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
Turkey also a loser in Crimea No matter how hard Turkey tries to be the guardian of Crimean Tatars, there isn’t much it can do after the Crimean vote to join Russia. Turkey
What does the fall of Yabrud mean for Lebanon? After the Syrian regime regained control of the rebel-held town of Yabrud this past weekend, some in Lebanon fear that the influx of extremist militants means more terrorist attacks inside the country. Lebanon
Reading 'Frankenstein in Baghdad' While many Iraqis have grown accustomed to daily violence and attacks, some writers are trying to tackle these topics in literary works. Iraq
Women’s movement in Iraq faces setbacks Although Iraq was once a pioneer in women’s rights in the region, Iraqi women have suffered a number of setbacks in recent years. Iraq
AKP-Gulen strife worsens ahead of March 30 elections While the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) may fear losing votes in upcoming local elections, the government can retaliate with its own legal campaign against the Gulen movement. Turkey
Al-Monitor launches Gulf Pulse With the launch of its Gulf Pulse, Al-Monitor is expanding its coverage of the region. Saudi Arabia
Israel's opportunity in Syria Israel has an opportunity to pursue both humanitarian and strategic objectives in Syria, and to support the Arab Peace Initiative. Palestine
Minister's Temple Mount visits provoke Palestinians The provocations of Housing Minister Uri Ariel force his party chairman Naftali Bennett and other members of the coalition to veer to the right, dragging Prime Minister Netanyahu with them. Palestine
Jordanians fear 'Jordan option' for Palestine A recent Jordanian delegation to Beirut raised concerns about the erosion of Jordanian identity. Palestine
Hamas budget shows another tough year ahead for Gaza The Hamas government budget for 2014 is full of ambitious targets that most likely will not be met because of the current crisis and blockade. Palestine
Anti-Israel anger rising in Jordan after judge's killing Protests in Jordan against Israel’s killing of a Palestinian-Jordanian judge have reached unprecedented levels, giving Amman the chance to readdress discrepancies in its treaty with Israel. Palestine
Iraqi Kurds fear fallout from Erdogan-Gulen conflict Some Iraqi Kurds are worried that the potential fall of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan might result in a reversal of good relations between Erbil and Ankara. Iraq
