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
Is Greece Turkey’s new site of confrontation with the West? Turkey may escalate the tension with its NATO neighbor in a move to display its displeasure over NATO's — namely Washington's — stance on Syrian Kurdish groups. Turkey
US risks irrelevance in Syria with reconstruction taboos The West’s warranted aversion to helping the Assad regime carries risks for the entire region. Syria
Gaza bypasses Rafah crossing to import goods Food and basic goods have reportedly been brought into Gaza via an unofficial crossing as the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave worsens. Palestine
Some 40 million Turks ruled by appointed, not elected, mayors Institutions, including private ones, whose officials were once elected are being taken over by government-appointed trustees in the president's ever-expanding arena of influence. Turkey
Egypt seeks scientific innovation by lowering research costs Egypt's parliament is pushing through a law to exempt higher education and scientific research bodies from taxes and customs fees in a bid to incentivize research and promote innovation. Egypt
Culture Alert: March salutes women of all nationalities and sizes Many cultural activities in March focus on women, as artists and muses, in addition to the search for identity. Also of note is the first cooperation between the Louvre and the National Museum of Iran. Palestine
Netanyahu may be facing his last stand The fate of the Israeli coalition depends to a large extent on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman. Israel
Turkey poised to open a military front in Iraq Improved relations between Iraq and Turkey have raised the possibility of a joint offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. Iraq
Kurds ask higher authority to end crisis with Baghdad Kurds are now seeking to pressure the Iraqi central government from the top of the Shiite religious pyramid, asking Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to help solve the crisis between Baghdad and Erbil. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan’s not so friendly skies opening again soon Baghdad to formally take charge of Kurdistan Region airports and borders; shift in Syria strategy by Moscow may follow Russian presidential election; Jordan’s king and Turkish president find common ground. Iraq
Saudi crown prince comes to Washington Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is coming to Washington to shore up support at a time when the situation at home and in the United States is more complicated than ever. Saudi Arabia
Fermented drink warms chilly Istanbul streets Boza, a drink of fermented grains, has long thawed Turkish hands and hearts on cold winter nights. Turkey
