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
Mired in recriminations, Turkish-Egyptian ties remain stagnant Prospects for improved relations between Ankara and Cairo appear dimmer than ever following recent executions in Egypt. Egypt
Turkey becoming minefield for foreign journalists Three foreign reporters in Turkey have seen their accreditations terminated, while the renewal applications of 50 others remain unanswered since December, fueling concern that Ankara is seeking to drive the foreign media out. Turkey
Khatami: Lost Reformist votes will go to regime changers Former Iranian Reformist President Mohammad Khatami said it is unlikely that Iranians will turn out to vote in large numbers unless there are reforms within the next year. Iran
What was behind Abbas’ visit to Iraq? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ rare visit to Iraq raised questions about its purpose, as no agreements were announced. Palestine
Lebanese architect blazes new path For Beirut-born architect Amale Andraos, it is still surprisingly difficult to operate as a woman in architecture. Lebanon
Iran education lags despite nominal budget gains Iran’s educational system is under increasing strain as small increases in budget allocations and teacher salaries fail to catch up with chronic deficits. Iran
Egypt to supply Sudan with electricity Egypt announced the completion of a substation in the south of the country that will export electricity to Sudan in exchange for goods. Egypt
Is Egypt isolating Bedouins in south Sinai? Residents of south Sinai are outraged over leaked reports about the government building a fence that would separate the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh from the rest of the province. Egypt
Palestine sends surgical team to aid struggling Venezuelans The Palestinian Authority has dispatched a medical delegation to Venezuela to offer medical aid for one month, in a step it says is strictly humanitarian and not political. Palestine
Disqualification battle camouflages real danger to Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is exploiting a fraudulent symmetry between Kahane’s racial doctrine and a minority’s struggle for equal rights to incite against Israel’s Arab citizens. Israel
Saudi investment fund hires US PR firm to create distance from crown prince New York-based Karv Communications will be paid $120,000 a month to “create a clear distinction” between the $200 billion fund and its embattled chairman. Saudi Arabia
