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
How Iran’s startup sector can realize its potential Iran’s startup scene is rapidly growing and holds great potential, but shortcomings remain and a failure to address them will undermine the sector. Iran
G-20 summit could be last exit before all-out US-Turkey crisis Turkey doesn’t know “how to reply” to US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan’s letter, a senior security source tells Al-Monitor. Turkey
Iranians expect little from Japan’s mediation efforts Japan's prime minister is in Tehran for what is widely seen as an attempt to calm escalating US-Iran tensions, but few people there expect miracles. Iran
Greek Cyprus calls for arrest of Turkish drilling crew Ankara has vowed to continue gas exploration activities in disputed waters near Cyprus after Greek Cypriot authorities issued arrest warrants for workers on Turkey's gas-exploration ship. Turkey
Liberman to wage fiercely secular campaign despite deep ultra-Orthodox ties Despite rebranding himself as a champion against religious coercion in Israel, Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman has a history of cooperation with the ultra-Orthodox. Israel
The Syrian funeral that divided Turkey A funeral ceremony for a controversial Syrian militant, known as “the singer of the revolution,” has sparked indignation in Turkey. Syria
Cigarette surfboard shames Lebanese smokers Environmental activists have built a stand-up-paddle board from used cigarette butts to show the cost of trash to Lebanon’s coast and culture. Lebanon
Five years later, calls for accountability over fall of Mosul continue On the fifth anniversary of the fall of Mosul, people decry that no one has been held accountable for the tragedy. Iraq
Palestine, Morocco forging first bilateral economic pact For the first time independently of the Arab League, Palestine and Morocco have agreed to develop their trade exchange, which currently favors Morocco heavily. Palestine
Central Bank offers mortgages to help Egypt's middle class The Central Bank of Egypt has an ambitious plan to provide Egypt's middle class with funding to buy properties. Egypt
Trump offers another gift to Netanyahu The latest statement by Ambassador David Friedman on the possibility of annexing parts of the West Bank indicates that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump are tightly coordinated. Palestine
Growing esports market has huge potential in Mideast The video gaming industry is gaining ground in the Middle East, as its popularity and prize money continue to grow. Regional
