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
Syrian dramas shed light on revolution A number of Syrian youth now living across the border in Turkey are using television series to articulate the suffering of Syrian citizens under the civil war. Syria
The Putin-Trump era of Middle East negotiations The Palestinian leadership is encouraged by indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to play a major role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
What is happening in the Turkish military? A Hurriyet article suggesting ongoing rumblings in the military appear to have been borne out by the official responses to it. Turkey
Burning oil wells no match for soccer-loving Iraqis Soccer players from Team Asoosa, in Qayyarah, are rejoicing in reuniting and being able to again play the game they love after their town's liberation from the Islamic State. Iraq
Is an 'Arab NATO' in the works? Reports claim that the US administration is currently discussing the formation of a joint Arab force with Arab countries, an idea Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had suggested before. Legacy: Gulf
In Gaza, baseball season is in full swing Palestinian athlete Mahmoud Tafesh has formed the first baseball team in the Gaza Strip, and despite the absence of funding, equipment and baseball fields, the team is hoping to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games. Palestine
The chick flick that's shaken up Egypt A film about a woman in search of a sperm donor has shocked Egyptian society. Egypt
Can international force save Gaza? With the deterioration of living conditions in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must seriously consider the idea of having an international force control Gaza’s land and sea borders. Palestine
How deep is Turkey's Sinjar entanglement? Soon after speaking with Turkey's president, Kurdistan Regional Government leader Massoud Barzani dispatched peshmerga forces to Sinjar, Iraq, which led to a clash between Kurdish forces. Iraq
Germany's Merkel strikes immigration deal on visit to Tunisia German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come under fire for Germany’s open-door migration policy, so striking a deal with Tunisia to bring back at least some irregular migrants was a necessary step for her to defuse some of the criticism. Egypt
Kurdish flag controversy continues, in Turkish court KRG President Massoud Barzani's most recent visit to Turkey left the public at odds over the hoisting of the KRG flag. Turkey
Meet Egypt's first blind soccer squad Egypt now has four blind soccer teams (the goalies are sighted) and plans to participate in the 2017 IBSA Blind Football African Cup in Cape Verde in October. Egypt
