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
Iraqi factions divided over whether US troops stay Despite strong opposition from influential Shiite factions ready to engage in military clashes with US forces, the Iraqi government wants an agreement with the United States to ensure that US troops remain in Iraq after the elimination of the Islamic State. Iraq
DC think tank accused of bending over backwards for Erdogan Washington tongues are wagging as prominent think tank the Atlantic Council prepares to receive Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with whom its leadership has enthusiastically pursued relations. Turkey
Ankara hunger strikers reach 70 days without food A researcher and an elementary school teacher have quietly been on hunger strike for 70 days now to protest the post-coup purges that led to their dismissals. Turkey
Erdogan’s foreign policy leaves Turkey in the doldrums Turkey gives the impression of a beleaguered country that is losing ground on all fronts. Turkey
New restaurant offers eco-friendly oasis in bustling Cairo A first-of-its-kind eco-friendly restaurant in Egypt serves homestyle food in a fully recycled setting where there is no internet, television or air-conditioning. Egypt
Gaza women make inroads into driving A very small number of women in the Gaza Strip have taken jobs as drivers, privately transporting other women and children to provide for themselves and families. Palestine
Insulting Ataturk still serious crime in Turkey Here is the key question that very few Turks ask: Should disrespectful speech about an important person constitute a crime? Turkey
The reason Tehran's mayor dropped out of presidential race Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Tehran mayor and one of the leading conservative candidates, withdraws from the presidential race in Iran. Iran
Jordan monarch's comments on Palestinians raise tensions in kingdom The Jordanian media censored an interview King Abdullah gave to The Washington Post, where he said 96% of Islamic State terrorists captured and killed last year were of Palestinian origin, which provoked confusion in the kingdom. Palestine
Palestinians alone in FIFA face-off against settlement teams Arabs in Israel as well as in the Gulf states might pay lip service to defending the rights of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, but meaningful commitment has often been lacking. Saudi Arabia
Gaza citizens remain biggest losers of decadelong political dispute Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree exempting Gazans from fees for services that the Palestinian Authority provides, and that the Hamas-run treasury collects. Palestine
Why Tehran's mayor just can’t seem to win over Iranian voters Are Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s constant transformations responsible for the premature end of his third bid for the Iranian presidency in the past 12 years? Iran
