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
Pompeo dubs Iran new 'home base' of al-Qaeda Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Tehran of enabling the terrorist group by providing safe havens and logistical support. United States
Turkish former NBA star denies falling out with Erdogan Basketball star Hidayet Turkoglu has denied quitting the top post of the Turkish Basketball Federation and his firing as an adviser to the Turkish president for refusing to move his money to Turkey. Turkey
Israel’s Gantz advances Palestinian construction plans in West Bank After advancing the construction of some 800 housing units in West Bank settlements, Defense Minister Benny Gantz takes an opposite, rare move, of advancing construction plans in Palestinian West Bank villages. Israel
Iran says it won’t expel nuclear watchdog inspectors Government officials stressed that international watchdog inspectors will not be expelled from Iran’s nuclear sites, rejecting a senior lawmaker’s statement that such a plan was in the pipeline if the United States failed to lift sanctions against Tehran. Iran
Intel: Former US ambassador to UAE to join McGurk on National Security Council Barbara Leaf is set to join other Obama-era officials with established Middle East policy credentials. United States
Sheldon Adelson, major donor in US and Israeli politics, dies at 87 Adelson was a strong supporter of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as pro-Israel Republicans in the United States. Israel
Iraq makes major progress in closing camps for the displaced After six years of displacement, Iraq has closed around 62% of its remaining camps for internally displaced persons over the past six months and is planning to close all of them this year. Iraq
Women missing from top roles as Israeli election takes shape The Knesset race is painting a sad picture of gender equality in Israel, with no party led by a woman. Israel
Jordan revisits relationship with Muslim Brotherhood Despite the good relations the Muslim Brotherhood enjoyed when it first emerged in Jordan, the group has lost sway in the kingdom as authorities escalate their crackdown. Jordan
Syria's journalists live in constant fear of arrest, assassination Syria remains one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists, who face repression and violence from the Syrian regime as well as opposition forces. Syria
Iran’s capital suffocating amid blame game over pollution For nearly a month, residents of the Iranian capital have been exposed to record-high air pollution amid the government’s confusing explanations and failure to work out a solution. Iran
Can World Cup soccer help heal Gulf wounds? Communities torn apart by a yearslong rift between Gulf rulers may need time to heal the wounds of a crisis that damaged social ties that have historically transcended borders. Saudi Arabia
