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
Japan comes to the rescue of Gaza's hospitals With funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, solar panels will be installed in Gaza's hospitals to provide electricity to vital care units. Palestine
Tulkarm aims to renovate century-old Ottoman train tunnel The Ottoman Empire’s Hejaz Railway, initially seen as Sultan Abdulhamid's folly, played a key role in World War I and later in Palestine's history. Palestine
Leaked recording sparks debate on harassment at Egypt universities A Cairo University professor allegedly is heard sexually coercing an anonymous student on a leaked audio recording, raising the ire of female activists and civil society organizations. Egypt
Is Barzani backing away from independence referendum? Iraqi Kurdistan's president expects "guarantees and alternatives" from Washington; Hamas diplomatic surge with Iran and Russia. Palestine
Hamas, Iran plot closer path forward amid Qatar crisis The normalization of ties between Iran and the Palestinian Hamas movement appears to be accelerating amid the crisis among Gulf states. Palestine
Iraq’s legendary fashion house revived Despite pressure from conservatives and a lack of funds, the Iraqi House of Fashion revives its glory days with a museum catwalk. Iraq
US-backed forces cut off Islamic State in Raqqa The Syrian Democratic Forces have surrounded the Islamic State’s Syria stronghold. Syria
What's behind controversial Iraqi cleric's visit to Saudi Arabia? Top Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has shifted his domestic and regional policies, adopting a stance independent of Iran. Saudi Arabia
Corruption, nepotism obvious under Erdogan Trading in political influence is becoming more evident — some would say it's becoming the norm — in Turkey, where all power appears to be in one person's hand. Turkey
Erdogan targets Turkish banks over economic crisis Turkey’s president is blasting banks for making what he considers to be unfairly large profits, yet he overlooks his government's role in making it possible. Turkey
Iraq's Turkmen areas become battlefield in Kurdish referendum debate Turkmen areas in Iraq have become a battleground between Arabs and Kurds to exert influence over them, while the Turkmens are concerned about the inclusion of these areas in the Kurdistan referendum on independence. Iraq
Egypt's first female dolphin trainer swims against the stream Nesma Rafet, who left a corporate career for swimming with dolphins, says her male colleagues' attitude that she couldn’t do the job encouraged her further. Egypt
