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
Palestinian women protest to end political Hamas-Fatah split A group of women conduct sit-ins each week in Gaza's Park of the Unknown Soldier, calling for an end to the Palestinian division between Fatah and Hamas. Palestine
Palestinian press freedom under threat The recent arrest and physical abuse of Palestinian journalists by Palestinian police has raised fears of a crackdown on freedom of press. Palestine
Tribal mediations undermine Yemen state institutions Given the tribal nature of Yemeni society, disputes are often resolved via state-sponsored “mediation committees,” which undermine the state and rule of law. Yemen
World Bank vice president surveys regional economies An exclusive interview with Inger Andersen, vice president of the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank. Egypt
Turkey close to deal with China for anti-missile system Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries says they are 90% done on the agreement purchasing an anti-missile system from China, but notes that there still could be a political decision to abort the agreement. Turkey
The Muslim Brotherhood's bankrupt 'strategic vision' The Muslim Brotherhood's latest statement, and offer of dialogue, is rife with dull redundancy. Egypt
Mistrust Clouds Israeli-Palestinian talks According to a Palestinian source, no understanding has been reached so far by the negotiating parties. Palestine
Egypt’s old and new battle over revolutionary discourse The Mohamed Mahmoud Street protests mark the first attempt by nonpartisan revolutionaries to reclaim the narrative that has been hijacked by the military and the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt
Where is 'Democracy Brigade' to fight sectarian terrorists? The proliferation of sectarian violence overwhelms the region, which needs a democratic backlash. Saudi Arabia
Turkey may investigate military’s burning of Kurdish villages The Turkish government may launch an investigation into the destruction of Kurdish villages by state military forces in southeastern Turkey in the 1990s. Turkey
Drug addiction takes toll in Iran Iran has more than 1.3 million registered drug addicts, costing the Iranian economy an estimated $10 billion. Iran
The Syrian shadow on Lebanon-Saudi ties Lebanese President Michel Suleiman reviews Lebanon-Saudi ties in an official visit to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
