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
Intel: House Democrats call on Biden to reform Middle East war powers California Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee and House committee leaders wasted no time calling on the new president to rein in two-decade-old legislation on the authorization of military force. United States
Dubai suspends nonessential surgery as COVID-19 cases soar The emirate is also pausing live entertainment at hotels and restaurants until further notice. United Arab Emirates
Political violence in Ankara is more than meets the eye Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s alliance with his nationalist partner appears under growing strain amid a combination of domestic and external pressures. Turkey
Biden to talk Iran deal in early calls with foreign leaders, White House says Incoming Biden administration officials have suggested a return to the nuclear deal is a long way off. United States
Turkish Central Bank holds interest rate steady As forecasted, Turkey’s Central Bank policymakers held a key interest rate steady Thursday, saying they would continue working to reel in the nation’s double-digit inflation. Turkey
Iran to begin administering imported vaccines in February Iranian officials have warned that the country is set to experience a fourth wave of the coronavirus. Iran
Turkey's scapegoating of McGurk rooted in revisionism National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk has worked closely with the Turks for many years on a range of knotty issues, and the growls from Ankara suggest that Turkey continues to pin US policies that it doesn’t like on "rogue" individuals. Turkey
Dozens killed in Baghdad suicide bombings It is unclear who was behind the twin attacks in a crowded part of Baghdad. Such incidents are less common in the Iraqi capital than they were in years prior. Iraq
Israel’s UN envoy takes second role as ambassador to US Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan will start serving today also as the country’s ambassador to the US. Israel
Biden offers Israeli left chance to regain relevance With a new and friendlier US administration, Israeli progressives have an opportunity to promote their ideals, including the two-state solution. Israel
Iraq’s general elections pushed to October The added time shores up Baghdad’s preparations for a more legitimate election process; but time is running out for protesters who fear the government will ignore their demands. Iraq
Who is behind recent attacks against Turkish presence in Idlib? Unknown parties have carried out several operations against some of the Turkish army outposts in Idlib, with some accusing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and others pointing the finger at Islamic State or regime cells. Syria
