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
Syrians express 'deep anger' at Turkey for war Al-Monitor reports from Damascus and Aleppo, where Russian Chechen troops stand guard; Iraqi prime minister seeks improved ties with neighbors. Saudi Arabia
Is Turkish military’s role in politics over? The failed July 15 coup could be a fatal blow to the Turkish military’s political role. Turkey
Turkish grannies to get state salaries for grandchildren’s care The Turkish government has drawn up a program of financial support for women who assume the home care of their grandchildren in the age group of 0-3, but not everyone is happy with the program. Turkey
What will be the cost of Aleppo victory for Damascus? Larger-than-life posters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad adorn the few walls still standing in the Old City of Aleppo, alongside Syrian flags that have reappeared. What will be the political invoice for the destruction? Syria
Long road ahead for renewed Cyprus reunification talks Cypriots watched the negotiations in Geneva with skepticism. While their leaders did not agree, they did focus on the hardest nut to crack, security, and they agreed to work further on it. Turkey
For Israel, more unknowns than knowns with Trump The Israeli right and defense establishment have found it hard to determine with any certainty what direction US President-elect Donald Trump will take on policy. Palestine
Why Israeli ultra-Orthodox secretly visit West Bank tomb More ultra-Orthodox Israelis are refusing to coordinate their visits to the Tomb of Joshua, in the West Bank Palestinian village of Kifl Hares, in what the Israel Defense Forces considers an onerous security risk. Palestine
What prompted Russia’s shift in stance on Syria opposition? Given Russia's policy on Syria in 2016 and its willingness to negotiate with Syrian opposition groups, it seems that Russian President Vladimir Putin favors a mediating role in the conflict. Syria
How Erdogan is redefining who is a Turk The Justice and Development Party is introducing drastic changes to Turkish citizenship law, uniting Kurds, Alevis and ultranationalist Turks in opposition. Turkey
Will new law attract more foreign investment to Egypt? Experts say drafting a new investment law is not enough to lure foreign investors back to Egypt — the entire business climate will need to change. Egypt
Is Rafsanjani’s death nail in coffin of Saudi-Iran dialogue? Will the death of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a man who repeatedly and personally helped bridge the divide over the Persian Gulf, make an Iranian-Saudi rapprochement unlikely anytime soon? Saudi Arabia
Is 'grand political bargain' in store for Libya? No matter which party is victorious in southwest Libya, if Misratan forces and Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter begin a full-scale battle for control, there is little doubt that the whole southern region will be destabilized as Russia’s increasing public support for Hifter and his anti-Islamist "strongman" credentials fuel the fire. Libya
