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
'Rebel' Egyptian Movement Defies Morsi Through Petitions The increasingly popular 'Rebel' (Tamarod) Movement is collecting signatures to force early elections in Egypt. Egypt
Armed Militias in Libya Push for Political Control Libya’s armed militias are consolidating their authority in key parts of the country and pushing to entrench their power politically. Originals
Israel’s Mistake in Attacking Syria Israel’s air strikes on Syria have set back its interests in the region. Israel
US Should Heed Russia, Include Iran in Syria Talks Russia is asking the US to include Iran in the upcoming "Geneva II" conference on Syria, a move that could also benefit the stalemated nuclear talks. Syria
Secular, Religious Israeli Activists Flock to Lod Tensions are rising in the ethnically mixed Israeli city of Lod between progressive and religiously motivated Israeli activists over the city's demographic future. Israel
Israeli Outposts Remain Illegal Under International Law Despite Israel's attempts to "legalize" four outposts in the West Bank within its own judicial system, the legal maneuvering will not change international law. Palestine
Netanyahus Take Flack For Royal Lifestyle The Netanyahus continue enjoying an extravagant lifestyle despite criticism from the public, which faces a new austerity plan. Israel
Spillover Effects of Syria’s Sectarian Conflict on Turkey The Reyhanli attack not only weakens Prime Minister Erdogan's hand in his meeting with President Obama, but also has ramifications for Turkey's stability. Syria
Controversy Erupts Over Settlement On Eve of Kerry Visit to Israel A report from the settlement of Beit El, north of Ramallah. Palestine
PKK Members Withdraw To Iraqi Kurdistan Following a call by PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan from prison on Imrali island, members of the party have begun to move from Turkey into the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Iraq
Basra Becomes Battleground For Iraqi Politics Basra has become Iraq’s latest political battleground as the country’s prominent Shiite factions seek to win over the local population of the majority-Shiite city in southern Iraq. Iraq
Syrian Oil Becomes Fault Line In War With Syria's oil reserves divided between Kurdish and opposition forces, some fear a clash over the country's energy resources. Syria
