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
Istanbul mayor looks overseas as state banks deny him funds Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s new opposition mayor, says government-controlled banks are refusing to finance the city’s stalled infrastructure projects after the ruling party lost control of Turkey’s largest city. Turkey
Pakistan pursues military diplomacy expansion with Iran Recent high-level meetings between Iranian and Pakistani officials have focused on strengthening ties between the neighbors and fostering better relations in the region. Iran
Protests spread in oil-rich Basra as death toll rises Deadly protests in Iraq’s southern economic hub and its nearby key commodities port continue amid concern that actual casualty figures are higher than reported. Several protesters were killed Nov. 24 near the port. Iraq
Joker jumps from screen to streets of global revolutions Joker masks — just like V for Vendetta masks 10 years ago — have become common in demonstrations from Lebanon to Iraq, as protesters search for symbols with which they can strike a blow against those in power. Lebanon
Egypt to offer foreign investors a large share in power plants Egypt’s sovereign wealth fund seeks to acquire 30% in power plants co-established by Germany’s Siemens and involve foreign investors and companies in the rest, which raises questions on whether the state seeks to privatize them or the result is higher bills for citizens. Egypt
IS designates Turkey as its next base The Islamic State has selected Turkey as its next base to reorganize, recruit and plan. Iraq
Israel: plenty of bread but no butter Since the price of butter is controlled by the government, Israeli dairies prefer using the butterfat for other dairy products. Israel
Pompeo’s gift to Netanyahu might bring about new Israeli annexation US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s legitimization of Israeli settlements is seen as giving a green light to Israel’s prime minister to annex the Jordan Valley if a government is formed. Palestine
Why the West Bank went silent when Israel attacked Gaza Following the recent military escalation between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza, residents of the besieged enclave have expressed bewilderment and anger at the lack of support for them expressed by West Bank Palestinians. Palestine
Is Saudi Arabia finally seeking peace with Houthis? After years of fighting, it seems that Saudi Arabia, which is leading a military coalition in Yemen, is holding indirect talks with Houthi rebels to possibly reach a solution. Saudi Arabia
Jewish museums in Istanbul focus on upside of integration Jews have been living in Turkey for many centuries, and both the Sephardim from Spain and then Ashkenazim from Eastern Europe boast their own museums. Turkey
Hamas, Islamic Jihad — an unbreakable bond The recent escalation between Israel and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip has raised questions as Hamas refrained from partaking in the fighting. Qatar
