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
Five reasons Brotherhood will continue to lose in Egypt The Muslim Brotherhood’s recent history of miscalculation has cost the Egyptian revolution and limited the Brothers’ future options. Egypt
In Turkey, from headscarf to 'immorality' ban The headscarf, once a symbol of Turkey's struggle for freedom, is now normalized, but other symbols appear in its stead. Turkey
Iraqi Kurdistan more vulnerable to Al-Qaeda attacks The war in Syria, including the spread of radical Islamist terrorists, is spilling over into the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Iraq
P5+1 looking for 'quick results' in talks with Iran A top Western diplomat says that if agreement is reached on the end game, initial confidence-building steps would be reversible on both sides. Iran
Erdogan's 'morality police' assume duty After the Turkish prime minister expressed his support for gender-segregated living on college campuses, concerns about domestic privacy were mounting. Turkey
Erdogan stirs controversy on women in university housing Erdogan risks losing loyal supporters with another divisive debate about the role of the state in people’s lives. Turkey
Turkey’s wall of shame The mayor of Nusaybin, Ayse Gokkan, is a woman on hunger strike against a wall, and the government that interferes with everything doesn’t utter a word. Syria
Turkey’s English proficiency improving Turkey ranks No. 41 at this year’s English Proficiency Index, but it tops the list of countries that are trending up – which is a fair reflection of its economic achievement. Saudi Arabia
Liberman’s acquittal shakes Israeli politics Having been acquitted, Foreign Minister-to-be Avigdor Liberman can go to work without a legal cloud over his head, turning him into the key player in Netanyahu's coalition. Israel
Liberman: Israel's 'bad cop' returns The return of Avigdor Liberman as foreign minister spells trouble for the peace talks. Israel
Bethlehem at the heart of Palestinian affairs A flurry of diplomatic activity in Bethlehem has returned the holy city to political significance in Palestinian affairs. Originals
