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 Erdogan signaling end of secularism in Turkey? The Religious Affairs Directorate has become the center of the election campaign in Turkey, causing further social discord. Turkey
Will the F-35 change Middle East warfare? Once it appears in Middle Eastern skies, the F-35 fighter aircraft may alter how wars are waged in the region. Israel
Tribal divisions deepen Anbar battle controversy The Islamic State will continue to move freely in Anbar province until Iraqi political parties agree on a joint force composed of the army and the Popular Mobilization Units, to lead the battles for the liberation of Anbar. Iraq
Self-proclaimed Liberland attracts Egyptian youth Egypt’s young generation is hanging by a thread, but Liberland has given the youth some hope amid mounting instability and high unemployment rates in the country. Egypt
Hamas imposes new taxes to meet payroll dues In an attempt to raise the payrolls of employees appointed by the previous Hamas government, new taxes have been levied on goods and services in Gaza, angering importers and consumers. Palestine
Beirut House, a Lebanese heritage symbol The Barakat house, a residential structure first constructed in the 1920s, is being restored as Beit Beirut, a cultural center that will honor the city's heritage. Lebanon
Saving Israeli vultures Vultures have existed in the Holy Land since biblical times, and Israel is investing considerable resources to save the local population from extinction due to urban development, hunting and poisoning. Israel
US restates positions as Israeli government takes shape Senior Obama administration officials have reiterated the president's commitment in a 2009 Cairo speech to the two-state solution, reinforcing the US stance to Netanyahu's new government. Palestine
Israel's spy recruitment puts Gazans in tough spot Gaza security services have been receiving complaints submitted by citizens who have been blackmailed or threatened by Israeli security and intelligence officers to work for them as informants. Palestine
Arab youth use social media to send message of peace to Israel Youths from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and other Arab countries are sending messages via Facebook declaring that they do not hate Israel and expressing hope for better relations. Israel
Iran's tourism industry scrambles to catch up with demand As Iranian President Hassan Rouhani improves relations with the West, Iranian officials announce they will build more hotels to meet the expected demand of foreign tourists. Iran
Saudi Arabia’s Islamist-liberal divide The Saudi regime needs to tend to internal divisions in the kingdom and scale back its interventionism in the region to improve its prospects for long-term stability. Legacy: Gulf
