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
US, region pivot to confront terrorist threat in Syria Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari warns of a "Islamic emirate" in Syria, former US diplomat Ryan Crocker suggests a channel to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Israeli President Shimon Peres says he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Bahrain
Turkish fighter jet: Rolls Royce ambitions with Rover resources? Turkey may seek to boost its defense industry with a program to build its own fighter jet. Turkey
Erdogan getting hit in AKP-'Cemaat' war Critical news of the AKP-Cemaat war leaked to the media on the eve of elections strains Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Bahrain's foreign minister asks Iran to end regional interference Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain's foreign minister, says Iran must take "concrete steps" to show that it is turning a page in its relations with Bahrain and the Gulf. Bahrain
Independence key to Iranian foreign policy Iran's demand for the "right to enrichment" is best understood in the context of Iran’s drive for independence, as outlined in the latest book by R.K. Ramazani. Iran
Turkish journalist charged with espionage The Turkish Prime Ministry, National Security Council and the National Intelligence Organization all filed criminal cases against the daily Taraf and its staff writer Mehmet Baransu for publishing a highly classified state document. Turkey
Syrian Kurds discuss differences over Geneva II At the core of Syrian Kurd differences is tension between Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani and Kurdistan Workers Party leader Abdullah Ocalan. Iraq
Mandela succeeded where Palestinians failed Nelson Mandela has a special place among Palestinians. Palestine
For Iran, nuclear deal is not at expense of regional concerns The Geneva nuclear deal between Iran and the West can provide Iran the opportunity to address regional concerns with its neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt reacts to the news of Negm, Mandela, Sisi Egyptian reactions to the deaths of Ahmed Fouad Negm and Nelson Mandela, and the announcement of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi win in TIME's reader poll for "Person of the Year," reflect the complexities of Egypt's political culture. Egypt
Jordan's Daraa problem The battle against Salafists in Daraa, Syria, is becoming a shared interest between Damascus and Amman. Jordan
Economic scorecard for Rouhani's first 100 days The Iranian president may feel under pressure to expand government benefits, but it should stay focused on growth strategies. Iran
