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
Concern grows over Abbas’ autocratic tendencies Several Fatah figures are worried that President Mahmoud Abbas is overstepping his authority and trying to impose his rule over the legislative and judicial branches. Palestine
Iran considers ending death penalty for drug offenses Iranian judicial officials have once again stated publicly that the country's criminal prosecution and punishment of drug-related crime need to be reformed. Iran
Turkey’s war in Libya The Turkish government denies that it is taking sides in Libya, between the governments in Tobruk and Tripoli. Turkey
Iraq investigates private banks for money laundering 88% of private banks in Iraq are under investigation on charges of money laundering, which have become rampant in the country in the absence of efficient audits by the Central Bank. Iraq
Hamas wants to extend unity government but with conditions Hamas wants changes for the unity government as its six-month term has come to an end, criticizing President Mahmoud Abbas for failing to address Gaza’s woes. Palestine
Gaza engineer develops new technology to replace cement Engineer Imad al-Khalidi has developed a replacement for cement to help the Gaza Strip deal with its housing crisis, after the Israeli war left many homes damaged or destroyed and in the face of Israel continuing to prevent the entry of construction materials. Palestine
Ahead of elections, Lapid rebukes Netanyahu on US tensions Elections in Israel are usually decided over issues such as security, the economy or the personalities of the candidates, but this time it seems as if the serious crisis between the United States and Israel will be part of the agenda. Israel
Russian envoy helps advance Iranian nuclear deal Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has played a highly constructive role in helping to advance an Iran nuclear deal despite tensions between the Kremlin and the West. Russia
Anti-IS coalition's 'train-and-equip' program not enough The problem with the US-led coalition's "train-and-equip" program is not finding committed soldiers willing to fight but rather finding dedicated, capable leaders to command them. Iraq
Egyptian politicians accuse US of violating rights in Ferguson Egyptian authorities are calling for an investigation into the US' alleged violation of the right to peaceful protest, when US police forces used excessive force against demonstrators in the city of Ferguson, Mo. Egypt
Prominent Islamic scholar accuses AKP of corruption The widely respected Hayrettin Karaman, a key supporter of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, has openly criticized the ruling elite as corrupt. Turkey
Tunisian artist popularizes 'calligraffiti' Tunisian-born eL Seed, an internationally famous artist and sculptor, uses Arabic-style "calligraffiti" to promote cross-cultural tolerance. Tunisia
