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
Women's campaigns flourish beyond Iran protests The spread of several social campaigns for women's empowerment in Iran are challenging the perception that their role in the Iranian protests was only about standing up against compulsory hijab. Iran
Syrian opposition iced out of White House The Donald Trump administration held off on the opportunity to talk to Syrian opposition officials in town this week even as it outlined a tougher stance against Bashar al-Assad. Syria
Tillerson says US troops to stay in Syria; US huddles with allies over Sochi Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US military will stay in Syria to prevent the return of the Islamic State, deter Iran and bolster post-war diplomatic efforts. Syria
Women start filling up tanks at Gaza gas station Marking a first in the Gaza Strip, a gas station manager is employing women despite the criticism. Palestine
War rages in Turkish media in anticipation of military operation News outlets loyal to the Turkish state and sympathetic to the Kurds are each busy framing the conflict ahead of possible Turkish military moves against Syrian Kurds. Syria
Will Erdogan defy Russia, US over Afrin? Turkey’s plan to launch an operation to take Syria's Afrin faces major difficulties, yet if Erdogan succeeds even partially it will boost his image at home. Syria
How Rouhani can combat corruption in Iran's budget The Rouhani administration’s shift toward performance-based budgeting could pave the way for a parallel reduction of corruption along with better addressing of grievances. Iran
Rouhani unblocks Telegram; hard-liners send message Iran’s president is under fire from hard-liners for unblocking a popular messaging app. Iran
Hosting Syria talks in Sochi presents challenges for Russia There's plenty of suspicion and finger-pointing to go around leading up to the Syria peace talks in Sochi this month. Syria
Israel dismisses Abbas' threats to end security coordination Israeli sources estimate that by delivering a fiery speech before the Palestinian Central Council in which he promised to cut security coordination with Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cornered himself with promises to his people that he cannot fulfill. Palestine
Turkish civilians arm themselves ahead of crucial 2019 polls As a critical election cycle looms next year, alarm is growing in Turkey over individual armament, especially in pro-government quarters where some have formed dubious groups and openly called on peers to arm themselves. Turkey
Can Netanyahu scratch Americans from Jewish roster? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made his choice of siding with the ultra-Orthodox against US Reform and Conservative Jews. Israel
