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 vows to hunt down PKK as Turkey buries slain mother, baby News of the killing of a young mother and infant son has sparked nationwide outrage in Turkey, and its president has renewed promises to eliminate Kurdish separatists and their enablers. Turkey
New generation of hard-liners move to seize control of Iran's state broadcaster A younger generation of hard-liners in Iran are increasingly maneuvering to secure institutional instruments of power and are targeting the state broadcaster. Iran
Iranian artists show solidarity as nation grapples with economic woes As ordinary Iranians feel the pinch of their country’s economic crisis, a popular singer is planning free concerts to ease the pressure. Iran
Will Russia, Iran dash Turkey's hopes of becoming energy corridor? The recently signed Caspian protocol between the Caspian littoral states means that Iran and Russia can thwart Turkey’s hopes of transporting Turkmen gas and Kazakh oil via Turkey to Europe. Turkey
Russia, Turkey seek peaceful solutions to 'imminent' Idlib battle Moscow and Ankara are actively working through back channels to ensure a smooth settlement in Syria's Idlib, amid ongoing rumors of an imminent fight between opposition groups and Syrian regime forces. Syria
Dismissal of electricity minister fails to quell protests in Iraq After a month of protests in Iraq over the lack of electricity and other public services, the Iraqi prime minister dismissed the minister of electricity, without any clear vision for a solution to the crisis. Saudi Arabia
Will public opposition stop proposed Egypt-Israel railway dead in its tracks? Egyptian media outlets are making a fuss about a recent meeting between Israel's ambassador to Cairo, David Govrin, and the director of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, discussing a railway between Egypt and Israel. Saudi Arabia
Druze anger rising over Israel’s Nationality Law Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not foresee the degree of anger the Nationality Law would generate among the Druze, with protests spreading quickly, including to the military. Israel
Palestinian's interview on Israeli program sparks backlash The appearance of a Hamas-affiliated political analyst on Israeli i24News channel unleashed charges of "media normalization" with Israel. Palestine
Israel rolls out election campaigns, scenting early vote Tensions and disputes are tearing apart both the ruling coalition and the opposition, a sure sign that the Israeli political system expects early elections. Israel
Did concert in Iranian holy city topple an ayatollah's ban on music? The singer Hesameddin Seraj gave the first concert in many, many years in Mashhad, a city known for its religious heritage, leading to speculation about more concerts to come. Iran
Is a storm brewing for Turkey in Idlib? The increasing presence of jihadis in the last remaining opposition enclave is giving Bashar al-Assad a pretext to threaten an attack on the region where Turkish forces are also deployed. Syria
