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
How kindergartens have become fertile recruiting ground for Hamas, Fatah The Palestinian Education Ministry says there's no law against indoctrinating impressionable children. Palestine
How sports programs let Syrian kids be kids Several sports training centers have opened in Aleppo and Idlib to engage children in sports in an attempt to somewhat normalize their lives. Syria
Gazan poet faces death sentence in Saudi Arabia A Saudi court has sentenced Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh to death on charges of spreading atheism and insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Saudi Arabia
Egypt's cash for votes scandal Egypt’s parliamentary elections are tainted by allegations that voters were paid to cast ballots for certain candidates. Egypt
How one Iranian TV show is breaking censorship boundaries Sold in supermarkets, the private sector-produced "Shahrzad" TV series is turning out to be a serious rival of state-sponsored productions. Iran
Will Iran end the death penalty for drug smuggling? Some members of Iran's parliament are launching a bill to eliminate the death penalty in nonviolent drug smuggling cases, though the plan is expected to face staunch opposition. Iran
Israeli, Palestinian officials score a goal on FIFA agreement While Israel has been allowing increased movement of Palestinian soccer players and teams and their opponents, Palestinian officials say more improvements need to be made. Palestine
Five years on, have things changed in Tunisia? Tunisia’s economy and working conditions remain gloomy for vendors who sell their goods on the same street where Mohamed Bouazizi lit himself on fire in 2010 to protest the situation. Tunisia
Turks equally pleased with first communist mayor Fatih Mehmet Macoglu, the first and only communist mayor in Turkey, has impressed critics with his hard work and inclusive politics and seems ready to run for a second term. Turkey
Turkey's unhealthy democracy Turks stay away from politics except when it is time to go to the polls. Turkey
Has Bibi given up his battle against Iran nuke deal? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who dedicated years to claiming that Iran was working toward a nuclear bomb, has been silent on the IAEA's decision to close its investigation into the matter due to a lack of evidence. Israel
Artist paints scathing picture of Jordan rape law In her most recent exhibition, Jordanian painter Rand Abdelnur condemns Article 308 of Jordan’s penal code, which offers rapists escape from punishment through marrying their victims. Jordan
