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
Egypt initiates plan to ensure food security Egypt plans to cultivate 4 million acres of strategic crops for its large population, but water scarcity and a lack of funds raise doubts about its feasibility. Egypt
Drug use spreads among Iraqi youth Many Iraqi youths are using drugs to escape the hardships of their lives, as some are unemployed or come from fragmented families. Iraq
Yemen’s Houthis draw the attention of Iraqis The Houthis in Yemen recently made the Iraqi headlines, as some consider that there are measures to direct the media toward the support of Shiite parties outside Iraq after internal failures. Saudi Arabia
Iran officials condemn death sentence of Saudi cleric The death sentence of prominent Saudi Shiite cleric and anti- government protest leader Nimr al-Nimr has been widely condemned by Iranian officials and the country's media organizations. Saudi Arabia
What it's like to fight for Hamas Abu Abdel Rahman, a fighter with Hamas’ Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, still dreams of fighting against Israeli forces in the last Gaza war. Palestine
Common enemy brings Iran, Saudi Arabia closer Relations between Saudi Arabia and the Shiite movements in Yemen, namely the Houthis, have fluctuated over the years but may turn into a Saudi-Iranian rapprochement as a common enemy threatens both sides. Saudi Arabia
Social revolution and the new Negev pioneers The third anniversary of the social justice movement was marked in Sheizaf with great satisfaction: A young, flourishing community has been established in the Negev Desert and several education and development plans are in store. Israel
Houthi victories in Yemen make Saudi Arabia nervous The rapid victories of the Shiite Houthi group in Yemen make Saudi Arabia worry that Iran is surrounding the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
Kurdish riots overshadow Fitch’s Turkey rating Deadly protests in Turkey over the siege of Kobani led to a shock at financial markets despite the good news of Fitch affirming the country’s investment grade. Turkey
Military candidates to dominate Egyptian parliament As Egypt gears up for parliamentary elections, many fear that former generals will be elected to consolidate President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's power. Egypt
Syrian rebels eye capital after gains in south Syrian rebels continue to make significant inroads in the country’s south as the Syrian government focuses on key battles in Damascus. Syria
Will Gaza donors conference encourage multilateral talks? The Gaza donors conference, the third of its kind, is different from the two previous meetings in that the host has called on Israel to embrace the Arab Peace Initiative and join a multilateral negotiation track. Palestine
