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
Turkish military sends anti-referendum message with exercises across border Ankara is trying to tell its neighbors something with its massive military exercise across the border from Iraqi Kurdistan as the Kurdish Regional Government's independence referendum nears. Iraq
Kurdistan referendum leaves Iraq's Turkmens in quandary Faced with the prospect of Kurdish independence, Iraq’s Turkmens are divided on what is best for their future. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Turkey-PKK 'drone wars' escalate The armed conflict between Turkey and the PKK has been rapidly becoming drone-centric, with this dynamic radically altering the basic characteristics of this conflict while amassing legal and moral issues. Syria
Iran faces challenges realizing natural gas potential Until last year, Iran's natural gas production was almost entirely consumed domestically. Now it is set to exponentially increase natural gas exports in coming years, but not without challenges. Iran
Khamenei says Iran will respond to nuclear deal violations Iran’s supreme leader warned of a response if the United States walks away from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. United States
Dahlan's influence key to Fatah-Hamas reconciliation Though he has no official standing, former Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan's fundraising activities and influence guarantee a central role for him in any reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. Palestine
Turkish FM says KRG referendum 'big mistake' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks about the upcoming independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkish-EU relations and expanding cooperation with Russia. Iraq
How Lebanese are countering racist attacks The Anti-Racism Movement is standing up for victims of racism in Lebanon by providing assistance and support and exposing racist behavior in the country. Lebanon
Russia takes renewed interest in Palestine Russia seems to be increasing its cooperation with the Palestinians recently in several areas, including the economy, politics and tourism. Palestine
Bahrain goes public with shifting stance on Israel The statement by Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa condemning the Arab boycott on Israel publicly exposes the state’s change of attitude toward Israel and the ongoing contact between the two countries. Saudi Arabia
Police show Gaza women how to stay safe online In cooperation with a cultural association, Gaza's female police unit is running a campaign to educate Palestinians about the dangers of online exploitation. Palestine
These three leaders are reshaping Israel's political scene Three Israeli politicians shaped the Jewish year 5777 and are likely to play an even bigger part in the coming year too: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, new Labor Party Chairman Avi Gabbay and Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked. Israel
