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
Egyptians divided over police presence on university campuses Several Egyptian universities approved the entry and stationing of police forces on their campuses, in a bid to disperse student protests. Egypt
West Aleppo faces unending assault West Aleppo is suffering intense, continuous bombardment as Islamist rebels sustain their largest offensive yet on regime-held areas. Syria
Lebanon banks affected by wage hike The proposed solutions to the wage hike debate in Lebanon included raising the interest rates on bank deposits, which will prevent the banking sector from playing its role as a catalyst for economic growth. Lebanon
Turkey, Russia tread cautious line over Ukraine As the conflict between Russia and the West heats up, Ankara and Moscow are finding their neighborly relationship ever more challenging to maintain. Turkey
Sistani calls on Iraqi voters to 'choose wisely' Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has called on the Iraqi people to "choose wisely" in the coming elections, holding Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki responsible for problems in Iraq and opposing a third term for him. Iraq
After Maaloula, Syrian army heads to Zabadani The Syrian army has taken control of Maaloula, and seems to be on the verge of recovering most of the region linking Damascus to Lebanon. Lebanon
Palestinians should consider halt to diplomacy The Palestinians should heed the suggestion of a group of distinguished Americans and halt diplomacy with Israel until it complies with international law. Palestine
Israeli social media analyst: 'no desire for a violent intifada' In an interview with Al-Monitor, social media analyst on trends in the Arab world Orit Perlov claims that Israelis often depict a black and white picture of their neighbors, unaware of the complexity of their society. Palestine
Lebanon's Shiite seminaries split between tradition, modernity Although most Shiite seminaries in Lebanon still follow a traditional curriculum, a number of schools have begun to revise and develop their educational approaches. Iraq
US, Saudi drifting apart despite Obama visit The core pillars that sustained the US-Saudi alliance for decades are crumbling, as changing geopolitical, energy and regional dynamics strain relations. Saudi Arabia
Can Turkey work miracle on current account deficit? Turkey’s battle against its gaping current account deficit appears to be going well, but dependence on foreign energy supplies remains a major stumbling block. Turkey
Netanyahu caught between Obama, Bennett Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tough choice between US President Barack Obama and negotiations with the Palestinians on one hand and the integrity of his coalition and the threat of elections on the other. Palestine
