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
Egypt flexes its mediation muscle in Lebanon crisis During an emergency meeting in Cairo, the Arab League condemned Iran’s meddling in Arab affairs. Saudi Arabia
Tunisia's president survives death rumor — again Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, understandably perturbed by the second fake report of his death in just over a year, is determined to prosecute those behind what he sees as a politically motivated effort to foment discord. Tunisia
Women’s battle with Egypt’s State Council continues The State Council refused to look into an appeal to appoint women as judges, despite constitutional texts stressing the equality between men and women in assuming public posts. Egypt
Hamas stands with Hezbollah, says Arab League ignores Israeli terror After an Arab League summit including delegates from the Palestinian Authority produced a statement denouncing Hezbollah as a terrorist entity, Hamas and other Palestinian groups responded with defiance. Palestine
Are Israeli-Arab Knesset members neglecting political game? Arab Knesset members didn't bother showing up to the recent vote over the Recommendations law, which would protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from police investigations. Israel
Will Egypt run out of water? How will Cairo manage the risk of endangering its historic water share following the failure of the Egyptian and Ethiopian negotiations on the construction of the Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile? Egypt
Secret amendment of Israeli order could cost 300 Palestinians their homes Two years ago, Israel quietly amended a 2003 directive banning the construction of unauthorized settler outposts to include Palestinian homes and is now working to enforce it. Palestine
Fashion legacy of Israeli icon on display in new exhibit Israelis are remembering celebrated screen legend Ronit Elkabetz through an exhibit of her distinctive and daring couture. Israel
Turkey’s Alevis on edge after homes vandalized More than a dozen Alevi homes were recently marked with red paint, setting off alarm bells for Turkey's largest minority group, which has a long memory of sectarian violence. Turkey
Soccer politics reaches fever pitch in Iran Despite promises to promote the privatization of soccer, Iranian authorities retain a firm grip over the sport in the country. Iran
US faces uphill battle recouping arms from Syrian Kurds As the fight against the Islamic State winds down, the Donald Trump administration says it plans to get back the weapons it loaned to Kurdish troops opposed by Turkey. Syria
Iranian wrestler’s deliberate loss stirs controversy The story of an Iranian wrestler who was pressured to lose against a Russian opponent to avoid facing an Israeli wrestler has caused controversy in Iran. Israel
