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
Iran’s runoff elections to set economic agenda The crucial runoff parliamentary elections today will determine how successful President Hassan Rouhani is in implementing his domestic and economic policies. Iran
Oman and Iran: friends with many benefits Oman is willing to brave the GCC's disapproval to take advantage of opportunities with and for Iran. Legacy: Gulf
What Iran’s first non-oil trade surplus means for its economy Iran’s non-oil trade balance has turned positive for the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but is this good news? Iran
Why is Jordan restricting Palestinians' travel? Palestinians have been fighting repressive Israeli travel restrictions for years, now they face Jordanian ones too. Palestine
How the nuclear deal's failings ignited anti-Western sentiment in Iran In the absence of what Iranian officials see as the lack of full implementation of the nuclear deal, the factors that could reignite anti-US sentiment in Iran appear to be back in place. Iran
Egypt's media wars intensify Coverage of the recent anti-government street protests in Egypt suggest little has changed on the media scene since the January 25, 2011 Revolution. Egypt
On Children’s Day in Turkey, adults set bad example The anniversary of the opening of the Turkish parliament coincided with the centennial of an Ottoman military victory in Iraq during World War I, creating a new fault line in Turkey. Turkey
Sisi moves into damage control following island transfer uproar The decision to concede sovereignty of islands was poorly received by the Egyptian public. Saudi Arabia
Does Erdogan want his own Islamic state? Erdogan is willing to not abolish Turkey’s constitutional secularism, as some fear, but rather to use religion in the most effective way. Turkey
Easter in Egypt resurrects debate over travel to Israel In the lead-up to Orthodox Easter May 1, disputes have resurfaced over visits by Egyptian Copts to Jerusalem. Palestine
US and Syria's Kurds: Love on the rocks? PKK violence is complicating US relations with Syria’s Kurds just as Turkey steps up its cooperation against the Islamic State. Syria
Is Abbas using Big Brother policy to threaten opponents? President Mahmoud Abbas seems to be working to punish and pressure his opponents, by halting their monthly stipend and establishing a High Constitutional Court. Palestine
