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
Anger simmers again in Jordan over controversial legislation Public unrest is looming with the Jordanian Parliament passing an income tax bill after the previous version sparked nationwide protests over the summer and discussing another law that would restrict freedom of speech. Jordan
Qatari grant provides temporary relief for some in Gaza A $150 million Qatari grant shows signs of providing some respite to long-suffering Palestinians in Gaza and producing a slight boost to Gaza’s economy, but is not a solution to the humanitarian crisis plaguing the enclave. Qatar
Gender discrimination back in vogue under Israel's conservative judges Israeli democracy suffered a heavy blow this week when conservative justices appointed by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked denied a woman who cheated on her husband her half of their apartment. Israel
When Yara met Fadi: Gazans help couple pick up pieces after Israeli strike "I will wait for you even if it takes 60 years," a young man from Gaza promised his Syrian fiancee before an Israeli airstrike delayed their long-awaited marriage. Palestine
USAID money diverted to Syrian terrorist group "Numerous instances" of diversion reported by US watchdog agency; US sanctions between Iraq and a hard place. Iraq
Saudi crown prince on goodwill tour as royal family frets Saudi Arabia's king and crown prince are touring the country and region to drum up support for the heir apparent, whose thuggish behavior has alarmed many in the royal family and abroad. Saudi Arabia
Egypt's oldest festival makes room for women directors The Cairo International Film Festival is putting female directors in the spotlight this year, including adding a section dedicated to their works. Egypt
Is Egypt's handmade carpet industry on brink of extinction? As handmade carpet factories continue to disappear in Egypt, a dedicated weaver toils on as one of three remaining workers in a surviving enterprise, doing the only job he can imagine. Egypt
Egypt's animated effort to fight religious extremism Dar al-Ifta has created a graphics unit in an attempt to battle religious extremism through animated videos, but the jury is still out on whether the direction taken so far in two productions will persuade the target audience. Egypt
EU, Turkey face off over jailed Kurdish politician Europe’s top human rights court ordered Turkey to free Selahattin Demirtas, a popular Kurdish politician held for two years for his speeches. In an interview before the ruling, he said the European Union is defending its own values by speaking out for him. Turkey
Iran-Iraq relations in light of US sanctions Rather than undermine ties between Iran and Iraq, the Trump administration’s reimposition of sanctions is compelling Iran to deepen ties with its western neighbor. Iraq
Gaza security tracking down suspects in recent Israeli raid Security services in the Gaza Strip have arrested Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israeli forces in a foiled mission in Khan Yunis. Palestine
