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
Intel: Bernie Sanders uses coronavirus crisis to push for Iran sanctions relief Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called on the Donald Trump administration to ease its Iran sanctions regime as Tehran struggles to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. United States
Egypt’s censors shift into high gear over coronavirus coverage Press censorship in Egypt has most recently hit The Guardian and The New York Times following what it claims are "false rumors" of the coronavirus crisis in the country. Egypt
Algeria cites coronavirus amid ban on anti-government protests Algeria's president called for measures that would prioritize citizens' health but restrict their freedoms. Algeria
Erdogan focuses on Turkish economy in first major coronavirus speech Responding to the growing number of domestic coronavirus cases, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unveiled measures to safeguard the nation’s economy while advising citizens to practice social distancing. Turkey
Rouhani defends annual performance from floods to coronavirus The Iranian president's end-of-year speech was full of boastful optimism, but the nation remembers a year that began with killer downpours and is ending with a deadly epidemic. Iran
Fresh fighting in Yemen’s Marib province leaves dozens dead Tuesday's clashes in Yemen between pro-government forces and Houthi rebels have killed dozens of fighters from both sides. Yemen
Israel, US pretend East Jerusalem Palestinians don’t exist The latest report by the US State Department refers to Palestinians of East Jerusalem as “non-Israeli residents,’’ as if changing their description could change the reality. Palestine
How Netanyahu is turning Israel into a banana republic Once the coronavirus crisis is over, Israelis will discover what Arab Knesset members warned a long time ago: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "stole" their democracy. Israel
Turkey’s geostrategic orientation at crossroads amid Idlib tangle Confusion prevails in Ankara on how to resolve the entangled Idlib crisis and the choices it will ultimately make could bear on its geostrategic orientations in the coming years. Syria
Coronavirus, not Iran, Netanyahu’s biggest test Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has focused his political career on battling the Iranian nuke program as the biggest threat to Israel, but his legacy ultimately hinges on the way he confronts the current coronavirus outbreak. Israel
Egyptians split over how to deal with COVID-19 in overcrowded prisons Egyptian rights groups are calling for the release of prisoners to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in prisons. Egypt
Egypt steps up diplomatic action in Nile dam dispute Egypt’s foreign minister embarked on a regional and international tour to seek international support in Cairo’s dispute with Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt
