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
Turkey's Erdogan obsession Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's team should see that the hateful "Erdogano-centricity" of which they complain is mostly of Erdogan's making. Turkey
Iran nuclear talks hit snag over sanctions Lifting US sanctions, as called for in the Joint Plan of Action, would eventually require dealing with Hezbollah. Lebanon
What can Lebanon learn from Suleiman's presidency? As Lebanese President Michel Suleiman’s term ends on May 25, his successor should examine the obstacles and successes of his mandate to prepare for the path ahead. Lebanon
Israel-Egypt anti-terrorism cooperation at zenith Israel adapts to a new alliance structure based on common security interests, and in anticipation of a nuclear Middle East. Saudi Arabia
Child murders traumatize Turkey A government proposal to toughen penalties for child abuse has failed to soothe public outrage in Turkey amid a surge in deadly violence against children. Turkey
Netanyahu tries again to derail Rivlin presidency bid Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rushed into battle against presidential hopeful and Knesset member Reuven Rivlin, all the while offending other potential presidential hopefuls. Israel
The decline of humanities in Israel The faculties of humanities in Israel have failed to adapt to the new digital era, and convince the students why humanities are still relevant in a profit-oriented society. Israel
Egypt softens stance on Ethiopian dam Egypt has toned down its rhetoric on Ethiopia’s controversial Renaissance Dam, adopting instead a conciliatory approach with Addis Ababa to resolve the dispute. Egypt
New unity government to review Hamas laws in Gaza After the formation of the Palestinian unity government, all legislation issued after Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip will be reconsidered, as Fatah officials consider them illegal. Palestine
Iraqi higher education continues decline Although Iraq has seen a sharp rise in the number of higher education institutions in recent years, the quality remains poor. Iraq
Gezi anniversary reminder of Erdogan's nine lives The one-year anniversary of the Gezi Park protests is another reminder of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's durability despite a series of crises. Turkey
