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
Sisi ensures shoo-in election, keeps rearranging staff People are questioning the timing of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s appointment of a close associate as acting intelligence director ahead of the presidential election. Egypt
Abbas draws two-year timeline According to Palestinian sources, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has given up on the Americans and is not ruling out an armed intifada. Palestine
Senate rebuffs White House request to water down Palestinian aid cuts The US Senate wants to beef up legislation cutting aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the House passed a watered-down version last year at the insistence of President Donald Trump’s peace envoy. Palestine
Diyarbakir's signature dessert is multicultural tradition Diyarbakir owes its famous dessert, kadaif, to the 18th-century Armenian population, but today, Muslim transports from nearby Bingol have taken over the trade. Turkey
Pentagon seeks massive boost in bomb budget for Iraq, Syria The Defense Department wants $1.8 billion for precision-guided munitions to finish wiping out the Islamic State. Iraq
Real target of Erdogan's Olive Branch could be US clout In the third week of Turkey's frustrating fight against Syrian Kurdish forces in Afrin, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be betting on an even bigger payoff than domestic support: seeing the United States effectively pushed out of Syria. Syria
Turkish public divided over military's alliance with FSA Turkey’s preoccupation with military insignia helps deepen anti-Americanism while also signaling the top echelons’ obsession with the United States. Syria
Turkey eyes Indian weddings to prop up tourism industry The Turkish tourism industry, scrambling to recover from its worst crisis in years, seeks to grab a share from India’s lucrative wedding market. Turkey
Netanyahu focuses in on new archenemy The fact that Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid is a key witness in one of the cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes him Netanyahu’s most prominent political rival. Israel
Not all Coptic youths on board with church's support of Sisi As Egypt's presidential election approaches, some Coptic youths have decided to boycott the polls even as the Orthodox Coptic Church seems to be taking a strong stance in favor of President Sisi. Egypt
Netanyahu’s real crime Whatever Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit decides on police recommendations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is already guilty of manipulating the media and taking over public opinion. Israel
Tunisian doctors sound alarm on health system collapse Tunisian doctors are emigrating in increasing numbers in search of adequate pay and facilities, training, and good work conditions, threatening the ability of the country's health care system to deliver services. North Africa
