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
Turkish Islamists’ trial with sectarianism Turkish Islamists’ Middle Eastern vision did not begin with a sectarian outlook, but the existing sectarian tension may change this. Turkey
Questions arise about large Palestinian security budget The budget of the Palestinian security forces is being questioned, and attempts are being made by the United States to cut it back. Palestine
Is Egypt's Sisi losing Coptic support? Following the attack on Cairo’s largest Coptic church, Egyptian Copts held demonstrations condemning President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his administration for failing to protect them, although others maintain their support. Egypt
Preventable illnesses menace children in Yemen The war in Yemen is showing no signs of ending, and as this most violent period of its modern history drags on, young children are as much at risk to disease as to militant violence. Yemen
Will the pope finally visit Iraq once IS is defeated? Ever since Pope Francis promised to visit Iraq, Iraqi officials have called on him to arrange the trip as soon as the Islamic State is defeated in Iraq. Iraq
Who's at fault for Egypt's economic crisis? The Egyptian economy seems on the verge of a profound crisis unless decision-makers in Cairo succeed in reaching exceptional agreements with petroleum exporters. Egypt
How serious is Israel about allowing return of Gaza workers? Israel's decision to allow workers from the Gaza Strip to hold jobs in adjacent towns is a positive step that, if implemented, will improve the economic situation in Gaza. Palestine
Is Abbas turning his back on Egypt? Despite lukewarm relations between Palestine and Egypt, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not turn his back on Cairo. Palestine
How Gaza's female first responders are saving lives, breaking stereotypes In a patriarchal society such as the Gaza Strip, a group of female first-aid workers created controversy when they headed to a football stadium to help male players. Palestine
Rojava leader: Turkey cannot stop Kurds from advancing in Syria In an interview with Al-Monitor, Fawza al-Yusuf, a board member of the Democratic Federal System for Rojava-Northern Syria, spoke about the battle for Raqqa, Turkey's involvement in the conflict and Syria's future. Syria
Remnants of ancient church keep this family in Sebastia Abu Abdullah volunteered to look after the remaining walls of St. John the Baptist Church in Sebastia, which he refuses to leave even though his family is the only remaining Christian family in the village. Palestine
Is this the beginning of a revolution by Saudi women? Saudi youths of both sexes are rebelling against their religious, social and political reality in light of contradictions between the religious and political speeches and deeds. Saudi Arabia
