children and women to beg for money or search through garbage in order to make ends meet. Syria
Coronavirus strikes Palestine, closing down stock exchange With the Palestinian Authority's declaration of a state of emergency to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the Palestine Exchange has closed, without convincing everyone of the economic necessity. Palestine
Is Turkey ready to take on jihadis in Syria’s Idlib? While Turkey and Russia seek to maintain a cease-fire in Idlib, the Syrian government and jihadi groups want to resume battles. Syria
Egyptians feel demoralized by empty churches, mosques The decision to suspend collective prayers in mosques and churches was criticized by some Egyptians who feel deprived of spiritual support during hard times. Egypt
Turks demand 'helicopter money' as coronavirus crisis worsens Turkey’s government faces growing pressure for direct cash injections to support the vulnerable masses as the coronavirus outbreak threatens grave fallout for the already ailing Turkish economy. Turkey
Why EU funds to Palestinian NGOs became a victim of misinformation The European Union, which has been under fire by Palestinian organizations for an "anti-terror" clause in its general grant contracts, launched talks with the NGOs to clarify stance and get them to sign pending contracts. Palestine
Saudi leader of Muslim World League: Interfaith partnerships during pandemic ‘religious, moral duty' Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa says, “We try to lead by example, and show that we are all in this together.” Saudi Arabia
Intel: US touts nearly $40 million in coronavirus aid to Middle East The United States today touted nearly $40 million in aid to the Middle East and North Africa as part of a $274 million emergency health and humanitarian assistance package to help afflicted countries deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Yemen
Coronavirus cease-fire offers pause in Yemen war Despite a cease-fire among the parties to Yemen's civil war, the Saudi-led coalition announced it had downed three Houthi drones. Saudi Arabia
Turkey imposes first curfew as coronavirus infections surge Ankara has announced its first lockdown covering 12 areas in the Black Sea coastal provinces of Rize and Trabzon as Turkey suffers its largest single-day jump in coronavirus cases. Turkey
Swift government measures will not save jobs, businesses in Tunisia The Tunisian government has announced a series of measures to ease the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, but some are not optimistic about the benefits for small businesses and the tourism sector. Tunisia
Iran condemns US indictment against Venezuela’s Maduro An Iranian government spokesperson blasted the United States for its indictment of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. Originals
