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
Libya's parliament approves interim government The unity government is supported by both factions in the Libyan civil war and will lead the country to the December elections. Libya
Saudi Arabia to take ‘necessary measures’ to protect oil after drone attack Riyadh wants international support to prevent future attacks, foreign minister says alongside Russian counterpart. Saudi Arabia
Algeria’s Islamist parties failing to inspire Moderate Islamist parties in Algeria, which have been weakened by factionalism and internal disagreements over the years, are unlikely to increase their base in the upcoming general and local elections. Algeria
The Takeaway: Sudan playing increasingly pivotal role in Middle East Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is in Riyadh for talks with the Saudi crown prince on Red Sea Security; Yazidi slave trade suggests Islamic State presence in Turkey; Erdogan’s mission impossible in dealing with the S-400; more! Originals
Hamas' Gaza leader reelected in internal vote Yahya Sinwar has led the Palestinian group in Gaza since 2017. Palestine
Former employee of German government convicted of spying for Egypt The former worker in Germany's press office passed information to Egypt's General Intelligence Service in exchange for the service helping his family in Egypt. Egypt
Kurdish stamp commemorating pope's visit to Erbil fans Turkish conspiracy fears Ankara is furious over a commemorative stamp design featuring a map of Iraqi Kurdistan that includes chunks of Turkey’s Kurdish-dominated southeast provinces. Turkey
Knesset advances proposal on electronic bracelet for returning Israelis The Knesset approved a first reading of a bill requiring those returning to Israel to self-isolate at home and wear an electronic bracelet that shows where they are. Israel
Rights groups say Bahrain police beat, threatened children A report from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Human Rights Watch accused police in Bahrain of rounding up and mistreating children as young as 11. Bahrain
Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul's sentence upheld in Riyadh court The women's rights activist had appealed her probation, which reportedly includes a five-year travel ban. Saudi Arabia
Pandemic, domestic woes dim Istanbul’s economic luster Istanbul’s economy is estimated to have shrunk about 3% last year, even as Turkey’s gross domestic product grew 1.8%. Turkey
Netanyahu to visit Abu Dhabi, meet crown prince After the trip was delayed three times, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly set to spend a few hours in Abu Dhabi tomorrow. United Arab Emirates
