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
Turkey threatens Syria invasion as US sanctions loom A breakthrough in the diplomatic dispute sparked by Turkey’s purchase of an advanced Russian missile system and Washington’s support for Syrian Kurdish militia continues to elude the NATO allies. Syria
Are Syrians in Turkey no longer Erdogan’s 'brothers'? Desperate to maintain its support base, the Turkish government limits Syrians access to basic services and initiates mass deportations. Syria
Iran says it's waiting for ‘tangible’ results of talks with Europe Iranian officials have warned that, unless Europe can facilitate trade, they will continue to reduce their commitments under the nuclear deal. United States
Turkey finesses Trump for continued support against sanctions Turkey's government is preparing to offer new incentives to the US administration to secure its lasting support against economic sanctions. Turkey
Did Abbas just ditch Oslo? The Palestinian president’s decision to suspend all agreements with Israel comes after years of calls by the PLO’s Central Council to end security cooperation with Israel, but does he mean it? Palestine
Will Pompeo be the first US secretary of state to appear live on Iranian TV? Following the US secretary of state offering Iran’s state TV to interview him, various analysts and officials reacted to the proposal with an outspoken prime minister urging state TV to go ahead and challenge Pompeo live on air. United States
Palestine, Jordan boost economic ties The Palestinian Authority and Jordan are in the process of establishing a logistics zone to facilitate and expand the bilateral trade exchange and boost import and export, within the framework of the PA's plan of breaking away from the Israeli economy. Palestine
Egyptian women speak freely about choice to veil at hijab summit In a summit organized by an award-winning Facebook community called Surviving Hijab, many veiled and unveiled Egyptian women discussed the many considerations and challenges involved in the personal decision to wear hijab. Egypt
Russia, Turkey seek to seize 'cooperation momentum' Following Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 anti-air missile system, Moscow and Ankara are looking to expand the bilateral cooperation in trade and military fields. Turkey
Iran’s teachers learn regrettable lesson from US US sanctions on Iran could actually discourage the kind of democratic thinking the free world should want to foster. United States
Democrats clash over resolution calling for two-state solution Democratic leaders and members are bickering over a resolution meant to reaffirm Washington’s longstanding commitment to a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
A Bedouin band upcycles remnants of war for making music An ammunition box and a jerry can from the 1967 Arab-Israeli War has helped a Bedouin band make a name for itself. Egypt
