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
Hamas, PA trade accusations after assassination attempt on PM The fate of Palestinian reconciliation hangs in the balance after the explosion that hit the convoy of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah as he made a rare visit to the Gaza Strip March 13. Palestine
Russians fear Bolton may doom Iran deal, stoke arms race John Bolton's upcoming role as national security adviser is controversial not only in the United States; it's raising eyebrows, and concerns, around much of the rest of the world. Russia
Jordan protests escalate as lawyers boycott court Members of the Jordanian Bar Association are refusing to appear in the military-run State Security Court in defense of protesters arrested while demonstrating against the government's decision to lift bread subsidies. Jordan
Dozens of Iraqi journalists enter parliamentary race An unusual number of Iraqi media figures are running in the elections scheduled for May 12, joining a wide variety of lists. Iraq
Power-sharing deal could end dispute over Kirkuk elections Iraq's Kirkuk governorate will hold elections this year — something that hasn't happened in more than a decade — and officials hope the voting will end the dispute over running the province. Iraq
Erdogan seems unhappy with system he created in his image It's unclear whether Turkey's government respects the rule of law, even though the administration has redesigned many of the laws to suit itself. Turkey
Palestinians set to reject US peace plan According to American sources, the peace plan elaborated by the Trump administration will offer Palestinians limited sovereignty on limited territory. Palestine
Gaza’s graduates finally get recognition they've demanded The Palestinian Ministry of Education announced a plan to recognize certificates issued by unaccredited universities established in the wake of the 2007 division in the Gaza Strip, allowing graduates to pursue higher degrees and work in public sector jobs. Palestine
IDF demands 'excessive' transparency from rights groups The Civil Administration in the West Bank has increased the information it requires from peace groups that organize face-to-face encounters between Palestinians and Israelis, and some activists say the new demands go much too far. Palestine
Egypt’s trade with Turkey grows despite political rift Egyptian efforts to attract investors and openness to Turkish investors have helped reduce Cairo's trade deficit with Ankara, despite ongoing tense bilateral political relations. Egypt
Could new development plan save Egypt's state TV? Egyptian state television, reeling under accumulated debts and an inflated number of employees, will implement a restructuring plan under the supervision of an unspecified "sovereign agency" amid fears that supervision could pave the way for intervention into media work. Egypt
Congress set to cut Palestinian aid Lawmakers included the provision in must-pass spending legislation to keep the government open. Palestine
