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
Iraqi prime minister vows to bring expert's killers to justice The assassination of an Iraqi expert on militias and extremist groups has raised already heightened security concerns in Iraq. Iraq
Dubai welcomes back tourists The Emirati city wants visitors to come back as the country emerges from its coronavirus closures. Originals
US soldier accused of planning neo-Nazi attack on unit in Turkey pleads not guilty The soldier allegedly sought to help recruit local jihadists in Turkey carry out an attack on a US military facility. Turkey
Second wave of virus pummels Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's popularity is falling amid a spike in coronavirus cases. Israel
Mysterious explosions escalate Israel, Iran tensions Ahead of the US presidential elections, and on the backdrop of mysterious explosions, Israel prepares for various escalation scenarios on Iran’s part. Israel
Israeli airline reaches bailout deal with government Israel’s flag carrier El Al and the government reached a bailout plan, which would mean huge layoffs and sizing down flights. Israel
Gaza band plays music to uplift spirits, bring hope The Street Band plays music for free in Gaza's public places, in a attempt to help Gazans forget their daily sufferings. Originals
Gazans fall victim to 'frozen dollars' scam Dozens of Gazans who want to get rich quick have already fallen victim to a fraudulent scheme by buying "frozen dollars" from unknown sellers at half price. Palestine
Sisi rallies tribes to support Egypt's intervention in Libya war Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced his country’s readiness to intervene militarily in Libya and train tribes there to fight militias allied with the Tripoli-based government. This has raised questions about the impact such a move would have on the battles in Libya. Egypt
Humanitarian aid to Syria meets Russian resistance at the UN Security Council Russia isn't budging from its resistance to deny crucial humanitarian aid to northwest Syria. Syria
Israel launches new spy satellite The move follows a series of mysterious happenings in Iran, including at a nuclear facility. Israel
Prominent Iraqi analyst, adviser shot dead in Baghdad Hisham al-Hashimi, a widely cited commentator, was shot and killed in front of his home. The prime minister has vowed to find the murderers. Iraq
