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
Islamic Jihad committed to truce … as long as Israel is In an interview with Al-Monitor, Islamic Jihad political bureau member Nafez Azzam said his movement does not condone the firing of rockets from Gaza and that Hamas and Fatah must end their internal division to spare Palestinians more suffering. Palestine
Meet Palestine's first female marriage officiant The appointment of Tahrir Hamad as Palestine’s first female Sharia marriage judge has been met with minimal objections. Palestine
Amnesty International accuses Kurdish YPG of war crimes Amnesty International is accusing the autonomous Kurdish administration in northern Syria of committing war crimes. Syria
Iran's efforts to improve ties with West 'fruitless' without US In the aftermath of the historic nuclear deal, the question arises of whether Iran's rapprochement with the West will once again be limited to improved relations with Europe. Iran
Despite airstrikes, is Russia still working toward political solution in Syria? Russia appears to be considering various political resolutions to the Syrian crisis, possibly including one without Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syria
Arrest of Iranian teachers tests Iran-UAE relations The arrest of Iranian teachers working in the UAE has prompted some Iranian officials to call for firmer measures against the UAE. United Arab Emirates
Israel divided over wave of violence While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tries to restrain his government, tension rises within the Palestinian sector in Israel. Palestine
Four years after Gadhafi, is Libya better off? Libya drifts dangerously to the point of no return as Islamic militants terrorize civilians and two rival governments battle it out. Libya
Egypt's Nubians continue to demand right of return Plans to build and expand dams have not, for years, taken the Nubians’ land, heritage and culture into consideration, but is there still hope for the cultural minority? Egypt
Moroccan anger over Western Sahara baffles Sweden The Moroccan government has called for an economic boycott against Sweden for allegedly changing its position to back Western Saharan independence. North Africa
Turkish parties large-handed in election pledges The election pledges of Turkish parties strain the limits of both the imagination and the budget. Turkey
Tough times ahead for Turkey's economy Warned about their mounting foreign debts, Turkish companies are having problems finding external financing. Turkey
