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
Saudi king uses Arab Summit to adjust Riyadh's stance toward Trump In response to a growing rift between Riyadh's regional policies and some actions by President Donald Trump, King Salman has reaffirmed long-held alliances while distancing the kingdom from Washington. Saudi Arabia
Gaza restaurant offers food to poor families Gazan restaurant owner Abdallah Lafi went to school hungry many times, and now he has launched a campaign to help other children and families get a meal. Palestine
Israeli-Arab party split over US strike on Syria The Hadash faction within the Israeli-Arab Joint List demonstrated against the American attack on Syrian chemical depots. Palestine
Iran keeps close eye on upcoming US-North Korea talks While Iran has refrained from commenting on the upcoming talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, it is keeping a close eye on the prospect of a nuclear deal between the United States and North Korea. United States
Following Syria strikes, Rouhani calls for closer Iran-Russia ties Iranian officials say that the strikes on Syria demonstrate that armed groups are close to defeat. Syria
Egypt’s science-minded women show off their skills A competition organized by the British Council shows that young Egyptian women neither shy away from science nor think it is a man’s domain. Egypt
Tunisian president denies plan to dismiss PM A spokeswoman for Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has dismissed claims that the head of state intends to fire the prime minister as politically baseless. Tunisia
Netanyahu compares himself to Israel’s founding father The text written this week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comparing himself to Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, has no credibility whatsoever. Israel
Egypt debates how to block dangerous viral games Following claims that the suicide of an Egyptian politician’s son was due to the "Blue Whale Challenge," Egyptians are seeking tighter restrictions on these types of online games. Egypt
Iranian sculptor's desire for artistic freedom takes him across region Iranian Kurdish sculptor Seywan Saeedian's life takes him across borders in a conflict-torn region, where artistic independence often comes at a steep price. Turkey
After missile strikes, Trump resumes exit strategy for Syria "No amount of American blood or treasure can produce lasting peace and security in the Middle East," Trump says. Syria
Turkey's response to US-led Syria strikes: Not enough but welcomed Immediate Turkish official reactions to the US-led airstrikes in Syria differ significantly from the public’s perceptions: While most Turks are skeptical of Western bombing of a Muslim nation, Erdogan fans afflicted by "Assad-phobia" cheered. Syria
