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
Egypt to develop major Cairo slum despite concerns of residents Residents of Cairo's Maspero Triangle neighborhood are being asked to vacate their homes to make way for a new development project. Egypt
Interview PKK leader: International mediation needed on Kurdish issue In an exclusive interview, Al-Monitor met Cemil Bayik, one of the main leaders of the Kurdistan Workers Party, in northern Iraq's Qandil Mountains to talk about the current dispute between the Kurds and Turkey and its impact on Iraq. Cemil Bayik Founder of the PKK
Trump's envoy pushing two-state solution as Abbas' US visit nears US President Donald Trump's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been vague so far, but initial signs indicate that an attempt at an Israeli-Palestinian deal is not out of the question. Palestine
Jerusalem's Old City braces for massive Easter crowds The Old City of Jerusalem is expected to be extremely crowded this year as all the churches will celebrate Easter on the same schedule, renovations have attracted a higher pilgrim turnout and Passover visitors will add to the throngs. Israel
Why not all in Iran celebrate the Iranian New Year While Nowruz is a relaxing 13-day holiday for most Iranians, the high number of road fatalities makes Nowruz also a time of sadness for many. Iran
Rouhani government criticizes IRGC arrests of journalists Members of President Hassan Rouhani's Cabinet have voiced criticism over the arrests of journalists and activists. Iran
How Palestinians plan to overcome electricty shortages The Palestinian government is establishing a "new electricity market" that will draw power from various sources but will be supervised by a government-owned company. Palestine
Operation seduction: Lapid captures Israel’s mainstream support Contrary to opposition leader Isaac Herzog, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid has chosen to stay stately and not to attack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally. Israel
Female plumbers in Jordan clear path for women in labor market Women in Jordan are trying to break the social barrier between women and the professions that men have monopolized with the first all-women Jordanian plumbing company leading the way. Jordan
How Israel's culture minister threatens national film industry, democracy Culture Minister Miri Regev is examining state funding of Israeli films with the intention of withholding support to productions she considers anti-Israeli. Palestine
How Polisario Front hopes to partner with Russia in Western Sahara Polisario Front officials in Western Sahara are working to enlist Russia as an ally at the United Nations Security Council in their fight for independence, as they believe both sides have many shared interests. Algeria
Congress raises specter of rupture with Turkey if referendum passes A House panel slammed Ankara's authoritarian drift ahead of the April 16 vote. Turkey
