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
Congress authorizes Trump to arm Syrian rebels with anti-aircraft missiles The House passed a defense bill that conditionally allows the provision of MANPADs to anti-Syrian regime forces. Syria
Turkey's Sirnak now nothing but rubble The nine-month-long curfew on Sirnak was lifted after security forces cleared the trenches, barricades and booby traps of the PKK urban warfare units. But Sirnak is now one big pile of rubble. Turkey
Why are the flames of Aleppo burning Turkey? As they continue to suffer defeats, Syrian opposition forces are being pressed back against the Turkish border, signaling yet another nightmare in the making. Syria
Why Netanyahu blames the left With his wife being questioned by the police, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu multiplies his attacks against the media and the left, blaming them for persecuting his family. Israel
New museum space brings Tunisia's history to life An exhibit called "The Rise of a Nation," on display in the Qsar es-Said palace, features crucial documents in the rise of modern and democratic Tunisia, as well as 300 Ottoman-era paintings, costumes, religious objects and furniture. Tunisia
Egyptian artist defies odds with Photoshop's newest cover After having his artwork featured on the cover of Photoshop's latest edition, Amr Elshamy hopes to transition from digital art to animated movies. Egypt
Who better to achieve Palestinian reconciliation than Egypt? Lately, Egypt has been trying to revive Palestinian reconciliation as part of its efforts to regain its sponsorship role in the region. Palestine
Raising awareness using puppets in Egypt Egyptian lawyer Rania Refaat has been performing shows using puppets across Egypt as part of her initiative to shed light on many social issues and raise awareness about citizens’ rights. Egypt
Why Iraq needs immediate action on climate change Iraq is facing serious environmental challenges that require money, know-how and an attitude of urgency. Iraq
Iranian women demand inclusion in Rouhani's Cabinet Despite having appointed three female vice presidents, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani remains under pressure from women's rights activists to appoint more women to his Cabinet. Iran
Why Israel’s Beersheba buses dropped Arabic announcements With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointing a finger at Israeli Arabs for wildfires, it's no wonder that the city of Beersheba removed announcements in Arabic from its public buses. Israel
Russian-rebel talks resume as Erdogan backs down on Assad Talks between Russia and Syrian rebels were reportedly derailed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's contradictory statements on Syria, but they have apparently resumed after he and the Russian president spoke on the phone and Erdogan publicly declared that Turkey is only targeting terrorist organizations in northern Syria. Syria
