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
How could Bibi lose by offering 'ultimate deal' with Iran? Israel Pulse columnist Akiva Eldar calls for direct Iran-Israel talks; Ali Akbar Velayati opposes Sadr-Communist bloc; Has Islamic State returned to Hawija? Palestine
Pro-Israel lobby struggles to bring parties together ahead of annual conference The American Israel Public Affairs Committee hasn’t made much headway on key issues such as the Iran nuclear deal and anti-boycott legislation. Israel
Iranian lawmakers block cuts to cash handouts Iran's parliament has dramatically weakened the administration's proposed plan to end cash subsidy payments in a politically motivated backlash against the cost-saving effort. Iran
Turkish-Iranian trade revived amid growing cooperation in Syria Turkey and Iran have reversed a four-year downturn in bilateral trade as collaboration in Syria increases, but the possibility of a setback remains real. Syria
Iraq increases taxes amid public discontent The Iraqi government has increased non-oil revenues by imposing a sales tax to get $1.8 billion this year. Iraq
How Sisi is trying to win votes of informal sector workers As presidential elections approach, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for an initiative to provide insurance for irregular workers who have no social security, pensions or health coverage. Egypt
Erdogan calls for mobilization of army reserves in Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s growing advocacy of nationalism and war has triggered a new debate in the country, with the opposition calling for sending 800,000 Syrian males in Turkey to fight in Syria before mobilizing Turkish army reserves. Syria
Price hikes alone won't fix Egypt's ailing rail system A deadly train wreck this week spurred calls for improvements to Egypt's poorly maintained railway system and renewed discussion about a delayed increase in ticket prices. Egypt
Mideast braces for war: Israel vs. Iran-backed Hezbollah Israel is threatening a new war against Hezbollah and its weapons plants in Lebanon and Syria. Israel
Women's Taif TV blocked in Gaza two hours before launch The Palestinian Ministry of Information in the Gaza Strip blocked the launch of Taif TV two hours before it was due to go on air, in what raised concerns about freedom of the press in Gaza. Palestine
As fighting rages in Egypt's north Sinai, students get lessons online Schools are closed while Sinai is rocked by fighting during an anti-terrorism operation, and a new online program is helping students continue learning while they wait for calm to return. Egypt
Europe starts preparing Mideast peace initiative The one-sided decision by the United States to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem in May opens the way for a European Mideast peace initiative. Palestine
