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
Why this Iraqi city is starving Residents of Fallujah, Mosul and other Iraqi cities under the Islamic State’s control are suffering under an IS strategy calculated to turn them against their government. Iraq
Gazans organize first-ever dog show The recent first-of-its-kind dog show in the Gaza Strip shed light on dog lovers and breeders who hope to get a sponsor for future shows and activities. Palestine
US presidential candidates clash over Middle East peace process US presidential candidates are offering substantive differences when it comes to Israel policy. Palestine
Egyptian women launch 'One Girl is Worth 100' campaign Rania Ayman, a founding member of the campaign "One Girl is Worth 100," speaks to Al-Monitor about women who struggle to make a living in jobs traditionally limited to men. Egypt
Iran struggles with border security An IRGC commander says the elite Saberin Unit has provided Iran with security on its borders. Iraq
How heavy metal music is causing a stir in Egypt A concert in Cairo scheduled for later this month has revived a decades-long controversy over heavy metal music and accusations of devil worship. Egypt
Ankara attack spawns conspiracy theories Turkey was a little too quick to identify the alleged perpetrator of the Ankara blast as a YPG-affiliated Syrian Kurd, and many observers mistrust the government's version of the story. Turkey
Are latest war games just a face-saver for Riyadh? Saudi Arabia is hosting over 150,000 troops from 20 countries for military exercises in the northeast, but while officially aimed at deterring Iran, they could have a very different purpose. Saudi Arabia
CHP's rising Christian star subjected to hate speech A newspaper's revelation about the Christian heritage of an opposition parliamentarian has created another rift in the ruling AKP and opened a dialogue on interfaith marriage. Turkey
Is Iran really ready for foreign investment? Despite President Hassan Rouhani’s touting of foreign investment as the savior of the Iranian economy amid low crude prices, the country might not be able to handle the necessary capital inflow. Iran
Are unpaid salaries driving Gazans to suicide? The crisis over unpaid wages has already pushed several in Gaza to commit suicide, a trend that seems ulikely to be reversed soon. Palestine
Will Israelis, Palestinians stop unilateralism? Both the Israeli and the Palestinian side tend to favor unilateral steps instead of negotiating a compromise that the parties have been avoiding for years. Palestine
