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
Zarif visits Pakistan as Iran celebrates post-Trump era Iran’s foreign minister is in Islamabad to discuss a range of issues with Pakistani officials, as US President Donald Trump’s impending departure seems to have opened new windows of diplomacy for the Islamic Republic. Iran
Turkey's Erdogan finally congratulates Biden Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took more time than other regional leaders to congratulate Joe Biden on his projected victory in the US presidential elections. The two men have a complicated past. Turkey
Veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat dies at 65 Erekat, who contracted the coronavirus last month, died in a Jerusalem hospital on Tuesday. Palestine
Russia leaves little room for Turkey in Azeri-Armenian truce The terms of the Russian-sponsored deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia speak of Moscow’s reluctance to let Turkey increase its influence in the region. Turkey
Will Trump drag Netanyahu down with him? Opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are claiming the downfall of US President Donald Trump heralds the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well. Israel
Iraqi officials welcome Biden presidency While Iraqi leaders and officials have welcomed a Biden presidency, there are worries about what direction US policy will take when it comes to Baghdad. Iraq
Palestinians cautiously optimistic after Biden win Palestinians are overjoyed by the defeat of Donald Trump in the US election, though officials are so far keeping their reactions subdued. Palestine
Israeli fashion industry could collapse from pandemic losses Shopkeepers warn that if the government does not take serious steps to save them from the coronavirus-induced crisis, the whole national fashion industry could go down. Israel
Algeria grants itself power to intervene in Libya Although Algeria has long maintained its neutrality on the fighting in neighboring Libya, it has amended its constitution to allow itself to take military action if needed. Egypt
Unhappy Netanyahu must now do with Biden The first portfolio that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have to deal with vis-a-vis the new Biden administration is the Iranian file. Israel
Ethiopia’s detention of Egyptians escalates tensions between the two countries Further tensions erupt between Addis Ababa and Cairo, as Egyptians are held in Ethiopia on their way to Kuwait, for traveling with a tourist visa. Egypt
Netflix airs its first Egyptian original series The US streaming giant Netflix has started airing "Paranormal," the first original Egyptian Arabic-language series, as part of its efforts to boost its activity in the Middle East and draw a larger audience. Originals
