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
Sufi sites in Libya under attack Sufis and other religious minorities in Libya are under constant threat of attack by extremist Salafists. Libya
Iran's Soleimani sends message of defiance in calls to Hamas In the aftermath of the US president's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the head of the Quds Force called the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to affirm Iran's ongoing political and military support. Palestine
Republican dig at Iran deal jeopardizes effort to keep government open Congressional efforts to ban future purchases of heavy water from Iran could complicate efforts to avoid a government shutdown. Congress
Palestinian mom counters child-rearing myths with modern app When Nour al-Khodari found herself with a baby and no family members to help, she panicked; then she realized it was a blessing and a business opportunity. Originals
Turkish commander accuses US of sabotage Distrust between the United States and Turkey is at a new low as an anonymous Turkish commander claims that US-manufactured and supplied bombs dropped on Kurdish separatist targets were duds. Turkey
Iran wakes up to HIV/AIDS epidemic among expectant mothers The Iranian government is trying to combat the spread of an HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country, especially among pregnant women, but much work remains to be done. Iran
Ahmadinejad and Iran’s judiciary chief trade accusations Verbal clashes between former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and conservative judiciary chief Sadegh Amoli Ayatollah Larijani are reaching new heights. Iran
Turkish government mum about abducted intelligence personnel Several senior Turkish intelligence officials have been in PKK hands for more than three months, but the government is refusing to share what it knows about them with the parliament. Iraq
Egyptian director sticks tongue out at movie kisses The film "Stop Kissing Me" takes a satirical look at the romance scenes in Egyptian films, but risks getting the kiss of death from Egypt's censorship authority. Egypt
Turkey’s problem with Syrian Kurds far from over Ankara has accepted the Russian proposal to have Kurdish participation in Syrian national reconciliation while excluding the PYD, but the latter will remain the elephant in the room. Iraq
Iraq's PMU leaders 'resign' in preparation for elections Several leaders in Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units have signaled that they are handing over control of their factions to the central government as they prepare to run in next year's elections, but some argue they will maintain their influence. Iraq
Egypt's top religious institutions unite against Trump's Jerusalem move Al-Azhar and the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church hope to pressure the US administration into renouncing its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel through recently launched boycott campaigns. Palestine
![General view of Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) in Isfahan, about 420 km (261 miles) south of Tehran, August 8, 2005. Iran resumed uranium conversion on Monday at its facility near Isfahan, a move [EU officials have warned will probably see its nuclear case sent to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions].
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