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
Three dead in Sinai bombings The Egyptian military has reported several operations against Islamist insurgents in the Sinai Peninsula recently. Egypt
Turkish court extends detention of philanthropist Osman Kavala Kavala is charged with espionage and "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order” in connection with the failed 2016 coup. Turkey
Saudi Arabia makes major regional moves as Biden administration arrives By modifying its foreign policy goals, the kingdom is bracing itself for the approaching change of administration in Washington. Saudi Arabia
Iran to execute man arrested as teenager, Amnesty says Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee, who was arrested at the age of 16, has spent more than a decade on death row. Iran
NYT retracts main story in hit 'Caliphate' podcast, citing failures New York Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi is being taken off the terrorism beat after an inquiry found missteps in verifying claims that the podcast's main subject had been an IS fighter. Iraq
Pompeo says Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 violates NATO agreements US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone call that Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system is a threat to the United States. . Turkey
Satellite photos show construction at Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility The Iranian nuclear deal, which US President-elect Joe Biden will seek to rejoin, called for a ban on nuclear activity at Fordo. Iran
Saudi, Kuwaiti investments boost Cairo, Sphinx airports Egypt received offers from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to invest in projects to expand the Cairo and Sphinx international airports, as part of efforts to boost tourism and put Egypt on the global transit map. Egypt
Sisi brushes off possibility of military action in Libya Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stresses that Cairo seeks an all-inclusive political solution to the Libyan crisis, casting aside reports of a military confrontation against Turkey on Libyan soil. Egypt
Palestinians intensify efforts, action to counter UAE trade deals with Israeli settlements Palestinians seek to launch international campaigns to boycott Emirati companies that deal with products from settlements built on occupied land in the West Bank, accusing them of violating international resolutions that criminalize settlements. Palestine
Is Sudan shifting positions in Nile River negotiations? Sudan and Ethiopia have recently agreed to resume the negotiations on the Nile dam that Addis Ababa is building, amid Egyptian silence. Egypt
Netanyahu dislikes rotation deal, but also fears elections By Dec. 23, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must decide what scares him more: elections with Gideon Saar as contender or rotation with Defense Minister Benny Gantz. Israel
