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
Al-Azhar imposters prompt calls to regulate uniform In response to unauthorized Egyptian clerics issuing radical fatwas while dressed in the traditional Al-Azhar uniform, a parliamentary committee is considering steps to ban non-affiliates from wearing the religious institute’s identifiable dress. Egypt
Is Israeli High Court’s independence at risk? Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and her associates are trying to reduce the independence of the High Court and appoint justices who share their worldview. Israel
Mobile 'clothesline gallery' a hit with Gaza's young generation Freelance photographer Mahmoud "Ezz" al-Zaanoun brings moments of joy to Gaza children with exhibitions of his photos on his mobile clothesline gallery. Palestine
Lebanese Fatah delegates visit Palestine for first time The visit for the first time by Lebanese Fatah delegates to attend the movement’s seventh congress has left them with a bittersweet impression of Palestine. Palestine
EU wary of Israeli attempts at West Bank annexation European Union leaders believe that the settlement regularization law expresses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy of annexing parts of West bank lands. Palestine
Trump fever sweeps Iraqi Kurdistan The Kurdish people have been celebrating Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections in many different ways, in the hope that his presidency will bring more support for an independent Kurdistan. Iraq
The wall that separates Israeli, US Jews While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drags his feet in ensuring that all Jews can worship at the Western Wall in the way they wish, some members of his party have proposed a law that would imprison women for doing just that. Israel
Israel's classic car lovers get organized A growing number of Israelis are indulging their interest for vintage cars as the car collecting hobby is booming. Israel
Art exhibit showcases Syrian history, culture An exhibition at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto is changing how its Western audience — and Syrians living in Canada — conceptualize Syria. Syria
Soccer club gives Sahrawi kids a workout — and hope Refugee camps have little to offer children, but dozens of kids are taking advantage of a new soccer club that provides training and helps them hone other skills as well. Algeria
Iranians welcome Rouhani's 'nuclear response' to US efforts to extend sanctions Iran's divided factions jointly welcome President Hassan Rouhani’s order for work to begin on designing and manufacturing nuclear engines. Iran
Why Iran is moving to halt exports of raw minerals The Iranian government’s plan to minimize iron ore exports to boost the production of processed goods jives with realities on the ground. Iran
