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
Russia finds neutral zones in Syria essential but tricky Moscow hopes to focus soon on rebuilding Syria's shattered infrastructure, but first must help restore stability, which could prove much more difficult. Syria
Turkey's 'war machine' goes global The ambitious Turkish gendarmerie command is seeking to form a cooperative agency with countries in and around Central Asia as part of its increased involvement in Turkey's foreign policy. Turkey
US, Israel isolated as UN votes in defiance of Trump on Jerusalem The overwhelming vote at the UN General Assembly meeting against the US move on Jerusalem will not bring peace any closer, but it does restore a sense of integrity to the world body. Palestine
Kurdistan protests more unrest than uprising Parts of Iraqi Kurdistan are witnessing turmoil as people living primarily around Sulaimaniyah are demonstrating against the Kurdistan Regional Government, but what's behind the turbulence? Iraqi-Kurdistan
Why Hamas is offering Abbas Gaza on a silver platter Hamas' leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, admits that the movement has failed at managing the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Ready or not, Libya to hold elections in spring Libya is set to hold elections in the spring of 2018, although political and security instability bode ill for the process. Libya
Jordan-Israel ties languish in wake of Trump’s Jerusalem move US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move the US Embassy there has added a new twist to the already strained relations between Israel and Jordan. Palestine
Rival governments in northern Syria are at it again Two rival local governments affiliated with the opposition in Idlib province are vying for influence and power, which could further escalate tensions between them. Syria
Turkey-UAE rift may have unintended spillover The conflict between Ankara and Abu Dhabi may spill over into Turkey's ties with Saudi Arabia and the United States. Legacy: Gulf
'Don't send us to our death' Saudi sisters beg Turkey Two sisters from Saudi Arabia are fighting deportation from Turkey, where they fled violence back home, but the court order still stands. Saudi Arabia
Rouhani: No one above the law, not even Prophet Muhammad Iranian President Hassan Rouhani calls for more transparency in government-funded institutions, saying laws must be applied impartially. Iran
Iran willing to normalize ties with KRG, but not without change Having helped bring the Iraqi Kurdish leadership to its knees, Tehran has increased its sway over the future of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq
