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
Rouhani adviser not optimistic about nuclear talks An adviser to President Hassan Rouhani has said that he is not optimistic about the nuclear talks despite the two sides seeming inclined to reach an agreement. Originals
Islamic State accused of using chlorine gas on Iraqi soldiers Survivors of an Islamic State siege on an Iraqi army regiment in Anbar say the terrorist group used chlorine gas against them. Iraq
Erdogan's slow turnaround on foreign fighters in Syria US Vice President Joe Biden says "our biggest problem is our allies" in combating foreign fighters; Aleppo battle lines so far unaffected by airstrikes; Israel considers threat from Islamic State. Israel
Abbas pushes UN statehood plan forward The Palestinian Authority views Benjamin Netanyahu's government as a hopeless case, so it plans to move forward on four tracks to achieve UN recognition of Palestine by 2015. Palestine
AKP base divided on Turkey's vote to join coalition Pro-government commentators have raised questions over Turkey’s participation in a US-led coalition, while the latest polls show Turks are split on what their country's role should be in fighting the Islamic state. Iraq
Supporters accuse Syrian regime of cooperating on airstrikes The Syrian government’s supporters are divided in their views on the US-led strikes against the Islamic State in Syria, with many believing it violates Syria’s national sovereignty and humiliates the country. Syria
Baghdad hopes for better film festival Iraqi filmgoers are hoping this year’s Baghdad International Film Festival will be an improvement over last year, when low-quality films marred the event. Iraq
Theater returns to Aleppo amid war Locals in rebel-held Aleppo defied air raids and artillery shells to see the first play to be held in the area since the Syrian uprising began. Syria
Erbil, Baghdad strengthen ties in face of Islamic State As the Islamic State continues its relentless campaign in Iraq and Syria, the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government are realizing the benefits of cooperation and compromise. Iraq
Israeli war destroys Gaza antiquities Owners of private museums that housed thousands of antiquities continue to survey the damage and looting committed by Israeli forces in the latest conflict. Palestine
Route to Mecca shortened for Arab Israelis Arab-Israeli pilgrims can now fly from Israel via Jordan to Mecca, without a long and expensive stopover in Amman. Israel
Despite diplomatic stalemate, Livni clings to her seat Despite being a strong public advocate for peace, Tzipi Livni remains a member of an Israeli government hostile to the diplomatic process with the Palestinians. Palestine
