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
Trump prompts Rouhani administration, IRGC to close ranks Despite their many differences, the Rouhani administration and the IRGC are showing a unified stance amid talk of a US plan to designate the Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. United States
Iranian universities enter Iraq The collapse of Iraq’s educational system in the years since the US-led invasion has paved the way for foreign actors to step in to fill the void. Iraq
Egypt moves toward criminalizing child marriage Many parents in rural Egypt feel no obligation to educate their daughters and instead seek to marry them off early; rights advocates want to put an end to the harmful tradition. Egypt
With appointment of new deputy chief, Hamas leadership more militant than ever The appointment of Saleh al-Arouri as Hamas’ No. 2 reflects the movement's desire to preserve ties with Iran, Hezbollah and Syria, and could mean trouble for political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh. Palestine
Bottom line in Syria: No one is safe yet A battle begins in Syria between opposition moderates and the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as the latter also fights its radical rival, the Islamic State. Syria
Tax increase puts spotlight on Lebanon's miserable finances As Lebanon approves a tax hike to fund employee raises, experts warn the government to implement financial reforms or face default. Lebanon
Why Hamas should thank Netanyahu The Netanyahu government has done its fair share to strengthen Hamas as part of its efforts to weaken Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and distance the possibility of peacefully resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
Pollster: Abbas would lose in elections, Fatah still safe Based on recent polling, should President Mahmoud Abbas decide to run for re-election, his chances of winning would be slim, while Fatah would fare better in legislative elections. Palestine
What's behind Cairo's call to unify expatriate groups? Egypt’s minister of immigration and expatriate affairs called for the unification of entities representing the Egyptian diaspora abroad under one association, an idea that was objected to by some given the obstacles it would face. Egypt
Palestinian refugees in Amman use painting to challenge UNRWA After the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East erased Palestinian symbols and slogans painted on the walls of a refugee camp's school in Jordan, artists gathered to duplicate messages on the structures facing the school. Jordan
Iran’s former president under more restrictions In Iran, former Reformist President Mohammad Khatami has reportedly been banned from public appearances for a period of three months. Iran
Iranian conservatives more divided than ever Five months after their defeat against Hassan Rouhani in Iran’s presidential elections, Iranian conservatives appear more divided than ever. Iran
