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
US, Netanyahu hand-pick Israeli journalists for Bahrain conference The State Department authorized only six Israeli outlets to cover the Bahrain conference, picking mostly journalists likely to write positively or journalists who aren't too critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bahrain
Eastern Mediterranean heats up as gas rivalry stakes grow higher Turkey’s launch of a second ship to drill in disputed areas off Cyprus is the harbinger of further escalation in the eastern Mediterranean and tough choices for Ankara. Turkey
Israel threatens to expulse hundreds of Filipino children Israeli authorities have notified dozens of Filipina migrant workers that they will be expulsed from the country once the school year is over, together with their children. Israel
Hamas silent on Saudi Arabia arrests of Saudi nationals supporting the movement Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar reported that the Saudi authorities have been arresting Saudi nationals and Palestinian expats who support Hamas, over the movement’s declared position in support of Iran. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt seeks to recover 3,000-year-old King Tut bust from auction The Egyptian government is seeking ways to try and recover its stolen and smuggled antiquities, namely the statue of Tutankhamun’s head that the London-based Christie’s auction house is planning to put up for sale. Egypt
Brotherhood seeks international pressure to prosecute army leaders The Muslim Brotherhood is redoubling its effort for the prosecution of high-ranking military officers involved in the 2013 deaths of protesters and to abolish a law granting immunity to military leaders. Egypt
Iraqis welcome Pope Francis' plan to visit in 2020 Following several requests made by Iraqi leaders to Pope Francis to visit Iraq, he reveals his desire to come next year. Iraq
How Netanyahu exploits US-Iran tensions For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the low-level US-Iran tensions are a great opportunity to bolster his security image and to divert public attention from his legal imbroglio. Palestine
Opposition candidate wins Istanbul mayor's race in blow to AKP Voters rebuke long-time AKP dominance in Istanbul, delivering victory to CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu in a controversial election do-over. Turkey
The Other Big Story: With world’s eyes on Iran, Putin moves to avert conflict between Turkey and Syria A "disaster unfolding" in Idlib; for now, Putin has Assad’s back; exhausted Syrian Army seeks to take the highways; eyes on Osaka. Originals
Jailed militant leader enters Istanbul election fray An unexpected message from Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence for treason, urged Kurds to stay “neutral” and could tilt the outcome in a bitter campaign for control of Turkey’s biggest city. Turkey
Russian diplomats sweep through Lebanon, Iraq, Syria Russia's Syria envoy Alexander Lavrentiev and others recently paid important visits to the Middle East to present Russia’s refugee plan and discuss the latest regional developments. Iraq
