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
Iranian MPs move to impeach three of Rouhani’s ministers Iranian members of parliament move to impeach three ministers in President Hassan Rouhani's government. Iran
Erdogan lashes out at US over support for Syrian Kurdish fighters The president renewed his criticism of Turkey’s NATO partner after a US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia said it would deploy troops to Afrin province to battle the Turkish army. Syria
Hamas entangled in regional polarization While Hamas welcomed the recent statements made by Qatari Ambassador Mohammed al-Emadi regarding support for the Gaza Strip, it denounced Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir’s accusation that Hamas is an extremist movement, which shows a new alignment in the region. Saudi Arabia
Death sentences cool warming Iraq-Turkey ties Death sentences imposed by an Iraqi court on Turkish women affiliated with the Islamic State has put Turkey in a difficult spot with its stance on terrorism and puts a brake on what appeared to be improving relations with Baghdad. Iraq
Iraq’s legendary copper markets fade away Iraqi's legendary copper markets, once centers of commerce and socialization, are now fading away, from Baghdad to Najaf. Iraq
Israel's Labor Party quietly hemorrhages support Despite the legal scandals facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Labor Party has taken a nosedive in the polls as possible early elections loom. Israel
Palestinians change tack on Trump Palestinian leaders appear to have made a deliberate decision not to respond to every pro-Israel statement out of the White House. Palestine
Netanyahu's freedom now on the line Now that Nir Hefetz, the former adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has turned state's witness against his former boss, it appears to increase the likelihood the Netanyahu era is coming to an end. Israel
Stakes rise as battle over Abbas’ successor heats up Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to promote Mahmoud al-Aloul as his deputy is perhaps the surest sign yet that the end of the Abbas era is imminent. Palestine
'The Journey': An Iraqi film in Iraqi cinema after 27 years Iraqi cinemas are making a comeback to display Iraqi films commercially, starting with director Mohammed al-Daradji's psychological thriller "The Journey." Iraq
No light at end of tunnel for Yemen’s economy The Yemeni government and central bank are unable to solve the unpaid salaries crisis of government employees amid an economic crisis that has left devastating humanitarian conditions in the war-torn country. Yemen
Israel anti-boycott bill inches closer to passing Senate after revisions A revised anti-boycott bill is gaining traction in the Senate as pro-Israel advocates lobby lawmakers to pass the legislation. Israel
