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
PKK's IED attacks catch Turkish military off guard The majority of Turkish security forces killed fighting the Kurdistan Workers Party since early July have died in attacks using improvised explosive devices, a tactic the Turkish military had not anticipated. Turkey
Defying Palestinian law, many still seek work in West Bank settlements Palestinian workers are forced to seek employment, and accept harsh working conditions, in Israeli settlements, as the Palestinian Authority has failed to create viable alternatives. Palestine
Israeli, Palestinian women weave peace through fashion American psychologist Whit Jones has brought together Israeli and Palestinian women to jointly create a fashion brand featuring Israeli design and Palestinian embroidery. Palestine
Thousands of years later, Egyptian passion for stargazing still burns bright Though the ancient Egyptians made significant achievements in astronomy, the field is languishing today, prompting one Egyptian scientist to lead popular field trips encouraging interest in space. Egypt
Abbas big loser in Palestinian National Council postponement The decision to postpone a planned emergency meeting of the Palestinian National Council signals an impending transition of power within the Palestinian movement. Palestine
Catholic Democrats leverage pope's visit to push for admitting more Syrian refugees Lawmakers hope pontiff's moral authority will overcome growing anti-Muslim sentiment. Syria
Four lessons that Netanyahu must learn from his failed strategies Throughout this past Jewish calendar year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategic failures have rendered Israel more isolated in the diplomatic arena and more fragile in terms of deterrence, while the political echelon blames the media for it all. Israel
Yemen's African connection Amid the withholding of the details of the Emirati death toll in Yemen, African soldiers are set to step up their role in Operation Restoring Hope. Legacy: Gulf
Rafsanjani emphasizes importance of political parties Ahead of the parliamentary elections, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani seeks the strengthening of political parties. Iran
What exactly is Russia doing in Syria? Moscow's stance on the Syrian conflict reveals an ever-complicated web of alliances, armament and regional plays, widening the diplomacy gap between the United States and Russia on Middle East policy. Syria
How Bibi is attempting to brainwash the Israeli public The cancellation by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of all his scheduled Jewish New Year's interviews is just another step in his strategy, portraying him as an eternal victim of the leftist press, thus freeing him from responding to criticism even when legitimate. Israel
Iraqi political cartoonist draws trouble Iraqi cartoonists are targeted for their drawings that criticize corruption and Islamic political parties in the country. Iraq
