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
The profitable business of Israeli occupation Is the settlement enterprise a diplomatic or defense necessity for Israel, or a way to make money? Palestine
Israel support for yeshiva students up by 53%. Is it enough? Once again, much is being made in the media about the state raising allocations for yeshiva students, but the ebb and flow of this funding is a perennial part of the coalition's wooing of the ultra-Orthodox. Israel
Democrats launch Iran deal offensive Pro-deal senators are touting Iran's denuclearization amid continued Republican pushback. Iran
Iran is spending more money on culture, but where's the accountability? In Iran, President Hassan Rouhani is moving to increase spending allocated to administration-controlled cultural entities. Yet a vast portion of cultural spending continues to go to organizations that are not held accountable. Iran
How new Egyptian parliament is empowering those with disabilities In an interview with Al-Monitor, Khalid Hanafi, a visually impaired member of parliament, said that Egypt is still a very young democracy and the presence of people with disabilities in the legislature will help with addressing issues facing this group. Egypt
Rome's nude cover-up remains mystery At a press conference in Italy, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani addressed the controversy over two nude statues covered in boxes. Iran
Russia, Qatar pushed to compromise. But will they? A recent visit between Qatari and Russian officials indicate that in spite of their many differences, the two states may seek to cooperate. Qatar
Turkey's military mules take their marching orders seriously Modern armies spend millions of dollars to develop high-tech robotic systems, but none can replace mules as reliable carriers in bad weather over rough terrain. Iraq
Want to call Erdogan a dictator? Get ready to hire some lawyers The Turkish government has launched two court cases against the media for allegedly offending President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Palestinian negotiator: Iran should stop poking its nose in Arab affairs In an interview with Al-Monitor, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat says Iran should mind its own business, and stresses the need to preserve the Palestinian Authority. Palestine
Once-lively caravan stops crumble along abandoned Silk Road Khan al-Noss, one of many caravanserais found along the Silk Road in Iraq and other neighboring countries, is yet another neglected and disappearing Iraqi heritage site. Iraq
Will Iran deal mean more money for Hamas? Now that sanctions have been lifted against Iran, Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza are waiting to see if Iran will restore or perhaps increase its military and financial support. Palestine
