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
Israelis do not want a leader with vision Israelis no longer want a leader with a vision, but rather a “strong leader” who will threaten the Palestinians with harsh actions and retaliation. Palestine
Could climate change send Egypt 'sinking into the sea'? Although officials show interest in the issue of climate change and its impact on Egypt’s water and food security, the government has yet to take practical measures to address potential repercussions. Egypt
Facts mingle with political fantasy in Ankara's Gulenist indictments An indictment alleging an attempted coup against Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party government follows the party's narrative of a sinister parallel state and its imperialist collaborators. Turkey
Why hasn't Sisi visited Washington yet? US-Egyptian relations have recently been following what could be described as a downward path — ever since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took office in 2014, he has not received an official invitation to visit Washington. Egypt
Ramallah, a small city overloaded Ramallah and its surrounding communities will need smart planning and extensive upgrades to their infrastructure to deal with a burgeoning flow of workers. Palestine
Egypt's 'garbage police' look to clamp down on pollution The Egyptian Ministry of Environment is now using garbage patrols in an effort to prevent citizens from burning rice straw and household waste, yet some question their effectiveness. Egypt
Will Saudi Arabia give up hajj management? The harsh criticism by various Muslim countries and other parties of Saudi Arabia over the most recent hajj tragedy may prompt the kingdom to take drastic steps to protect its reputation. Saudi Arabia
Congress shows renewed interest in Iranian opposition after nuclear deal Iran hawks tout MEK as way to keep pressure on Tehran. Iraq
Saudi religious scholars enraged over Moscow's recent Syria strikes Saudi ulama would rather see action against Assad than against the Islamic State, but could their stance be seen as a call to jihad? Legacy: Gulf
Goals of Russia’s recent military action go beyond Syria The Russian entry into the war in Syria may herald a new era of cooperation with countries such as Iran, as Moscow seeks to strengthen its international role. Lebanon
Khamenei warns against further negotiations with US Iran's supreme leader has once again warned about the desire of America to have an impact inside Iran. Congress
Erdogan's EU visit fails to produce results Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tried to use his Brussels visit to enhance his own domestic political clout, but the Europeans were not very keen on helping him. Syria
