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
Ineptitude meets low altitude at Arab League summit Few major breakthroughs were reached at this year's Arab League Summit held in Jordan. Saudi Arabia
Despite nuclear deal, EU firms still cautious on Iran Despite the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, European firms remain cautious about seriously re-entering the Iranian market during the current wait-and-see period. Iran
While thousands flee west Mosul, some Iraqi families vow to hang on Despite the dangerous situation in Mosul, many residents are choosing to stay in their homes as the fighting to retake the rest of the city continues. Iraq
The story behind Brotherhood’s low-key lobbying before Sisi state visit As Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrives in Washington to meet US President Donald Trump, a previously unpublished document reveals the behind-the-scenes efforts made by the Muslim Brotherhood to keep from being labeled a terrorist group in the United States. Egypt
The human cost of the siege of Sanaa Although the Houthis are currently economically besieged, it is clear that human costs of draining sources of income of the rebel group is higher than what most Yemenis can handle. Yemen
How these Syrians went from opposition fighters to pro-regime militiamen Some former members of the Free Syrian Army in southern Syria formed their own group that fights alongside the Syrian regime. Israel
Can Netanyahu outmaneuver Trump? The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit settlement construction is an attempt to make President Donald Trump think that any failure to reach a peace deal is the Palestinians' fault. Palestine
Did the US, Turkey reach understanding on Assad? Turkey declares an end to Syrian military intervention; alarm over possible US military support to Gulf coalition in Yemen war. Legacy: Gulf
Did Tillerson's visit to Turkey relieve tensions? It is still unclear whether US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s highly anticipated visit to Ankara had a positive impact on Turkey-US relations. Turkey
Kurdish flag fans controversy in Iraq's Kirkuk Raising the Kurdistan flag atop the governmental buildings in Kirkuk sparked tension in the province and in Baghdad. Iraq
Netanyahu gains victory in battle over public broadcasting Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon found himself isolated this week when he misjudged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's control over his coalition in the fight over launching Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation. Israel
How will Abadi handle Iraq’s Shiite militias? Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi faces a great challenge in dealing with the predominately Shiite Popular Mobilization Units fighting in Iraq, as some of its factions are refusing to be integrated into the army and other security forces. Iraq
