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
Netanyahu’s Israel is state in crisis If there is any substance to the Israeli police's recommendations to indict Prime Minister Netanyahu for bribery, the State of Israel is more a model of government corruption than a "light unto nations." Israel
Will Egyptian move to curb imports stoke inflation? Egyptian authorities floated the customs foreign exchange rate for non-basic commodities in a move aimed at curbing imports and demand for the US dollar while hopefully boosting local production of substitutes. Egypt
More military expulsions appear imminent in Turkey The Turkish government is investigating some 15,000 more military members suspected of being connected with the Gulenist movement, and 4,000 may be ousted soon. Turkey
Israel boycott movement takes on US law enforcement Several US police departments are ending training in Israel amid pressure from pro-Palestinian activists as pro-Israel groups explore legal countermeasures. Palestine
Turkey issues arrest warrants for MBS associates Turkey sends a message to Saudi Arabia and the world about the Khashoggi murder. Saudi Arabia
Turkey’s complex balancing act between Russia and Ukraine President Erdogan’s desire to mediate between Moscow and Kiev is confounded by Turkish policies in Crimea and Russian separatism in eastern Ukraine. Turkey
Khamenei orders controversial retirement law amended Iran's supreme leader has called on the country's lawmakers to amend a recent retirement law meant to create opportunities for new young workers in the public sector. Iran
Iran’s Reformists under pressure to clean house amid criticism of leadership Harsh criticism of the Reformist camp has led to soul-searching among its members, with institutional reform on the horizon. Iran
Sotheby’s auctions off ancient Egyptian artifacts The ethics of private collections and ancient works of art sold at auction has long been a source of controversy, and Sotheby’s latest offerings in London are no different. Egypt
Black Sea simmers as world awaits Kerch Strait fallout The Russia-Ukraine crisis could expand to affect many countries, and Turkey's position is potentially crucial. Turkey
Ankara's efforts to help banks could backfire The Turkish government's moves to shield public banks against economic woes could discredit its monetary policy and further scare off foreign investors. Turkey
Why has illiteracy rate gone up in Iraq? As the Iraqi government has failed to improve the education sector, the illiteracy rate has increased significantly in different parts of the country. Iraq
