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
Netanyahu’s deal of the century: Immunity in exchange for annexation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised the settlers “sovereignty” ahead of the elections, meaning full annexation of the territories, while their representatives say they will grant him immunity in exchange. Palestine
Netanyahu at the mercy of the politician he loathes most Over the last few years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has watched the politician he loathes most — Rightward party leader Ayelet Shaked — become increasingly popular. Israel
Hezbollah, Israel losing red lines Destroying the precision missile project of Hezbollah and Iran has now become the second-most important priority of Israel after eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat. Israel
Daring new TV show offers close glimpse into mysterious Ankara nightlife Nightclubs, or pavyons as they are called in Turkish, form a well-known but evasive culture with its extravagance and debauchery in Turkey's capital. Turkey
Iraqi opposition parties form shadow government Some Iraqi political forces are poised to form a shadow government, but other Iraqi groups say the effort is a fool's errand. Iraq
Syrian pistachio farmers watch crops wither as Turks fire on border region Turkish gunfire is preventing pistachio growers in the border areas of Kobani and Manbij from harvesting their crops. Syria
Egypt’s rate cut to boost property, gold and stock markets Egypt’s central bank recently slashed key interest rates by 1.5%, triggering public concerns about a possible depreciation of the local currency. Egypt
IDF spokesman's deceit about effects of Hezbollah attack costs Israel credibility The IDF spokesman told a bald lie, then mumbled, then denied, and within a short time had to admit to the failure of his maneuver to outwit Hezbollah. Israel
Despite fresh forces, Syrian opposition losing ground in Idlib The Turkish-supported Free Syrian Army is sending more forces from its National Army to shore up the opposition in its fight against Syrian regime troops in Idlib province. Syria
How much are Palestinians paying for 'peace' with Israel? After receiving another big batch of financial aid from Qatar, some Palestinians are wondering what the on-again, off-again truce with Israel is really costing them. Qatar
Intel: How Russia and Iran are drawing closer on Gulf, Syria The Russian and Iranian foreign ministers met in Moscow to discuss regional issues and opportunities for cooperation. Russia
Can Elia Suleiman's satirical film bring Palestine its first Oscar? "It Must Be Heaven" centers on the story of a Palestinian fugitive in search of a new homeland — with a reference to national poet Mahmoud Darwish's line “Where do the birds fly after the last sky?” Palestine
