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
Tobruk parliamentarian explains south Libya's support for Hifter In an interview with Al-Monitor, a member of the Tobruk-based parliament talks about Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s operation to cleanse the south from armed gangs and secure oil fields. Libya
Fatah suspicious after Egypt releases Hamas members The recent release of four Hamas members abducted in Egypt in 2015 raises speculation about the price the movement might have paid for their release. Palestine
Signal jamming promises to rile Palestinian prisoners in Israel Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan's push to jam cellphones in prisons has infuriated Hamas prisoners and security heads warn the move could backfire on Israel. Palestine
Start-up nation Israel: Where women are the future More and more women are starting high-tech businesses in Israel, site of the second-largest technology hub in the world. Israel
Why Netanyahu is ignoring growing Israeli-Palestinian tensions Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would typically convene his Security Cabinet and security chiefs to avoid violence with the Palestinians, but this election season has altered business as usual. Palestine
Egypt considering moves to help empower, elect women As Egypt's parliament works on amendments to ensure better representation of women in elected positions, the General Assembly of Egyptian Women is supporting women who want to hold local office, particularly in Upper Egypt and rural areas. Egypt
Hajour tribes, Houthis locked in key battle in northern Yemen The tribe that the Houthis once bet on in their battles is the one fighting them now in Hajour district. Saudi Arabia
Can Saudi Arabia afford a stimulus? Oil-revenue-dependent Saudi Arabia still has $490 billion in reserve assets, but its massive foreign and domestic commitments and a long-term declining demand curve for oil could spell trouble down the road. Saudi Arabia
Russian FM puts politics above economics on GCC tour Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has kicked off his tour of the Gulf, reflecting Moscow's ambition to capitalize on its regional recognition as a great power. Legacy: Gulf
Turks fire back as Trump ends preferential trade status The United States removed Turkey from its list of countries that enjoy tariff-free access to the US market, a decision criticized by the Turkish government. Turkey
Exodus by big firms pushes Iran toward smaller Chinese enterprises To mitigate the impact of harsh US sanctions, Iran is increasingly turning to China by dispatching high-ranking delegations to Beijing to augment trade. But China is also mindful not to cross the red lines drawn by the United States. United States
Iran's government under fire for subsidizing pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia The Iranian government’s decision to subsidize the hajj pilgrimage has fueled anger among many Iranians who are struggling to make ends meet. Iran
