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
Syrian refugees are no longer guests in Sudan Sudan is changing its rules for Syrians wishing to reside in the country after years of being able to travel to Sudan without a visa, and the right to work, education and medical care. Egypt
Turkish politics has entered Clubhouse Clubhouse, an invite-only chat app, is connecting people around the world and providing a platform for muffled voices in Turkey. Turkey
Civil society in northeast Syria promotes women’s role to fight extremism A civil society organization in northern and eastern Syria has launched a project to eradicate violent extremism by promoting the role of women on the educational and economic levels. Syria
Netanyahu says Iran behind explosion that hit Israeli-owned ship For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it is clear that Iran is behind the explosion that hit an Israeli-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman last week. Israel
Desperate right parties court Israeli-Arab electorate With so many parties splitting ahead of the March elections, even right-wing politicians are visiting Arab towns and villages in the hope of getting some votes there. Israel
Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners A group of Dubai restaurants is offering discounts to customers who have been inoculated against the novel coronavirus as the emirate fights to control the pandemic without closing its doors. United Arab Emirates
China, Iran relations widen amid renewed nuclear talks While pressuring Washington to drop sanctions and renew the JCPOA, Beijing has expanded trade and military relations with Tehran and its neighbors. Iran
Israel, Jordan relations warm up, but not thanks to Netanyahu Israeli press reveals that Defense Minister Benny Gantz had met in secret recently in Jordan with Jordanian King Abdullah II. Israel
Houthi security official in Yemen sanctioned by UN for crimes against women Sultan Saleh Aida Aida Zabin, who heads criminal investigations in Houthi rebel territory, has allegedly played a role in arbitrary detentions, torture and sexual crimes against women involved in politics. Yemen
Biden administration shouldn’t stop with Yemen The United States can also play a key role in diplomacy to end wars in Syria and Libya. Yemen
Israeli-owned cargo ship rocked by explosion in Gulf of Oman The blast came just hours after US airstrikes hit an Iran-linked militia in Syria Saudi Arabia
Congress questions Biden's decision to bomb Syria Some Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are questioning the justification for the US airstrike against Iran-affiliated targets in eastern Syria. Syria
