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
Deciphering Russia's delivery of Tell Rifaat to Turkey Now that Russia has reportedly handed over the area around Tell Rifaat to Turkey, all eyes are on Turkey’s performance in the expanded area controlled by its allied Free Syrian Army forces west of the Euphrates. Syria
Why economic growth has not led to job creation in Iran Low capital formation and productivity are holding back the Iranian economy. Iran
Will Khamenei dismiss Iran’s judiciary chief? Reports are being circulated in Iranian media about the possible dismissal of Iran’s judiciary chief amid rising criticism of his performance. Iran
Police roam university campus in Istanbul after students criticized government Several Turkish university students remain in police custody for protesting Turkey’s military operations in northern Syria as the president leads a crackdown on academics who have dared to voice their opposition. Turkey
Egypt women fight for right to army combat posts Amid recurrent calls to allow Egyptian women to join the army, some Egyptian experts say this is an inherent right, while others deem such calls to be illogical and against Sharia. Egypt
Trump’s steel tariffs add to US-Turkish bickering Turkish manufacturers see “great injustice” in Washington’s new steel tariffs, as Ankara seeks compromise on the issue amid the tense political climate between the two countries. Turkey
Kidnapping business thrives in Libya Kidnappings are on the rise in Libya, with hundreds who have disappeared since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime in 2011, while the UN-backed Government of National Accord does not seem to be offering much help. Libya
Syrian opposition seeks to clamp down on looting in Afrin The Syrian armed opposition has taken steps to curb looting in Afrin by some of its members and has promised residents that it will recover and return their stolen property. Syria
IDF unfazed by challenges of integration Despite objections from religious quarters and the logistical hurdles they pose, the IDF has no intention to end the integration of women into fighting roles. Israel
Virtual zoo app brings animals to Gazans As Gaza's actual zoos struggle, a group of students have developed an app that creates a virtual version. Palestine
What's behind Israeli police chief’s interview frenzy? The latest interviews granted by Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh to news outlets identified with the right have raised concerns that his efforts to protect his image could have unintended consequences. Israel
Can new TV network boost Cairo's role in Africa? A new government-supervised TV channel will focus on news and issues related to the African continent, but some fear its real purpose is to promote Cairo's interests. Egypt
