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
Infighting hurts Israel's center-left bloc Infighting between Yesh Atid Party Chairman Yair Lapid and Labor Party Chairman Isaac Herzog divide the center-left bloc instead of moving it toward new electorates, strengthening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Former Congressman optimistic about nuclear deal after rare trip to Iran Former U.S. Congressman Jim Slattery tells Al-Monitor he is optimistic about a nuclear deal after making a rare visit to Iran. Originals
Is the Saudi succession near? With an ailing king, Saudi Arabia's royal succession comes into focus, as well as the kingdom's forthcoming challenges. Saudi Arabia
Will oil price drop weaken Qaboos? It will be a challenge for the government to keep its commitments to Omanis while sliding oil prices hinder its ability to increase government services in times of unrest, a crucial lifeline for the monarchy since the Arab Spring. Oman
Turkish, Greek warplanes tangle in mock dogfights over Aegean The Aegean Sea overheated in 2014 because of frequent mock dogfights between Greek and Turkish warplanes, which require serious diplomacy and confidence-building measures to calm down. Turkey
Iraqi town celebrates victory over Islamic State The Iraqi army, with the help of local tribes and the pro-Iran Badr Brigades, drove out the Islamic State from Dhuluiya, a town north of Baghdad. Iraq
In war against atheism, Egypt targets cafes Egyptian authorities have reportedly shut down a Cairo cafe that was popular among atheists, though some activists say that the officials' display of force is little more than a media show. Egypt
Iraqi Cabinet approves budget reforms After failing to agree on a federal budget for 2014, Iraq’s Cabinet has finally approved and submitted its 2015 budget to parliament with an announcement to enact austerity plans. Iraq
Turkey's new legal definitions lead to increase in arrests A new legal provision to facilitate police action against government opponents in Turkey has victimized scores of people in a short period of time. Turkey
After UN failure, Palestinians reach out to ICC Israel estimates that the failure of the Palestinians to secure a majority at the UN Security Council stems from a series of tactical mistakes, reflecting the enormous internal pressure to which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is subjected. Palestine
Hamas divided over rapprochement with Dahlan As Hamas studies its limited options to overcome the crisis in Gaza, some senior officials are advocating a detente with Mohammed Dahlan to weaken President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestine
Fatah official: Israel settlement policy 'ultimate test' for peace A senior Palestinian source emphasizes that the settlement policy will be the ultimate test of Israeli peace policies. Palestine
