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
Zionist Camp, leftist Meretz battle over base Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Gal-On is campaigning to preserve her party's constituency, which is turning toward the Zionist Camp list in hopes of an electoral upset. Israel
Are Turkish troops guardians or accidental hostages at Syrian tomb? Delayed rotation of Turkish troops guarding the Tomb of Suleiman Shah in Syria is causing frustration. Syria
Sex scandals shake Israeli police In the last 18 months, seven top Israeli police commanders have been forced to resign — four under sexual misconduct charges — leaving the police force shattered and leaderless. Israel
Iraqi government spends millions on medical treatment abroad The Iraqi government is paying huge sums to help Iraqis travel abroad for medical treatment instead of allocating money to improve health care in the country. Iraq
Israel's deadliest roads Despite well-documented fatalities on roads in the Negev, successive Israeli governments have turned a blind eye, choosing instead to allocate funds to build and expand settlement infrastructure. Israel
Hamas reaches out to new Saudi leadership As Hamas offers its condolences for the death of the Saudi king, it seems to be using "funeral diplomacy" as an opportunity to re-establish ties with the Gulf state. Saudi Arabia
Egyptian antiquities remain at risk A mix of ineptitude, mismanagement and corruption is leading to the damage, loss and theft of invaluable treasures from Egypt’s history. Egypt
Hamas declares opening of Gaza seaport Hamas is working to open and operate its Gaza seaport, especially since countries such as Turkey, Cyprus and Greece apparently have agreed to send and receive ships from Gaza. Palestine
Rouhani: We don’t need a nuclear bomb In a speech in Esfahan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that Iran does not need a nuclear bomb to secure its safety. Iran
Conspiracies, victimhood cloud Turks' views of Hebdo killings A survey reveals that conspiratorial theories prevent Turks from seeing the "real victims" in the Charlie Hebdo killings, but also that the majority of Turks oppose such violence in the name of Islam. Turkey
Shiites have mixed reactions to new Saudi king The death of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz divided the Shiite community: While many celebrated and rejoiced, others deeply regretted the death of the Saudi monarch who was known for his moderate and reformist attitude. Saudi Arabia
More Gazans undergoing cosmetic surgery Despite of and because of the social, economic and political problems in Gaza, more residents are having cosmetic surgery in the hope of living better lives. Palestine
