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
US pastor remains political hostage in Ankara If speculation is true that American pastor Andrew Brunson is being held as leverage for the extradition of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen and Iranian-Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab, it marks a new low for Turkey. Turkey
Turkish-German showdown over Incirlik Air Base Ankara’s refusal to allow German lawmakers to visit their troops at Incirlik is forcing Berlin to look elsewhere in the region to redeploy its forces, which could result in the loss of prestige for Turkey. Turkey
Qatari money increasingly important for Turkey Growing ties with Qatar have become a hallmark of Turkish regional policy under the Justice and Development Party, with the two countries now readying to establish a joint wealth fund. Qatar
Iranian hard-liners lose battle over parliament leadership Iranian hard-liners fail to prevent outspoken member of parliament Ali Motahari from being re-elected as deputy parliament speaker while parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani remains in his post. Iran
This young Iranian rapper may have cost Raisi the presidency Iranians wonder whether hard-line presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi’s attempt to attract young voters by meeting with an underground rapper cost him the election. Iran
Ex-Islamic State fighters face justice in Mosul Iraq establishes a special court in Ninevah province to address a large number of terrorist cases related to former Islamic State fighters. Iraq
Following discrimination claims, Egypt's Al-Azhar enrolls Christian medical resident Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, the renowned seat of Islamic education, has gained attention for accepting a Christian medical student for a residency program. Egypt
Turkish town gets ready to smell the roses The Turkish town of Isparta is in the midst of this year's rose harvest, a flower the Ottomans revered for its fragrance, taste and medicinal qualities. Countries
Syrian news group consolidates opposition coverage Journalists in the Idlib province are taking a step toward substantiating the Syrian opposition by joining with activists to create a unified news and reporting organization. Syria
Egyptian artists leave diverse paper trails At an exhibit in Cairo, over 100 drawings and prints by 12 artists pay tribute to paper, a fragile medium for human records of experience, memories and ideas. Egypt
Russia’s Syria strategy hinges on Jordan Russia’s relationship with Jordan has shifted as Moscow looks to Amman as its mediator with the Sunni world and the United States in the Syrian crisis. Jordan
The real story behind Trump’s meetings with Abbas and Netanyahu President Donald Trump's meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were not smooth sailing. Palestine
