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
Iran releases 70,000 prisoners due to coronavirus, judiciary chief says The total number of persons infected with coronavirus in Iran has risen to 7,161 as officials scramble to respond to the spread of the virus. Iran
Does Israel's Gantz stand a chance at establishing a government? The chances of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz establishing a minority government with Avigdor Liberman and the support of the Arab Joint List are not high, yet the risks he is taking are huge. Israel
Israel faces political earthquake with potential Gantz-Liberman alliance Blue and White's Benny Gantz seeks a coalition with Yisrael Beitenu's Avigdor Liberman to lead Israel "onto a new path and toward a new future." Israel
How will Russia, China support Iran's military after UN arms ban ends? Moscow and Beijing could strike weapons deals with Tehran after the UN arms embargo expires later this year, but their anticipated support will face hurdles. Russia
Is Israel's 'Sovereignty Road' project step toward annexation? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s interim government is busily advancing various annexation moves with the excuse of addressing the settlers’ living conditions. Palestine
How did opposition fighters in Daraa’s Sanamayn go separate ways? Twenty-one opposition fighters from the city of Sanamayn have arrived in opposition areas in the Aleppo countryside in line with an agreement concluded between the Assad regime and the opposition under Russian sponsorship. Syria
Iranian officials call for quarantine as coronavirus spreads Some Iranian officials are calling for more restrictive measures as the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the country. Iran
Jordanian artist taps absurd for 'Camel in the Room' With iconic imagery such as camels and locks, artist Raed Ibrahim explores the complexities of Middle Eastern identity, memory and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Palestine
Does Jewish-Arab partnership to form government stand a chance in Israel? The Likud is continuing its campaign of incitement against Arab party representatives to head off their helping form a minority government led by Blue and White. Israel
Civil war rivals vie for Yemen's strategic Socotra island Despite stepping back from its military role in Yemen, UAE influence remains strong in the country's south, especially on Socotra island. United Arab Emirates
How an Iranian director defied ‘repression’ and won Golden Bear The Golden Bear-winning Iranian movie “There Is No Evil” revolves around the power to say no, the very same concept that has characterized the filmmaker’s overall mission. Iran
Why women in the Middle East find little to celebrate on March 8 From Beirut to Khartoum, women in the Middle East held demonstrations calling for the elimination of discriminatory laws and improvement of their situation. Saudi Arabia
