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
Egypt takes new approach to tourism Egypt's long-suffering tourism business might finally be getting some good news: The private sector will take a crack at handling one of the country's ancient sites. Egypt
Are US-Turkey military ties under threat? Both Ankara and Washington seem to be oblivious to the changing nature of their relations. Turkey
Abbas disappoints, again, with UN speech President Mahmoud Abbas' speech to the UN General Assembly showed that he has no credible strategy for obtaining Palestinian statehood. Palestine
Can design festival revolutionize Amman's urban landscape? Jordanian artists hope that Design Week, which was held in venues in Amman that have been long neglected, will revive the empty spaces that the capital needs. Jordan
Could a centrist politician be Israel's next PM? Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid is working to attract the support of the Israeli political center, but it seems that he is not the only one aiming at this constituency. Israel
What's keeping Syria’s rebel forces from consolidating their power? The myriad opposition factions in Syria could become a truly formidable force by uniting their efforts, but the task appears insurmountable given geographic and political divisions. Syria
A bicycle adventure across Gaza A team of five adventurers crossed the Gaza Strip on bicycle from north to south in a bid to draw attention to the youths’ inability to travel and study abroad. Palestine
Palestinians fight to prove West Bank land ownership Palestinians living in villages near the illegal outpost of Amona are fighting to prove their ownership of the land where a pro-settler campaign is planning to establish its new location. Palestine
Will the West Bank hold elections without Gaza? Many scenarios emerged when the Palestinian local elections were delayed, with some saying elections may be held in the West Bank, and not in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas may appoint its candidates in the local bodies. Palestine
Why some Palestinians don't trust new electricity deal with Israel The Palestinian Authority and Israel signed an agreement to partially solve the electricity problem Palestinians have been suffering from for years. Palestine
What's the status of IMF loan as Iraq dismisses finance minister? The International Monetary Fund has granted a $3 billion loan to Iraq; however, parliament and the government have not yet reached an agreement over the loan conditions. Iraq
Syrian opposition activist: Syrians no longer decision-makers to own destiny In an interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian opposition figure Louay Hussein explains his movement’s vision for the transitional period in Syria and his positions against the revolution. Syria
