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
Is Turkey rattled by Russian-Kurdish deal? Turkey may feel its already tenuous footing in Syria slipping now that Russian troops have arrived in Afrin, after making a pact with the Kurds. Syria
What's behind Erdogan's recent angry outbursts? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s blustering toward the West seems to have run its course with the exhausted Turkish public; however, it still works to coax Justice and Development Party elites. Turkey
Iranian tourists flock to Turkish border towns While Turkey's tourist industry is affected by Russian and European tourists no longer traveling to its shores in the large numbers seen previously, Iranian tourists party the night away in border towns such as Van. Turkey
Trump’s envoy surprises Israelis, Palestinians While the Israeli side was disappointed by the US demands to curb settlement construction, the Palestinian side was pleasantly surprised by the approach of President Donald Trump’s envoy Jason Greenblatt. Palestine
Solar car race shines light on renewable energy in Egypt For the first time, the United Solar Challenge was held in Egypt as innovators and engineers race solar-powered cars and try to spark interest in renewable energy sources. Egypt
Aleppo's displaced face another crisis in Idlib The Syrian regime is intensifying its assault on Idlib and its countryside, where civilians are falling victim after fleeing death in Aleppo and other areas in Syria. Syria
Anti-racism coalition claims Israeli extreme-right groups getting state funds A report by the Israeli Tag-Meir group argues that extreme-right groups that incite hate and violence are receiving state funds both directly and indirectly. Palestine
How Egypt's religious institutions are trying to curb atheism Egyptian court records show thousands of women have filed for divorce over their husbands' atheism — even though religious authorities maintain there are only 866 atheists in the country. Egypt
Gaza circus schools juggle raising funds, training children Two young men from the Gaza Strip established their own circus schools to teach children and amateurs the art of circus, as a way to express themselves under siege. Palestine
Why did PFLP suspend participation in local elections? The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine suspended participation in local elections in response to the Palestinian Authority’s security practices and general policies, which are unlikely to affect the Democratic Alliance List’s decision. Palestine
What does it mean to be a Jerusalemite? While Israel's Supreme Court recognized Palestinians' continued "resident-native" affiliation to Jerusalem after extended absences, Israel Prize judges gave this year’s award to a person who has dedicated his life to replacing Palestinian residents with Jews. Palestine
Why one Iraqi female MP is calling for law to encourage polygamy An Iraqi parliamentarian has proposed a bill to financially compensate men who take on multiple wives. Iraq
