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
No end in sight for Israel's political divide in 2018 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's survival strategy has always been to drive a wedge between the right and the left, and we can expect more of the same in 2018. Israel
Sinai women become breadwinners The Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity has allocated all of its profits from its yearly handicrafts exhibit to the development and rehabilitation of north Sinai homes that were destroyed in terrorist attacks. Egypt
Reviving Kurdish language in northern Syria The self-administration in northern Syria is teaching the Kurdish language in a bid to revive it among the local population after decades of marginalization. Iraq
PA rejects US, seeks new sponsors for peace talks The Palestinian Authority is mobilizing international support to find a new sponsor for the peace process following US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Palestine
More than a year on, Hirak protesters remain behind bars in Morocco Despite the announcement of a development project in the marginalized Rif region in Morocco, authorities are still detaining and prosecuting hundreds of protesters who took part in demonstrations demanding economic and social justice. Morocco
Lebanon's mothers see glint of hope in custody ruling A Shiite mother in Lebanon was recently granted temporary custody of her two children in what human rights advocates say could indicate a long overdue, small step forward in personal status laws. Lebanon
Could alternative farming save Gaza’s agriculture sector? A young Palestinian graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture at Al-Azhar University in the Gaza Strip has built a hydroponic farm to grow lettuce without the need for soil, in a bid to overcome soil-related problems and high salinity levels in the water in Gaza. Palestine
Iraq's bursting plastic surgery world dangerously unregulated More Iraqis than ever are seeking out cosmetic surgery and other services, and many unlicensed facilities and providers are rushing to meet the demand. Iraq
Moscow mulls scenarios as Mideast mediator The United States recently riled up the Middle East with its pronouncement on Jerusalem, giving Russia an opportunity to quietly step up its work in the background on Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. Palestine
Three months on from referendum, Kurds feel frustrated Iraqi Kurdistan suffers from a devastated economy and increasing public anger in the aftermath of the independence referendum. Iraq
Iran gradually moving toward resumed military ties with Europe Acknowledging that military cooperation with leading European powers is not on the table, Iran is seeking out European middle powers. Iran
All official Syrian-Lebanon border crossings now open The border area has been deemed secure enough for the Lebanese and Syrian governments to reopen the last of the five border crossings between the two countries. Lebanon
