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
Russia eyes greater Palestinian role The Russian Foreign Ministry announced its readiness to hold Fatah-Hamas talks to overcome the obstacles impeding internal reconciliation, amid an expected visit by head of the Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh to Moscow. Palestine
Copts once again fall victim to deadly violence in Egypt In an area of Egypt known for violence against Coptic Christians, a father and son were recently slain, allegedly by an Egyptian who was supposed to be guarding a church. Egypt
Creating hipster culture in an old tobacco factory in Sulaimaniyah Sulaimaniyah's defunct tobacco factory celebrates its second year as an arts and culture center. Iraq
Trump buries the hatchet with Erdogan over Syria The US troop withdrawal could also lead to a return of the 'art of the deal' with Putin. Israel
Christmas without Christians in IS-liberated Mosul Mosul's second Christmas after its liberation from the Islamic State is a far cry from its past celebrations — the few churches that have been repaired remain empty. Iraq
Church’s political role sparks debate among Iraqi Christians The Iraqi Chaldean Catholic Church attempts to have a bigger role in Christian politics, but Christian parties see this as unwarranted interference by the religious institution. Iraq
Gaza's Christians blocked from travel to Bethlehem Israeli authorities have refused to grant many Christians in the Gaza Strip exit permits to celebrate the Christmas holidays in Bethlehem in the West Bank. Palestine
Uncertainties abound as Iran moves to privatize its two biggest soccer clubs Iran’s Cabinet has given the green light to the privatization of the popular Esteghlal and Persepolis soccer clubs, but from the debts to the losses, the process promises to be rocky at best. Iran
Erdogan gets his wish from Trump in Syria, but now what? Ankara fears that US President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to exit Syria could become a pyrrhic victory, as four main concerns could widen security vulnerabilities and trouble Turkey's president domestically. Syria
Win for Erdogan, betrayal for the Kurds With Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, Turkey was handed a victory over the Kurds. Syria
Mattis exits over Mideast policy split with Trump Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis announced his resignation the day after President Donald Trump decided to pull US troops out of Syria. Syria
Rising sea levels threaten Egyptian coasts Egypt announces state of emergency following a major flood in the coastal governorate of Kafr El Sheikh as a result of turbulent weather. Egypt
