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
'Bottlegate' and corruption rank low on Israel's political agenda Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to lead in polls despite the "Bottlegate" scandal surrounding his wife, suggesting that fighting corruption holds little importance in the eyes of the Israeli voter. Israel
Jordan's king tells Congress 'gloves are off' in fight against IS Key lawmakers endorse $1 billion aid package after airman slain. Jordan
Wilayat Sinai targets Egyptian army stronghold According to sources, Wilayat Sinai carried out an organized attack against the largest headquarters of the Egyptian army in the peninsula. Egypt
Iranian nuclear negotiators face further criticism Iran's nuclear negotiators are coming under more criticism and some believe that the supreme leader will soon take a hard line on the talks. Iran
Khamenei's fans take to Instagram Supporters of Iran's supreme leader have taken to Instagram to share his message urging the youth of the West to study Islam. Iran
Iran denies US claim that nuclear talks include missiles Iran's deputy foreign minister has denied claims by the US State Department that Iran’s missile program is under discussion during the nuclear talks. Iran
Is Erdogan's daughter running for office? Critics say an effort to shield Turkey's first family from corruption investigations lies behind the expected move to win President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's daughter a seat in Ankara. Turkey
Erdogan aims to create stronger presidential system The ruling Justice and Development Party needs sufficient votes in June to draft a constitution that fulfills President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s dream of becoming Turkey’s sole leader. Turkey
Kurdish rivalry delays victory in Sinjar Kurdish forces celebrated a joint victory at Kobani, but they have become rivals in the fight against the Islamic State in the Mount Sinjar area. Iraq
Fate of Gazans is in Hamas' hands The Hamas movement is at a decisive crossroads: either it relinquishes its military control and concentrates on rehabilitating the Gaza Strip or it risks destroying all of Gaza's residents. Palestine
Israel reluctantly accepts Hamas rule Israel has quietly changed its stance toward Gaza with a loosening of the blockade to improve the transfer of goods and movement of people in the hope of averting another explosion in the enclave. Palestine
What was behind Qasem Soleimani’s visit to Lebanon? Lebanese media reported that the commander of the Iranian Quds forces, Qasem Soleimani, met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, perhaps prompting the latter's changing the unwritten, retaliatory "rules of engagement" with Israel. Lebanon
