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
Erdogan charts victory lap in Washington Even as controversy rages in Turkey, newly empowered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to already be gaining international legitimacy and is making plans to visit Washington for formal talks. Syria
What’s next for Turkey’s economy under 'new system'? Turkey’s new governance model, narrowly approved by a disputed referendum, adds more uncertainty to the country’s continued economic downturn. Turkey
Why Israel’s finance minister went behind Netanyahu's back Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon published his family subsidies package without first informing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Are secularists, Islamists headed for confrontation in Iraq? Following an attack against the Communist Party in southern Iraq, tensions escalated between Islamist forces and civil and secular parties. Iraq
Why Israel will warmly welcome Mattis Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Secretary of Defense James Mattis are expected to discuss the threat of Iran's presence in Syria at a time when Israel is pleased with the United States' involvement in the region. Israel
3 reasons why partitioning Libya is a bad idea While the Trump administration so far has failed to present a well-defined policy on Libya, the administration seems to be sending mixed signals. Libya
Yemen’s cultural capital Taiz torn by conflict The city of Taiz, Yemen’s third largest, is living under tragedy as a result of the two-year war. Legacy: Gulf
Under Turkey's watch, al-Bab tries to rebuild The Turkish government is working on rehabilitating the Syrian city of al-Bab after the Islamic State’s withdrawal, considering it an arrangement that benefits both sides. Syria
Egypt contemplates doing away with printed textbooks A proposal to end the production of free textbooks and make better versions available in an electronic format poses a threat to the state-owned publishing houses that rely on this work. Egypt
Why Palestinian hunger strike may be destined to fail Many Palestinian prisoners in Israel have hesitated to join the hunger strike championed by Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti because they doubt Barghouti is motivated by concern for their welfare. Palestine
Calls for referendum annulment rise in Turkey Turkey's electoral board is being inundated with annulment petitions from political opposition and citizens alike as allegations of cheating and intimidation continue in the aftermath of the country's vote to grant its president sweeping new powers. Turkey
Where does referendum leave Turkey's ties with West? Experts expect more trouble between Turkey and the United States and Europe in the coming period, but will it lead to a complete breakdown in ties? Turkey
