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
Congress debates greater US role in Iraq Lawmakers are putting pressure on President Barack Obama to rethink Islamic State strategy after fall of Ramadi. Iraq
France works to restart talks toward Israeli-Palestinian peace France is urging Israelis and Palestinians to resume negotiations in anticipation of an international peace proposal being presented. Palestine
How will Iran, P5+1 resolve future disputes? If after two years of negotiations a comprehensive nuclear deal is finally reached, Iran and the world powers need a dispute-resolution mechanism agreed on by all sides in case differences arise. Iran
Return of 175 Iranian bodies from Iraq stirs painful memories Iranians shared pictures of Iranian divers from the Iran-Iraq War after Iranian officials reported that the bodies of 175 divers who were reportedly buried alive in the war were returned to Iran. Iraq
Turkish NGO helps mothers return to work Turkish women are poorly represented in the workforce, but a new foundation aims to change that. Turkey
Media mogul declares his 'masculine love' to Erdogan Stiff competition among AKP partisans for extreme manifestations of adoration for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are rewarded in pre-election season. Turkey
First international blunder of Bibi's new government Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's zigzagging over the plan to separate Jews and Palestinian workers traveling to the territories demonstrates the strong hold of the settlers over his fragile coalition. Palestine
Turkey can’t part with currency zeroes Though Turkey wiped off six zeroes from its currency a decade ago, politicians stick to old figures, hoping for a stronger propaganda impact in the run-up to general elections. Turkey
Did Ya'alon cave in to settler pressure? Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon revoked his decision to separate Palestinian and Israeli bus passengers traveling to the territories following an international outcry about apartheid, as well as harsh criticism in Israel. Palestine
Turkish navy outlines 2033 vision The Turkish navy aims at becoming a major global force by 2033. Turkey
Sisi's call for religious tolerance divides Muslims Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's call for religious tolerance has been interpreted differently by Salafists, Al-Azhar scholars and secular critics. Egypt
Cairo scrambles to restart Entebbe negotiations The latest developments relating to the Entebbe Agreement underscore the disputes surrounding the controversial pact, such as its importance in terms of guaranteeing Egypt’s right to the Nile water and its impact on international relations. Egypt
