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
Is Saudi crown prince winning or losing in the Middle East? With Saad Hariri staying on as prime minister in Lebanon, the Saudi crown prince has suffered another setback in his efforts to counter Iran. Saudi Arabia
Second Turkish city makes UNESCO gastronomy list Now that it boasts a second city, Hatay, in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, Turkey’s tourism leaders are hoping to lure back Western tourists with their country's gastronomic delights. Turkey
Egyptian authorities clamp down on 'Sisi's balls' Egyptian toy stores were delighted when a cheap toy came back into fashion — until they discovered that selling it could land you in jail. Egypt
Proposed US sanctions on PMU put Iraq in tough spot Proposed sanctions against factions of the Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units would place the Iraqi government squarely in the middle of a tug of war between Iran and the United States. Iraq
PLO office closure threat could be last straw for Palestinians Though it was reversed just a week later, the US decision to close the PLO office in Washington led to increased calls for the Palestinians to move ahead with more unilateral actions. Palestine
Imprudent foreign financing could jeopardize Iran’s economy Contrary to common wisdom, not all foreign financing, especially the type currently trickling into Iran, is good for state finances and the country’s economy. Iran
Abbas under pressure to accept Trump's 'ultimate' deal The United States is making efforts to push US President Donald Trump's vision for the Palestinian-Israeli peace process using Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a pressure point. Saudi Arabia
New phone app helps Egyptian women fight sexual harassment A group of young Egyptians has developed a mobile phone app to fight sexual harassment by helping women identify and avoid harassment as well as deal with its aftermath. Egypt
Does Tunisia's police protection bill go too far? A draft law on preventing attacks against Tunisia's police forces has raised red flags, with some arguing it would undermine human rights and allow police to operate with impunity. Tunisia
Israeli singer fights for peace from stage Israeli singer Noa isn't deterred by the criticism of Israeli right-wingers and decisions by localities to boycott her as she continues her support of the two-state solution. Palestine
Cairo sends university students to tour military industry University students are touring Egypt's military production facilities as part of a state program to educate the public and defend its image. Egypt
Is Israel shifting stance on Trump's peace initiative? With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu troubled by internal affairs, he might agree to the launching of US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace initiative. Palestine
