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
Poor services ignite protests in Suran and al-Bab Poor basic services in some parts of Aleppo countryside have ignited protests in which people are demanding that local councils resign. Syria
Aid groups act to stop Yemen's next major cholera epidemic Al-Monitor visits a cholera treatment center in Yemen, where a three-year war has intensified the spread of the contagious illness. Yemen
Muslim Brotherhood exiles from Egypt face uncertain future in Sudan Egyptians affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood who sought refuge in Sudan following the 2013 crackdown are worried about their fate now that President Omar al-Bashir has been ousted. Egypt
Egypt switches to digital payments The Egyptian government will start implementing a law soon, regulating non-cash payments and switching to electronic payments in some cases. Egypt
Israel says Hamas using imported goods to launder money An Israeli news report claims Hamas is funneling funds into the Palestinian territories by importing goods and reselling them for a profit. Palestine
Ministry of Religious Endowment renaming mosques across Egypt Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Endowments began replacing the names of mosques with political or ideological connotations in a bid to counter what it says is political exploitation. Egypt
Amman museum displays treasure trove of traditional Palestinian, Jordanian clothing Widad Kawar has devoted her life to researching Palestinian and Jordan traditional clothing and has amassed a treasure trove over half a century. Palestine
Israel accuses Islamic Jihad of obstructing Gaza truce Israel is accusing the Palestinian Islamic Jihad of seeking to destabilize the security situation in Gaza in a bid to obstruct the Egyptian-brokered understanding concluded with Hamas. Palestine
Trump administration accuses Iran of potential new nuclear violations An annual State Department report says Tehran may have violated the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Israel
Iranians debate freedom of expression as Instagram shuts down IRGC pages After Instagram suspended the purported accounts of high-ranking IRGC members, Iran's ultraconservatives are pushing authorities to ban the platform in Iran. United States
Jerusalem District Court now at the government’s service Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked will soon be leaving the Justice Ministry, but her legacy will live on in eliminating the Supreme Court's authority over Palestinian petitions involving land confiscations on the West Bank. Israel
Istanbul's new mayor pleads for unity as AKP seethes Istanbul’s belatedly acknowledged Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu gave an all-embracing victory speech today as the ruling party's quest for an election redo continues. Turkey
