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
Erdogan's 'soldiers' and their threat to dissent After a controversial decree introducing judicial immunity for citizens involved in the suppression of terrorist acts, many in Turkey are concerned that it will be used to shield pro-government vigilantes. Turkey
Abbas' electricity deal an olive branch to Gaza By convincing Israel to restore Gaza's power supply, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hopes to regain the trust of Gazans ahead of a Palestinian National Council meeting. Palestine
Supermarket law buys Netanyahu's coalition more time This week, Likud members voiced clear messages directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the supermarket law promoted by ultra-Orthodox coalition partners. Israel
Israel's betrayal of African refugees Israel's right-wing government is set on expelling African illegal immigrants, who face great danger in their home and host countries. Israel
Tension keeps rising in Cairo over Turkey-Sudan island pact The Turkish-Sudanese deal over Suakin Island has sparked angry reactions to the possibility of Turkey building a military base on the island, posing a threat to Egypt’s national security. Egypt
Egypt moves to tame lawless e-commerce sector While Egypt's e-commerce activities witnessed significant growth in 2017, laws governing electronic sales and purchases are expected to further boost the sector. Egypt
Young designer aims to promote Egyptians' African roots A young Egyptian fashion designer strives to launch the Afropunk Festival in Egypt to promote African identity and fashion. Egypt
Turkish forces take fire in Idlib Unnamed forces attacked a Turkish military convoy in Idlib today in the wake of Sunday's car bomb that killed 34. Syria
Saudis watch Iran protests intently While Saudi Arabia's economy is suffering due to low oil prices and discontent at home grows, the kingdom is following the protests in Iran with great interest, hoping national issues will distract from Iran's regional advances. Saudi Arabia
'Water war' escalates between Egypt, Sudan Amid ongoing disputes over Nile water supply, tensions between Cairo and Khartoum escalated after the latter hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and handed Ankara control of a Red Sea island. Legacy: Gulf
One year later, questions linger about former Iranian president's death A daughter of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has continued to raise doubts about her father’s death, though the motivation may be as much political as it is about finding the truth. Iran
Iran intelligence minister says protests not 'guided' by foreigners Iranian officials said they are still compiling the total arrested but they believe the situation in Iran has calmed down. Iran
