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
Abbas kicks off reconciliation talks by cutting Gaza salaries Ten years after the Palestinian Authority was overthrown in Gaza, President Mahmoud Abbas has made it clear that he is tired of using PA money to keep Hamas afloat. Palestine
Have Egypt’s Salafists had a change of heart on female leaders? The controversy over the appointment of Nadia Abdou as Egypt's first female governor continues within the Salafi Call and may lead to internal divisions in the movement. Egypt
Ankara not backing down from Iraq intervention A week after announcing an end to operations in Syria, Turkey announced that it plans to launch a military operation in Iraq against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Sinjar, a move guaranteed to outrage the Baghdad government. Near East
Abbas ready for visit to Washington While there has not been a firm date set for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Trump's White House, Palestinian officials are busy preparing for an opportunity to restart the peace process. Palestine
Erdogan's referendum win no clean sweep Turkey’s historic referendum has passed, yet the "yes" camp’s slim margin of victory and the opposition’s accusations of foul play mean Turkish politics will remain volatile. Turkey
Turkey’s security sector becomes latest arena of Islamism debate Increasingly divisive Islamic and ultra-nationalist arguments in Turkey have started to plague the country's security sector following last summer's coup attempt. Turkey
How Iran's military strategy against IS may backfire While Iran’s security services have managed to thwart Islamic State attacks on the domestic front, Salafi jihadi ideology appears to be spreading in the country’s Sunni regions. Iraq
Where does Erdogan's referendum win leave Turkey? The result of Turkey's referendum was far from the mandate the country's president was seeking and leaves much of the population — and outside world — questioning the legitimacy of the process. Turkey
Egypt's haute couture looks for foothold in international market The fashion industry in Egypt is getting a boost from local designers who aim to reflect Egyptian culture in their products. Egypt
Will outstanding legal case prevent Ahmadinejad’s third term? While Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s registration for the Iranian presidential election surprised many, an open legal case concerning him may prevent his running for a third term. Iran
Is calm transition possible after Turkey's referendum? With a thin win in major cities and allegations of voter fraud and illegal maneuvering, how long can Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stifle a budding movement resisting the referendum outcome? Turkey
Assad’s departure still non-starter for Putin US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comment on "orderly" transition could offer a face-saving spark for Syria political talks; Hezbollah’s No. 2 disavows "ambitions" in Syria; did Iran benefit from US missile strike? Sistani seeks restraints on Iraqi armed groups looking to fight in Syria. Iraq
