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
How a landfill poses danger to Beirut flights Although the Costa Brava landfill, which is in close proximity to Lebanon’s only airport in Beirut, was closed, seagulls attracted to the waste pose a major threat to planes, while the government has yet to find a final solution to the two-year trash crisis. Lebanon
New Lebanese president makes Gulf priority With a visit to Saudi Arabia on Jan. 10, new Lebanese President Michel Aoun has signaled that warmer relations with the Gulf is at the top of his priority list. Legacy: Gulf
Iraq seeks to combine Sunni, Shiite troops As part of the national reconciliation, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered that the Sunni Ninevah Guard be included in the Popular Mobilization Units. Iraq
How will Tunisia deal with thousands of returning jihadis? Tunisian officials are caught between their international obligation to process and prosecute returning militants and the public's desire to see them banished. Tunisia
Word of Qatar's new office in Gaza rattles Palestine Palestinians were shaken up by the quickly retracted news that Qatar was to open an embassy in Gaza, a move that would greatly complicate the political division between Hamas and Fatah. Qatar
Does Abbas really want to hold local council elections? The Palestinian government approved a decree law to establish courts to examine local council elections to overcome the controversy that caused the postponement of local elections in October 2016, but Hamas has voiced its objection to the move. Palestine
Iran: No more political talks with US on nuclear issue In a press conference on the anniversary of the implementation of the nuclear deal, Iran’s deputy foreign minister announced that Tehran will not enter political negotiations on the deal with the Trump administration. Iran
Will Rafsanjani’s death bring about change in Iran’s regional policy? Former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani once played a great role in improving Saudi-Iranian relations. But given the broader changes in Iran’s foreign policy approach, his death is unlikely to significantly impact the tense Tehran-Riyadh relationship. Legacy: Gulf
Iraqi Christians eager to rebuild their lives post-IS Christian families are preparing to return to their homeland in the liberated areas of Iraq, despite a lack of adequate support from the government and security forces. Iraq
Egypt set to invest in crocodile industry As the crocodile population has increased in Lake Nasser, despite lifting the ban on crocodile hunting, the Egyptian government announced a project to invest in the animal and encourage exports. Egypt
Lebanon's new women's affairs minister fails to charm Lebanese women's rights organizations are unimpressed with the creation of the new Ministry of Women’s Affairs, saying women need more representation across the board, not the attention of a single body, particularly one run by a male appointee. Lebanon
Civil society bears the burden of fighting sexual harassment in Egypt Civil organizations are encouraging Egyptian women — and men — to speak out against sexual harassment, and want the nation to start enforcing its laws against the crime. Egypt
