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
Russian media tries to sort out source of attack on Syria air base Russia says it has increased security on its Khmeimim air base in Syria after a Dec. 31 attack on the base, one of the worst in the country's two-year involvement in the Syrian war. Syria
Turkey is becoming new hub for Salafist-jihadi exodus from Syria Turkey is emerging as the unwilling heir apparent to Salafist-jihadi networks as they are forced out of neighboring countries. Syria
Egypt tightens leash on TV dramas A new committee in Egypt designed to monitor TV series to make sure they abide by customs and traditions has been met with mixed reactions. Egypt
Israel's endangered birds face growing threats A new report paints a worrisome picture of the condition of Israel’s wild birds, of which 65 species are in severe danger of extinction from various threats. Israel
Child poverty increases in Egypt as critical support languishes As independent organizations work to alleviate poverty and ensure access to education for Egypt’s children, the government’s NGO law is backfiring, hindering such attempts. Egypt
Trump’s peace deal: A Gaza-centered Palestine The Trump administration is elaborating on a Mideast peace plan of trilateral or even quadruple land swaps, involving Israel, the Palestinians, Egypt and, possibly, Jordan. Saudi Arabia
Jerusalem's political orphans Israeli officials are making unilateral decisions about the fate and future of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem. Palestine
Why is Iraq now stripping Palestinians of their rights? The Iraqi government passed a law depriving Palestinians in the country of their basic rights, which raised questions about the timing that coincided with growing US and Israeli pressure to stop funding the UNRWA. Palestine
Israel seeks to revive long abandoned railway to Gulf Israel is currently discussing a project to reopen the old Hejaz railway to connect it with Saudi Arabia, though many Egyptians are concerned about its impact on trade through the Suez Canal. Egypt
16 prominent Iranian Reformists urge support of protesters While Reformists have been on the sidelines of recent protests in Iran, a number of prominent Reformist leaders recently expressed their support for the right to protest, yet condemned the violence. Iran
Rouhani on defense after attack on hard-line 'fraudulent institutions' Reformists sidelined in Iran's street protests; reactions in Iraq and Turkey; Iran rebuilds ties with Hamas via Hezbollah. Palestine
Mattis denies existence of Iranian 'land bridge' across Middle East In an impromptu visit with reporters on Friday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis denied that Iran had succeeded in constructing a "land bridge" through the Middle East. Syria
