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
Israeli protesters swarm EU diplomats in East Jerusalem The European delegation came to speak out against a new Israeli housing project in the disputed area. Israel
Erdogan's call for two-state solution in Cyprus dims hopes for Turkish 'reset' with West Speaking during a visit to Northern Cyprus, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would continue drilling in contested waters around Cyprus and the Greek islands “until a fair settlement” was reached. Turkey
Former Iranian PM Mousavi, under house arrest, tests positive for COVID-19 Former Prime Minister and opposition figure Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife have remained under house arrest since 2011. Iran
Bahrain FM to visit Israel on Wednesday, meet with Netanyahu, Pompeo Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani will visit Israel on Wednesday for a trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Israel
Etihad to start daily Tel Aviv flights in 2021 Air travel is a major part of the newly established relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Originals
Lebanon’s intelligence chief visited Damascus amid efforts to free Austin Tice Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim suggested efforts to secure the American journalist's release continued after Ibrahim visited Washington last month. Lebanon
Iran's Rouhani announces new nationwide closures With coronavirus cases and deaths rising again, Iran has announced new closures. Iran
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem dies at 79 The career diplomat was a steadfast supporter of the Syrian president's bloody crackdown on the opposition. Syria
Egypt announces largest archaeological discovery yet Speaking to Al-Monitor, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt Mustafa Waziri praised the efforts of the Egyptian missions unveiling major archaeological discoveries in the Saqqara area. Egypt
Opposition leader sees warning in Russian cease-fire violations in Syria The Syrian Opposition Coalition's president blames Russia for the failure of political process. Syria
Turkey's space program not yet ready for takeoff Turkey’s ambitious space program has made some concrete achievements, but Ankara has yet to resolve structural and financial problems snagging development in the sector. Turkey
Sisi talks Turkey, East Med tensions, in visit to Greece Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was in Athens amid common hostility toward Turkish activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. Egypt
