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
Iraqi militias, US make nice following elections Some factions of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units and their political wings among the Fatah Alliance are showing possible interest in rapprochement with the United States. Iraq
Israel's Labor party in search of a savior Israeli Labor is holding its breath as former IDF chief Benny Gantz decides whether to join and save the sinking party or leave it to its fate. Israel
Italy may impede Turkish-Azeri efforts for EU gas corridor Turkey and Azerbaijan realize EU's gas corridor dream, but serious questions remain unanswered. Turkey
Turkey takes on Kurds in evolving Qandil operation Although Ankara seems determined to reach the PKK stronghold of Qandil in Iraq, it faces many obstacles to sustaining such an operation against Kurdish militants in the punishing mountain region. Iraq
Police not apologizing over death of Israeli Bedouin New reports indicate that a police doctor failed to treat an Israeli Bedouin wounded during an evacuation of his village last year, yet no one has approached his widow to apologize. Israel
How changing West Bank name could advance peace The struggle between the Greeks and the Macedonians of the former Yugoslavia over what the latter should call their state can serve to remind Israelis and Palestinians that nomenclature — i.e., the West Bank versus Judea and Samaria — does not determine borders or stop historical necessity. Palestine
Lebanon’s Hariri talks soccer, Syria in Moscow Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri took advantage of the World Cup to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss bilateral cooperation and the situation in Syria. Lebanon
Will Iraq's Qandil become Erdogan’s quagmire? Although Turkey's military excursion into northern Iraq could be an electoral stunt by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an expanded operation into Qandil Mountains could become a quagmire for Erdogan and pose great risks for regional stability. Iraq
How rial's devaluation may boost Iranian economy Excess liquidity in search of higher returns may be causing turmoil in Iran’s foreign exchange, property and gold coin markets, but the money is primed to positively impact capital markets. Iran
Assad says he's open to establishing Iranian bases in Syria In a wide-ranging interview with Iranian Al-Alam TV, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed Iran's presence in Syria. Israel
Polls show Erdogan ahead, but should Turks trust them? Researchers have been publishing a slew of polls showing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leading in his re-election bid, but a lack of transparency in methodology and funding mean the results are far from reliable. Turkey
Why do Iranian conservatives hate this top-rated TV series? “Don’t Leave Me,” a family saga, got top ratings in Iran’s Ramadan TV. But its rape scene and secular tone raised the ire of conservatives. Iran
