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
Erdogan warns Turkey has 'right to mobilize' again against Kurdish forces The Turkish president's comments come a year after Turkey launched an offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria. Syria
Second round of maritime-border talks between Israel, Lebanon Israel and Lebanon conducted a second round of mediated talks with the goal demarcating the maritime border between the two countries. Israel
Demands for payment from tribes, militias stalling investment in Iraq Economic projects in Iraq are facing major setbacks due to ongoing payment demands from tribes and armed groups. Iraq
Egypt embarks on string of projects to be financed via green bonds Egypt’s Ministry of Finance has listing Egyptian's first green bonds, intended to diversify government debt instruments and attract new investors. Egypt
Palestinians furious as Israel escorts Arab delegations to Al-Aqsa Tension is rising at Al-Aqsa Mosque, where self-appointed Jerusalemite defenders are harassing Gulf Arab visitors who come under Israeli protection. Palestine
Egyptians outraged over some schools forcing girls to wear the hijab A 13-year-old girl was recently forced to wear the hijab at her school in Egypt, which prompted a wave of condemnation that revealed similar practices across the country. Egypt
Palestinian international peace conference gaining traction Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ proposal to hold an international conference on peace in the Middle East has gained the support of several member states of the United Nations Security Council. Palestine
Israel not ready for climate change challenges Israel is increasing its goals for the use of renewable energies, but the Ministry for Environmental Protection says it is nowhere near enough. Originals
Facebook removes Iran-linked network targeting Americans The tech giant said the network was discovered early in its operations. Iran
US judge dismisses lawsuit against state's Israel boycott law The judge said the plaintiff was not affected by Maryland's ban on the government contracting with supporters of boycotts of Israel, but she did not rule on the law's constitutionality. Originals
Turkish court hands US consulate worker 5-year prison sentence Turkish citizen Nazmi Mete Canturk was convicted of "aiding an armed terror group." Turkey
In New York Jewish communities, similarities to Israel's virus struggle Israeli media are covering the conflict over coronavirus measures in New York's Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, and the issue bears resemblance to Israel's virus situation. Israel
