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
What are real reasons behind Russian troop drawdown in Syria? Russia's strategy behind withdrawing its forces from Syria could include wanting to protect them from escalating danger while winning points with voters. Syria
Animosity toward US uniting Turkey, Russia, Iran in Syria A loose alliance between Turkey, Russia and Iran in Syria is fraught with tensions driven by developments on the ground, but the three remain united in their desire not to provide advantage to the United States. Syria
PA must take difficult road to financial freedom from Israel Despite deciding to sever economic ties with Israel, the Palestinian Authority has yet to show it's willing to take the difficult steps that are essential to achieving economic independence. Palestine
Airstrikes catch up to displaced Aleppans in Idlib Syrians who fled Aleppo years ago and settled in Idlib are on the run once again or fearing for their lives as the regime, backed by Russian air cover, intensifies its attacks in the province. Syria
Interview Can Cairo talks succeed in uniting Libya's divided armed forces? In an interview with Al-Monitor, the spokesman for the Libyan armed forces led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter speaks about the UN-sponsored elections and Egyptian efforts to unite the army, as Libya further sinks into chaos and division. Khalifa Hifter Commander of the Libyan National Army
Abbas turns to Moscow in search for new Mideast mediator Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has stepped up his diplomatic offensive to secure support for international sponsorship of the peace process. Palestine
Rights coalition takes on female genital mutilation in Egypt Amid high rates of female genital mutilation in Egypt, women's and human rights organizations have come together in a campaign to educate the public and enforce laws against the practice. Egypt
No chance for peace while settlers dream of holy war Messianic settlers are exploiting the deaths of those killed in violent attacks as excuses to build ever more settlements and claim all of the West Bank. Palestine
Turkey’s graffiti artists: businessmen by day, rebels at night Turkey’s graffiti artists have started taking their work not only to the museums and art galleries, but also to the corporate world. Turkey
Iraq's gazelles under threat from illegal traffickers Iraq tries to increase the number of its endangered Goitered Gazelles by placing them in reserves, but lack of funding remains a challenge. Iraq
Trump seeks to slash funding for UN missions in Mideast The State Department budget is seeking across-the-board cuts to international peacekeeping missions worldwide. Lebanon
Pentagon budget retains same troop levels in Iraq, Syria The Donald Trump administration’s new budget for the Pentagon leaves in place nearly 6,000 US troops in Iraq and Syria. Iraq
