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
Israel to begin exporting gas to Egypt next month In just a few weeks, Egypt should be receiving natural gas from Israel's Leviathan field. Egypt
Egyptian anti-circumcision group calls for an end to 'male genital mutilation' Several groups in Egypt and the Middle East are calling for an end to male circumcision, saying the risky operation is not justified for medical or religious purposes. Egypt
Israeli citizen stands trial in Jordan as tensions simmer Jordanian-Israeli relations have grown increasingly tense as Jordan tries an Israeli accused to illegally crossing the border and holds a military exercise simulating an Israeli invasion. Israel
Has Iran's award-winning actress left Iran to escape prosecution? Appearing on a Saudi-funded TV show has led to speculations about the possible decision of Iranian actress Mahnaz Afshar not to go back to her home country. Saudi Arabia
Despite promises and hopes, Gaza's cinemas remain closed The Red Carpet Human Rights Film Festival in Gaza City aims to revive closed film theaters, but there is little progress on the ground. Palestine
Iran's regional peace initiative faces major challenges While Oman and Iran may have high hopes for the Hormuz Peace Endeavor, regional security arrangements have typically needed great-power backing to hold them together. Saudi Arabia
How Rouhani and Trump almost reached a deal While hopes have emerged as the result of a prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States, some analysts believe this won't lead to negotiations and a Trump-Rouhani meeting. United States
US set to lean on Saudi Arabia in Florida shooting probe The FBI will rely on Riyadh as it looks into last week's deadly shooting at a naval base. Saudi Arabia
Intel: How this week’s US-sponsored Nile talks buoy Egypt The US administration deepened its involvement in trilateral talks between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the filling of a massive new dam on the Nile River this week, to Cairo’s relief. Egypt
Iran ready for 'comprehensive' prisoner swap with US Archenemies Iran and the United States appeared closer to exchanging all their prisoners, as Tehran said it was "fully ready" for such a swap. United States
European Court’s call to free Turkish philanthropist may fall on deaf ears The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala must be released in the absence of evidence to support his charges, but legal observers say Ankara is unlikely to comply. Turkey
Artists splash Iraqi protests with vivid imagery Iraq's professional and aspiring artists have taken to the streets with their own weapons: paint, brushes and musical instruments. Iraq
