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
Iranians lash out at preferential treatment of pilgrims While many Iranians have criticized the authorities’ decision to allow visa fees for the Arbaeen pilgrimage to be paid at the secondary foreign currency market rate, the move could, in reality, be filling the administration’s coffers. Iraq
Meet the woman who could lead Israel’s right-wing camp Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, seen as the person who would replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the leader of Israel's right wing, comes under major fire from the center-left. Israel
Week of art, design begins as twin fairs open in Beirut Beirut, a growing regional destination for artists, is showcasing its rich and diverse art scene with weeklong programs dedicated to contemporary art and design. Lebanon
How Israeli right lays claim to religion The recently adopted nationality law is only the latest example of a long string of efforts to exploit and pressure Israelis by linking political views to religious beliefs. Israel
Iran's rich, influential religious singers eclipse clerics As Iran's traditional eulogists grow in fame and influence, they have drawn criticism from the clerics who used to have the main voices in religious ceremonies. Iran
Trump’s Iran envoy blasts Tehran missile work, downplays prospects for NY meeting Brian Hook, the US special envoy on Iran, said any new agreement with Iran would have to curb Iran’s transfer of ballistic missile technology. United States
Turkish court keeps former NASA scientist in prison NASA scientist Serkan Golge, in jail on coup-plot charges, lost an initial appeal to a Turkish court. His wife believes he is a captive in Ankara’s feud with Washington, which has flexed diplomatic and economic muscle to free another jailed American. Turkey
Iranian singer's 'sickening' anti-Islam post embarrasses hard-liners An Iranian singer supported by the country's hard-liners has become a source of embarrassment after he greatly offended Shiite Islam in a social media post. Iran
Backlash in Iraq over chants glamorizing Saddam in Algeria Praising former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during a soccer match between Iraq and Algeria has angered Iraqis and is affecting the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Iraq
Plane shot down over Syria puts Russia-Israel relations to the test A Russian plane downed by Syrian missiles responding to an Israeli strike has strained relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv and sent both sides into crisis-management mode. Israel
Idlib still wary of attack despite Turkish-Russian agreement Despite the Turkish-Russian agreement on a buffer zone in Idlib, the opposition-held city is preparing for an attack by the regime. Syria
Months after tax crisis, Jordanians protest new law Jordanians say the new draft income tax law is too similar to the one that brought down the last government in May. Jordan
