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
Why Irish sanctions on settlement products don't scare Israel An Irish parliament decision to advance sanctions legislation against imported settlement products has minimal economic consequences, but one would not know that based on the response of the Israeli government. Palestine
Iraq struggles to provide war orphans with identities The living victims of the war in Iraq against the Islamic State include children whose parents were killed or can't be identified. Iraq
Play challenges deadly Egyptian wedding night tradition A daring new play called "Wedding Night" casts a critical eye on Egypt's archaic traditions that make some young couples' wedding nights a nightmare. Egypt
Trade unions unify in Syria's rebel-held north A group of opposition-affiliated trade unions in Aleppo’s countryside announce the formation of the Federation of Free Syndicates to enhance the role of syndicates in supporting local councils. Syria
What’s next for Syria after Helsinki summit? The meeting between the Russian and US presidents did as little for the Middle East as it possibly could, though the two leaders seemed to identify Syria as a good place to rebuild US-Russian cooperation. Israel
Iraqi protests escalate with no new government in sight Cities throughout southern Iraq are witnessing violent demonstrations, and the government has failed thus far to address citizens' demands and stop the protests. Iraq
Israel frees Turkish woman accused of terror-related smuggling The release of a Turkish woman charged with smuggling in Israel marks an upturn in Turkey’s volatile relations with Israel, but analysts warn that the two countries' motivations for friendship — cynical business interests — can only do so much to keep the tension at bay. Israel
Turkmens see chance to expand influence in Kirkuk With Kurdish peshmerga gone, and Kirkuk back under Baghdad's authority, Turkmens in the province feel their time might have arrived. Turkey
Child tragedies reignite death penalty calls in Turkey A string of cases in which missing children were found dead has reignited calls to reinstate the death penalty in Turkey, but some see political motives behind the outcry. Turkey
Khamenei: Iran must expand ties with East as well as West In a meeting with members of the Cabinet, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized the need for Iran to expand ties with both Eastern and Western nations. United States
Netanyahu feeling the heat from Gaza Israelis on the right are fed up with incendiary balloons and kites launched from Gaza, forcing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hand to unleash the IDF against Gaza for fear of paying an electoral price. Palestine
Museum honors goats' central role in Ankara history An exhibit in an Ankara museum explores Turkey's legendary mohair and the declining number of Angora goats that produce it. Turkey
