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
Egypt Breaks Faith On Religious Freedom The government of President Mohammed Morsi needs to do more to protect religious freedom in Egypt. Egypt
Iraqi Kurdish Parties Agree On Controversial Information Law After three years of discussion, the various blocs in the Kurdistan Regional Government have reached a consensus on military, security, political and personal exceptions to the law protecting free access to information. Iraq
Iran’s Next President and The Third Nuclear Strategy US President Barack Obama and Iran’s next president should expand the nuclear talks to include regional security matters, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Iran
Sports an Issue in Iran's Elections Iran's sports clubs have become politicized in recent years and are an issue in the presidential contest. Iran
Abdullah Gul Steps Up During Turkish Crisis Turkey’s president may emerge as the new face of the ruling AKP. Turkey
Gaza Crime, Murder Rate on Rise Poor living conditions, high unemployment and Israel's siege are contributing to a rising crime rate in Gaza. Palestine
Expectations Are High For Maliki-Barzani Summit in Erbil Sunday's planned meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani seems to show the two governments' conflict is quieting down. Iraq
Erdogan Returns to Crowds, Crisis in Turkey Istanbul is on the threshold of a dangerous confrontation. Turkey
Kuwaiti Parliament is Failing Women Citizens A new proposal to increase unemployment payments to jobless Kuwaiti women will ensure more women stay at home and out of the workforce. Legacy: Gulf
West Bank Palestinians Indifferent To New Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah's appointment as new prime minister has failed to move the mostly apathetic Palestinian street in the West Bank. Palestine
Palestinian Cultural Scene Thrives Amid Hardships The number of theaters in the West Bank has doubled in the past decade as the cultural scene booms under occupation. Palestine
