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
How Egypt’s antiquities minister plans to lure back tourists In the aftermath of the January 25 Revolution, Egypt’s antiquities and tourism sectors are suffering. Egypt
Iran's central bank won’t bite off more than it can chew Despite broad support for the unification of foreign exchange rates in Iran — and the central bank’s announcement of such a move in the near future — realities on the ground make such an endeavor unlikely anytime soon. Iran
Did arrested Iranian negotiator influence nuclear talks? Iranian negotiator Hamid Baiedinejad wrote on his Telegram account about the latest accusations against a fellow negotiator who was in charge of banking affairs. Iran
15 years of Turkey's AKP: Is it a success story? Turkey's Justice and Development Party has had economic and political successes, but the current state of affairs could threaten that legacy. Turkey
For a good time, call Egypt's Antiquities Ministry Egypt has come up with some new uses for some very old venues. Egypt
How this Turkish museum is bringing life to a remote backwater A unique cultural center has sprung up on a remote hilltop in eastern Turkey, bringing life to a region hit by poverty and migration. Turkey
Accusations fly as Basra cafes hit by string of bombings A series of bombings has hit Basra's cafes that employ women, leading activists to accuse Shiite militias of imposing an Islamization project on civilians. Iraq
100 global intellectuals to gather in Palestine The Witness Center for Citizen’s Rights and Social Development launched an initiative to invite renowned thinkers from around the world to come to Palestine in support of the Palestinian cause. Palestine
Have Egypt-Hamas relations reached point of no return? Already-tenuous relations between Egypt and Hamas recently worsened with the release of a photo showing two of Hamas’ men who were abducted in Sinai a year ago in an Egyptian cell. Palestine
What are Netanyahu and Putin plotting? A rumored Israeli-Palestinian summit in Moscow may be a maneuver by Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu to try to thwart a new US initiative. Palestine
Is the Israeli Defense Ministry's new Arabic website a waste? Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman decided to spend 10 million shekels ($2.6 million) on a new website in Arabic that is supposed to spread messages to the Palestinians and the Arab world. Near East
Can election observers boost confidence among Palestinian voters? The Palestinian Central Elections Commission is registering local and international monitors for October's municipal elections, a move favored by the Palestinian factions in light of the Fatah-Hamas division. Palestine
