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
Classic cars find life after rust in Ramallah A Palestinian mechanic in Ramallah collects and restores classic cars, bringing relics of the past back to life. Palestine
Israel confirms first woman ambassador to Egypt A year and a half after her initial nomination, the Israeli government has finally approved the appointment of Amira Oron as ambassador to Egypt. Egypt
Facebook closes accounts linked to Kurdish intelligence in Iraq The accounts were linked to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and targeted its rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Syria’s Kurdish-led alliance sweeps Deir ez-Zor for Islamic State sleeper cells A Syrian Democratic Forces operation dubbed "Deterring Terrorism" nets 17 Islamic State suspects in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province. Syria
COVID-19 compounds economic crises in Yemen, Jordan, Palestine Recent reports signal conditions going from bad to worse. Yemen
Saudi Arabia puts Jeddah under 15-day curfew after virus spike Beginning Saturday, residents of Jeddah must adhere to a curfew from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saudi Arabia
Turkish soccer gears up for return, haunted by financial woes Turkey’s debt-ridden soccer industry is likely to grow more desperate for government support under the bruising impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Turkey
Turkey's Erodgan cancels weekend curfew despite spike in cases Hours after his government announced a weekend curfew for 15 major cities, a public backlash forced Turkey's president to call off the movement restrictions. Turkey
Iran dismisses Trump’s offer for talks US President Donald Trump’s latest effort to get Iran to renegotiate the nuclear deal he withdrew from was met with rejection in Tehran. United States
Intel: Pompeo discusses Libya truce with Abu Dhabi's crown prince Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed the need for Libya’s warring parties to cease hostilities during a phone call with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the deputy supreme commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, which backs Libyan warlord Khalifa Hifter. United Arab Emirates
Intel: Key Republican questions Pentagon’s proposed military training program The Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is pushing back on a Pentagon proposal to train foreign military officers from the Middle East and elsewhere, arguing that it unnecessarily replicates an existing program run by the State Department. United States
Iraq still committed to energy ties with Saudi Arabia, Gulf states despite Iran electricity deal Iraq has signed an agreement with Iran to continue importing gas and electricity for two years. Saudi Arabia
