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
Turkey pays homage to 'ceramicist for the people' The "Fureya Koral Retrospective" in Istanbul shows how a pioneering artist reinterpreted ceramics, a traditional Turkish craft, to create murals in the new republic. Turkey
Russia investigation casts shadow over Kushner's Mideast peace push In a rare public appearance, the president's senior adviser Jared Kushner discussed the Trump administration's "ultimate deal" for Palestinian and Israeli peace. Saudi Arabia
US weapons pour into Lebanon amid turmoil The Pentagon is sending armed helicopters to help Lebanon fend off terrorists despite budgetary and political uncertainty. Lebanon
Saleh killed in Yemen following peace overture; UAE denies Houthi missile claim Iranian media report, but the UAE denies, that the Houthis fired a missile toward Abu Dhabi over the weekend in response to a Saudi-brokered deal to return former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to power; Saleh was killed Dec. 4. Yemen
The real reason Iranian media is fixated on Zarrab case Reza Zarrab’s testimony in a US court is attracting the attention of Iranian media because he has been linked to an Iranian billionaire who siphoned off Iranian oil money in Iran's sanctions evasion scheme. Turkey
SDF commander's claims of Turkish allegiance raise eyebrows Talal Silo, the former spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces, claims to have defected to Turkey and continues to offer contradictory accusations that the US-backed group was established as a cover for US support for Kurdish terror groups. Syria
Will Trump recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital? The Palestinians rushed to send Intelligence Chief Majid Faraj to Washington for fear that President Trump would declare Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital city. Palestine
Nightclubs, cafes still risky business for Iraqi women Young women working in Iraq's nightclubs, casinos and even cafes often find themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous business owners and even mafiosos, in addition to suffering from public condemnation and little government protection. Iraq
Israel, Iran duel on Syrian soil The growing presence of Iran in Syria, combined with attacks against a missile plant and a base for Iranian forces, indicate that Israel and Iran are practically already at war. Israel
Ankara pressed to explain $30 billion refugee bill Turkey’s opposition is piling up pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government to provide a transparent account of the $30 billion that Ankara says it has been spent on Syrian refugees. Syria
Jordan-Israel spat threatens strategic water project The ongoing diplomatic crisis between Israel and Jordan after an Israeli Embassy guard in Amman shot dead two Jordanians threatens a strategic water project for the region. Israel
Will Erdogan address Greece's military upgrades during visit? A US sale of F-16 fighter upgrade kits to Greece's outdated fleet could increase tensions with Turkey, or it could be offset by the Turkish president's historic visit to Athens this week. Turkey
