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
Turkish music sector in hot water due to pandemic, arbitrary restrictions The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on Turkey's music industry that is already experiencing tough times due to a ban on alcohol advertising that has prevented companies from sponsoring events and festivals with their brand names. Turkey
Will Juba Agreement achieve peace in Sudan? In a joyful atmosphere and with regional and international participation, the Juba peace agreement was finally signed between Sudan and a number of armed factions at Freedom Square in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Sudan
Why Erdogan's so eager to see Cypriot ghost town reopen The abrupt decision to partially reopen a Cypriot resort sealed off for more than four decades was a clear attempt by Ankara to influence the Turkish Cypriot presidential polls and alter settlement parameters in long-divided Cyprus. Turkey
Weary of Netanyahu, Benny Gantz delivers last ultimatum Having lost all trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz has now delivered an ultimatum on the 2021 state budget. Israel
Kurdish news outlet linked to opposition party remains closed in Iraq The Kurdistan Regional Government says NRT's coverage of protests encouraged people to violate anti-coronavirus measures, but journalists say the closure is a violation of press freedom. Iraq
Jordan enters a new 48-hour nationwide curfew The country of some 10 million people nearly doubled its total of coronavirus cases in the space of a week. Jordan
US government sanctions 18 Iranian banks New sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department aim to deny the Iranian government funding. Iran says the move will hurt its ability to pay for medicine and food. Iran
North Cyprus reopens contentious ghost town with Turkish support Days before Northern Cyprus holds elections, Ankara backed the reopening of a ghost town in the island’s green zone in a polarizing move that could influence voter turnout. Turkey
What’s next for Erdogan after eastern Mediterranean and Caucasus? Turkey's involvement in the South Caucasus conflict and decision to test the S-400 missile system show that Erdogan is continuing to embark on new adventures despite his recent failure in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey
US government announces seizure of 92 Iran-linked websites The US seizure of the news sites allegedly connected to the Iranian government came before new US sanctions on Iranian banks. United States
Qatar Airways adds San Francisco flight The US city is a new destination for the Doha-based airline, showing its ability to expand beyond its pre-pandemic network. Originals
Between a rock and hard place: Iran’s dilemma in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Tehran is sending forces to its borders in anticipation of the Armenian-Azeri conflict spilling over. Iran
