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
Iraqi budget drives another wedge between Baghdad, Kurds Baghdad's parliament cut Kurdistan's budget this week, adding fuel to the fire regarding their disputes. Iraq
Istanbul’s new airport: a looming black hole Istanbul’s giant new airport, scheduled to partially open in October ahead of key elections next year, has become a headache that threatens to carve a black hole in Turkey’s public finances. Turkey
Israeli protest movements fighting for the money: Settlers win, Black Panthers fail A new Israeli television series tells the contradicting stories of two parallel protest movements that erupted in the 1970s: the Black Panther movement with its social protests, and the Gush Emunim settlement movement. Israel
Israeli security forces posing as journalists endanger press An Israeli commando accused of impersonating Israeli journalists to arrest a student on a university campus could make reporters' jobs harder and more dangerous on both sides of the conflict. Palestine
Police video of sex workers causes uproar in Iraqi Kurdistan A video circulated on Kurdish social media showing a police filming of a group of women and men apparently caught in a brothel in Erbil stirred controversy in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Iraq
International prize nomination shines spotlight on West Bank theater Palestine's Al-Harah Theater is one of the 11 finalists for the Ellen Stewart International Award, a prestigious prize for theater companies that promote social change. Palestine
Palestinian Museum's digital archive project to preserve heritage A three-year project by the Palestinian Museum will enable Palestinians to find and archive key historical documents. Palestine
Experts speculate on causes of rising birth defects in Gaza Birth defects have increased in the Gaza Strip, which raises questions about what the reasons might be. Palestine
Thousands forced from Libyan town stopped just short of home Despite an agreement for the return of some 600 families to their hometown of Tawergha after seven years of displacement, delays have left them in yet another makeshift camp just miles from home. Libya
Jordanian dry yogurt gets sweet deal Omar Sartawi, a Jordanian chef with unorthodox practices, took Bedouin dried yogurt and made it into white chocolate truffles — but the jury is still out on its taste. Jordan
Turkish women take to the streets to demand equality Activists say 15 years of rule by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has eroded women’s rights, even as he has vowed to end domestic violence and strengthen the role of women in Turkish society. Turkey
Russia considering course change after new challenges in Syria As Russia's presidential election approaches, Moscow finds itself recently pressured by several negative developments in Syria that are causing it to re-evaluate its strategy there. Syria
