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
Iranian media abuzz over sudden Tehran mayor resignation The sudden resignation of Tehran’s Reformist mayor has surprised Reformist media and political activists alike. Iran
Turkey changes electoral law in boost for ruling party Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say the new changes to the country’s voting rules will secure the elections, but the opposition worries the new law will lead to fraud and has filed a lawsuit to block it. Turkey
Turkey's rejection of Moody's downgrade won't make it go away Officials in Istanbul are dismissing a downgrading of Turkey's credit rating as part of a plot against the country, as the economy heads for troubled times. Turkey
Um Sameh, the wonder woman of eastern Ghouta With famine gripping the besieged enclave of eastern Ghouta, Um Sameh stepped in with One Hand, an organization she founded, to fill the gap left by international organizations unable to deliver aid to starving residents. Culture & Society
Lebanon elections pit old guard against new movement Lebanon’s parliamentary elections, slated for May 6 under a new electoral law, include a new movement determined to break the control of political dynasties. Lebanon
Jordan fears collapse of de-escalation zone in southwest Syria Jordan seems worried the fighting in Syria’s eastern Ghouta could hit near its borders amid claims of strikes by Syrian jets against rebel-held areas in Daraa. Israel
Young Egyptians start campaign to battle sexual abuse A group of young Egyptians launched a graduation project that turned into a public campaign on sexual abuse of children in Egypt. Egypt
Syrian women in Egypt learn to fight through fear A Cairo group is helping Syrian women gain the confidence and skills they need to confront the harassment they often face as refugees in Egypt, and even non-Syrians are joining up. Egypt
The path to a nuclear-free Middle East Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should understand that he cannot forge a unified front with Saudi Arabia against the Iran-led Shiite axis while thwarting Saudi plans for commercial nuclear energy. Saudi Arabia
Nationalistic fervor rising in Greece, Turkey It is increasingly difficult to distinguish between rhetoric and reality in the deteriorating relationship between Greece and Turkey. Turkey
Will the Likud ever abandon Netanyahu? Likud activists explain that unless the police reveal a smoking gun proving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took money for himself, no one in the party will challenge him. Israel
Iran risks losing clout in Iraq by arresting Shiite cleric Shirazi The arrest in Iran of cleric Hussein Shirazi, who belongs to an influential religious family in Iraq, sparked outrage and protests among his supporters in several countries. Iraq
