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
Turkey’s Erdogan accuses Germany of 'Nazism' amid row over rallies Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is upset that some municipalities in Germany denied the use of meeting spaces for rallies that aimed to muster support from Turks living in Europe in the upcoming referendum on presidential powers. Turkey
Turkey’s construction boom: A blessing or a curse? The Turkish construction sector’s contribution to the local economy has almost caught up with that of the manufacturing industry, but this is hardly a reason to celebrate. Turkey
Following Abbas visit, cautious calm prevails in Lebanon's Ain al-Hilweh camp Armed clashes flared up in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Lebanon, making the discussion of the security issue a top priority. Palestine
Gaza’s clothing sector makes a comeback The Gaza Strip's garment sector, once suffering from war and blockade, seems to be bouncing back. Palestine
How Germany accidentally gave Erdogan a boost ahead of key vote Are German authorities doing the right thing by not allowing Turkish politicians to hold rallies in Germany? Here is why they are not. Turkey
How Netanyahu got cold feet over historic peace initiative Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog believed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would go through with a historic diplomatic initiative, only to discover later that Netanyahu was never serious about it. Palestine
How are displaced Iraqis faring in Syria’s camps? Hundreds of Turkmen families from Tal Afar, in northwestern Iraq, have headed for the Syrian opposition areas in Aleppo’s countryside. Iraq
Will massive trench keep Iraqi holy cities safe from terror? The holy cities of Najaf and Karbala are digging trenches around the cities to stop terrorists from coming in and launching attacks. Iraq
Intrigue surrounds arrest, release of Iranian dissident cleric’s son The arrest and release of Ahmad Montazeri, the son of Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri, sheds light on behind-the-scenes maneuvering by clerics in Iran. Iran
What’s stopping Rouhani from reaching out to Trump? While some Iranians argue that more should have been done to improve relations with the United States under former President Barack Obama, not everyone in Iran agrees. United States
Is Putin Bibi's new 'bestie'? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin have developed a surprising rapport and unexpected coordination between their countries on Syria. Palestine
Could Turkey’s misstep in Manbij provide template for Raqqa? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest threat complicates Pentagon planning to oust the Islamic State from its so-called capital; United States provides intelligence for Iraqi strike in Syria. Iraq
