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
Palestinians not popping Champagne over UN resolution Following the UN vote against Donald Trump’s Jerusalem proclamation, the Palestinians are taking advantage of the diplomatic momentum to advance the two-state solution; however, without strong backing from the international community, the door will be left open for a religious war instigated by Iran and its allies. Palestine
Can Russian-Saudi unity extend beyond oil pact? Moscow and Riyadh are on the same page currently when it comes to oil, but it's unclear whether that understanding will last long enough to grease the wheels of further collaboration. Saudi Arabia
Cryptocurrencies could offer Iran way around sanctions While the rise of cryptocurrencies potentially offers Iran a way around the web of sanctions, much remains to be done for the country to be able to fully take advantage of such an opportunity. Iran
Iranian women no longer face jail for dress code violations Iranian police will no longer round up poorly veiled women and take them to detention centers. Iran
Saudi diplomacy goes on defensive Saudi Arabia could live to regret its warm ties with US President Donald Trump as his foreign policy threatens to undermine its longstanding position as the defender of Muslims and the Islamic world. Saudi Arabia
Istanbul wary as New Year's approaches Some Turks have complained about the ramped up security around New Year's Eve, but the authorities have every reason to go into prevention overdrive after last year's nightclub massacre. Turkey
Graphic novel brings human side of Yemen to life Despite the ravaging war, real life in Yemen remains mysterious to outsiders, and two Italian authors are sharing their take with "The Yemeni Bride." Yemen
Can Baghdad contain diseases in areas liberated from IS? In the absence of supervised and well-coordinated health care, areas liberated from the Islamic State suffer from the spread of diseases. Iraq
Israeli opposition on the attack The Labor Party and Yesh Atid finally looked like an actual opposition in joining forces against legislation advanced by the right-wing governing coalition. Israel
Does boycotting US medication benefit Egypt? Several Egyptian companies have called on citizens to boycott American pharmaceutical companies in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Egypt
Egypt plans for dam alternative in disputed area Now that negotiations over the Renaissance Dam project have failed, Egypt wants to build a separate dam in the Shalateen area to compensate for the country’s water loss. Egypt
Israeli parties play to voters in fight over Sabbath Disagreements within the ruling coalition over a bill mandating the closure of supermarkets on the Sabbath are just the first gentle digs in the coming electoral war. Israel
