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
Will Iranian Kurds be on front lines of US conflict with Iran? The US administration appears to increasingly be looking at armed Iranian Kurdish opposition groups as part of its campaign to economically and militarily pressure Iran. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Can the private sector salvage Egypt’s dilapidated railway system? While a train accident in Egypt’s Giza governorate has placed the railway system's efficiency in the spotlight, experts remain optimistic about the government’s modernization plan. Egypt
Israel helps White Helmets, but rejects Syrian refugees The evacuation of White Helmets members and their families from Syria was an admirable gesture by Israel, but hardly enough to compensate for the expulsion of Syrians from the Golan Heights after the 1967 war. Israel
Russia zeroes in on returning Christians to Syrian homes Moscow is playing up the plight of displaced Christians to encourage Western states to contribute to Syria's reconstruction. Syria
Tunisian economy continues to struggle The Tunisian government just received another part of its loan from the International Monetary Fund and assures citizens it is taking appropriate measures to solve the country's economic crisis. Tunisia
Egyptians brace for disappointment as Cairo makes play for 2030 World Cup Cairo hopes that more professional lobbying and a possible joint bid with Morocco and Tunisia could make Egypt a host of the 2030 World Cup, but many citizens are wary of public embarrassment. Egypt
Turkish woman jailed for insulting Ataturk Conservative supporters of Turkey's authoritarian president have been uncharacteristically quiet on the arrest of a young woman for insulting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, whose legacy the ruling party has lately been trying to appropriate. Turkey
More fire and fury: Trump, Pompeo offer mixed messages on Iran Iranian Americans are unsure whether the Donald Trump administration intends to press for regime change in Iran or pursue eventual diplomatic outreach. United States
Rouhani, Trump in a war of words A war of words erupted between the Iranian and American presidents, signaling an increase in tensions and unleashing recriminations. United States
Turkey poised to replace emergency law with doppelganger Call it what you will, Turkey's restrictive new "anti-terror package" looks suspiciously like the state of emergency the president imposed for the past two years. Turkey
How Syrian war settlement could impact US decision on Golan Heights Will the United States recognize Israeli sovereignty in the Golan after the war in Syria? Israel
Israel, Hamas trapped over prisoner exchange Israel won't compromise on the return of the bodies of IDF soldiers, and Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar won’t compromise on a large-scale prisoner-exchange deal. Palestine
