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
How Palestinian authorities plan to clamp down on cybercrime The establishment of a cybercrime task force in Palestine aims to deter e-crimes, which many Palestinians are falling victim to and are not reporting to the police out of fear and intimidation. Palestine
Palestinians need own strategy to end occupation The disappointing Paris peace conference should convince Palestinians of the need to develop a strategy of their own and not to rely on the international community to end the Israeli occupation. Palestine
Circus troupe takes Jerusalem's streets by storm Three young Palestinians founded Street Circus to put on free, spontaneous shows for entertaining residents and bringing attention to the city's lack of support for the arts. Palestine
Sinai women turn to embroidery to preserve Bedouin culture Despite the worsening security situation, an Egyptian woman from the Sinai Peninsula launched a project to modernize traditional female attire and promote Sinai's rich Bedouin heritage for tourism. Egypt
The secret nightlife of Jerusalem’s old market Ultra-Orthodox leaders are fighting to keep the old Jerusalem market of Mahane Yehuda from slipping further into a hot nightspot. Israel
Who will have upper hand in Trump’s Mideast policy? Palestinians are enlisting the European Union, Egypt and Russia to counterbalance pro-Israeli positions that prevail within President Donald Trump’s entourage. Palestine
British leader defends Iran deal in meetings with Republicans British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to urge Donald Trump not to mess with the nuclear deal after delivering the same message to congressional Republicans. Congress
How will Trump’s anti-Muslim Brotherhood inner circle view Qatar? While Qatar’s support for groups such as Hamas has caused tense ties with the United States in the past, Donald Trump’s presidency could create even more challenges for Qatar. Saudi Arabia
Iranian conservative, Reformist media jointly lash out at Trump’s planned visa ban Donald Trump’s reported decision to at least temporarily ban Iranians from entering the United States has angered Iranians, leading a prominent actress to boycott the upcoming Academy Awards. Meanwhile, Iranian media are warning the government to prepare for the new US administration’s other possibly punitive measures. United States
Turkey holds applause for Trump's safe-zone promise Turkey would still likely welcome a US-sponsored safe zone in rebel-held areas, but the new US president's pledge to order safe zones did not specify where in Syria they might be established. Syria
Why Islamists are no longer Erdogan’s favorites Turkey’s new ruling ideology is Erdoganism, and its critics include some Islamists who now find themselves in the “traitor” category. Turkey
Egypt's contraceptive crisis worsened by illegal stockpiling As contraceptive pills disappear from pharmacies in Egypt, allegations arise of illegal stockpiling by pharmaceutical companies in anticipation of a government-mandated price increase on the medication. Egypt
