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
Ninevah governor's election stirs Sunni split in Baghdad The Ninevah Provincial Council has chosen a new governor close to the Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units, prompting objections from many Sunnis. Iraq
Idlib exposes Turkey’s weak hand against Russia Despite the gains Turkey believes it's made through growing its relations with Russia, the two countries' priorities in Syria are anything but aligned. Syria
Contradictory moves to rescue Palestinian economy While the United States is pushing for an economic workshop to help Palestinians, the mood in Ramallah is defiant with ideas to build an alternative independent economy — a goal sought by the Shtayyeh government. Palestine
Palestine eyes agricultural boost The Palestine Investment Fund announced the creation of a company to invest in the agriculture sector in line with the government’s plan to boost local production and decrease dependence on Israel. Palestine
SDF arrests Syrians who refuse to serve Residents of Syria’s Raqqa governorate are protesting the conscription efforts by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces as young men who refuse to enlist are arrested. Syria
Egypt's deaf communicate their woes through cinema The Deaf Film Lab initiative trains Egypt's deaf and hard of hearing youth on how to use the camera to communicate with others in society. Egypt
Egypt’s soccer fans call foul on Africa Cup tickets Several Egyptian activists on social media, sports critics and public figures have rallied against the ticket prices of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt
Protests spread against Netanyahu’s immunity law Legislation proposals on immunity and to limit the authority of the Supreme Court, both advanced by associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are angering many in the Israeli political arena and beyond. Israel
Democrats fret over Iran escalation risk Democrats are urging the Donald Trump administration to tamp down tensions with Iran following an all-members briefing. Congress
Turkish airstrikes target PKK rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan Turkey claims its military operations against PKK rebels are more effective than ever thanks to drones. Iraq
Iran sticks to its guns: No room for talks with Trump Iran's president has once again ruled out dialog with his US counterpart amid mixed signals from the White House. Yet third-party mediation remains an option both sides seemingly favor. Oman
Can Iran rely on Russia to dodge US pressure? Iran is relying on Russia to minimize the impact of the US "maximum pressure" campaign, but Russia seems to have reservations while it also enjoys certain advantages if US-Iran tensions remain unresolved, albeit at a controlled level. Russia
