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
Tensions flare in Western Sahara dispute One word used by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was all it took to reignite tensions over disputed territory in northwest Africa. Morocco
Egypt's NGOs face 'orchestrated, escalating' assault from authorities A widening security crackdown on civil society organizations and activists has left many in Egypt pessimistic about the future. Egypt
Banking sanctions take center stage as Iranian rhetoric toughens There is a strong and shared interest between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and US President Barack Obama that ordinary Iranians imminently see — and feel — in the normalization of Iran’s economic engagement with the world. Iran
Gaza’s electricity crisis sheds light on gap between social classes Although hospitals, medical centers and other sectors in the Gaza Strip are increasingly relying on solar power, its use is still limited to affluent households. Palestine
Do gas condensate exports represent new beginning for Iraq's hydrocarbon industry? As the first shipment of gas condensate reached the UAE, Iraq is seemingly on the right path to develop its energy sector despite some difficulties in the sector. United Arab Emirates
Why this Palestinian commuter app may be destined for dead end A new smartphone app aims to help Palestinians cross through security checkpoints, but Israel's West Bank settlements council claims that it could help Palestinians plan attacks on soldiers. Palestine
Why Europe must unify its intelligence networks Israeli security experts claim that the high number of intelligence agencies and lack of cooperation in Europe hinders an efficient response to the battle against the Islamic State, which Israel's defense minister calls a "Third World War." Israel
For Palestinian artist, spiny cactus makes perfect canvas Artist Ahmad Yaseen paints the suffering and hopes of the Palestinian people on the prickly pear, a symbol of rugged survival also claimed by the Israelis. Palestine
What Russia won by withdrawing from Syria Russian President Vladimir Putin’s drawdown of forces from Syria was carefully timed and shows Russia learned an important lesson in Afghanistan. Syria
Is Israel key to solving Renaissance Dam crisis? Ousted parliamentarian Tawfik Okasha still faces fierce criticism from his government for getting too close to Israel, in the ongoing Renaissance Dam saga — but could Egypt need Israel more than they are willing to admit? Egypt
After criticism, Rouhani defends his economic performance After receiving criticism for not yet having implemented the resistance economy, President Hassan Rouhani answered back that his administration has already fulfilled many economic promises. Iran
