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
As Aleppo battle rages, citizens suffer from blockade, shelling Dozens of civilians were killed and wounded in Aleppo after the cease-fire failed and regime forces launched a fierce campaign to recapture the opposition-held neighborhoods in the city. Syria
Palestinian universities try to keep Fatah-Hamas split off campus Hebron University in the West Bank has postponed its student elections after those affiliated with Fatah's and Hamas' student blocs refused to abide by the university's decision to separate university elections from national politics. Palestine
Tunisia’s grand mufti makes unprecedented call The grand mufti’s call to halt labor strikes has angered Tunisian civil society and trade unions and raised controversy over the mufti’s role in a civil state. Tunisia
Unlikely partners join forces to lead by example in Syria An opposition group known as Syria’s Tomorrow and Kurdish self-rule proponents have forged an agreement they hope will bring other opposition factions together and enlist the support of Arab countries to end the war and build a civil democratic pluralist state. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan government seized, sold Gulen schools The Kurdistan Regional Government, at Turkey's request, has sold educational institutes affiliated with the cleric Fethullah Gulen and seized other Gulenist-run institutions. Iraq
Why Iran's hard-liners are ripping into Rouhani over NY visit Despite the lack of buzz about potential meetings or phone calls with US officials, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has not been spared from domestic criticism following his latest trip to New York. Iran
Why some ultra-Orthodox are up in arms over state funding for their schools Parents from the anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox stream are angry at one of their schools for secretly receiving funding from the Israeli Ministry of Education. Israel
As Lehava extremists terrorize Jerusalem, where are the police? Arab restaurant workers are increasingly being attacked by members of the extremist right-wing group Lehava. Israel
Egyptian table tennis legend beats all the odds Ibrahim Hamadtou was told he could never play table tennis, but this year he represented Egypt in the sport at the Paralympic Games. Egypt
How much leverage do Salafists have in Egypt's parliament? Rumors emerge about the Nour Party’s intentions now that it is being criticized for failing to represent its Salafi constituency. Egypt
Why Turkey is boosting its budget for dubious 'village guards' The paramilitary force that Turkey formed to fight the Kurdistan Workers Party has been controversial since the 1980s, so why is the government expanding it now? Turkey
Controlling Libya’s wealth: Hifter’s long game As Libya's oil exports, and funding for oil operations, look set to rise, the struggle for political control is shifting to Libya’s financial institutions. Libya
