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
UAE announces first Arab mission to the moon The United Arab Emirates seeks to become the fourth country in the world to land on the lunar surface, its leader announced today. Originals
Iranian tanker reaches coast of Venezuela Other Iranian ships are bringing fuel to and from the South American country, despite a US seizure of such vessels in August. Iran
Human rights group launches two years after death of founder Jamal Khashoggi The Washington Post columnist founded the Democracy for the Arab World Now, or DAWN, in the months before his 2018 murder. Saudi Arabia
Emirates resumes flights to Muscat The Dubai-based airline is getting closer to resuming its pre-pandemic network, despite a new virus outbreak in the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates
Kuwaiti emir dead at 91 Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah has died in a US hospital, according to Kuwaiti state television. Kuwait
Prominent Iranian charity leader fights worsening health in detention Held in solitary without a formal charge for nearly 100 days, Sharmin Meymandi-Nejad, the founder of a reputable Iranian charity, is facing deteriorating health as interrogators protract his indefinite detention. Iran
Kidnappings continue in Iraq’s disputed territories Despite improved security coordination among Iraqi, Kurdish and coalition forces, Islamic State remnants still threaten residents. Iraq
US mediation pushes Israel, Lebanon on marking maritime border Reports say that following US mediation, Israel and Lebanon are now ready to discuss the marking of their maritime borderline. Israel
Jihadist regime forbids philosophy in Syria’s Idlib Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Syria’s Idlib province, forbids the teaching and even discussion of philosophy. Syria
Netanyahu won't crack down on ultra-Orthodox despite virus surge Though the ultra-Orthodox community's disregard for pandemic measures has emerged as central to Israel's virus problem, Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu can't afford to endanger his political alliance with them. Israel
Gaza women use social media to reveal domestic abuse In light of the rise of domestic abuse cases in the Gaza Strip, women are resorting to social media to share their stories and try to protect their rights. Palestine
How Egypt is developing its Golden Triangle The Egyptian government is currently developing the Golden Triangle area, which was recently designated as the richest in iron, copper, gold and phosphate minerals. Originals
