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
Ahmadinejad’s former VP takes refuge in holy shrine Former Iranian Vice President Hamid Baghaei took refuge in a historic shrine to avoid a court case over likely corruption charges. Iran
Inside the world of social media advertising in Iran Entering a new phase, Iranian entrepreneurs turn to social media to boost their brands and sell products. Iran
Turkey demands news as Zarrab drops off radar Turkey's Foreign Ministry issued a formal inquiry about the whereabouts of Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-Turkish businessman held in the United States on money-laundering charges that could implicate Turkey's ruling party. Turkey
Erdogan’s 'pious generation' curriculum gets failing grade The Turkish government is struggling just to generate Band-Aid solutions for deep-rooted education problems. Turkey
Rising oil prices add to Turkey’s economic woes The increase in global oil prices and the depreciation of the Turkish lira are a bruising mix for Turkey, which heavily relies on imports to meet its energy needs. Turkey
Egypt's new health care law has medical community worried The Egyptian Cabinet's approval of a new health care law raised concerns over the potential for the bill to lead to the privatization of state-owned hospitals. Egypt
Iraqi authorities clamp down on sectarian hate speech During the Shiite Arbaeen pilgrimage this month, the Iraqi government took legal measures to stop extreme groups from insulting Sunni religious figures. Iraq
Recycled fashion hits catwalk in Ramallah Five Palestinian designers are nearing the end of a creative project in which they designed and created outfits out of recycled materials from the community. Palestine
Syrian war refugees find solace in song in Cairo Some Syrians in Egypt have formed bands to make a living and remember their homeland through music. Egypt
Extrajudicial measures under the spotlight in Palestine The arrest of lawyer Mohammad Hussein inside a courthouse in Nablus prompted lawyers, judges and staff at the general prosecutor's office to protest against unlawful measures. Palestine
Details of Abbas' mysterious Saudi trip still scarce Speculation is rife as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas returns from his sudden and unplanned visit to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Forty years after historic visit to Israel by Egypt's Sadat, both countries further apart When visiting Jerusalem 40 years ago, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had a vision for Israeli-Palestinian peace, but he was led astray. Egypt
