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
Egyptian calligrapher finds joy in making others happy A Coptic Christian calligrapher in Upper Egypt is putting his artistic talent to use for all faiths. Egypt
Can new initiative put an end to abuse at Egyptian orphanages? Amid mounting concerns over abuse and mistreatment, the Egyptian Social Solidarity Ministry has recently launched an initiative to end the violations committed at orphanages and other child care centers throughout the country. Egypt
MP Sadat is 'prepared to pay the price' to defend justice in Egypt Member of parliament Mohamed Anwar Esmat al-Sadat talks with Al-Monitor about the state of human rights in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood and the future of parliament. Egypt
How Lebanese banks are handling US sanctions on Hezbollah It remains to be seen whether US sanctions will hurt Hezbollah or merely inconvenience banks and their customers. Lebanon
Why Iran-Saudi fallout will be costly for Moscow The dispute between Iran and Saudi Arabia could promote instability throughout the Middle East, which will be especially problematic for Russia and its policy of not choosing sides. Saudi Arabia
Rouhani fires back at criticism of economic management Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has reminded critics that he is managing the country with oil near $30 per barrel, not the highs of the previous administration. Iran
Turkish-US ties face fresh turbulence over Iraq, Syria Washington’s demand that Turkey withdraw troops from Iraq and the US alliance with Syrian Kurds are potential flashpoints in US-Turkish relations. Iraq
Netanyahu runs against himself in Likud primaries Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently the only candidate in the upcoming Likud primary for party leadership that he initiated, and yet he still fears losing to blank ballots. Israel
Despite IS threat, Iraqi Kurdistan tries to lure tourists After instability brought about by IS nearly destroyed tourism in Iraqi Kurdistan, the government still hopes to benefit from years of investment in the sector. Iraq
Are reported Iran-Russia arms deals genuine? Despite numerous reports of talks on various Iran-Russia arms deals, it remains unclear whether such agreements are about to actually be signed or whether they are merely a form of psychological warfare. Russia
Ancient madrassa lies forgotten, neglected in Baghdad Neglect has turned the centuries-old site of what was once Baghdad's most prestigious cultural and scientific institution into a dusty old building suffocated by piles of debris and street vendors’ trolleys. Iraq
Foreign volunteers in Kurdistan Region shift focus to medical aid Qalubna Ma’kum, a group of foreign volunteers in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, offers the peshmerga forces medical treatment and training and is not participating in combat directly. Iraq
