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
Syrian actors look for fresh start in Egypt Dozens of Syrian actors who were forced to leave Syria because of the conflict are trying to reassemble their lives and careers in Egypt. Egypt
Iran chooses Quds Force stalwart for new ambassador to Iraq Iran has appointed a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps official and Quds Force adviser to be its new ambassador in Iraq, raising concerns that Iran plans to strengthen Iraq's Shiite militias in the post-Islamic State era. Iraq
What will Netanyahu tell Trump? With combative coalition partners watching his every move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might focus on the Iranian issue when meeting US President Donald Trump, as this will serve him well in the Israeli public opinion. Palestine
Is Lebanon on the path to decriminalizing homosexuality? Education and awareness seem to be the solutions to creating a society and legal system that are more tolerant toward the LGBT community in Lebanon. Lebanon
How Hamas prisoners elect leaders behind bars Even locked in Israeli prisons, Hamas members contribute to the movement's decision-making process by holding leadership elections every two years. Palestine
Turkey’s Euphrates Shield reaches critical juncture Will Turkish army advance to Raqqa, try to hold on to al-Bab or end the operation and go back to Turkey? Syria
Turkey walks fine line in dealing with 'frenemy' jihadis Turkey’s mixed messages in crackdown terrorist groups; Ankara on sidelines, again, in Syria; Syrian Kurds consider federalism, view Turkish attack on al-Bab as "fiasco." Syria
The real sultans of Istanbul: Cats A new documentary that follows seven of Istanbul's hundreds of thousands of famous cats is getting claws-up reviews from critics and viewers as screenings begin this weekend. Turkey
What's on Morocco's agenda as it rejoins African Union? Morocco wants to take advantage of its strong economic presence to gain political support in the Western Sahara dispute while becoming a hub for Western investments in the African continent. Morocco
Egypt's publishers hope book fair can boost slumping sales The high number of visitors to the Cairo Book Fair, the second largest of its kind in the world, came as a pleasant surprise. Egypt
How close are we to a solution in Syria? As the Syrian Democratic Forces launch a new phase in the operation to liberate the city of Raqqa from Islamic State control, many questions remain about the military and political situation on the ground. Syria
Iranian academics hit hard by Trump's travel ban Beyond impacting travelers and their families around the world, the US president's move to ban citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from the United States has crushed academics at home and abroad. United States
