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
Iran in crosshairs as Syrian war winds down As a resolution to the Syrian conflict grows closer, it is becoming clear that Iran is increasingly in the crosshairs of the Damascus regime's opponents and their backers. Saudi Arabia
Palestine tops Arab League agenda at Jordan summit Palestinian leaders have expressed happiness that their concerns were addressed at the Arab League summit, though the annual meeting has done little to convince the world of Arab resolve on any one issue. Palestine
Lebanon's complacent politicians choose more taxes over reforms As the Lebanese government passed a new budget that includes tax hikes and spending increases, economic experts are calling on politicians to instead focus on fighting corruption and money waste in state institutions. Lebanon
Qatar's lifeline to Gaza In an interview with Al-Monitor, Yousef al-Ghariz, adviser to the chair of the Qatari Committee for Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, discussed the ins and outs of the $400 million worth of projects the committee has implemented. Business
Palestinian task force seeks to improve disaster management The Palestinian Cabinet has formed the National Disaster Risk Management Committee to study and better prepare for national disasters. Palestine
Despite talk of good relations, security concerns darken Egypt-Sudan ties Though both sides seem to be trying to downplay the conflicts, Egypt-Sudan relations remain far from friendly as Sudan accuses the Egyptian regime of supporting Sudanese rebels and Egypt accuses Sudan of hosting terror training camps. Egypt
One man's quest to save the Jewish Iraqi language Oded Amit, who was born in Baghdad and eventually fled to Israel, has taken it upon himself to teach Israelis of Iraqi immigrants the language of their ancestors in order to preserve it. Iraq
Egypt's camel racers hope to spur tourism Ismailia's annual camel race kicked off with much international fanfare and hopes for a boost in Egypt's tourism sector. Egypt
Critics say operation to take port could spell more catastrophe for Yemen As the Trump administration considers providing support for a UAE/Saudi operation to take a Yemeni port, some UN, former US officials warn it could tip Yemen into famine. Saudi Arabia
Congress raises alarm over US confrontation with Yemen's Houthis House members want the legislative branch to sign off before any escalation against the Iran-backed group. Saudi Arabia
Will EU take the lead on two-state solution? The European Union is developing a new Middle East policy, which will not depend on the Trump administration. Palestine
Turkey adopts Baghdadi as poster child for naysayers Supporters of proposed amendments to Turkey's constitution are using some vivid imagery in their campaign. Turkey
