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
Egypt moves ahead with purchase of Russian arms despite US warnings Russian media reported that Egypt has received five Sukhoi Su-35 advanced combat aircraft despite US threats to sanction Cairo over the Russian deal. Egypt
Syrian opposition accuses Kurdish forces of booby-trapping fuel trucks The Syrian armed opposition factions are accusing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces of planting explosive devices in fuel-laden trucks along the border with the opposition areas to prevent smuggling of fuel. Syria
Netanyahu slams ICC probe against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused prosecutor Fatou Bensoda of hypocrisy and anti-Semitism for investigating Israel for war crimes. Palestine
Arab-Israelis accuse police of brutality against demonstrators Demonstrations in the Arab-Israeli town of Umm al-Fahm spun out of control, and accusations of excessive force by the police have reached the Knesset. Israel
The Netherlands puts Qatar trade event on hold over foreign workers' deaths The Dutch government postponed a trade mission in Qatar after a report on thousands of workers dying there since the country was awarded the 2022 World Cup. Qatar
Sudan welcomes US, Russian navy ships amid strategic competition The rival powers are eyeing the fledgling democracy for a leg up on influence in East Africa Russia
Lebanese pound falls to all-time low on black market as people protest Lebanon's harrowing economic crisis worsened when the pound fell against the dollar again on the black market. Lebanon
Iran says 'time not ripe' for negotiations with US Tehran has said Washington's proposed inclusion in negotiations over reviving the Iran nuclear deal cannot work unless the United States lifts sanctions against the Islamic Republic. United States
Erdogan unveils human rights reforms, raising skepticism among advocates Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday announced an 11-point human rights action plan, pledging to fortify freedoms and legal protections after years of democratic backsliding under his government. Turkey
Iraq begins administering COVID-19 vaccines The vaccination process is underway throughout the country ahead of Pope Francis' visit. Iraq
US sanctions two Houthi military leaders after attacks on Saudi Arabia The administration's revocation of the Houthis' terrorist designation has been met with further missile strikes. Yemen
Americans accused of helping Carlos Ghosn escape extradited to Japan Japan alleges that a former US Army Special Forces soldier and his son helped the Lebanese businessman and former Nissan head escape the country. Originals
