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
Will families with 2 children become the norm in Egypt? A parliamentary committee is examining draft legislation aimed at curbing Egypt's population growth by encouraging smaller families. Egypt
Egypt’s Cabinet reshuffle disappoints Several politicians expressed their dissatisfaction with the recent Cabinet reshuffle in Egypt, which excluded economic portfolios. Egypt
Netanyahu and the 'apartheid state' Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the term “apartheid state” has gone from being a label to becoming substance. Palestine
5 Rouhani allies in the crosshairs of Iran's hard-liners In the months leading up to Iran’s May 19 presidential election, conservative opponents will likely focus on incumbent President Hassan Rouhani's inner circle. Iran
Iran's priciest export at risk Overfishing and pollution are not only threatening production of Iran’s prized caviar, but also the health of millions of Iranians living along the shores of the Caspian Sea. Iran
Will Iran’s Guardian Council disqualify Rouhani from running? With Iran's presidential election three months away, tongues are openly wagging about the Guardian Council's potentially disqualifying President Hassan Rouhani from running for re-election, and the Priniciplists suspect a ploy to portray him as a victim. Iran
What is Russia’s role in Syria and the 'post-West' world order? Russia is not wasting time while the new US administration gets its bearings on Syria and the rest of the world. Syria
First Aswan international film festival supports women, boosts tourism A women's international film festival in Aswan put Upper Egypt and ordinary women in the spotlight. Egypt
US should test Russia on Islamic State With the complicated regional dynamics of the Syrian war, the US could benefit from Russian assistance. Syria
Barzani asks Erdogan to free pro-Kurdish detainees In a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani has called for Turkey to release political leader Selahattin Demirtas and other pro-Kurdish lawmakers. Turkey
Turkey coup defendants deny Gulen affiliation The group trials have begun of soldiers charged in connection with the July coup, and although their defenses have varied, all have so far denied being followers of cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey
In Palestine, no job means no health insurance The Palestinian government recently decided to halt health insurance for Palestinian unemployed citizens, sparking angry reactions among civil society organizations in light of the deteriorating economic conditions for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian unemployed citizens. Palestine
