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
Iraq condemns 'treacherous' US strikes against Iran-backed militia US airstrikes struck a civilian airport in Karbala in what the Pentagon said was an operation targeting weapons storage facilities belonging to an Iran-backed Shiite militia group blamed for the recent attack on an Iraqi base housing US and coalition troops. Iraq
Intel: Russia, Turkey reach deal on Syria's Idlib Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar finally announced March 13 that after four days of talks in the Turkish capital, the Russian and Turkish militaries have agreed on the details of a new cease-fire in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone. Syria
Erdogan turns to oil in a bid to salvage Syria policy Turkey’s president eyes oil-related bargains in Syria after failing to achieve his stated objectives in Idlib and acquiescing to a new deal with Russia in the rebel stronghold. Syria
Pentagon retaliates after deadly Iran-backed strikes on US troops The US military targeted five weapons facilities of an Iran-backed group after an earlier rocket attack left two American and one British service member dead. Iraq
Lebanon struggles to cope with COVID-19 amid financial crisis As Lebanon reels under the brunt of the worst financial crisis in its recent history, the government struggles to provide the necessary equipment to be able to cater for a potential increase in novel coronavirus cases. Lebanon
Has war between Iran and US already started in Iraq? Iraqi officials condemned the recent US airstrikes that targeted not only Popular Mobilization Units but the Iraqi army and police. Iraq
Netanyahu wants an emergency government of Jews only Although the coronavirus doesn’t distinguish between Jews and Arabs, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been doing so while calling on Blue and White leaders to join him in an "emergency government." Israel
Israelis in panic over COVID-19, but not the 'occupation virus' Despite attempts to spin events otherwise, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hijacked the coronavirus in an attempt to hold on to power and perpetuate the occupation. Palestine
Northeast Syrian airwaves home to radio tower of Babel Multicultural northeastern Syria boasts a plethora of multilingual radio stations. Syria
Palestinian COVID-19 state of emergency raises other fears The Palestinian Authority declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19, but critics believe it's a cover for the body to make political arrests. Palestine
Leftist Egyptian party looks to bolster ties with Assad Western powers demand “accountability for the atrocities committed by the Assad regime” in a statement, as Egypt's National Progressive Unionist Party is boosting its efforts to return Syria to its full standing in the Arab world. Egypt
For Tunisia, recovery means modernizing economy Tunisia’s new government faces the formidable task of reversing the economy's downward spiral of the post-revolutionary years with an eye toward becoming a gateway to Africa. Tunisia
