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
Rafsanjani to Guardian Council: Who are you to judge? Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has stirred controversy in Iran over his defense of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's grandson, who was disqualified to run in the elections. Iran
You won't believe what this Saudi blogger has to say about Iran The Iranian-Saudi freeze claims collateral damage as a popular Saudi blogger studying in Tehran can’t go back to finish her degree. Saudi Arabia
AKP moderate declared 'traitor' The "Arinc rebellion" against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to be the much-belated outburst of the much-speculated silent opposition within the AKP. But what is it likely to achieve? Turkey
Will Turkey risk military confrontation with Russia? Leading military analysts say Putin is trying to draw Ankara into a fight that could have disastrous results for Turkey. Turkey
The Ottoman legacy in Palestine In the historical Old City of Nablus in the West Bank, buildings from the days of the Ottoman Empire stand tall. Palestine
Erdogan's Kurdish gamble Erdogan, who wants to establish a constitutional authoritarian regime, is taking a big risk by linking the fate of the struggle with the Kurds to his political agenda. Turkey
How one Syrian group is helping kids get back to school The Olive Branch Organization is building schools in war-damaged areas of Syria, realizing that without education and psychological support, children might become "time bombs" destined to lives of anger, frustration and violence. Syria
Can the IDF withstand political pressure? The Israel Defense Forces believe hope and economic opportunity are the keys to calming the current wave of Palestinian attacks, but political leaders are pressing for a military response. Palestine
Why one Israeli campaign is calling artists 'traitors' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians have condemned the Im Tirtzu campaign labeling Israeli artists as traitors, but the group's activities against human rights activists continue unabated. Israel
Iraq's illegal hunting problem Illegal hunting activities in Iraq are causing serious threats to the environment, while the law is not enforced and the government condones the practice by Iraqi and Gulf state hunters. Iraq
Tunisia's single mothers still struggle to overcome stigma Although Tunisia is in many ways a relatively liberated country, its legislation is slower to adapt than its gradually modernizing society and many conservative values still prevail. Tunisia
The man behind the future of education in Palestine In an interview with Al-Monitor, Education Minister Sabri Saidam discussed his efforts to move Palestinian students away from rote memorization and toward creative and analytical thinking in addition to modernizing the curriculum. Palestine
