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
Can Saudis ease Egypt-Qatar tension after Al Jazeera death sentences? Saudis want to bridge the divide between Qatar and Egypt so that its Sunni coalition can focus on Iran. Saudi Arabia
Has race to Israeli premiership begun? After quitting the government, former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon declared that he will run against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the next elections. Israel
Why was this influential Iranian deputy minister replaced? Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs since 2011, has been replaced. Saudi Arabia
Why Turkey is striking out on the diplomatic field Despite some diplomatic gestures by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his new prime minister, it appears Turkey's isolation and desperation in foreign policy will continue. Egypt
Initiative to divide Jerusalem faces own internal split Former security establishment officials who supported the plan of former Minister Haim Ramon to divide Jerusalem now claim that he uses racist means to gain political popularity. Palestine
Will East Jerusalem airport become another Jewish settlement? Israeli plans to build yet another Jewish settlement have many Palestinians worried that they will block the contiguity between East Jerusalem and Ramallah. Palestine
Former defense ministers turn their backs on Netanyahu Former Defense Ministers Moshe Ya'alon and Ehud Barak joined a long line of defense ministers who turned their backs on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that they no longer trust him. Israel
Salman's Saudi Arabia more ambitious than ever The new Saudi Arabian king's first year and a half has been a time of aggressive expansion of power and territory — at tremendous cost and risk. Saudi Arabia
Turkish students up in arms over Islamization of education Students in Turkey’s leading high schools have rebelled against government efforts at an Islamist makeover of the education system. Turkey
Chicken prices soar during Ramadan in Gaza Gaza residents are outraged as the government fails to control traders who have increased the price of chicken, which is the preferred meat during the month of Ramadan. Palestine
Ramadan no longer a month of peace, serenity in Turkey Hate speech and aggression against those who do not observe the fast during Ramadan in Turkey spike as the government and state authorities look the other way. Turkey
Online gallery gives Beirut's diverse art scene exposure to world As Syrian artists fleeing the civil war have found an arts haven in Beirut, some of them are gaining exposure to the wider world through the Artscoops website. Lebanon
