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
Why was Turkey's intel chief in Washington? Turkish intel chief Hakan Fidan's visit to the United States generated an uproar from the Turkish opposition. Why did Erdogan encourage this public bashing of Fidan? Turkey
'Red Vests' flood Tunisian streets on 8th anniversary of revolution Tunisia's answer to France's Yellow Vest protests, Les Gilets Rouges, is advocating for poor and marginalized Tunisians with economic and social demands. Tunisia
Iran media on Bashir trip to Syria: Arab states have accepted reality of Assad Iranian media believe that the Sudanese president's meeting with Bashar al-Assad is a sign that Arab countries are beginning to accept the reality on the ground in Syria. Saudi Arabia
How Israel's right wing won battle against Haifa deputy mayor A wide political and media frenzy was sparked by the appointment of Raja Zaatry as deputy mayor of Haifa, leading to his resignation. Palestine
Iraqi Kurdistan struggles to end violence against women Despite millions of dollars spent on combating violence against women in Iraqi Kurdistan, the phenomenon is still common in the region and the number of victims continues to rise. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Egypt preparing for stage 3 of Victoria-Mediterranean project The first phase of feasibility studies for the Victoria-Mediterranean Waterway Project will soon conclude, but funding for the next phase is still to be determined. Egypt
Fatah shows rare support for Hamas The Palestinian presidency worked hard to ensure a US-drafted resolution against Hamas failed at the United Nations, which has raised modest hopes of bringing Hamas and Fatah closer together. Palestine
Netanyahu threatens to withdraw from Hamas arrangement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is paying the price for not demanding the arrangement with Hamas include a comprehensive cease-fire that includes the West Bank. Palestine
What brings the end of tulip era in Turkey's tourism campaign? Turkey has used a tulip logo in its national branding for nearly two decades, but it signaled that a new symbol may be needed next year. Turkey
Hamas goes on offense in West Bank Palestinian protests continue in Ramallah over Israeli incursions. Saudi Arabia
Will Egypt kill this popular online game? After the "Blue Whale," some Egyptian parliamentarians want to ban "PUBG," a game that allegedly incited a 16-year-old to kill his teacher. Egypt
Despite talks, Russia, Israel hold firm to their interests In a meeting in Moscow, Russian officials seek more information from Israel before it attacks targets in Syria as part of an ongoing "deconfliction" process. Originals
