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
Lebanese activists fight against child marriage with videos Lebanese nongovernmental organizations and artists use videos to create awareness of the risks of early marriage, which affects 6% of all girls in Lebanon. Lebanon
Human rights groups become new target of Ankara’s crackdown The arrest of six prominent human rights activists in Turkey on terrorism-related charges marks a new phase in the suppression campaign of the Erdogan regime. Turkey
Iran needs new development vision The failures produced over the last three decades by divergent views on the definition of a "development plan" for Iran necessitates a new development paradigm. Iran
Terrorists in Sinai up their game In a striking development, an Islamic State splinter group in Sinai has targeted an elite Egyptian army battalion, which raises concerns that militants might be adopting a new pattern of qualitative operations. Egypt
Libya's Hifter sets his sights on the capital following Benghazi victory The Libyan National Army, operating under the command of Gen. Khalifa Hifter, declared victory in Benghazi after ousting Islamists, further consolidating the role Hifter could play in shaping Libya's future. Libya
Next Israel-Hezbollah confrontation could be in Syria While the cease-fire brokered by the United States, Russia and Jordan seems to be holding for now in southern Syria, it might not last for long given the Israeli-Iranian rivalry in the region. Israel
How Sisi uses art to promote his ideas It appears that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is using art and artists to gain popular support for the government's decisions. Egypt
IDF hopes to reach Palestinian youth directly with new online show The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories has launched a video magazine to show Palestinians a different side of Israeli society. Palestine
Golan residents renounce Israeli plan to hold local elections Israel is proposing to hold elections in the Golan Heights for the first time in its 50-year occupation, but since almost none of the locals are eligible to run for office, they want nothing to do with the idea. Palestine
The Israeli Labor Party's mysterious new leader Despite the popularity that got him elected, Labor's new chair, Avi Gabbay, is an enigma in Tel Aviv. Israel
Berlin says German citizens 'no longer safe' in Turkey Ankara-Berlin animosity is likely to spill over from harsh words to action as Germans languish in Turkish detention and German investors are warned away from the country. Turkey
New Tehran mayor likely to be Rouhani ally Reformist members of the incoming Tehran City Council are selecting who will replace conservative Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as the next mayor. Iran
