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
Israelis quick to forgive Netanyahu for latest security debacle While most Israelis are unhappy with the way that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handled the Temple Mount crisis, they also believe that he was right to install the metal detectors there. Israel
Militants stifle civil society in Syria's Idlib Civil society groups in Syria’s Idlib are doing what they can to provide aid to about 1 million citizens, despite pressure by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qaeda-linked group that is trying to impose its own presence in the province. Syria
Amid Qatar crisis, Hamas lays groundwork for official presence in Algeria Hamas and Algeria are in talks about accommodating Hamas leaders as well as opening a new office in the sympathetic North African country. Palestine
Congress closes in on first new Iran sanctions since nuclear deal Tehran has vowed to retaliate if a US bill imposing additional sanctions on Iran becomes law. United States
Turkey needs new Syria plan as CIA ends rebel support The US decision to pull the plug from the CIA’s training and equipment program for the Syrian opposition will affect Turkey’s plans for Idlib in northern Syria. Syria
What a drag: Egypt’s smokers feel burn of price hikes Cigarettes are getting more expensive in Egypt thanks to rising production costs spurred by the government’s economic reforms. Egypt
Erdogan touts missile deal as Ankara, Moscow exchange favors Turkey’s president has claimed an agreement with Russia to buy a missile defense battery system is going forward despite objections from its NATO partners and the likely difficulties of satisfying Moscow after the deal. Syria
Kuwait-Iran diplomatic row could have wide-ranging impact Kuwait's expulsion of Iranian diplomats over the Abdali terror cell case may affect domestic politics, business deals and Iranian relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council. Legacy: Gulf
Erdogan hopes to woo Saudi Arabia with Gulf damage-control tour Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his visit to the Gulf was mainly about the GCC-Qatar crisis, but analysts indicate Ankara is also trying to curry favor with Saudi Arabia. Legacy: Gulf
Surprise meeting sparks talk of Rouhani-IRGC conciliation Commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps met with President Hassan Rouhani, giving rise to speculation that the two sides are ready to bury the hatchet after a period of public feuding. Iran
Inflation likely to rise in Rouhani’s second term Despite its drastic cut in inflation to single digits for the first time in years, reports predict that Iran will see a return to its usual high inflation rates. Iran
Egypt's traditional recipes get a makeover Ambitious restaurant owners give traditional dishes a makeover and often give them English names, while traditionalists simmer in anger over the degeneration of gastronomic heritage of Egypt's traditional dishes. Egypt
