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
After 20-year break, these Iranian Kurds are taking up arms again In a surprise development, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, which has not used guns against the Iranian regime for 20 years, has resumed fighting, reportedly instigated by regional powers. Iraq
How Erdogan’s Israeli gambit may cost him Islamist support For the first time, the Islamist opposition is raising its voice loudly against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, decrying the normalization agreement with Israel. Palestine
Why Sahrawi refugees don't count on census to provide relief Some international parties are pushing for an independent census regarding the number of Sahrawi refugees in Algeria, but some in the camps say they have reasons to be opposed. Algeria
Has Turkey finally made nice with Russia? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s apology appears to have broken the ice with Russia, but the relationship still needs time to thaw. Syria
Egypt moves to ban 'immoral' TV ads Advertisers are trying to develop innovative commercials that grab the public’s attention without offending people — or government agencies. Egypt
Four heads of Iranian banks fired for high salaries The chiefs of four banks in Iran were removed after the exorbitant salaries of senior government executives were published anonymously on social media. Iran
Why Israel-Turkey deal didn't include return of IDF soldiers' remains Israel's Cabinet ministers made the decision that in the case of the agreement with Turkey, national interest prevailed over the human concern to return the bodies of killed soldiers. Israel
Has EU given up hope in Israel’s new defense minister? European Union officials believe that actions taken by Israel's new Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman in favor of the settlement enterprise reflect his true political colors. Palestine
What's next for Iraq's Anbar after liberation from IS Disputes prevail over the provincial council in Anbar province, which was recently liberated from IS; the disagreements likely will delay the return of the displaced and the reconstruction process. Iraq
Why Netanyahu quietly applauds Brexit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be pleased with Brexit, which will weaken the European Union and draw its attention away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
Senior American at IMF says Iran faces 'fundamental' economic choices A year after the nuclear accord was reached, a top official at the International Monetary Fund said he was impressed on his first visit to Iran by the desire of senior officials there to reform the Iranian economy but that they need to do more to insure sustainable growth. Iran
Iran forges ahead with Atlantic ambitions Iran moves forward with its plans to establish a naval presence in the Atlantic Ocean, announcing progress in the construction of new frigates. Iran
