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
Brotherhood detainees feel their leaders abandoned them A group of Muslim Brotherhood detainees have signed a letter from inside prison, asking the authorities to pardon them as they are ready to quit political work after feeling abandoned by the group’s leadership. Egypt
West Bank village courts tourists with eggplant, stone terraces A festival in the West Bank village of Battir celebrates the locally grown eggplant of the village known for its terraced cultivation of vines and olives. Palestine
Houthis tout missiles that down advanced US drones Yemen’s Houthi rebels recently downed a US drone and promised to do the same to any others that leave al-Qaeda areas. Yemen
How Jordan handled fuming crisis over cigarettes Residents of the border city of Ramtha in the north of Jordan have protested recently against new government measures to curb smuggling, which would further add to their economic burdens. Jordan
Can this documentary bring Iran its third Oscar? The documentary "Finding Farideh" has been chosen as Iran's submission in the international feature film category to the Academy Awards, but some argue that the movie does not fit the criteria. Iran
What really matters to Israeli Arab voters The problem that most concerns Israel's Palestinian citizens is personal safety, an issue on which the Blue and White could make significant positive contributions and in doing so attract Arab voters, potentially breaking the prevailing electoral deadlock with the right. Israel
Israel, Egypt, Hamas against global jihad Egypt considers Hamas to be a vital and integral partner in the war that it is waging with Israel against the international jihadist movement, its branches in the Sinai Peninsula and the Salafist cells that started flourishing in the Gaza Strip recently. Palestine
Pentagon may consider Turkey rejoining F-35 if it ditches Russian missile system Defense Secretary Mark Esper said today that the United States would “consider” letting Turkey back into the F-35 program if it got rid of the Russian S-400 system. Turkey
Despite heightened regional tensions, UAE seeks de-escalation with Iran The UAE government has been taking steps toward easing tensions with Iran as a safety precaution in the event of a major military conflict between Tehran and Washington. United Arab Emirates
How cultural war made Ankara an architectural battleground Ankara’s austere and minimalist flavor is a shock to many who are more accustomed to architecture around the Bosphorus, but for local residents, the city's gray buildings are icons from a cherished era. Turkey
Israeli strikes raise questions about US presence in Iraq A suspected Israeli strike against an Iran-backed convoy in Iraq has raised political doubts about the long-term American troop presence there. Iraq
Tehran says fresh nuclear deal breaches ahead if talks fail Iran says it will firmly adhere to its plan to further reduce compliance to the nuclear deal unless there is a breakthrough in talks with European signatories by Sept. 6. Originals
