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
Iranian MP appears before court for 'spreading lies' The issuing of a warrant for the arrest of an Iranian lawmaker apparently over his call for more transparency in the judiciary fans political infighting. Iran
Kremlin unsure how to take Erdogan's vow to topple Assad A Russian diplomat has expressed confusion and cautious disapproval over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly saying that Turkey's main objective in Syria is to topple the regime. Syria
Israeli education minister declares math 'state of emergency' The TIMSS math results for 2015 show Israel dropping nine places, but does this necessarily mean that Israeli students are doing poorly in math? Israel
Why Aleppo’s fall will be a game-changer for Turkey The recapture of Aleppo by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces could turn the tables on Turkey. Iraq
Is Israel being pulled into Syrian war? With growing tension in the Golan Heights and fears of the Syrian civil war spilling over, the IDF is establishing special commando units able to confront IS-affiliated militants. Israel
How the Turkish lira entered free fall The European Parliament’s vote to suspend Turkey’s membership talks is the latest move to worsen the rapid decline of the Turkish lira's foreign exchange rates. Turkey
Kerry urges Senate Democrats to back off Iran sanctions renewal The US secretary of state is on a mission to protect President Barack Obama's foreign policy legacy — and his own. Congress
Gaza organization recruits men to fight for women's rights In an interview with Al-Monitor, the Women's Affairs Center director Amal Siyam talked about the political, social and economic obstacles women face in the Gaza Strip and the novel approach the center is taking to help them. Palestine
Will Total deal pave way for other oil majors' return to Iran? After six years, French oil giant Total has become the first major Western energy company to return to Iran in what Tehran hopes is only the first step in the reopening of the Iranian market. Iran
Why Iraq's Sunnis fear new PMU law A new law that will turn Shiite militias of the Popular Mobilization Units into an official security force has sparked fierce opposition from Sunni parliamentarians. Iraq
How a Palestinian park surrounded by settlements is promoting organic farming A Palestinian family has turned the site of an old house into an organic farm and a park for visitors to enjoy the beauty of the land, despite the site being in close proximity to Israeli settlements and checkpoints. Palestine
As food prices soar, Egyptians asked to go hungry in protest The head of Egypt's Consumer Protection Agency has called on citizens to refrain from buying basic commodities for one day in an effort to drive prices down in a boycott that analysts say will be far too short to work. Egypt
