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
Turkic speakers join forces in Iran's parliament The unprecedented formation of a cross-factional parliamentary group of Turkic speakers stirs controversy in Iran. Iran
US backs Turkish offensive with airstrikes around al-Bab After repeated appeals from Turkey for the United States to help Turkish troops and their rebel proxies to capture al-Bab, US airstrikes are resuming in a move that could help diffuse growing tensions between the NATO allies. Syria
Why hasn’t Iran’s president announced bid for re-election? The Iranian president’s press conference on the first anniversary of the implementation of the nuclear deal is met with positive reactions among Reformists and harsh criticism by hard-liners. Iran
Why Ankara’s honeymoon with Trump may be short-lived By blasting the Obama administration over Gulen and the Syrian Kurds, the Turkish government is signaling to the incoming Trump administration its demands for improved ties. Syria
Court sinks Egyptian-Saudi island deal A court ruling supposedly has ended Egypt’s attempt to hand over two strategic Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, but the government hasn’t necessarily given up. Saudi Arabia
What game is Russia playing in Libya? Russia appears headed toward greater involvement in Libya, a development that could have catastrophic consequences for Libya and the region. Libya
How women pried open the doors to Turkish military schools again Turkish women successfully pressured the Turkish government to reverse its apparently arbitrary decision to exclude women from naval and air force academies. Turkey
Turkey’s cinema sector reels over probes The Turkish authorities have launched a judicial probe into more than 400 people involved in the country’s cinema industry, fueling concern that the arts and culture realm is next in line for purges. Turkey
Is more women entering Yemen's labor market really progress? Yemen's vicious civil war has altered many aspects of society so that women are forced into the family's breadwinning positions, which may not necessarily reflect a milestone in gender equality. Yemen
Palestinian local elections on front burner The postponed local Palestinian elections might be scheduled in 2017 amid talks about possibly holding them in phases starting next May. Palestine
Gaza youths use cellphones to make films about unemployment, disabilities Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are submitting short videos filmed on their cellphones to the Mobile Short Film Festival, which has organized the first such contest in Gaza. Palestine
Will snowballing scandals bury Netanyahu? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is embroiled in not one but three major scandals that could end his career. Israel
