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
Ice hockey brings together Tunisians across globe Tunisia’s national ice hockey team is helping diaspora Tunisians rediscover their ancestral roots, as they attempt to bring the winter sport to North African soil. Tunisia
Russia resumes flights to Egypt Russia resumed flights to Egypt today after two years of suspension in a move expected to give a massive boost to tourism. Egypt
US freezes military aid to chaotic Libya US assistance from an Obama-era program remains shut down amid an uncertain security situation in the North African country. Libya
Erdogan rebuffs Moscow’s call to hand Afrin to Syrian government Russia wants Turkey to hand control of Afrin province to Damascus, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the territory will be returned to local residents at Ankara’s discretion. Syria
What's behind Iran's massive capital flight? While a large amount of hard currency has left Iran in the years since the implementation of the nuclear deal, the picture is more complex than a simple case of investors rushing to move their capital outside the country. Iran
Iran MPs call on Central Bank governor to resign as rial plummets Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Central Bank Gov. Valiollah Seif have come under heavy fire over the sudden devaluation of the rial. Iran
Russia might not be ready for long-term OPEC commitment Saudi Arabia seems to think Russia is on board with a lengthy OPEC deal, but Moscow has a lot of factors to consider. Legacy: Gulf
Turkey to lower price of citizenship for foreign investors Disappointed by the impact of a citizenship incentive offered to foreign homebuyers last year, Ankara is expected to lower the bar from $1 million to $300,000. Turkey
Desperate Gazans protesting against Israel, but also Hamas While thousands of Gaza residents participated in the Hamas-backed Great Return March, many blame Hamas for their suffering. Palestine
Palestinian sisters dig into history of last all-Christian village Two sisters researched the history of Taybeh, where they grew up, and have published an encyclopedia on the only all-Christian village in Palestine. Palestine
The case for dissent in the IDF While some civil society groups and activists have urged Israeli soldiers to refuse orders to fire at unarmed civilians engaged in border protests, thus far soldiers aren't rebelling. Palestine
Gaza's immense potential If Hamas and Israel were to sign a long-term cease-fire, the Gaza Strip could make use of a natural gas field in the Mediterranean, a highly educated population and wonderful beaches to become a pleasant place to live. Palestine
