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
Iran rejects European warning on nuclear deal breaches Iran appears to be disregarding warnings from Europe against further reductions in its nuclear commitments. Iran
Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala spends 700th day behind bars The prominent civil society figure marks 700 days in prison this week during his trial for allegedly plotting against the government, a charge worth life without possibility of parole. Turkey
Turkey’s wealth fund borrows to rescue companies Having borrowed 1 billion euros from foreign lenders, Turkey’s controversial sovereign wealth fund has turned to rescuing troubled construction companies. Turkey
Hamas takes rare action in alleged nepotism case following public pressure After an outcry from the Palestinian public, Hamas fined the son of one of its leaders in a case of corruption within its own ranks. Palestine
Will Thomas Cook's collapse have long-term impact on Egypt's tourism sector? Egypt's tourist industry was just getting back on its feet when Thomas Cook collapsed, producing more uncertainty in the sector. Egypt
Why do some Iraqi MPs refuse to be sworn in? More than a year from the formation of the Iraqi parliament, some members of the parliament refuse to be sworn in, hoping to gain executive posts. Iraq
Syrian reconstruction expo draws Russian businesses Russian companies continue to explore investments in Syria's reconstruction, which could be a boon to them given the Western sanctions against Russia. Syria
Island sheikh talks sovereignty in Yemen's war The chief sheikh of the Yemeni island of Socotra spoke to Al-Monitor about growing foreign interference on the island, which has been so far spared from the fallout of the Yemeni war. Saudi Arabia
Children in Daraa suffer in overcrowded classes When the opposition controlled Daraa in southern Syria, several organizations found innovative ways to continue teaching children, but after the regime took control, all these projects were suspended and children are forced to attend dilapidated and overcrowded schools. Syria
Is new revolution in the making in Egypt? Egyptians protested for the second week in a row against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and government corruption, as authorities widened their crackdown. Egypt
It's off to the races in Lebanon, in drag The popularity of 'RuPaul’s Drag Race' has injected new life into Lebanon’s drag scene, whose performers bring unique cultural elements to the drag tradition. Lebanon
US pushes Iraq to integrate Iran-backed PMU militias after strikes The Donald Trump administration is calling on Iraq to demobilize Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units after renewed rocket strikes hit near the US Embassy in Baghdad. Saudi Arabia
