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
Does BDS ban hurt Israel? Jewish organizations in the United States are criticizing the Knesset for banning the entry of those who express support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Israel
Was Rouhani’s visit to Russia actually successful? Although Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Moscow resulted in his signing numerous cooperation agreements, the main purpose may have been less about substance and more about show. Russia
Trump welcomes Egypt’s Sisi 'as is' US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seem to hit it off at the White House, but will Trump come through on the funding Sisi wants? Palestine
Congress rains on Sisi’s parade Lawmakers don’t all share Trump’s fondness for the Egyptian strongman. Egypt
What’s going on in Turkey’s prisons? Hunger strikes in Turkish prisons, joined briefly by the country’s top Kurdish politician, aim to draw attention to mounting allegations of ill-treatment and other violations of inmate rights since last year’s coup attempt. Turkey
Operation Euphrates Shield: A postmortem As Turkey closes the chapter on Operation Euphrates Shield, its military intervention in northern Syria, it's important to look at what it did and did not accomplish. Syria
Is there a road to Raqqa for Turkey? Syria won't be the only country affected by the fate of Raqqa, as Turkey's hopes for involvement dwindle. Syria
Aswan solar power project brightens Egypt’s energy outlook By 2018, Upper Egypt will be home to Egypt’s largest and first-of-its-kind grid-connected solar power park. Egypt
Iran's conservatives still undecided on presidential candidate As the deadline for Iran's presidential candidates to register their nomination approaches, conservatives are unable to reach a consensus over a single nominee. Iran
Eyes turn to Gul as countdown begins to Turkish referendum Turkey's former President Abdullah Gul has come under fire for refusing to speak at a rally for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, unnerving Erdogan's loyalists as the referendum approaches. Turkey
Will tuition ruling impede American University of Cairo? The American University of Cairo will abide by a court ruling to cancel its decision to collect half of tuition fees in US dollars, but this compliance may jeopardize the university's educational quality in light of the decrease in funding. Egypt
Hamas factions quarrel over vengeance for commander's death Outgoing Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has vowed to avenge the killing of military leader Mazen Faqha; this may provoke Hamas into another round of violent conflict with Israel. Palestine
