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
Putin's critique of US peace plan gives Palestinians hope The Russian president's recent statements about the "deal of the century" have given Palestinians hope that Moscow will support the Palestinian cause and rights. Palestine
Can new amendment undermine Egyptian women's rights to divorce? A lawmaker's proposed amendment to restrict divorce to cases of extreme harm to women has raised concerns among rights advocates who argue that the bill, if approved, would turn back the clock on women's rights. Egypt
'Majority' of US troops depart Syria A convoy of US troops departed northeast Syria today, a spokesman for the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State told Al-Monitor. Syria
Egypt calls Luxor coffins 'greatest discovery of century' The 30 uniquely well preserved coffins recently found in Egypt's southern city of Luxor are a godsend to Egyptian tourism. Egypt
Lebanon’s protests continue to gain momentum Massive protests engulf Lebanon, and four ministers are to resign in consequence; organizers hope to keep the demonstrations' focus on moving forward. Lebanon
Why Lebanon’s wildfires risk is becoming more common Lebanon’s recent forest fires have raised concern about the ability to respond to extreme weather events as a result of climate change. Lebanon
What is the effect of Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring on Lebanon? In the wake of Turkey’s offensive against the Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria, the Arab League and several Arab governments, including Lebanon, condemned the invasion; however, the opinions of people across Lebanese society have been much less clear-cut. Lebanon
Trump's Syria pullout divides Iran hawks Despite bipartisan rebuke, some see great benefits in fixing ties with Turkey. Iraq
Congress puts heat on Saudis for helping fugitives flee country Congress is cracking down on Saudi Arabia for allegedly helping its citizens escape the US criminal justice system. Saudi Arabia
Beirut burns as Lebanon protests new taxes Protests in Lebanon over new taxes continued despite the use of force by politicians' bodyguards. Lebanon
Iraq on low boil in anticipation of renewed protests The crisis in Syria has only made Iraq’s problems worse. Iraq
Why Trump’s sanctions failed to shock Turkey’s economy Despite a series of threats to “destroy” Turkey’s economy, Trump’s sanctions against Ankara have failed to trigger a currency shock like the one last year, owing to reasons related to the contraction of the Turkish economy. Turkey
