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
Tel Aviv campaigns against harassment Tel Aviv nightclub owners have joined clubgoers in an initiative to stop sexual harassment with a social network campaign to raise public awareness of the problem. Israel
Iranian Jewish MP dismissive of Netanyahu, senators' letter In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Siamak Moreh Sedgh shares his thoughts on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress and the letter sent by US senators to the Iranian leadership. Iran
One woman's journey from prisoner to mayor Diyarbakir Mayor Gultan Kisanak is among thousands of activists who served time in Diyarbakir prison after the coup in 1980, and like many she was tortured for refusing to renounce her Kurdish identity. Turkey
Lebanese women feel inner beauty not enough Beauty standards in Lebanon have increased pressure on women and men alike, from all ages, to undergo cosmetic surgeries and other forms of enhancement. Lebanon
Belly dancer runs for Egyptian parliament seat Egyptian belly dancer Sama El Masry is an official candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, stirring outrage among conservative Egyptians who find her art offensive. Egypt
Hamas expands international outreach Recent meetings between Hamas and international figures suggest that ties are deepening between the movement and Western diplomats, who are quietly meeting to discuss Gaza’s future, the reconciliation with Fatah and a proposed truce with Israel. Palestine
On Iran deal, Republicans cut off their nose to spite their face A letter written by 47 Republican senators to the Iranian government highlights the deepening divide in US Congress on the pending Iran nuclear agreement. Congress
Lawmakers see Iran's rise as key concern in fight against IS Republicans focus on Tehran in first hearing since Tikrit offensive. Iraq
Will Sistani be able to control popular mobilization forces? Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has distanced himself from politics, while stressing the need for the Iraqi government to build a strong state in which all sects feel equal. Iraq
Rafsanjani supporters upbeat despite another election defeat Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani suffers another political defeat, though his supporters remain upbeat. Iran
Turkey's official Islamic body extends influence abroad Turkey’s giant Directorate of Religious Affairs, which runs the country’s 85,000 mosques and employs 122,000 people, has assumed an increasingly active role in the government’s foreign policy. Turkey
Russia indicates it might take anti-IS action in Libya Russia — worried about the Islamic State — indicates that if the UN approves a naval blockade against Islamist militants in Libya, the Russian navy could participate. Russia
