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
Pentagon holds out hope of salvaging military sales to Turkey Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said today that he expects the Pentagon to deliver the Patriot air defense system to Turkey even as Ankara eyes a fall installation date for the Russian S-400. Turkey
Iraqi Kurdish fighters dealt setback in Pentagon budget The Pentagon is set to slash salaries for the Iraqi peshmerga in its new budget. Iraq
Will local election defeat force Erdogan to improve ties with West? Turkey needs better ties with the United States and Europe to heal the ailing Turkish economy, but experts are not optimistic that Erdogan will do this. Turkey
Uighur debate shows shifting influence in Turkish policies Differences of opinion within the Turkish security bureaucracy on how to react to China’s treatment of Uighur Turks reveal competing camps. Turkey
Controversial Iranian rapper reignites clash between Reformists, hard-liners An Iranian rapper's weed-smoking at a concert in Georgia has given Reformists another chance to attack rival conservatives, who once idolized the controversial singer. Iran
As AKP loses big cities, has Erdogan overplayed his hand? In an interview with Al-Monitor, American social anthropologist Jenny White describes the challenges that lie ahead for the abashed ruling party and the triumphant opposition after Turkey's electoral upset. Turkey
Turkey’s milestone elections shatter Erdogan’s air of invincibility Turkey's local elections on March 31 broke the glass ceiling for the Turkish opposition, ending the perception that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is invincible. Turkey
Massive march in Gaza calmer than expected despite 4 deaths The recently held "million-man return march" was relatively calm in Gaza after Egyptian peace negotiators called on Palestinian factions to maintain calm, as Israel pledged in exchange not to shoot at demonstrators. Palestine
Women lead the way in Sinai hike A new hiking initiative in Egypt's Sinai governorate, where hikes are led by local Bedouin women, creates new opportunities and showcases compelling narratives. Egypt
Separate and parallel: Why are Iranian conservatives creating ‘safe havens’? The Iranian state appears to be increasingly funneling its resources into preserving and satisfying its loyal base rather than toward all-out efforts to win the hearts and minds of the broader public and enforce ultraconservative practices. Iran
Egypt takes another whack at fuel subsidies Egypt's draft budget for fiscal year 2019/20 includes a 42% cut in fuel subsidies, raising concerns among drivers across the country. Egypt
Palestinian Authority blames Hamas for lack of progress The Palestinian Authority accuses Hamas of impeding the PA's diplomatic efforts in international forums by launching rockets into Israel. Meanwhile, Hamas and Israel have a tentative truce. Palestine
