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
Hamas weighs options in wake of commander's assassination A senior Hamas military operative, Mazen Faqha, was shot near his home in western Gaza, with Israel being the main suspect behind the assassination, raising concerns about a fourth war in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Iranian ayatollah calls for fewer holidays Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has criticized the number of holidays in Iran, urging the government to take action to decrease breaks. Iran
Turkey shocked over banker's arrest in New York The arrest of the vice president for Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank in New York has stunned Ankara and when the shock wears off, it will likely have complex implications for US-Turkish relations. Turkey
Israel keeps tabs on Putin-Assad alliance Russian President Vladimir Putin’s backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reinforces the latter and might lead him to adopt a stronger approach vis-a-vis Israel. Israel
Turkey’s 'megaprojects' off to disappointing start In an outcome that many have long feared, Turkey’s “megaprojects” are underperforming, meaning the government now has to compensate the construction companies under contract terms. Turkey
Why Cairo’s canines may soon be ditching the kibble After a successful career in marketing and public relations, Heba Ahmed has opened a fresh dog food delivery service out of her home. Egypt
What Rouhani wanted from Putin in Moscow visit Moscow seems satisfied with Iranian President Rouhani’s visit, as Russia seeks a balanced relationship with the three most powerful Middle East states. Russia
The GCC’s three options for dealing with Iran Against the backdrop of heightened tensions with Iran in past years, the Gulf Cooperation Council stands at a crossroads in how it chooses to deal with the Islamic Republic. Legacy: Gulf
Calls for support as destroyed Mosul Museum seeks to rebuild Not much is left of the Mosul Museum, Iraq's second most important museum, after Islamic State militants stole what they could carry and smashed and set the rest on fire. Iraq
Drug cultivation, trafficking on the rise in West Bank Despite increased efforts to counter it, drug cultivation and trafficking has increased in the West Bank in the first quarter of 2017 compared to previous years. Palestine
Why is Netanyahu ignoring concerns of chemical workers? Threatened with losing their jobs, employees from Haifa Chemicals cannot get the attention of Israeli leaders, who are too concerned with the fight over Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation. Israel
Will bulked-up wheat reserves keep the peace in Egypt? After protests over a decrease in bread subsidy allocations, Egypt is reinforcing its wheat reserves. Egypt
