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
Cultural initiatives in Gaza are short on cash The Palestinian Cultural Palace, a cultural center created by a youth group in the Gaza Strip and aimed to preserve the cultural heritage of the Palestinian people, may not be able to flourish in light of the lack of government financial support. Palestine
Civil servants in Palestine prohibited from working second job Palestinian civil employees are worried that the new Palestinian government decision to ban holding a second job will cut their monthly income, as they can barely make ends meet in light of the harsh living conditions. Palestine
Can Iraq curb corruption among customs officials? Corruption on Iraq's borders is robbing the government of the customs income its budget depends on. Iraq
The American billionaires influencing Israeli policy Israeli-born American billionaires like Haim Saban and Dr. Miriam Adelson influence Israeli politics and the fate of the country, without assuming the consequences. Israel
Do DNA samples hold key to Israel's missing children mystery? As one Likud minister combs through long-classified documents, another Knesset member is advancing a DNA collection project that could shed light on the six-decades-old mystery of missing Yemenite children, but it's a race against time as their parents age. Israel
Why religious singers are gaining power in Iran Eulogists or religious singers are the latest actors to gain prominence on Iran’s ever more crowded political stage. Iran
Abbas' former opponent speaks out on postponed elections Dr. Mustafa Barghouti wants to see agreement between Fatah and Hamas and local elections held in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Palestine
Will slaying affect potential Cairo-Brotherhood detente? The recent police killing of a former Muslim Brotherhood leader wanted by the government could cause a violent backlash in the short term, but might help bring about a reconciliation. Egypt
The death of critical journalism in Turkey Press freedom in Turkey is often assessed on the basis of jailed journalists, but this fails to fully reflect the gravity of the situation if one omits the huge number of journalists who have lost their jobs and are facing an uncertain future and struggling to survive. Turkey
Erdogan’s plans for executive presidency firm up Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plans to amass even more power have received a welcome boost from his ultranationalist rival, and a referendum on an executive presidency could be held as early as April, his lieutenants now say. Turkey
What state of emergency means for Turkey’s Protestants After the declaration of the state of emergency in Turkey, in addition to a series of repressive measures, foreign Protestants are being deported. Turkey
Will Iraq boycott Turkey? As tension escalates between Iraq and Turkey regarding the battle to rid Mosul of the Islamic State, Iraqi politicians call for boycotting Turkish products. Iraq
