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
Tehran’s smog problem unlikely to clear up anytime soon Both as public servants, a father and daughter have sought to address Tehran's air pollution for decades, but Iran's highly politicized environmental crisis is a tangled issue. Iran
First the Middle East, now Central Asia slipping away from Turkey Having lost influence in the Middle East, Turkey finds itself increasingly isolated from Central Asia and the Caucasus after its dust-up with Russia in Syria. Turkey
What happened to the mighty Shin Bet? Neshat Melhem, who carried out a terror attack on Jan. 1 in Tel Aviv, has managed so far to fool the Israeli security apparatus and escape the scene. Israel
After liberation from IS, Iraqi cities await reconstruction After the Islamic State was defeated in several areas in Iraq, it seems the reconstruction promises have yet to be fulfilled in the absence of funds. Iraq
'Normal' life under fire in Tel Aviv Despite its security bluster, the Israeli leadership is increasingly leaving it to Israelis to defend themselves as the wave of violence penetrates the Tel Aviv "bubble." Israel
Congress seeks to punish countries that fail to hinder foreign fighters The House Foreign Affairs panel will vote this week on a plan to combat international travel by terrorists. Jordan
Will Saudi agricultural investments in Sudan leave Egypt high and dry? Experts say Egypt can’t afford to remain stoic about Sudan’s ever-rising water needs. Saudi Arabia
The Palestinian Authority's plan to dismantle itself The Palestinian leadership has a tentative strategy in place for the dismantlement of the Palestinian Authority and the establishment of a state under Israeli occupation. Palestine
Will Yemen’s journalists fare better in 2016? In 2015, some journalists in Yemen suffered so much harassment and abuse that they quit their jobs and fled the country. Saudi Arabia
Head of Egypt's Wafd Party denounces electoral bribery Wafd Party leader Sayyid al-Badawi maintains that bribery and fraud in the recent elections are viable threats that strike at the very heart of Egypt's unstable political life. Egypt
Will Iran suspend hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia? After Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran and suspended direct flights between the two countries, some are wondering if Iranian pilgrims will be banned. Saudi Arabia
Saudi-Iranian crisis complicates Ankara’s regional plans Islamists and secularists alike want Turkey to stay out of the Iranian-Saudi conflict. Saudi Arabia
