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
Electricity crisis tests right to protest in Gaza Palestinians disgruntled by ongoing power outages have expressed their frustration through street demonstrations, but the police have not been accommodating. Palestine
Lenders rip off small Iraqi businesses Moneylenders are taking advantage of small business owners looking to expand their enterprises in Iraq, where support from banks is almost nonexistent. Iraq
Who are Egypt’s Amazighs? The marginalization of Egypt’s Amazighs throughout history may have come to their advantage, as the community has been able to preserve its traditions and unique identity. Egypt
Netanyahu, modern-day Goliath? The thinking behind Israel relaxing the rules of engagement against Palestinians throwing stones is a double-edged sword. Palestine
What's in store for the future of Turkish-Israeli relations? After trying to mend Israeli-Turkish relations and ahead of the Turkish general elections set for November, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reverted to attacking Israel. Israel
Rouhani settles into a more 'normal' UN routine On his third trip to the UN as Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani is eclipsed by Pope Francis, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the deaths of hundreds of Iranian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. Iran
Why is Jalili pouncing on the nuclear deal? In Iran, leading conservatives use the platform of a new parliamentary commission to attack the nuclear deal. But why? Iran
The mystery of Iran's missing ambassador As Saudi sources claim that Iran's former ambassador to Lebanon never entered Saudi Arabia for the hajj, Iranian media outlets are crying foul play. Saudi Arabia
Will Russia’s move ruin Erdogan’s plan for Syria? Will Turkey’s rules of engagement against Syrian planes now apply to Russian planes flying near the Turkish border? Syria
Turkey’s non-Muslims demand apology from Ankara On the 60th anniversary of the Istanbul pogroms, Turkey’s exiled minorities and their descendants are demanding acknowledgment and restitution from the Turkish state. Turkey
Journalists face further violence in southeast Turkey The tension and restrictions that have affected social, economic, education and health services are now threatening journalists, and journalism itself. Turkey
Battling from their refugee tents: Meet the Kurdish peshmergas fighting to take back their homes Peshmerga living in the Baharka refugee camp in northern Iraq are fighting to retake their homes, insisting they will not stop until they succeed. Iraq
