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
Etihad flying with fully vaccinated crews The Abu Dhabi-based airline was the first in the world to vaccinate all of its pilots and cabin crew against the coronavirus. Originals
'Another cry for help from Yemen,' where 400,000 children could starve According to the United Nations, nearly 2.3 million Yemeni children under the age of five are likely to experience acute malnutrition this year. Yemen
Winners and losers in Libya’s political deal A major political settlement in Libya has recently been agreed to after lengthy complicated negotiations. But unless the outcome is viewed as a win-win game, it could end up being just another round of empty talks. Originals
Egypt's parliament holds back on Qatar normalization Egyptian parliament members have recently expressed their rejection of reconciliation with Qatar, claiming its attacks against the Egyptian state on its media channels continue. Originals
Egypt, Sudan cooperate to eliminate extremism in school curricula Egypt wants to support Sudan in ridding its school curricula of extremism, which was established under former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and following the Muslim Brotherhood’s seizure of power in Sudan. Egypt
Syrian livestock depleted by war, failing economy Syrian cattle owners and breeders are no longer able to look after their livestock in light of the soaring prices of oil derivatives, fodder and other necessary means for animal husbandry, not to mention the large number of animals that perished in the shelling. Syria
Rivalry heats up between IDF, Mossad chiefs Statements on Iran in recent weeks have laid bare an intensifying rivalry between IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and Mossad chief Yossi Cohen. Israel
Egypt surrounds Sharm el-Sheikh resort with wire fence for protection from terrorists South Sinai governorate announced that Sharm el-Sheikh, the most popular resort in the Sinai Peninsula and on the Red Sea, has been completely enclosed with wire fencing. Originals
Understanding Turkey's vision of medical schools for small Syrian town Ankara plans to establish two medical educational facilities in a small Syrian town across the border as Turkish entrenchment deepens in Syria. Syria
Israel campaigns against the US rushing to negotiate with Iran A report issued by the Israel Defense Forces about Iran two years away from a nuclear bomb was designed first and foremost to calm the American sense of urgency over negotiating with Tehran. Israel
A trip down memory lane in this ancient neighborhood of Nablus A tour in al-Yasmineh (Jasmine) neighborhood in the old city of Nablus takes you to the different civilizations that have passed through Palestine over the centuries. Palestine
How Cairo’s Heliopolis heritage managed to remain uncovered The residents of Cairo's Heliopolis neighborhood have succeeded in stopping a government decision to build a new bridge in the heart of its historical and heritage area. Egypt
