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
New Egyptian anti-sexual harassment campaign challenges passive bystanders A new campaign to combat sexual harassment in Egypt encourages bystanders to speak up when they see women being sexually harassed in public. Egypt
Coming soon: Egypt's first film with hearing-impaired cast In a first for Egyptian cinema, director Ahmed Afifi has shot a version of his film in sign language starring hearing-impaired actors. Egypt
Saudis have high hopes for Trump following Syria airstrike After failing in efforts to push Obama toward further involvement against Damascus in the Syrian conflict, Saudi Arabia is hoping the airstrike launched by Trump against a Syrian air base early this morning is not a one-off. Saudi Arabia
Archive Upfront from Apr 7, 2017 What US airstrike means for Washington’s Syria policy As allies express cautious approval of the US airstrike in Syria, the United States says its targeted action does not signal a broader shift to military regime change. Syria
Washington sees Iraq as front for Iran pushback Prime Minister Hader al-Abadi is facing a very problematic challenge as the United States wants to use Iraq as a place to confront Iran. Iraq
Is Iraq poised for large-scale military involvement in Syria? As the battle against IS approaches its end in Iraq, Syria and Iraq have stepped up their security and military cooperation with the aim of preserving Iraqi territories against the activities of terrorist groups operating from the Iraq-Syria border area. Iraq
Will Kurds finally vote for an independent Kurdistan? Two major Kurdistan parties have agreed to hold a referendum for independence. Are the region and the world ready for an independent Kurdistan? Iraqi-Kurdistan
Eyes roll in Tel Aviv at Netanyahu's one-man band Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is quick to appropriate the achievements of his ministers, and the habit has become a running joke in political circles. Israel
Palestinian storyteller brings fresh vision to ancient tradition Although storytelling is normally reserved for the elderly, a young Palestinian man is reviving Palestinian heritage through folktales and organizing tours to archaeological sites. Palestine
Egypt's small farmers left in the dust by Sisi's agricultural project The first round of the 1.5 Million Feddan Project, launched by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to fight unemployment through sustainable agriculture, stirred angry reactions from small farmers who only received 1% of the lands, while the rest was allocated to big companies. Egypt
Why this Likud MK presents unique challenge to Netanyahu Knesset member Yehuda Glick advocates for the right of Jews to pray at the Temple Mount, but at the same time he champions liberal values such as freedom of the press. Palestine
The political scenarios to defeat Netanyahu in early elections With the prospect for early elections in Israel, the Zionist Camp must decide whether to join forces with left-wing Meretz and its liberal-humanist ideology or tag along with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. Israel
