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
US, Russia spar over terms to restore Syria cease-fire Diplomats held a contentious meeting in an attempt to agree on bold measures to try to salvage a US-Russia cease-fire deal in Syria after it collapsed, but failed to reach agreement. Syria
Why are young Iranian couples having trouble getting pregnant? Faced with dropping birth rates and rising infertility, the Iranian government is moving to boost funding for infertility treatments. Iran
'New Turkey' finds founding myth in failed coup The political narrative about the failed July 15 coup attempt is entering Turkey’s textbooks as the core of a new shape of Turkish nationalism. Turkey
Environment official says Iran looking for more international cooperation US opposition to lending to Iran by multinational organizations has undercut Tehran's ability to face growing environmental challenges, the deputy head of Iran's Department of Environment says. United States
Egyptians ponder: How much military control is too much? Some Egyptians fear the military’s involvement in the Supply Ministry will lead to wider military control, while others think it is the solution to corruption. Egypt
Abadi orders weapons caches out of Baghdad in wake of deadly blast In the wake of a horrific explosion at a weapons cache site that killed four people, Iraq's prime minister has ordered that arms depots be removed from residential areas in Baghdad and other cities. Iraq
Decline of higher education in Iraq continues Despite several recent achievements, Iraq's universities still suffer from poor management, corruption and sectarianism. Iraq
Will 1967 Palestinian refugees ever return? The Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty may have been good for the two parties, but it has also been used to prevent Palestinians displaced in 1967 from returning to their homes. Palestine
Israeli right no longer bothered by Obama Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's last meeting with US President Barack Obama marked his success at stalling American efforts at peace. Israel
Rafsanjani takes aim at Iranian military spending amid furor Remarks by Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on the benefits of less military spending have stirred controversy in Iran. Iran
How this 14-year-old Syrian refugee is fighting to end child marriage Following in the footsteps of her role model Malala Yousafzai, Omaima Hoshan, a 14-year-old living in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp, is raising awareness about the physical and psychological risks child marriage poses to young girls. Jordan
Palestinian election delay leaves $8 million in limbo A Palestinian court's decision to postpone local voting creates a financial quandary. Palestine
