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
Desperate doctors call for lockdown in Istanbul Turkish medical associations as well as the mayor are appealing to the Turkish government to close down Istanbul as daily deaths reach April levels. Turkey
Pompeo reportedly to visit Israeli West Bank settlement The US secretary of state is expected to make an unprecedented visit to Psagot, an Israeli settlement in what is globally recognized as Palestinian territory, on his current trip to the Middle East. Palestine
With Biden’s election, Israeli left relevant again Now that Joe Biden has been elected as the next president of the United States, Israel’s political left feels revived. Palestine
Netanyahu says Israel signed agreement with Pfizer for coronavirus vaccine After realizing that Israel was not prepared for the purchase of coronavirus vaccines, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself called the heads of Pfizer and pushed for a deal to be concluded. Israel
How will US removal of Turkestan Islamic Party from terrorism list affect Syrian file? The Turkestan Islamic Party, which is mainly made up of fighters from the Uighur minority in China and is one the largest non-Syrian fighting group in Idlib, has been removed from the US terrorist exclusion list. Syria
Art perseveres in Istanbul despite coronavirus The city’s traditional fall art season is underway as curators take new approaches to exhibit work safely and sustainably during the coronavirus pandemic, despite confusing government restrictions about what would be allowed to go ahead. Turkey
Will Sudan hand over Islamists to Egypt? During a recent meeting, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the head of Sudan's Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan, discussed the handover of members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood to Cairo. Egypt
Meet Egypt’s first female coach of a men's soccer team Fayza Haidar has become Egypt’s first female coach to train a male soccer team, breaking all norms in a conservative society like Egypt. Egypt
Jericho entices tourists with Mount of the Temptation The Monastery of the Temptation, where Jesus allegedly spent 40 days, is under consideration for UNESCO's World Heritage List as local officials push sites for religious tourism. Palestine
Naftali Bennett offers new, fresh, image with lots of leadership Riding the wave of voters disappointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yamina leader Naftali Bennett offers fresh and pragmatic leadership. Israel
Bahrain appoints crown prince as new prime minister Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa will immediately take over as premier, the state news agency reported. Bahrain
UK opens 'travel corridor' to Gulf states Visitors to the United Kingdom from Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE will not need to isolate upon arrival come Saturday. United Arab Emirates
