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
Does Egypt need an animal welfare law? The Egyptian Veterinarians Syndicate is drafting the first animal welfare law in Egypt, but some worry the parliament won't take it seriously and will disregard it as an unnecessary luxury. Egypt
Israeli ultra-Orthodox party giving up on fight against Mizrahi discrimination The Shas Party has abandoned the very fight for which it was created: discrimination of the Ashkenazi establishment against girls of Mizrahi origin. Israel
Israel has good reason to fear ICC If, as Israel claims, its actions in the West Bank are lawful, why is the US administration fighting the Palestinian effort to have the matter heard at the International Criminal Court? Palestine
Defeating IS in Yemen While the Islamic State has faced major defeats in Iraq and Syria, the protracted war in Yemen has provided the terrorist group's branch in that country oxygen to breathe. Saudi Arabia
Yemenis 'trapped in hell' as war escalates With help from the United States and the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia’s blockade and airstrikes on Yemen have created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia
Turkey probes US prosecutor in Zarrab trial twist A top Turkish prosecutor is formally investigating the US prosecutor in the trial of Iranian-Turkish businessman Reza Zarrab, demanding information about the evidence compiled for the gold trader's sanctions-busting activities. Turkey
Has Kushner given Riyadh carte blanche? Diplomats and military chiefs worry Jared Kushner's peace play could be giving Saudis and Emiratis a sense of entitlement to take overreaching, hard-line actions that could destabilize the region. Saudi Arabia
Khamenei adviser apologizes for cursing Rouhani VP A shadowy adviser to Iran’s supreme leader entered the spotlight after a video of him attacking the first vice president went viral. Iran
Saudi Arabia seeks to turn back clock on Iran The debacle surrounding the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister amid growing Saudi hostility toward Iran suggests a coming showdown in the region. Saudi Arabia
Heartbreak in Turkey's Diyarbakir as development transforms ancient Sur The Turkish government promised to rebuild Diyarbakir and its ancient heart of Sur, but its modern plans offer both insult and injury to the city's heritage. Turkey
Turkey, Iran, Russia: Trilateral distrust in Syria Iran and Turkey are concerned that Russia might exploit them at some point to achieve its own goals in Syria. Syria
Are Israel, Saudi Arabia about to upgrade relations? Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Prince Mohammed bin Zayed are dramatically changing relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia
