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
Is this the end of the liberal Likud? The punishment of Benny Begin for voting against the settlement Regularization bill shows how extremist the Likud Party has become. Palestine
Why OPEC deal is double-edged sword for Iran While the OPEC deal to cut oil production will have tangible positive effects for Iran, it’s far from likely that the accord will fundamentally transform global energy dynamics. Saudi Arabia
Is Egypt considering military intervention in Syria? Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has announced his support for the Syrian army, while the media have reported that Egypt has elite forces on Syrian soil. Egypt
Can Kerry convince Obama on final MidEast move? US Secretary of State John Kerry, who labored relentlessly to promote the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, wants President Barack Obama to support a UN resolution against the settlements before leaving office. Palestine
Who is responsible for destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage? Iraqi leaders have not only failed to protect the nation's cultural heritage, but have also contributed to its destruction by demolishing historic homes and landmarks. Near East
Egyptians hope international recognition will stick for ancient martial art Players of tahtib, an ancient Egyptian stick fighting martial art, are on a mission to revive the early art form now as an internationally recognized sport. Egypt
Rouhani: Do you think we’ll let Trump rip up nuclear deal? Iranian politicians used the occasion of Student Day to slam US President-elect Donald Trump and to vow to uproot corruption at home. Iran
WikiLeaks dump casts rare light on Erdogan inner circle WikiLeaks' dump of emails has put Energy Minister Berat Albayrak's dealings back in the news. Iraq
Turkey’s emergency rule hits thousands of destitute Kurds Like dozens of Kurdish media outlets, local administrations and civic groups, a charity helping some of Turkey’s poorest Kurds has fallen victim to Ankara’s post-coup crackdown. Turkey
Turkey mobilizes against 'economic coup' For President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the steep decline of Turkey’s national currency is an “economic sabotage” by the nefarious powers that were also behind the coup attempt of July 15. Turkey
Are Erdogan’s outbursts undermining Turkey’s interests? Impulsive statements made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leave Ankara without a coherent and consistent foreign policy. Turkey
What were Abbas’ priorities at the Fatah congress? The importance that Abbas gave to national issues reflects the priorities that the seventh Fatah congress will give in Palestinian affairs for years to come. Palestine
