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
Civilians face death, hunger in western Mosul Civilians and particularly children in areas that are still under control of the Islamic State live in very difficult situations, facing death, hunger and illness. Iraq
LGBT community struggles for recognition, rights in Iraqi Kurdistan Due to the strong conservative culture in Iraqi Kurdistan, the LGBT community faces a difficult situation, but there are some signs of growing acceptance. Iraq
Rebel infighting puts more strain on hospitals in Syria's Ghouta In Eastern Ghouta, rebel infighting that erupted after the government forces lost control of the area has taken its toll on hospitals and medical facilities. Syria
Website helps Lebanon's migrant workers expose abuse Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are not protected by labor laws, but a new website hopes to give them a voice to speak out against abuse. Lebanon
Palestinians optimistic as Jordan border crossing set to open 24/7 Israel has agreed to open the Allenby (King Hussein) border crossing into Jordan around the clock following bilateral negotiations with the Palestinians. Palestine
Hundreds flee battles in Raqqa Hundreds of civilians in Raqqa are forced to flee their city as the battle to liberate it from the Islamic State rages on. Syria
Egyptian students draw red line with Red Sea pollution A group of students at the American University in Cairo has launched an awareness campaign to stop pollution in the Red Sea and protect marine life. Egypt
The real reason Iran is pointing finger at Riyadh for IS attack Iranian officials have pointed the finger at Saudi Arabia as the culprit behind the attack by the Islamic State on Tehran. Saudi Arabia
Rafsanjani's son favorite in battle for Tehran mayorship Debate about who will succeed outgoing conservative Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has reached a fever pitch as the son of a former president emerges as the most likely candidate. Iran
Abbas eyes Merkel as Plan B if Trump fails on Mideast peace Should President Donald Trump fail to deliver his ultimate regional deal, the Palestinians could opt for German Chancellor Angela Merkel to take the lead on relaunching peace talks with Israel. Palestine
Turkish opposition struggles to unite amid government crackdown In response to the arrest of one of its deputies, leader of Turkey’s secular opposition party Kemal Kilicdaroglu called for a popular march, but the protest move isn't distracting critics from his timid response to the president's increasing authoritarianism and fraud allegations. Turkey
Influence-rich Saudis blow through Sunni unity Just a month after hosting the US president and the leaders of dozens of Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia apparently cares more about putting Qatar in its place than maintaining the alliance it built. Saudi Arabia
