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
Why human rights NGOs are losing support of Israeli public Human rights nongovernmental organizations are confronted by an increasingly difficult battle over Israeli public opinion, which often considers them illegitimate or hostile as they criticize the elected government. Palestine
UNESCO head's attempt to ease Israeli outrage backfires An attempt by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova to ease Israeli anger over a recent resolution has infuriated Palestinians. Palestine
Why Israelis flock to small tomb in Nablus at night Despite the fact that Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus has been the site of recurring clashes between Israelis and Palestinians, Jews keep coming to the site for nocturnal prayers. Palestine
Will Nasser al-Qudwa be Palestine's next president? The latest rumor has it that Palestinian diplomat Nasser al-Qudwa is in the running to succeed President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestine
More Palestinian lands threatened with confiscation Sixty percent of Palestinian lands in the West Bank risk confiscation by Israeli authorities under the absentee property and abandoned lands laws, which some Palestinian activists say were issued with the aim to expand Israeli settlements. Palestine
Inside Palestine’s first green school Palestine's first green school was recently inaugurated in the West Bank, and its creators hope to raise awareness among the younger generations about eco-friendly practices. Palestine
The real reason Boeing, Airbus deals with Iran matter Beyond being the first major aircraft sales with Iran in decades, the Boeing and Airbus deals are groundbreaking because they may entice major Western banks to resume dealings with the Islamic Republic. United States
Egypt MP stirs controversy with call for virginity tests Two members of parliament have caused an uproar for suggesting virginity tests be given to female students. Egypt
Erdogan claims Turkey prepping for Mosul action Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to keep troops near Mosul and says preparations for Turkish role "in the field" are underway. Iraq
Why US-educated Turkish officers could soon be out of their jobs Turkey's purges since the failed coup are now targeting armed forces officers with advanced degrees from the United States, threatening to devastate the military's brain trust. Turkey
Turkey hasn't given up on role in Mosul battle While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fumes at Baghdad for excluding Turkey from the operation to liberate Mosul, Ankara has sent a team to the Iraqi capital to continue negotiating a role for Turkey. Iraq
Iranian actor calls for famous actress in exile to be welcomed back A well-respected actor has shocked Iran by saying in a TV interview that Golshifteh Farahani, the renowned Iranian actress living in exile in France, should be respected for her choices and allowed back in Iran. Iran
