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
Regional violence threatens Lebanon's fragile stability As suicide attacks and explosions increase in Beirut, Lebanon is being inexorably drawn deeper into the Syrian conflict. Lebanon
National Museum of Iraq remains closed to public Four years after officially reopening, Iraq's national museum remains off-limits to average Iraqis and information about it is difficult to obtain. Iraq
Baluch Sunni woman elected mayor is first for Iran The election of the first female mayor by the city council of Kalat in the Sistan-Baluchistan province can open doors for many other woman in a province where woman face societal discrimination. Iran
Europe plays its hand in Israeli-Palestinian talks With European threats of sanctioning both sides in the background, US Secretary of State John Kerry will try again to convince Palestinians and Israelis to make concessions before it's too late. Palestine
Turkey recasts approach to armed groups in Syria Intelligence reports of al-Qaeda threats against Turkey are causing concern. Syria
Egyptian novel enjoys rare publication in Hebrew The Hebrew publication of the hit novel Azazeel by Egyptian writer Youssef Ziedan is a positive step in the backward cultural relations between Egypt and Israel. Egypt
Baghdad-Erbil oil dispute: Agreeing to disagree, for now As the Erbil-Baghdad oil controversy drags on, it remains unclear how ties will be affected between Ankara, Erbil and Baghdad. Iraq
National reconciliation in Egypt still in doubt As the political conflict escalates in Egypt, some are calling for a national reconciliation, yet many obstacles stand in the way. Egypt
Laqis assassination reveals crack in Hezbollah’s ‘security fortress’ The Dec. 4 assassination of a leading Hezbollah figure in Beirut occurred when the organization was in a state of heightened vigilance. Israel
Maliki-Sadr rivalry intensifies ahead of Iraqi elections Both Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Muqtada al-Sadr may be vying for Iran's backing in next year's elections. Iraq
Teacher violence increases against Iraqi students The recent case of an 8-year-old Iraqi girl who was beaten for not wearing a headscarf has highlighted the ongoing use of violence as a form of punishment in Iraqi schools. Iraq
Israeli leaders oblivious to Europe's message on boycott The Israeli leadership risks boycotts beyond West Bank products with its failure to fully appreciate the extent to which the EU distrusts Israel's stated desire for a peace settlement. Palestine
