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
Erdogan’s war backfires For the first time in 13 years, Turkey is headed into elections in an environment of bloody conflict with the PKK — a deliberate political choice on the part of the government. Turkey
Here comes the ... child bride? Despite legal restrictions, underage marriage persists in rural Egypt Underage marriages are still widespread in some parts of Egypt as the judicial system has failed to prevent marriage officiants from taking bribes to perform illegal unions. Egypt
Has Syria's Arab-Kurdish rivalry reached a breaking point? The establishment of a safe zone on the Turkish-Syrian border is likely to further deepen the divide between the Arabs and Kurds in the area. Syria
Confusion, controversy surround appointment of new police chief for Israel Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan appointed reserve Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch as Israel police chief, offering him a chance to clear his name following criticism of his conduct during the Second Lebanon War. Israel
Will nuclear deal help improve PA-Iran relations? The Palestinian Authority is exploring the benefits of bettering its relations with Iran following the nuclear deal as Iran’s influence on the international scene becomes more powerful. Palestine
Born behind bars: What it’s like to raise a baby in Gaza’s prisons Incarcerated women in Gaza, often ostracized by their families and communities, must relinquish their children to uncertain lives at 2 years of age. Palestine
Hammond's comments on Israel strike nerve in Iran The British foreign secretary visited Tehran for the reopening of the United Kingdom's embassy after four years, but his comments about Israel and Iran drew sharp criticism from Iranian officials. Israel
Was it a win or a loss? Checking Rouhani's midterm economic scorecard Halfway into his term Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has done well in terms of fulfilling his economic promises — but much remains to be done. Iran
Iraqis protest corruption, lack of services while politicians blame everyone but themselves Protests in Iraq demanding the implementation of reforms across the country have taken a political course and engendered sensitivities, especially at the sectarian level. Iraq
Will Erdogan’s big gamble pay off? Surveys suggest there is no certainty that early elections will produce the results Erdogan is banking on for his leadership ambitions. Turkey
Is Erdogan afraid of poking the IS bear? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has done little to censor the latest Islamic State video criticizing his government; does this mean that the ruling AKP could stand to benefit from publicizing the threat posed by the group? Syria
Is Nusra cooperating with Syrian opposition to support establishing safe zone on Syria-Turkey border? While the establishment of a safe zone along the Syria-Turkey border promises better living conditions for Syrian refugees, the politics and security concerns involved portend thinning prospects. Syria
