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 Promotes Democratization Package Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey's democratization package is a "silent revolution." Turkey
Iran Increases Aid to PFLP Thanks to Syria Stance Iran has rewarded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's pro-Assad stance with an increase in financial and military assistance. Palestine
Netanyahu to US: Iran for Palestine? The Israeli right fears that Netanyahu might agree to an interim arrangement that will include a settlement evacuation in exchange for US guarantees on the Iranian file. Palestine
Turkey's New Prohibitions Lead To Underground Alcohol Market Many Turks are finding ways around the new restrictions on the sale of alcohol. Turkey
Nour Party Picks Up Islamist Mantle In Egyptian Transition Having joined the coup against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, the Salafist Nour Party seek to lead the Islamist current in Egyptian politics. Egypt
Saudis Set Back by US-Russia Deal on Syrian Chemical Weapons Saudi Arabia, like Iran, has pursued a sectarian interventionist strategy in Syria that furthers the war and undermines a democratic transition. Saudi Arabia
Women Protesters in Turkey Brave Sexual Harassment The systematic sexual harassment of female Turkish protesters in custody is used as a weapon to deter them and marginalize the protest movement. Turkey
How Happy Is the One Who Says 'I am a Turk'? Turks seem to be content, but perhaps not all that happy. Turkey
More Obstacles to Formation Of New Lebanon Government As conflict continues to rage next door in Syria, Lebanon’s polarized political scene must face several challenges before it can build a government that satisfies past agreements. Lebanon
Saudi Arabia Vies For Influence in Iraq Riyadh has reached out to tribal sheikhs in southern Iraq in what some see as a continuation of the ongoing Saudi-Iranian competition for influence in the region. Saudi Arabia
Iran Rethinks Facebook Under Rouhani Iranian ministers are implementing a social media strategy, which is being challenged in some conservative quarters. Iran
