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
Contemporary artists explore family ties, homeland in Jerusalem The third Jerusalem Biennale, themed "Watershed," brings together disparate streams of Jewish artists to offer their unique perspectives on evolving identities and the concept of a homeland. Israel
TEDx Palestine gathers success stories in Gaza "Creativity is not limited by circumstances," said one of the speakers at TEDx University of Palestine, where talented Gazans recently found a platform to voice their ideas. Palestine
Trump threats loom over Iran-EU business summit European executives say uncertainty over the fate of the nuclear deal and Iran’s sclerotic economic environment are bad for business. United States
Erdogan will get fooled again When things don't go Erdogan's way, he has used the same argument that he was "deceived," but does anyone still believe him? Turkey
Iran’s pressure on Kurds could backfire Having spent major energy on trying to prevent the independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran should be cautious about its next step toward Erbil. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurds watch nervously as Erdogan heads for Tehran Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with Iran's president and supreme leader in Tehran as high-level talks continue between historic rivals in the aftermath of the Kurdistan referendum. Iraq
Will Iran revert to parliamentary system? A group of parliamentarians are organizing to approach the supreme leader to receive his blessing on possibly reverting to a parliamentary system. Iran
Iraqi Kurdish opposition welcomes Abadi's post-referendum measures Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has tightened measures against the Iraqi Kurdistan Region following the Sept. 25 independence vote, a moved welcomed by those opposed to the referendum both domestically and abroad. Iraq
Ankara could misplay its hand again Despite hostile remarks from Ankara, the only way to deal with the Kurdish independence referendum is diplomacy, seasoned diplomats warn. Iraq
Turks brace for tax hikes as Ankara scrambles to bridge budget gaps Under fire over a tax-hike plan, Turkey’s government says it needs fresh funds for security and defense amid rising risks in the region. Turkey
US, Israel on standby as Egypt pushes Palestinian reconciliation The United States and Israel are laying low while Egypt tries to end the rift between Fatah and Hamas, which Cairo sees as an obstacle to regional peace and security. Palestine
Why Israel's finance minister is rushing to approve 2019 budget Getting the 2019 budget approved would ensure Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon that he has funding to move ahead with his plans, even if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprises everyone by advancing the election. Israel
