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
How did Turkey end up with VIP plane it didn’t need? A Qatar leader's VIP plane that had first been put up for sale ended up as a gift for Erdogan, causing a major stir in Turkey. United Arab Emirates
Iran pursues opposition by bombing Iraqi Kurdistan Tehran is expanding its influence in Iraq, taking a tougher stance against its exiled Kurdish opposition in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq
Iran-India logistical cooperation set to jump amid scaled-back energy ties India is well-versed in the game of balancing ties with Iran and the United States and is set to use the current situation over sanctions to promote logistical cooperation with Tehran while limiting oil imports from Iran. United States
Syrian girl’s Twitter account accused of Western propaganda Russia has accused the West of manipulating the Twitter account of a six-year-old girl from Idlib, who is posting about the suffering of children in the province ahead of an imminent regime offensive. Syria
Palestine steps up efforts against Eurovision 2019 in Israel Following an open letter of international artists to The Guardian against the holding of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Israel, Palestine steps up rhetoric against the song contest. Palestine
Anti-bullying campaigns raising social awareness in Egypt Egypt's education sector has teamed up with UNICEF and the European Union to start public and private discussions on detecting and preventing peer-to-peer physical and psychological violence among children. Egypt
Dozens of Turkish airport workers jailed after protest A labor protest demanding better conditions and a safer workplace at Istanbul’s controversial new airport, due to open in six weeks, lands 24 workers in jail pending formal charges. Officials say they are provocateurs seeking to sully one of Turkey’s grandest infrastructure projects. Turkey
What rial devaluation means for Iranian government While the devaluation of the rial has had a negative impact on Iranian society, it has the potential to help key economic players — including the government and the Central Bank — to gain a new and sustainable balance in their finances. Iran
Erdogan scores diplomatic wins in meetings with Putin, Merkel Despite negative portrayals of President Erdogan, he has been successful in his recent diplomatic efforts. Syria
Backlash in Iran as some wartime veterans circumvent new retirement law A number of Iran's senior public sector workers are reportedly taking advantage of a new law that exempts highly disabled veterans from mandatory retirement. Iran
Morocco plays Iran card to get US support on Western Sahara Morocco is alleging ties between Hezbollah and the Polisario Front to secure the Donald Trump administration’s support for its territorial claims on the disputed region. Morocco
Jordan takes steps to support Jerusalem’s Palestinians Palestinian Jerusalemites hope that Jordan's announcement of a reduction in passport fees for them, and an easier application process, signal an effort by Amman to become more involved in defending their rights. Palestine
