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
Israeli politicians use supermarket law battle to shop for votes Residents of the embattled city of Ashdod are fed up with the political fight between Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri over forced store closures during the Sabbath. Israel
Critics bash Egyptian 'propaganda' film about Sisi A new movie about Egypt's tumultuous period after the fall of Mubarak has stirred controversy in the country over accusations that the government has a hand in the film. Egypt
Collectors hunt down forgeries as Arab art market flourishes As Middle Eastern art experiences an international boom, Lebanese collector Basel Dalloul is leading a drive to expose forgeries and follow more stringent standards for authentication. Lebanon
Qatar visit to the US aims to break Gulf gridlock Qatar is using a high-level visit to Washington to get the Donald Trump administration’s support to broker a deal to end the monthslong Saudi-led embargo. Qatar
What role will Moscow assume in Yemen's civil war? Russia is expanding its reputation as a mediator in various conflicts and could wield its influence in Yemen to bring both sides to the negotiating table. United Arab Emirates
Battle for strategic Syrian peak continues As Turkey fights to reclaim the strategic hilltop of Bursaya a second time, it's getting harder for the president to use the Olive Branch offensive to drum up support. Syria
Iran’s parliament rejects Rouhani’s anti-subsidy budget Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s budget proposal, which sought subsidy reforms, was rejected by Iran’s parliament. Iran
Iran’s regional allies keep close eye on protest aftermath While Iran’s regional allies have assured their supporters that the recent protests in the country are not a threat, the reality is that groups such as Hezbollah are highly vulnerable to any change in Iranian foreign policy. Iran
Trump puts Israeli-Palestinian security coordination at risk Threats by US President Donald Trump to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority endangers the so-called Dayton Force and their security coordination with Israel. Palestine
Young Egyptians go online to seek man's best friend The traditional Friday market for dogs is being supplanted because young Egyptians are going on Facebook to get their canine friends. Egypt
Israelis unite against Polish Holocaust law A Polish bill threatens to whitewash Poland's participation in massacring Jews during the Holocaust. Israel
Jordan seeks to ease travel burden on Palestinian Jerusalemites Jordan recently announced its decision to allow and arrange for Jerusalem's Palestinians to renew and receive official documents in the city itself, instead of having to travel to Amman, a move widely welcomed by Palestinians. Palestine
