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
Palestinians smuggle cheaper nicotine fix from Jordan Smugglers are finding a profitable business in moving cigarettes into Palestine from Jordan and competing with locally made tobacco and more expensive imported cigarettes. Palestine
What's the greatest risk to Turkey's economy? Regional and domestic volatility is threatening Turkey’s finances while the country’s political and financial uncertainties worry global investors. Turkey
Slim prospects in Gaza force college grads to work as deliverymen The poor economic situation in the Gaza Strip has taken a toll on the opportunities available for holders of university degrees, some of whom are now working as deliverymen to get by. Palestine
Syrian mortar shells sow fear in Jordan border town Many residents of Ramtha, northern Jordan, are calling for military action to contain the violence in Syria that is spilling over onto their city, where mortars fall on houses and parents are afraid to send their children to school. Palestine
Tens of thousands of Palestinians on verge of retirement, but why? Government employees having served 15 years on the job are now grappling with the prospect of being forced into early retirement, as part of large-scale austerity measures in Palestine. Palestine
Israeli-Palestinian bridges crumble under sorrow, anger over Douma murders The female volunteers of the Israeli Machsom Watch activist group are supporting the Dawabsha family while Riham and Ahmad Dawabsha fight for their lives in the hospital, but some of their students are too hurt and angry to continue seeing them. Palestine
Could Samarra become a city of Sunni-Shiite cooperation? The city of Samarra, which holds many Islamic historical sites, has the potential to become a place for cooperation between Sunnis and Shiites, although both exchange accusations of destroying the city. Iraq
Israeli minister pushes for improved gender equality In an interview with Al-Monitor, Minister of Social Equality Gila Gamliel stresses the importance of reducing disparities between Arab and Jewish women: "I want to see more Arab women integrated into the labor force and more Arab women pursuing an education." Israel
All Bibi all the time: How Netanyahu looks to find the media spotlight, not solutions Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done nothing to seize the opportunities that he claimed Operation Protective Edge presented to Israel. Palestine
Why did it take Saudi Arabia 20 years to catch Khobar Towers bomber? Reports have emerged that Saudi Arabia is holding Ahmed Ibrahim al-Mughassil, a Saudi Shiite who masterminded the 1996 attack on US military housing in Khobar that left 19 servicemen dead. Saudi Arabia
The impending Shiite leadership crisis Baghdad doesn't see coming With frequent visits between Tehran and Baghdad, the question arises of whether Iranian politics are seeping into Iraq and what that means for the country's future. Iraq
Khamenei supports nuclear deal but warns of 'the enemy' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, praises the conclusion of the nuclear deal and said if issues remain, he hopes they will be resolved. Iran
