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
Could this Palestinian businessman take center stage in politics? It seems the Palestinian arena is divided over businessman Adnan Mjalli potentially replacing President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestine
Turks enter uncharted waters as Erdogan forges ahead with new powers Armed with sweeping powers under Turkey’s new governance system, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has quickly issued a slew of decrees that bring almost all state institutions under his control. Turkey
Price tag for Trump’s $250,000 Jerusalem embassy is in – at $21.5 million Federal documents reviewed by Al-Monitor show upgrades to the temporary facility in Arnona will cost far more than the president said. Israel
Netanyahu, Putin talk Iran before Helsinki summit In his last meeting with Putin before the Helsinki summit with Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to enlist Russia's support for Israel's Syria proposal for the United States. Israel
Trump-Putin meeting in Helsinki might solve Syrian crisis Russia and the United States have very different approaches and goals in the Middle East, but they could lead to a solution in Syria. Syria
Khamenei adviser says Russia to replace Western investors As Western firms begin to exit Iran, one of Iran’s top officials travels to Russia. Iran
Turkey’s battered lira takes another hit Turkey's currency has sunk to a record low after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expects interest rates to fall despite warnings a crisis looms as the country struggles under its burden of debt. Turkey
Soldiers’ funerals become bone of contention between AKP, opposition Turkey's interior minister claims the main opposition party supports terrorism and bans its officials from the funerals of service members. Turkey
How Israel and Egypt are coordinating on Gaza By threatening to close the Gaza Rafah crossing point, Egypt signals to Hamas that it must reconcile with Fatah. Qatar
Turkey and Israel spar over Jerusalem Turkey's increased support and involvement in Jerusalem to support Palestinians have created a backlash in Israeli media. Palestine
'Snake man of Baghdad' spreads love for wild animals Wildlife lover and environmental activist Mahdi Laith says his mission in life is to change Iraqi attitudes toward the country's many exotic species. Iraq
Netanyahu uses 'divide and conquer' strategy to preserve his rule Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closeness with foreign far-right leaders who undervalue democracy and human compassion falls right in line with his decision to promote the contentious nationality bill. Israel
