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's elections likely to increase political turmoil Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to keep the heat on his political opponents heading into the March 30 local elections. Turkey
Is Muqtada al-Sadr retiring or repositioning? After Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr declared his intention to withdraw from politics, signs suggest that it may have been a move aimed at political repositioning before the upcoming elections. Iraq
German rapper, now jihadist still alive in Syria Deso Dogg, aka Abu Talha al-Almani, was thought to have been killed in an airstrike, but recent videos reveal that he is alive and active among jihadists in Syria. Syria
Palestinian teen dies in exorcism A teenage Palestinian girl has died while undergoing an exorcism, a widespread practice in Gaza's environment of poor government control and health education. Palestine
Military escalation will add to Syrian catastrophe The remilitarization of the Syrian conflict as sophisticated weapons are sent to opposition forces means more violence, including the return of fighting to areas that have achieved cease-fires. Syria
Al-Qaeda-linked group exploits ISIS decline in Aleppo A recent field study in Aleppo finds Jabhat Al-Nusra and other "Islamic brigades" have benefited from the brutal tactics and unpopularity of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Syria
Lebanon experiences three diverse events The announcement of a new government in Lebanon was not the only news from the country this week. Lebanon
Hamas sinks in polls after cutting salaries to public servants Hamas' popularity has fallen behind Fatah in the Gaza Strip, according to recent polls, as frustration mounts over its handling of the territory's economic crisis. Palestine
Knesset bill threatens Israeli-Arab representation In an interview with Al-Monitor, right-wing Knesset member David Rotem defended the governability bill designed to strengthen the government and its prime minister, even if it put him on a collision course with the Arab Knesset members fearing the rise of an electoral threshold. Palestine
The paradox of higher education in Iran The increase in the number of private universities in Iran has not increased the level and quality of scholarly work in Iran. Iran
Bombings renew fears in Beirut’s southern suburbs Although the Lebanese in general, and the residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs in particular, felt relieved after security breakthroughs and arrests, their fears have been renewed since the Feb. 19 twin attacks in Bir Hassan. Lebanon
Sistani's critics want greater activism in Iraqi politics Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is under increasing attacks from within the Shiite religious establishment for his reserved and amicable approach. Iraq
