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
Shadow of foul play descends early on Turkey's local polls Turkey’s municipal polls are still two months away, but the opposition is already alarmed over possible vote manipulation. Turkey
How Iran can use rupees to build strategic trade with India Iran and India’s signing of an agreement for how Iranian oil export proceeds can be used could turn into a blessing in disguise for the Islamic Republic. Iran
Kurdish civilians in northern Iraq fed up with both Erdogan, PKK Tensions have escalated between Iraqi Kurds and Turkey in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region as a violent protest that stormed in a Turkish military base near the city of Dahuk left one dead and at least 10 others wounded. Turkey
Abbas' Cabinet resigns; new government to form soon The Fatah Central Committee has recommended forming a Palestinian government made up entirely of PLO factions, while excluding Hamas and the Islamic Jihad — an action that could undermine already-weak reconciliation efforts. Palestine
Writing on the wall: Palestinian engravings tell tales of heritage, faith A history and geography teacher has devoted decades to painstakingly deciphering Palestine's rich heritage as depicted on the walls of its ancient buildings. Palestine
What's next for Gen. Hifter after moving into southern Libya? Libya’s eastern military strongman recently launched an offensive to clear out militias from the southern region of the country, in what could be seen as a move to stabilize the whole of Libya. Libya
Netanyahu plays Iran threat at his convenience Guided by election campaign considerations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Russian-American deal for pulling Iranian forces out of Syria. Palestine
Has Cairo book fair lost its luster at 50? The Cairo International Book Fair's 50th edition opens amid controversy over its new location and visitor numbers, with some booksellers boycotting the fair. Egypt
Congress’ Middle East panels brace for new partisan era The newest members of the key foreign policy committees disagree on everything from Israel to Saudi Arabia. Legacy: Gulf
Mattis departure risks US policy void as Yemen pact falls apart Day-to-day responsibility for managing the Yemen conflict is being passed on to John Rood, the Pentagon’s No. 3 official. Saudi Arabia
Russia keeps plugging away at cooperation with North Africa During his tour around the Maghreb, Foreign Minister Lavrov showed Russia has a genuine interest in developing stronger ties with regional states, but the number of roadblocks in the way raise questions about Moscow's ability to go past "strategic declarations" anytime soon. Egypt
