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
School finally back in session for Iraqi Dom village After its school was destroyed more than 13 years ago, education is returning to a small Dom village in southern Iraq. Iraq
Egypt eyes extensive role in Syria reconstruction efforts Egyptian companies are seeking to participate in the reconstruction of Syria and communicating with the concerned Syrian parties to discuss their involvement. Egypt
Will Fatah launch 'intifada of independence'? Palestinians warn that absent a diplomatic route toward Palestinian statehood, Fatah might launch in 2018 an intifada of independence. Palestine
How Ahed Tamimi became an icon to Palestinians With her indictment in Israeli court last month, 16-year-old Palestinian Ahed Tamimi has reached hero status among Palestinians for her confrontations with Israeli soldiers. Palestine
Has Israel’s defense minister changed approach on Hamas? Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman estimates that provoking Hamas and generating a military confrontation with the group does not serve Israel’s security interest. Palestine
Iran protests reveal Republican fracture over nuclear deal Iran hawks are pushing the Trump administration to terminate the agreement, but Republican leaders worry US pressure could backfire. Congress
Culture Alert: Art mingles with diplomacy, feminism and sport The Middle East's cultural scene at the start of 2018 is almost as lively as its political landscape, as art flirts with feminism, diplomacy and sport. Egypt
Iran boosts restrictions on internet amid protests Despite its importance to the economy, Telegram is blocked in Iran and will open once the company removes content that authorities say advocates violence. Iran
Demirtas steps down as Turkey's Kurds ponder new strategy Selahattin Demirtas plans to relinquish his post as co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party, as Ankara continues to repress political opposition. Syria
Iranian Kurds hesitant about joining protests While some major urban centers in western Iran have been engulfed in the recent wave of protests, most small Kurdish towns and cities have remained quiet. Iran
Is ice finally thawing between EU, Turkey? Ending 2017 on a comparatively higher note, recent conversations and visits between officials from European countries and Turkey could help nudge both sides to better relations in 2018. Turkey
Is Islamic State back in Kirkuk? Using reactivated sleeper cells and new tactics in Kirkuk, the Islamic State shows it's back in action even as it is about to lose all its territory in Iraq and Syria. Iraq
