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
Longtime Sharon associate calls on parties to close peace deal Former Knesset member Majallie Whbee, a close associate of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, deplores Israeli leaders for not seizing the moment: “We have a window of opportunity of just a few years to complete an agreement.” Palestine
Gaza Palestinians wish for electricity in 2014 For the year 2014, all Gaza Palestinians wish for better electricity, while some want a better economy and for Hamas and Fatah to unite. Palestine
Lebanese society on verge of further breakdown In Lebanon, new security threats arise almost daily, threatening the country's stability. Lebanon
The Saudi challenge to US Syria policy Saudi Arabia proposes a military force to deter Iran and assist rebel forces to overthrow the Syrian government. Legacy: Gulf
Five reasons 2014 could be tough year for Erdogan While 2013 was an annus horribilis for Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), 2014 could be worse. Turkey
Saudi labor reform opens new opportunities for economy Recent reforms enacted by the Saudi government aim to crack down on illegal immigrants and curb the use of migrant laborers. Saudi Arabia
Ariel Sharon's decisions shaped today's Israel Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the founding father of the settlements, realized one day that the burden of the occupations was far too big and initiated the historic disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Israel
Ankara suspected of arming jihadists in Syria Turkish security discovered a truck full of weapons en route to Syria, creating yet another controversy for the Erdogan government. Syria
What you should know about Turkey's AKP-Gulen conflict The recent AKP-Gulen split in Turkey has surprised many in the country and turned old allies into enemies. Turkey
Israeli legislature battles over Jordan Valley Labor Knesset member Hilik Bar has presented a bill against annexing any territories within Judea, Samaria and Gaza, heading off a proposed annexation of the Jordan Valley. Palestine
Resolution of Anbar crisis requires security, political coordination Baghdad must combine security and political efforts to bring an end to the current crisis involving al-Qaeda and the Sunnis in Anbar province. Iraq
