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
Egypt to negotiate sea border with Palestine Egypt reached demarcation agreements with Greece and Cyprus in August. Palestine
Egypt-Sudan eye cross border railway network Railway discussions follow increased engagement and coordination over Egyptian dispute with Ethiopia over Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Egyptian singer repurposes pro-Mubarak song to praise Trump After an Egyptian singer released a ballad in support of US President Donald Trump, his fellow citizens questioned whether it was a mockery of Trump or expressed real support for the US president. Egypt
Israel's COVID-19 vaccine administered to first trial volunteers Two volunteers received doses of the vaccine Sunday in the first phase of human trials. Israel
US officials confirm Iranian hackers stole voter data The security breach is the latest attempt targeting the 2020 US election, US intelligence officials warned, including attempts to hit the campaigns of President Donald Trump and his opponent, Joe Biden. Iran
Libyan rivals meet for UN-brokered face-to-face talks The meeting is the first since the two parties agreed to a cease-fire last month. Libya
Talks resume on Ethiopia's Nile River dam Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt will continue their negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam throughout the week after not talking for months over a filling disagreement. Egypt
UAE's first kosher restaurant reflects growing Israeli-Arab ties Just days after Israel and the United Arab Emirates normalized relations, a kosher restaurant has opened up in Dubai. Originals
French government to ban Turkish nationalist Gray Wolves group The announcement comes after the defacement of an Armenian genocide memorial in France. Turkey and France have had a series of disagreements in 2020. Turkey
Izmir residents look for shelter, answers in earthquake aftermath As Izmir residents recover from a 7.0 earthquake that hit Turkey’s third-largest city Friday, engineers look for ways to reduce structural damage in future natural disasters. Turkey
Iran announces new record in COVID-19 deaths The Health Ministry confirmed 440 deaths on Monday, bringing the death toll to 35,738. Iran
Opposition leader Lapid accuses Netanyahu of turning back on Democrats Opposition Chair Yair Lapid said this morning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acts out of his own personal interests when he sidelines ties with Democrats in favor of Republicans and President Donald Trump. Israel
