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
US Withholds Evidence for Iran Cyberattacks Computer experts say they believe Iran is responsible for a barrage of attacks on the websites of US banks but that the Obama administration should reveal how it knows this and acknowledge responsibility for its own cyberattacks on Iran. Iran
Palestinian Refugees From Syria Seek Refuge in Gaza Some Palestinian refugees from Syria have endured hardships and sought refuge in Gaza, reports Mohammed Suliman. Palestine
Iraqis Divided Over Iranian Car Ban The recent ban on Iranian car imports is expected to increase the price of automobiles in Iraq, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Questions About Practices Of Private Iraqi Banks Iraq's private banks rarely engage in traditional banking activities such as offering loans and credit and have lost the trust of the Iraqi people, writes Omar Al-Shaher. Iraq
Iraqi Divorce Rates, Social Problems On Rise Divorce rates have risen sharply in Iraq amid fears of violence and abuse against women, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Where Are Iran’s Reformists? Sune Engel Rasmussen reports from Tehran that the reformists and green movement have been reduced to “near invisibility” in the run-up to the presidential elections scheduled for June. Iran
Embarrassment at Israeli President Shimon Peres' house Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream, explains to interviewer Shlomi Eldar why he challenged the rules of official protocol at the president's house, and protested on behalf of his Palestinian employees who were searched like criminal suspects before meeting the president. Palestine
Who Threatens Turkey's Christians? Mustafa Akyol writes that the "Islamic-oriented" AKP government has been friendlier to Turkey's Christian communities that its secular and more nationalistic predecessors. Turkey
EU Trade Sustains Israeli Settlements in West Bank Despite the EU's outspoken criticism of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, imports from settlements are actually entrenching their existence, Dalia Hatuqa reports from the West Bank. Palestine
Can Ocalan Rein In the PKK? Any agreement between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan on the Kurdish issues will be complicated by Turkey’s policies toward Syria and Iraq, writes Denise Natali. Turkey
Iraqi Parliament Struggles to Ratify Budget Amid Political Crisis As political and sectarian crises escalate in Iraq, the country’s parliament is struggling to reach an agreement over this year’s budget, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Proposed Sudan Media Law Targets Press Freedom A newly proposed media law is a setback for press freedom in Sudan, Reem Abbas reports from Khartoum. Sudan
