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
Iraq’s religious leaders join hands to promote peaceful coexistence Leaders of various religious groupings in Iraq have been holding meetings in places such as Lalish, Karbala, and Baghdad to join hands for peace. Iraq
Will Iraq lose its benefits from Shatt al-Arab River to Iran? The recent renewal of an Iraqi-Iranian agreement on the Shatt al-Arab River stirred controversy among Iraqis, as many are concerned Iran will take over the border river. Iraq
Association helps Cairo's 'garbage people' make a clean living The residents of Manshiyat Naser, a slum area on the outskirts of Cairo, have been collecting garbage for decades but now, they learn to recycle it as well. Egypt
Palestinians manage to evict settlers in Hebron in rare win An Israeli court ordered the eviction of settlers from a house they occupied in the Old Town of Hebron, marking a significant and rare win for Palestinians and the committee defending their rights. Palestine
Desperate Israeli Labor yells Mizrahi discrimination Labor chief Avi Gabbay's claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discriminates against Jews of Mizrahi origin will only alienate Mizrahi Likud voters. Israel
Will Mankai Textile Industrial Park be a blessing for Egypt's textile sector? The construction of the largest Chinese textile city in Egypt is raising the concerns of local manufacturers and state-owned textile factories, which are already suffering huge losses. Egypt
Hamas’ two-front strategy Israeli security sources believe Hamas has been working to restore its operational infrastructure in the West Bank in anticipation of the day after its operations are curtailed in Gaza due to a possible arrangement with Israel to prevent the enclave's collapse. Palestine
Submarine scandal resurfaces to menace Netanyahu Two and a half weeks before the general elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has found himself entangled once again in the submarine scandal he'd thought had sunk forever. Israel
Republicans push to lock in Trump’s shift on Golan Heights After President Donald Trump announced his intention to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Republicans are pushing a bill that would make it permanent US policy. Israel
How Trump's Golan decision will further frustrate Mideast peace process President Trump's tweet saying the United State should recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights may help Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in April 9 elections, but may set back Trump's peace plan. Israel
Russia expects to maintain footprint in Algeria despite unrest In Moscow, the Algerian and Russian foreign ministers discussed the North African country's domestic political crisis, their mutual dislike for foreign intervention and the need to elevate bilateral ties. Algeria
Iran turns to crypto to enable easier spending by tourists Iran’s government and private sector are eyeing cryptocurrencies to resolve a decadeslong lack of international payment channels in the Islamic Republic. Iran
