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
Turkey’s Kurds excluded from post-coup national unity Turkey’s Kurds, largely excluded from efforts at national unity after the failed coup, have appealed for reconciliation and revival of talks to end the Kurdish conflict. Turkey
Gulen movement's youngest victims speak out in Turkey Will the failed coup in Turkey ultimately help redeem students who were discharged from military schools in the past decade as alleged punishment for refusing to fall in with the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization? Turkey
Egyptians pin Olympic hopes on fencing star Egypt's celebrated fencer Alaaeldin Abouelkassem is determined to return home from Rio de Janeiro with another Olympic medal. Egypt
Why some Gazans are telecommuting with Israeli firms The widespread use of the internet has allowed some Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to find work online with Israeli companies, although Gazans are divided over the issue. Palestine
Morocco hoping for Olympic gold in boxing, track and field Morocco is sending a number of exceptional athletes to the Rio Olympics, namely, middle-distance runner Abdalaati Iguider, boxer Mohammed Rabii and equestrian jumper Abdelkebir Ouaddar. Morocco
What new F-35 jets mean for Israel’s air force Senior Israeli air force officers tell Al-Monitor that the arrival of the F-35 jets is crucial for Israel to maintain its airspace superiority. Israel
Is Maliki plotting return to power with Kurdistan visit? Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit to Sulaimaniyah has sparked rumors of his hopes of regaining the premiership. Iraq
What's really behind PA's threat to sue Britain? The Palestinian Authority announced its intention to sue Britain for the Balfour Declaration, which allowed for the establishment of the State of Israel. Palestine
Saudi visit to Israel angers Hamas The Hamas movement is worried that a Saudi general's visit to Israel signifies a rapprochement between the two countries at the expense of Gaza relief efforts. Saudi Arabia
Will this Egyptian diplomat be UNESCO's next leader? For Moushira Khattab, Egypt's nominee to be the next head of UNESCO, the value of education is clear — it can be used to fight terrorism by immunizing the human mind against extremist thoughts. Egypt
Long road ahead for Iran’s bid to join World Trade Organization If it wants to join the World Trade Organization, Iran will face many hurdles and has to take some painful measures. Iran
Can Turkey really turn to Russia? Despite anger at the West after the recent failed coup, the strategic ties some desire with Russia do not appear realistic. Syria
