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
Israel slow to recalibrate on Syria Israel's original assessment of the Syrian war is no longer relevant, and the state must make strategic changes to face the threat of the regime, which is likely to remain in power with Iran's patronage. Israel
Are Yemeni rebels imploding? Saudi Arabia's hope to exit the Yemen scene could depend largely on Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Yemeni rebel factions' falling apart. Saudi Arabia
How Islamic State is undermining peace prospects in Libya As Libya’s rival parties are moving forward toward a political solution, it seems that the Islamic State and other extremist organizations are re-emerging on the internal scene in a bid to torpedo any such efforts for peace. Libya
PA worries Egyptian aid to Hamas prolongs Palestinian division Gaza is in desperate need of Egyptian aid such as diesel fuel supplies and a planned free-trade zone, but some in Ramallah fear that if Gaza's financial crisis eases too much, Hamas will be less motivated to reconcile. Palestine
Iranian Kurds urge Iraqi brethren to stay united ahead of referendum As Iraqi Kurds increasingly quarrel ahead of the Sept. 25 independence referendum, Iranian Kurds are urging their western neighbors to stay united and press ahead with the vote. Iraq
Foreigners take hold of Turkey’s food sector Amid a series of high-profile foreign takeovers in Turkey’s food industry led by Japanese investors, many are worried that the country is losing its self-sufficiency in food. Turkey
Young Iraqis experiment with variety of drugs In addition to traditional turn-ons, drug users in Iraq are expanding their habits to include everything from LSD to seemingly mundane treatments for arthritis. Iraq
Iraq establishes new security force to protect its archaeological wealth Iraq is seeking to preserve what’s left of its antiquities through the establishment of a special security force to protect one of its richest provinces in terms of archaeological sites. Iraq
Palestinians want to be called ‘state under occupation’ Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is preparing a UN resolution proposal that will change the definition of “Palestinian territories under occupation” into “a Palestinian state under occupation.” Palestine
Is Israel’s Arab party about to split? The Joint List of predominantly Arab parties is on the verge of disintegration — not because of the wide ideological rift amid its factions, but over a vacant Knesset seat. Israel
Turkish-backed rebels exchange daily fire with SDF in Aleppo In the northern countryside of Aleppo, the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, retaliates to the shelling from Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, pushing civilians to leave their homes. Syria
How Egypt is promoting education for Syrian refugees The efforts of the Egyptian government to integrate Syrian students in Egyptian schools aim to make the students feel welcome. Egypt
