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
Two is enough: A fix for Egypt’s overpopulation Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, announced the launch of a population control program targeting 1.3 million Egyptian women. Egypt
Talent continues to leave Iran in droves The untimely death of Iranian-American math genius Maryam Mirzakhani gives rise to renewed debate on the issue of "brain drain" in Iran. Iran
Iraq steps up efforts to restore lost heritage at ancient Nimrud After the defeat of the Islamic State in Mosul, a campaign to reconstruct the ancient city of Nimrud with the cooperation of UNESCO has begun. Iraq
'Frankenstein in Baghdad' to come to life in film Iraqi novelist Ahmed Saadawi's award-winning novel "Frankenstein in Baghdad" is to become a film. Iraq
Iraqi clerics fuel dispute over Kurdish independence As the Kurdistan region is preparing for a referendum on independence, the religious authorities from both Kurdish and Arab sides are fueling the political dispute over the issue. Iraq
Iraq, Iran struggle for control over Popular Mobilization Units The Popular Mobilization Units are divided into two rival groups, with some wanting to join the Iraqi army and others wanting to remain independent. Iraq
Congress moves bill cutting Palestinian aid over ‘martyr’ stipends The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 17-4 for the Taylor Force Act after modifications were made to get Democrats on board. Palestine
Iran hawks, Bannon loyalists booted in White House purge A civil war for the soul of the Donald Trump administration has emerged into the open, pitting a motley array of anti-globalists and Iran hawks against more moderate national security professionals. United States
Turkey tells a story with major military personnel moves Turkey's military council made some surprise decisions this week that provide insight into the president's re-election strategy. Turkey
US pushes back on Turkish media claims about Syrian Kurds US Embassy in Ankara refutes fevered claims about aid deliveries to Syrian Kurds. Syria
Rouhani officially begins second term Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is set to begin his second term after being officially endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran
Rouhani, Reformists battle over Cabinet picks Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani is facing pushback over his second-term Cabinet appointments. Iran
