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
Faction of Turkey's CHP urges 'extraordinary opposition' to stop Erdogan A group within Turkey’s main opposition party has launched a movement to better challenge the Justice and Development Party ahead of crucial elections in 2019. Turkey
Tempers flare over gas exploration in Mediterranean A power struggle over hydrocarbon reserves in the eastern Mediterranean Sea is becoming increasingly militarized, signaling the potential for a major crisis. Turkey
Anger, despair reach new heights in West Bank The mob attack in the West Bank town of Jenin on two Israel Defense Forces soldiers should be considered as a warning sign for the possible outbreak of a new intifada. Palestine
Trump opposes Netanyahu on annexation plans The White House accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of lying, after he declared during a closed party meeting that he was discussing annexation plans with the American administration. Israel
Bibi's fight has just begun Even after being recommended for indictment in two affairs, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is far from abandoning the battle. Israel
Emerging Egyptian artist gives Orientalism new look Up-and-coming Egyptian artist Hossam Dirar has used old Orientalist paintings for his works in a new exhibition in Cairo. Egypt
US expected to name former Cheney aide as Syria envoy The Trump administration is expected to name John Hannah the next US Syria envoy. Syria
KRG delegation arrives in Afrin as Turkey offensive softens Kurdish split A delegation of Iraqi Kurds from rival political parties arrived in the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin in a show of Kurdish solidarity. Iraq
Pentagon seeks to soothe Turkish fears over Syria border security request The Defense Department insists that its $300 million request to train and equip Syrian forces won’t be used to create a Kurdish-dominated “border guard” on Turkey’s doorstep. Syria
Controversy in Iran over Rouhani’s call for referendum Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's call to hold a popular referendum on disputed issues to break the political deadlock in the country has angered conservatives. Iran
How do Iran’s 'corrupt networks' operate? The fight against corruption in Iran will remain a key challenge until new ways are devised to address this challenge. Iran
The Turkish media’s Afrin test In Turkey’s Afrin operation, a glaring gap has emerged between the coverage of pro-government media and that of oppositional and foreign media. Syria
