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
One year later, Aleppo's residents still mourn destroyed city Although the battle for Aleppo ended a year ago, some former residents can't bear to return to the destroyed city, while journalists fear arrest. Syria
Palestinians ready for major shift in strategy The US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is seen by many Palestinian leaders as a unique opportunity to seriously work on achieving national unity. Palestine
Qatar returns to Gaza scene Despite the rocky relationship between Hamas and Qatar, Doha is trying to make a comeback on the Palestinian scene in the Gaza Strip as tensions with Egypt continue to grow. Qatar
Was 2017 really the 'year of Egyptian women'? Despite the issuance of several laws related to improving the status of women in Egypt, there is still a long way to go. Egypt
Egypt's new health insurance law to give Sisi pre-election boost Egypt's parliament passed a comprehensive health insurance law in early December, but many doubt it will lead to better health services. Egypt
Egypt's student elections see lack of candidates, voters The recent student elections held in Egypt have raised several questions about the relation between university students and the ruling authority. Egypt
New treatment plant to help Gaza's wastewater crisis Lengthy power cuts in the Gaza Strip have prevented water treatment plants from keeping up with the area's increasing volume of wastewater, but a new agreement with Israel holds promise as a solution. Palestine
House parties the New Year's vogue in Turkey Facing increasing public scrutiny about celebrating New Year’s Eve, a lot of Turks find comfort in professionally organized house parties catering to all budgets and tastes. Turkey
Aspiring Coptic soccer players finally make it to playing field In Egypt, where Copts who apply for soccer clubs get the standard reply “We’ll call you,” Je Suis Academy offers them a chance to train and overcome prejudices. Egypt
Iraqi forces hunt down IS remnants in Hamrin Mountains After the declaration of victory against the Islamic State, Iraqi security forces are still hunting small groups of IS fighters in the remote areas. Iraq
Pro-Iran PMU factions prepare for electoral battle in Iraq Segments of the Popular Mobilization Units close to Iran are forming an alliance to participate in Iraq's upcoming elections. Iraq
What 2018 looks like for Russia, US regarding Syria Will US and Russian relations in the new year involve cooperation, confrontation or attempts to carefully balance both? Syria
