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
Will the Democratic Republic of Congo be Egypt's newest ally in dam disputes? Cairo says it will help the Democratic Republic of Congo out with its Inga Dam hydroelectric project on the Congo River, while the Nile upstream country indicates that it supports Egypt in its dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam. Egypt
Why did Riyadh cancel $4 billion in aid to Lebanon? Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah provide different reasons for the cancellation of billions of dollars in aid that the Gulf state had pledged to Lebanon, until it decided otherwise on Feb. 19. Legacy: Gulf
After Syria intervention flop, what’s next for Erdogan? Ankara’s latest statements show it has dropped the idea of sending regular troops to Syria, yet it is poised for new ventures to avoid a total exclusion from the Syrian equation. Syria
Aleppo residents displaced in their own country The regime forces’ offensives and Russian airstrikes forced 200,000 to flee the northern Aleppo countryside, while civil society organizations seem unable to meet their needs. Syria
Russia keeps Turkish trucks parked Russia by not renewing the Road Transport Accord that expired Feb. 1 delivered a significant blow to Turkish exports. Legacy: Gulf
Turks kick around Erdogan conspiracy When the pro-government media discovers a political conspiracy in a soccer game, it is not time to be amused, but to be worried. Turkey
What's next for Hamas? After the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan formally dissociated itself from the mother organization in Egypt, eyes are turning to Hamas for its reaction. Palestine
New plans underway to relaunch talks on two-state solution The Unites States, United Nations, European Union and Russia plan to develop a mechanism that will bypass the UN Security Council and initiatives of individual countries such as the United States and France. Palestine
Were Iraqis really better off under Saddam? Iraq's current security chaos appears to be inspiring a bit of nostalgia for Saddam Hussein’s days, though it is unclear who, exactly, is reminiscing. Iraq
How to become a politician in Gaza Politicians in Gaza often rush to come up with initiatives they claim will solve the many social, economic and political problems in the Gaza Strip, but these often remain ink on paper. Palestine
Why some Israeli high schools stopped trips to Poland Some of Israel's high schools have decided to end student trips to the concentration camps in Poland, preferring other educational frameworks to deal with the issue of the Holocaust. Israel
Why Egypt's doctors are losing their patience An incident of police brutality against Egyptian doctors last month sparked furious reactions, leading the Egyptian Medical Syndicate to take unprecedented measures aimed at protecting doctors against these recurring cases. Egypt
