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
Concerns rise in Lebanon as another soldier defects A handful of soldiers have defected from the Lebanese army to join Jabhat al-Nusra, which has caused concern among the Lebanese that it might become a trend. Lebanon
Turkish government ramps up privatization A Turkish plan to privatize major public properties has come under fire from the opposition and sparked layoff worries among workers. Turkey
Religious reforms imposed in Iraqi schools, universities Protests erupted in Iraq following a decision to impose gender segregation in schools and universities. Iraq
Iranian-Turkish relations strained over Syrian agendas Turkey's desired outcome in Syria would result in massively scaling back Iran's influence in the region, with Tehran losing its ally in Damascus, Hezbollah confined to Lebanon and Iraq threatened. Iraq
Gaza relief efforts overrun by corruption, inefficiency Although the Gaza Strip has received millions from the Palestinian government and international donors, many of those in need have not received any aid while others are cashing in more than they should. Palestine
Bibi's Iran nuclear talks blunder Israel's failure to influence the emerging agreement between the world powers and Iran should be cast on Prime Minister Netanyahu, who failed to adapt to the evolving reality of a new Iranian regime, in which the West sees a potential partner. Palestine
Turkish navy sails through rough seas Turkey is using its navy to display its global prowess, after the Sledgehammer trials saw many naval officers detained and forcibly retired. Turkey
Iran, Saudi Arabia jockey for power in Yemen Yemen has become a stage for the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia on religious, economic, political and military levels. Saudi Arabia
The Islamic State's media warfare The Islamic State’s strategy of warfare in Syria and Iraq seems to be based on ways to disseminate their ideas, mainly through online media. Iraq
US-Russia cooperation needed in IS fight The United States should reconsider its harsh rhetoric toward Russia, as the two countries could constructively cooperate in the fight against the Islamic State. Syria
Khamenei preaches Shiite-Sunni unity against Islamic State, US Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Eid al-Ghadeer speech revealed his concern that the coalition against the Islamic State might give Sunnis and the United States the upper hand in the region. Legacy: Gulf
Kahlon's new party will challenge Likud, Shas Former Likud Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon is capable of changing the political game and tipping the scales — provided he manages to undermine the power base of the Likud and Shas parties. Israel
