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
Are Iran, Saudi Arabia about to reconcile? News has surfaced of Saudi King Salman having sent condolences after the death of former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, as Kuwait’s foreign minister visits Tehran to reportedly deliver a message from the Gulf Cooperation Council. Saudi Arabia
Lawyers struggle to pursue legal action over trash burning in Lebanon Even though trash burning is illegal in Lebanon, judges have failed to hold municipal heads accountable for allowing the burning of waste. Lebanon
How these artists are working to fight extremism in the Mideast A group of artists came together at the International Artists Gathering in Fez, Morocco, to generate strategies for a counterattack that points creativity to a social purpose and fights fire with artistic expression. Morocco
Israel’s Gaza war and ‘post-truth’ politics On the eve of the release of the report on the failures of the political leadership during Operation Protective Edge, the country’s leaders have launched a war of versions in order to derive political benefit. Palestine
Will Tunisia restore diplomatic ties with Syria? The resumption of diplomatic relations with Syria has become an urgent matter for the Tunisian government, given the large number of Tunisian fighters involved in the Syrian war. Syria
Gaza reels as power crisis continues to leave its population in darkness The power crisis and its roots in the Gaza Strip have stirred a heated debate involving mutual accusations between the PA and Hamas, while Palestinians take to the streets to protest the growing problem. Palestine
Will Iraq succeed in bringing Iran, Saudi Arabia closer? Iraq has been stepping up its mediation efforts to achieve a Saudi-Iranian reconciliation amid a conducive political and economic environment. Legacy: Gulf
Netanyahu’s coalition rivals prepare for battle Political figures on the right are jockeying for position to lead Israel's right wing in anticipation of a police investigation and other issues forcing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down. Israel
Iranians believe Trump will violate nuclear deal A new poll shows Iranian dissatisfaction with economic gains since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action went into effect and apprehension about the policies of the new Trump administration. United States
Trump follows predecessors in slowing Israel embassy move Overshadowed by his unorthodox campaign promises, new US President Donald Trump, in his first days in office, has followed convention elsewhere in slowing down his pledge to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Israel
Syrian Kurds rebuilding Kobani from rubble The Kurds have high expectations for Rojava despite challenges. Syria
Who will replace Rafsanjani as chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council? The question of who will replace Rafsanjani as the chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council is being discussed in the Iranian media following the ayatollah's Jan. 8 death. Iran
