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
What lies in store for Tunisian government in wake of protests? Tunisia’s powerful labor union held a nationwide strike, threatening to escalate the situation and hold another strike in February. Tunisia
Egypt’s oldest Arabic calligraphy school struggles to survive Many institutes of calligraphy simply closed their doors when the Egyptian government stopped subsidizing them, but one school persists. Egypt
Drivers and barriers to Iran-US compromise in Syria The best option for Iran in post-war Syria would be to bargain over a regional compromise aimed at establishing limited policy cooperation with all influential actors; however, to realize such a scenario it is necessary for the barriers to a compromise to be removed. Lebanon
Erdogan seeks lifeline from Putin in Syria The Turkish president will discuss Syria with his Russian counterpart in Moscow this coming week, as Qatar's Sheikh Tamim takes spotlight in Beirut. Saudi Arabia
Conflict erupts over properties surrounding Samarra shrine Owners of land adjacent to a holy shrine in Samarra, Iraq, are threatening legal action against the shrine's administrators, who allegedly are maneuvering to buy the properties on the cheap. Iraq
Ownership dispute casts doubt on future of Cairo bookstore Egypt's Culture Ministry steps in to protect the valuable books and manuscripts at the Orientalist, a bookstore in Cairo, after its owner dies. Egypt
Lawmaker-turned-Saudi lobbyist raises eyebrows with campaign donations Former Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., donated $1,000 to a key lawmaker the same day he lobbied his office on behalf of the Saudis — a common practice in Washington. Congress
Erdogan's newfound love for cannabis For decades, the Turkish government took pride in burning cannabis fields in its battle against PKK terror. Now, a boasting Erdogan leads Islamists in celebrating industrial hemp cultivation as a method of resistance to the West. Turkey
Betraying Reformist backers, Rouhani paves way for Iran’s hard-liners to take office After supporting President Rouhani in the past two elections, Reformists are breaking with the president in public ways. Iran
Palestinian PM amends controversial regulation to exclude Jerusalemites A controversial decision ordering Palestinian homeowners to seek approval of government agencies before renting to any person with an Israeli ID produced a big reaction from East Jerusalem residents, prompting the order to later be amended to exclude them. Palestine
