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
Jerusalem Muslims brace for Israel to shutter Al-Aqsa Mosque prayer house Jerusalemites are preparing for another battle at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as Israel moves to close a prayer house worshippers forced open in 2019. Palestine
Can social media campaigns change course of Nile dam talks? The impact of Egypt’s social media campaigns promoting Egypt’s Nile water rights on decision-makers remains to be seen as Western countries have yet to openly back Egypt. Egypt
Iraqi PM visits Islamic State hotbed after sniper kills general The Iraqi prime minister stressed unity in Tarmiyah, where the Islamic State claims responsibility for killing the general. Iraq
Russia’s combat dolphins may have been used in Syria: report Satellite imagery shows possible marine mammal pens at Russia's naval base in Syria during late 2018. Syria
Intel: Trump, Sisi address Nile dam dispute and Libya war President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed the Nile dam dispute with Ethiopia as well as the Libya war by phone today. Egypt
Israeli top model Bar Refaeli found guilty in tax evasion case The international supermodel is a controversial person in Israel due to her avoidance of mandatory military service, as well as the trial. Israel
Intel: Trump presses Macron on Libya as France-Turkey row continues President Donald Trump pressed President Emmanuel Macron on France’s role in Libya during a phone call today. Originals
Egypt’s Sisi gets mandate for sending troops to Libya The vote in parliament Monday comes a week after allied Libyan lawmakers gave Egypt the greenlight to intervene. Egypt
Hagia Sophia's Christian icons to be covered with curtains during prayers The 1,500-year-old Byzantine structure, which functioned as a museum for nearly 100 years, will reopen as a working mosque this week. Turkey
Investigators recover voice recordings from Ukrainian airliner shot down by Iran Iran's civil aviation authority has sent to France the black boxes from a Ukraine jet it shot down. Iran
Five years on, no justice for victims of IS suicide bombing spree in Turkey Families of the 33 victims of the devastating Suruc attack by an Islamic State suicide bomber commemorated the massacre today, reminding Turkey and the world that justice has yet to be served. Syria
UAE's Mars probe launches following weather delays Hope lifted off on Monday in the first-ever Mars mission for a country in the Arab world. Originals
