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
Iraqi citizens' sentiment may be softening toward Israel Grass-roots support for improved communications seems to be growing in both Iraq and Israel, though officially they have no diplomatic relations. Iraq
Soccer returns to Mosul after three-year ban After three years of being banned by the Islamic State, soccer returns to the city of Mosul, yet facilities remain in dire need of repair. Iraq
Hamas takes another step on path to Gaza handover The Palestinian government will be heading to the Gaza Strip to take over its responsibilities and overcome the challenges represented by the Gaza employees and security issues. Palestine
Ultra-Orthodox play long game with Sabbath soccer debate Israel's Ultra-Orthodox may not really be bothered by soccer being played on the Sabbath, but the complaint offers useful leverage for other political demands. Israel
Israel unsure about 'day after' Abbas, and even 'day before' The latest Israeli intelligence assessment raises concerns about explosions of violence not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank in light of the diplomatic stalemate and uncertainty surrounding President Mahmoud Abbas' remaining time in office. Palestine
Settlement attack reignites counterterror debate in Israel The attack at the Har Adar settlement by a 37-year-old Palestinian destabilizes assessments by Israeli security agencies over the profile of potential Palestinian assailants. Palestine
Border crossings bring in cash for Free Syrian Army factions The Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army is racking up serious sums of money from fees it charges at border crossings in northern Syria. Syria
Former KRG PM emerges to shake up Kurdish politics The Kurdistan Region's independence referendum has opened the door for a new regional Kurdish movement promoted by a diverse coalition of dissidents, leftists, secularists and Islamists. Iraq
Online portal offers Palestinian diaspora piece of home A Palestinian businesswoman has adopted the tradition of gift baskets to bring a taste of homeland to Palestinian diaspora. Palestine
Palestinian neighbors deplore attack in West Bank settlement Israelis and Palestinians fear that the terror attack in the Har Adar settlement will ruin years of good neighborliness. Palestine
Egypt’s experimental theater raises ire of traditionalists The Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre remains one of the most prestigious events for theater groups that opt for novelty on stage — but is there an audience in Egypt? Egypt
King of pop remembered in Egyptian film Egypt has nominated "Sheikh Jackson," a film that portrays the torments of a cleric upon learning that his childhood hero is dead, for the 2018 Academy Award for best foreign language film. Egypt
