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
Who will choose Iran's next supreme leader? Hassan Rouhani and Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani both addressed the Assembly of Experts' role in choosing the next leader as they registered to run. Iran
Who's to blame for deaths of children fighting in Palestine? Palestinian children are dying in armed operations against Israeli settlers, despite calls to prevent them from getting involved in the violence. Palestine
Iraqis dive deeper into sectarianism Regional conflicts and shifting alliances since 2003 have led many Iraqis to view every development through a sectarian lens. Iraq
Despite dam dispute, Egypt seeks to build trust with Ethiopia In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egyptian Water Minister Hossam Moghazi addresses the ongoing dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Is BDS movement spreading across Europe? Despite a lack of funding and solid organizational backing at home, the Palestinian diaspora in Europe has increased its activities and is winning ever stronger support, costing Israel more in economic losses and international status by the week. Palestine
The PKK's 'child terrorists' The PKK takes full advantage of children it recruits as "child terrorists" in Turkey, pushing them to the front lines and using their arrests and deaths to stir up sympathy. Turkey
The rocky road to Turkish, Israeli reconciliation Turkey and Israel have much to gain from normalizing their relations, but recent reports to that effect should be met with caution. Israel
Looking for a better divorce settlement, Jordanian Christian men convert to Islam Christian women in Jordan are at the mercy of Shariah courts over child custody when their husbands convert to Islam. Jordan
Netanyahu launches campaign for his fifth term Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement on advancing the Likud Party primaries to February 2016 assures him that none of his potential rivals will have enough time to prepare. Israel
How American weapons are ending up in the hands of IS A recent report by Amnesty International revealed that the Islamic State’s weaponry includes weapons from dozens of countries. Iraq
Will stopping security cooperation with Israel benefit PA? Though Palestinian demands to end security cooperation between Tel Aviv and Ramallah are growing ever louder, coordination between Israel and the PA seems stronger than ever as both sides struggle to contain the unrest. Palestine
Economic curtain closing on Iraqi theater Theatrical productions are languishing in Iraq as austerity measures take center stage. Iraq
