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
Trump, Pompeo ride to Netanyahu’s rescue The US-mediated normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates and the visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shift public attention away from the multiple crises he faces. Israel
Israel, Gaza stuck in each other’s throat As the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate, Israel and the Hamas leadership know that there is no military solution and that efforts must be focused to reduce poverty. Originals
Gazan child raps about broken dreams under siege Abdel Rahman Salih al-Shanti, an 11-year-old rapper from the Gaza Strip, has made international headlines, with English rap songs evoking Gaza’s wars and sufferings under the Israeli blockade. Palestine
Battle for Idlib draws near as sides take position Russia is conducting air raids on several areas in Idlib while the Syrian government shells de-escalation zones. Syria
Egypt lends helping hand to Sudan amid Nile dam talks Amid the stalled negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Egypt gives priority to winning over Sudan in the dam crisis. Egypt
Egypt casts about for ways to protect fisheries from GERD effects Egypt is concerned Addis Ababa’s controversial dam on the Blue Nile will harm its fish resources and is pursuing ambitious projects to protect the national resource. Egypt
Detained Jordanian teachers freed amid economic strife The lawyer for the Teachers Syndicate recently told Al-Monitor the government used virus-related laws to silence the group, which is critical of the economic situation in Jordan. Jordan
Curfew hours extended in Jordan as coronavirus numbers spike Jordanian officials said Monday the small country had entered its second wave of the coronavirus. Jordan
Pompeo to visit Sudan, Bahrain, other countries on regional trip Pompeo will discuss Israel and the transition to democracy in Sudan. Bahrain is also rumored to be next in line to normalize relations with Israel. Originals
Flooding in Turkey kills at least eight in bitter reminder of climate chaos The government has pledged to rebuild areas hard hit by a weekend flood, but activists warn the construction of roads, dams and buildings in flood zones means more disasters are likely to follow. Turkey
Syria constitutional talks 'on hold' after three test positive for coronavirus Three of the 45 delegates participating in the so-called Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva tested positive for the virus. Syria
Intel: Saudi Arabia Energy Ministry all in on $500 billion megacity An agreement between the futuristic megacity and Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry underscores the Kingdom's push for renewable energy and economic diversification. Originals
