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
Police raid homes in Istanbul as AKP demands new vote As the Justice and Development Party calls for an election rerun in Istanbul, police have been raiding dozens of homes in one of the city's districts on the hunt for more than 20,000 voters the ruling party claims the main opposition falsely registered or unlawfully removed from the lists. Turkey
Some elderly Turks face silent, slow killers: Abuse and neglect By 2050, 20% of Turkey's population will be over the age of 65, but social taboos prevent people from publicly addressing elder abuse and the specific needs of the elderly. Turkey
From Aleppo to alpha male: Beirut dance fest takes on the world Founded 15 years ago, the Beirut International Platform of Dance strives to make contemporary dance a staple of Lebanon’s artistic culture while pushing the boundaries of the art form to speak to the issues of the day. Lebanon
Tunisian president says he won't run again — sort of Speculation shrouds Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi's declaration that he will not run for a second term and his call to unfreeze the Nidaa Tounes party membership of Prime Minister Youssef Chahed. Tunisia
Protests drag on as Algerians demand real change Protests in Algeria continue even with an interim president in place and fresh elections set for July, and the country’s economy may soon suffer. Algeria
Iraqis leading efforts to enrich Arabic Wikipedia Young Iraqis, along with regional partners, lead the efforts to promote knowledge and enlightenment in the Arab World. Iraq
Palestinians reclaim their land through outdoor sports In an attempt to reclaim Palestinian land, several groups are organizing hiking trips in the West Bank, with most of the trails located in Area C under Israeli military control. Palestine
Israel fans flames separating Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank Recent statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are feeding suspicions between Hamas and Fatah and widening the divisions between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Award-winning Palestinian author's 'White Horse' gallops onto stage "Time of White Horses," a 2007 novel by award-winning Palestinian writer Ibrahim Nasrallah, makes its way onto the stage in both Palestine and the United States. Palestine
Blue and White ignored Israeli Arab vote at own peril The Blue and White list shunned the Arab electorate, lost their vote and as a result will now have to sit in the opposition. Palestine
Israel’s Gantz must offer real alternative to Netanyahu If he wants to become a real leader and create a real alternative to the next government formed by reelected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz must fight for the peace camp and tell Israelis' Arab neighbors they have a partner. Israel
Does Russia seek return of independent South Yemen? Russia is tacitly stepping up its efforts to engage with the UAE in Yemen and reach out to the Southern Transitional Council, which favors the reestablishment of an independent South Yemen. United Arab Emirates
