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
Has Turkey given up fighting corruption? Turkey's new government shies away from even paying lip service to fighting corruption, as allegations of graft and bribery at the higher echelons of the state reach as far as the United States. Turkey
Will gas thaw the ice between Russia, Turkey? Russia’s interest in crucial energy projects with Turkey may facilitate fence-mending between the two countries after months of crisis. Turkey
The lost children of Israel's foreign workers Most of the children born to foreign workers in Israel are never granted permanent residency or Israeli nationality and feel rejected by Israeli society. Israel
How Gaza's summer camps teach youth more than just sports Each year, organizers of summer camps in the Gaza Strip compete to lure youngsters to their program of activities — and to their ideology. Palestine
Will Bibi's love of luxury be his downfall? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, known for his extravagant tastes, is caught up in a scandal involving funding from a French billionaire on trial for corruption. Israel
How long will Bibi's government last? In an interview, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin explained the political maneuvering to stabilize the government that turned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Avigdor Liberman and away from the Zionist Camp. Israel
Is the West about to repeat its mistakes in Libya? During a recent meeting in Vienna, world powers supported the newly created Presidential Guard of Libya, not taking into account who this force is made up of — mainly militias that have committed crimes after the Libyan revolution. Libya
Famous Iranian classical singer seeks comeback despite ban Despite media speculation about a possible return for Ramadan, Iran's famous classical singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian still appears to be banned from Iranian television. Iran
Why VR is more virtual than reality in Iran Although Iranian firms are now producing locally developed virtual reality headsets, most Iranians are still far from familiar with this technology. Iran
Why Turkish military isn't welcome in Syria, Iraq Military and political observers say the Turkish government's failure to recalibrate its policies to better cooperate with the United States, Russia and Iran is undermining Turkey's security interests in Syria and Iraq. Turkey
Settlement house of wounded soldier unites Israeli left, right Israelis across the political spectrum are united in wanting to provide handicapped access at the settlement home of a wounded soldier, but the law won't allow it. Palestine
What Israel calls progress, Palestinians see as oppression Israel says it will streamline checkpoint procedures to facilitate Palestinians' movements, but some see the promise as merely a public relations move and a reminder of the occupation. Palestine
