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
Why did pro-government media fail Erdogan? Erdogan’s choice of press corps for his Russia trip suggests that a more hawkish faction among the pro-AKP media is likely to gain access to the president’s ear. Turkey
Dog killings in Turkey's capital show poor lawmaking The recent killing of dogs in Ankara has once again shed light on Turkey's inefficient animal rights laws, which identify strays as "property" instead of "living beings." Turkey
Can US convince Turkey to undo 'done deal' with Russia? Although there are some signs of warming between the United States and Turkey over the situation in northeast Syria, many in Ankara feel it is too little, too late. Turkey
Syrian Kurds fear US sellout to Turkey on ‘safe zone’ Zarif meets Assad and Erdogan; is Erdogan banking on Trump to avoid S-400 sanctions? Syria
Why Turkey’s reliance on Trump for S-400 sanctions waiver appears misguided Turkey is counting on President Donald Trump to waive US sanctions if Turkey takes delivery of the Russian air defense system. But any possible leniency would face significant obstacles in Congress. Turkey
How unemployment helped drive Algeria protests In addition to charges of nepotism and corruption among the ruling class, bleak employment prospects — particularly for youth — drove many Algerians to the streets. Algeria
Iran moves to facilitate Turkey-Syria understanding ahead of Astana summit The Iranian foreign minister’s recent trips to Damascus and Ankara suggest that Tehran is stepping up its efforts to facilitate and accelerate the political process to end the Syrian crisis. Syria
Turkey's new Kurdish mayors denounce greed of predecessors As Turkey's newly elected mayors take office, imagery of the outgoing administrations' waste and opulence is fueling an uproar about the ruling party's excesses. Turkey
Russia and Arabs agree on US, spar over Iran The Moscow-hosted fifth ministerial meeting between Russia and the Arab League exposed some disagreements but helped bring Russia and the Arabs closer on other issues. Legacy: Gulf
Iran sets up trade vehicle with Turkey as Saudi, UAE send flood aid Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said relations with Turkey are the best they’ve been in decades, while Rouhani struck a conciliatory tone amid Saudi and Emirati flood aid. Saudi Arabia
Conservatives in Iraq's Najaf want to legislate religiosity Following the recent arrest of a young cafe owner for allegedly insulting the late Imam Musa al-Kadhim, some Najaf residents are demanding a special law to "protect the sanctity" of the holy city. Iraq
Jordan-Syria ties stumble over fate of Jordanian detainees The Syrian regime's detention of Jordanian citizens reflects the reality that Jordanian-Syrian ties have a long way to go before normalization. Jordan
