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
Turkey, Syrian Kurds remain at odds in safe zone visions The US-Turkish deal on a safe zone in northern Syria has averted the prospect of Turkey fighting the Kurds, but the parties have stepped into a diplomatic minefield, where the interests and objectives do not match. Turkey
Will Iraqi Kurdistan government be able to solve PKK issue? Despite their deep rivalry, both the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) emphasize the importance of dealing with their longstanding conflicts peacefully. Iraq
Hoopla over minor Iranian election may herald big fallout in 2020 A normally negligible local election in the Iranian capital has brought the country’s political groups face to face, revealing that bigger clashes may be ahead as Iran’s 11th parliamentary elections draw near. Iran
Ramon Airport: Israel’s white elephant in the desert It’s been seven months since the festive inauguration of the Ramon Airport, which despite its hefty price tag, has failed to meet anyone's expectations. Israel
World-renowned Palestinian artist finds peace in Jerusalem Palestinian artist Kamal Boullata will be buried in Jerusalem despite resistance from the Israeli government. Palestine
Could Algeria’s army pull a coup d’etat? As the crackdown of senior regime figures perceived as having fallen too close to the orbit of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika continues, one of its more prominent figures, retired Gen. and former Defense Minister Khaled Nezzar, has called upon the army to revolt. Algeria
Independents flood Tunisian elections Hundreds of independent lists and parties are expected to run in this year’s parliamentary elections, which will now be held after the pushed-forward presidential contest. Tunisia
Hamas raises $100,000 for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon Hamas’ recent fundraising campaign in the Gaza Strip to support Palestinian refugees in Lebanon received mixed reactions from Gazans. Palestine
How will Egypt protect its expats in Libya from IS? The killing and abduction of a number of Egyptian expats in Libya prompted the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to issue warnings not to travel there because of the inability of the Libyan state to provide protection for the Egyptians amid its prevailing state of insecurity and instability. Egypt
Rights group says Turkey sowing dissent in Syria Turkey and its ally Qatar are being accused of spreading false news and fabricated videos to stir up tension between Kurds and Arabs in Syrian areas east of the Euphrates. Syria
A win-win solution on the Temple Mount Many have tried, but always failed, to resolve the issue of tensions occasionally flaring over praying on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, but the solution is not so difficult. Palestine
Netanyahu risks all by placing fate in Trump's hands Unable to refuse any request from his ally President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has barred Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering Israel despite wide condemnation. Palestine
