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
Erdogan takes on the Internet The Turkish government is drafting legislation to restrict public access to certain websites. Turkey
Palestinians may be missing the point on Sharon legacy The Palestinians consider him a war criminal, while the settlers have not forgiven the Disengagement, but these contradictory opinions testify their inability to grasp the leadership and complex personality of late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Palestine
Sharon's legacy: Only death is irreversible The late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's legacy, including the disengagement from Gaza, was designed to hinder an agreement with the Palestinians in the West Bank. Palestine
Palestinians in Gaza celebrate Sharon's death While many Palestinians in Gaza are glad to see Sharon pass, several factions have expressed disappointment at the Israeli leader's dying without facing justice for crimes committed. Palestine
Egypt fears Ethiopia Renaissance Dam threatens water supply The celebration for the 54th anniversary of Egypt’s Aswan Dam have been overshadowed by concerns over water shortages because of the Ethiopian project. Egypt
Islamic Front no answer for Syria conflict The ascendance of the Islamic Front, while contributing to the recent military defeats of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), may also be a setback for Geneva II and a political solution to the conflict. Syria
The new pulse of Geneva II The trend in the Geneva II process shifts to cooperation on humanitarian and counterterrorism issues; Erdogan under fire in Turkey. Saudi Arabia
Nationalist themes co-opt Iraqi music, again Saddam Hussein took over Iraq’s cultural institutions to produce war propaganda songs, and a similar pattern is appearing today. Iraq
Will Turkish corruption scandal lead to return of military to politics? The Turkish military is showing signs of dissatisfaction with the government’s response to the corruption scandal. Turkey
Lebanese cleric offers moderate vision in 'Shiite Charter' Moderate Shiite leaders from the region will soon issue a statement about a new vision of moderation. Iraq
For Russia, terrorism priority at Syria conference US-Russian cooperation will be key to success at Geneva II. Legacy: Gulf
EU, Iran reach agreement on implementing nuclear deal After two days of talks between the six world powers and Iran, diplomats from the EU and the Islamic republic said that they have reached an agreement on the implementation of the interim nuclear accord. Iran
