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
Hit film's kiss gets Arab-Israeli teacher fired Arab-Israeli teacher Ali Muasi was dismissed by the mayor of his city for screening the Oscar-nominated film "Omar" after Salafist groups denounced the film's "inappropriate" content. Israel
Iraq prepares to amend its existing oil contracts In light of the oil price slide, Iraq’s Oil Ministry is preparing to review contracts with foreign oil companies. Iraq
Why is the Palestinian Authority angry over Iran's offer of aid? The Palestinian Authority is upset over Iran's announcement that it will provide money directly to the families of Palestinians who attack Israelis, bypassing the PA and PLO. Palestine
Has IS established foothold in Jordan? A raid in Irbid on a cell affiliated with the Islamic State has Jordanians on edge. Jordan
Is Iran's Ahmadinejad ready for a comeback? With merely 15 months until Iran’s next presidential vote, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be gearing up to confront incumbent President Hassan Rouhani. Iran
How Syrian cease-fire has reignited spark of the revolution During the brittle cease-fire, protesters have returned to Syria's streets to assert that the revolution continues. Syria
Will Israel's finance minister be able to lower housing prices? During his election campaign, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon promised to lower housing prices, but is now finding it hard to fulfill his promise and working to lower the expectations of his disappointed public. Israel
Iran missile tests fuel sanctions push in Congress Lawmakers demand response after latest rocket launches. Iran
How Iran plans to cover its budget deficit As Iranian banks continue to struggle, the government has no choice but to develop the debt market in the coming years in order to make up for the damage incurred by the sanctions. Iran
Davutoglu attempts to get back to zero problems with Iran Analysts warn that an unpredictable harsh statement by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could undermine Davutoglu’s efforts to gain a piece of the Iranian pie. Syria
Why is Erdogan wary of women? Women find creative and cheerful methods to circumvent bans on International Women’s Day parades, promising to celebrate their day to the fullest in the streets. Turkey
Iranian politician: Parliament no place for children, donkeys or women One Iranian politician has observed International Women's Day by sharing his opinion that Iran's parliament should remain for men only. Iran
