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
The Takeaway: With rift healed, GCC ramps up The Gulf states deal with an urgent need for foreign investment, crisis on the Red Sea, and optimism for World Cup 2022; Did Rouhani call the US a ‘great nation’ that needs to return to its ‘rightful place’? Originals
UAE signs joint defense agreement with Cyprus The Gulf country is eyeing a new partnership in the Mediterranean to counter Turkey. Originals
Kuwait's prime minister submits Cabinet's resignation Ministers handed in their resignations Tuesday amid a standoff with parliament. Kuwait
Iran kicks off naval missile drills in Gulf of Oman, to renew patrols in Red Sea Iran's Navy will resume patrols in the Red Sea, the Chief of Staff of the armed forces said United States
Turkey prepares to distribute Chinese vaccine With the Turkish government expected to begin mass distribution of the Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac this week, health experts are questioning its effectiveness and the state’s rollout strategy. Originals
Pompeo, Israel send message to Iran with bold airstrikes in Syria In a rare acknowledgement, a US official said Washington provided intelligence support for the strikes. Israel
Iran offers to help Iraq reconstruct damaged archaeological masterpiece Iran has expressed interest in helping repair the Taq Kasra, the remains of a pre-Islamic Persian palace in Iraq with a historically significant archway. Iraq
Biden names Samantha Power as nominee for USAID chief The former journalist and UN ambassador has spent her career advocating for human rights around the globe. United States
Iran’s Rouhani expects economic relief after Trump departure Iran’s president assured his nation of economic relief “in the months to come” following the “overthrow” of his outgoing US counterpart, Donald Trump. Iran
Diplomacy in the Gulf follows the money Recent diplomatic moves among Gulf states closely align with efforts to attract new investment. Originals
Death of 16-year-old provokes settlers' ire against police, Palestinians Settlers angry after the death of 16-year-old Ahuvia Sandak are protesting violently across the country and also attacking Palestinian property in the West Bank. Israel
Israel debates Sheldon Adelson’s media, political heritage Following the death of Jewish American Sheldon Adelson, the Israeli right and left disagree about how he influenced Israel’s media, society. Israel
