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
Iran welcomes Saudi signals for de-escalation Archenemies Iran and Saudi Arabia appear to be closer to de-escalating tensions that have recently risen to all-time highs. Saudi Arabia
Looming dilemma for the US: Disarm the YPG or not? The Trump administration has to decide whether it will disarm the Syrian Democratic Forces and the People's Protection Units to assuage Turkey. Syria
Young Moroccan activists rally for climate action Morocco is already taking big steps to combat climate change, but young people want their country to do more, starting with addressing the local problems that limit public engagement. Morocco
Syrian opposition skeptical of Assad’s amnesty decision Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he will pardon army deserters and release political detainees from prison, but his credibility is lacking because of his past reversals. Syria
Egypt’s opposition threatens to freeze political activities over crackdown Some Egyptian political parties, reacting to recent arrests made to curtail protests, have threatened to cease political activity to express opposition to the authorities' approach. Egypt
Islamic State's money transfer network busted in Turkey A Turkish police operation exposed how the Islamic State can still run cross-border money transfer networks despite its defeat in Syria and Iraq. Syria
Regional powers jockey for influence in Deir ez-Zor protests Recent protests in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, split between pro-regime and SDF forces, have raised questions about who will eventually exert control over the region, as heavily restricted access for independent journalists means information coming out of the area is scarce and narratives diverge. Syria
Israel combats Palestinians' West Bank rocket-making Israel is growing concerned about Palestinian factions’ attempts to manufacture rockets inside the West Bank. Palestine
Iran's Ministry of Education fails to deliver on promises Iran's education system needs stability at its upper levels of management, as well as an infusion of new ideas and creative young teachers who are encouraged to rise through the ranks. Iran
Trump intensifies ‘Arab NATO’ talks after Iran strike The Donald Trump administration is working to push forward with a military alliance of Middle Eastern states as the international community looks to respond to a suspected Iranian attack on a Saudi oil facility. Saudi Arabia
Why Palestinian Museum received prestigious architectural award The Palestinian Museum, which has received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, combines an ecological design and harmony of landscape Palestine
Cairo clamps down on dissent as Egypt sees rare unrest Egypt arrests government critics and thwarts mass downtown protests in the capital. Egypt
