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
45,000 Holocaust survivors live below poverty line in Israel Despite countless promises by politicians, thousands of Holocaust survivors are not being taken care of. Israel
Will Herzog join Netanyahu's coalition? With a narrow coalition of only 61 members, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to expand it — either with Yisrael Beitenu head Avigdor Liberman or with Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog. Israel
Why Turkey is finally getting serious about the Islamic State The Islamic State seems determined to open a front in Turkey, militarizing its operations there and forcing Ankara to respond in kind. Syria
Rouhani moves to slash IRGC budget, empower army The Rouhani administration has moved to cut spending for the IRGC while increasing funding for the army, but not without a backlash. Regional
After Madaya, Deir ez-Zor now faces humanitarian catastrophe The starving citizens of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria are trapped in the battle between the Islamic State and government forces, squeezed by blockades imposed by both sides. Syria
How Hamas scored a win in West Bank student elections The victory of Hamas' student branch in the elections at Birzeit University in the West Bank reflects the Palestinian public support for Hamas, following the arrests and restrictions it has been subjected to by both the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Palestine
Fleeing Tuz Khormato residents add more strain on Iraq's Kirkuk The renewed fighting in Tuz Khormato has prompted many more families to leave for Kirkuk, which is already struggling to host a large number of displaced people. Iraq
Pigeon lovers flock to Gaza expo Hundreds of enthusiasts and breeders of exotic pigeons gathered in a Gaza arena for an event as rare and special as their birds. Palestine
How Nubian women are challenging marital traditions in Egypt While Nubian society has opened up in ways that afford more opportunities to women, marriage to a non-Nubian man is still taboo. Egypt
Muqtada al-Sadr, chameleon of Iraq's politics Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr is taking advantage of the current popular protests in Iraq to expand his influence and thus become an undisputable leader on the Iraqi political scene. Iraq
English language classes set to become next battleground in Iran President Hassan Rouhani emphasized the learning of foreign languages in helping Iran’s economy, which put him at odds with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran
Will waning popularity push Egypt's Sisi to form political party? Egyptians are wondering if their president will become hungry for more political power if his star fades with the public. Egypt
