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
Hakim launches 'Citizen Coalition' in Iraqi elections In the lead-up to the April 30 Iraqi elections, Ammar al-Hakim’s Citizen Coalition has sought to ensure comprehensive reform and released a serious and thorough electoral program. Iraq
Gulf states should form regional bloc with Iran Arab Gulf states can no longer ignore Iran’s vital role in bringing stability to the Gulf region, and should work on establishing a security and economic arrangement with Tehran. Legacy: Gulf
European jihadists form ISIS brigades in Syria Enough European jihadists are fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) that the radical group has created French- and German-speaking brigades. Syria
Najaf's Shiite seminaries enter 21st century Throughout its history, the Shiite seminaries in Najaf, Iraq, have witnessed massive changes in curricula, with an expansion in the number and scope of subjects offered. Iraq
Divisive sectarian rhetoric dominates lead-up to Iraq vote As elections approach in Iraq, sectarian rhetoric has distracted voters from more serious issues. Iraq
Liberman keeps eye on bid for Israeli premiership By torpedoing negotiations on one hand, while setting conditions for their resumption on the other, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman's tactics enable him to gain points with the left and the right of the political spectrum, pursuing his route toward the premier's seat. Palestine
Will UK list Muslim Brotherhood as terror group? Britain’s announced inquiry into the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities might be an attempt to appease its Gulf allies without offering any tangible changes. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan presidency no foregone conclusion Turkish President Abdullah Gul still holds the key to how Turkey will be governed, even if Recep Tayyip Erdogan runs and wins, which may not be a foregone conclusion. Turkey
More Israelis living in poverty on eve of Passover A special report by the state comptroller published the week before Passover reveals growing poverty, attributed to the new government’s public welfare cutbacks. Israel
Sisi’s candidacy appears to ease Egypt-Hamas tensions Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s candidacy in Egypt’s upcoming presidential elections has eased tensions between Cairo and Hamas, but this might be a tactical move by Sisi. Palestine
Israel-Russia ties strong despite Ukraine Both Israel and Russia value their growing strategic relationship. Israel
Livni manages political fallout of failed peace talks After another apparent failure in negotiations, Israeli chief negotiator Tzipi Livni wriggles out of giving real explanations for the fact that she continues to remain in the right-wing government, thus betraying her center-left constituents. Palestine
