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
FBI says Ankara's Iran sanction-busting woes not over When a US federal agent spoke publicly about the investigation into a Turkish-Iranian sanctions-busting scheme and verified rumors that Turkey had tried to get the defendants freed, she confirmed Ankara's fear that more fallout from the scandal is still to come. Turkey
Turkish millennials seek their own literary heroes Millennials and post-millennials read differently than their elders, as they are faster in skimming, better in sharing and interested in interactive literary works. Turkey
Perplexed Iranians watch price of ‘moving coffin’ hit all-time high An Iranian-made vehicle notorious for its low safety standards has seen a price jump of around 50% in a matter of three weeks, sparking outrage. Iran
Palestinians mobilize to restore Mosul library in memory of past Iraqi support In a gesture of solidarity to Iraq, Palestine has sent thousands of books to the Mosul library and promises more to come. Palestine
Iraqis split over US military decision to stay in Iraq Iraqi Shiite politicians and armed groups close to the parties in power disagree over the international coalition’s announcement that it will keep its forces in the country. Iraq
Will Hamas, Israel call Qatar-brokered truce? Qatar has been increasingly involved in talks between Hamas and Israel in what raises questions about its exploitation of the Gaza card in the Gulf crisis. Qatar
New IDF strategy to focus on missiles Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman intends to establish a new military corps dedicated to missiles and rockets to counter growing threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Syrian army. Israel
Outrage as fight over Israel’s nationality law reaches UN Israel’s political right has accused Arab Knesset members of treason over their petition to the UN against the new nationality law many consider discriminatory. Palestine
Mobile Palestinian police unit begins work in Area C Palestinian police in the West Bank launched their first mobile police station in Hebron, which is under Israeli control, to help locals submit complaints. Palestine
Turkey connecting Syria's al-Bab to its power supply Turkey's State Electricity Generating Company has been awarded the contract to supply al-Bab, in northern Syria, with electricity. Syria
Palestinian aid critics wary of Trump cuts The Donald Trump administration’s sweeping cuts are sparking concern even among Israel advocates. Palestine
UN war crimes report threatens US support for Yemen war A UN report alleging that the anti-Houthi coalition may have carried out war crimes could further erode support for US bomb sales and military support. Saudi Arabia
