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
Iran's economy a 'masterpiece of structural ambiguity' For President Hassan Rouhani to realize his campaign pledge to revive the Iranian economy, he must find a way to rein in the quasi-state sector. Iran
US, NATO wait to see if Russia-Turkey defense deal goes through Turkey’s recent move to acquire a Russian S-400 missile defense system has raised eyebrows in the United States, as Moscow looks on with a smile. Turkey
Tensions with Germany expose rift in AKP ranks The contrasting statements of Turkey's president and prime minister over the latest row with Germany signal a rift ahead of the 2019 presidential election. Turkey
Trump’s plan for Mideast peace fades Israelis and Palestinians both feel that President Donald Trump and his administration have abandoned his ambitious peace initiative with his focus more on internal affairs. Palestine
Residents of Israeli-Arab town anxious about proposed land swap Residents of the Israeli-Arab town Umm al-Fahm fear that Israel will swap them for West Bank settlement bloc. Palestine
Gaza set to become scene of Egypt-Qatar tug of war The Gaza Strip and Hamas are attracting attention from both sides as the Gulf crisis grows, but they might have to choose between longtime supporter Qatar on one side and the UAE, Egypt and Mohammed Dahlan on the other. United Arab Emirates
Egypt wheels out country's first bike-share program Cairo launches its first bike-share scheme called "Bicicletta" in collaboration with UN-Habitat Egypt to encourage Egyptians to cycle in order to reduce air pollution and save money. Egypt
Does Turkey face day of reckoning with al-Qaeda in Idlib? Al-Qaeda affiliate gains upper hand in northern Syrian city; Turkey’s shameful show trial of independent journalists part of “vicious crackdown.” Syria
Cyclists get a bumpy ride in Beirut Cyclists are becoming a more common sight on Beirut's treacherous roads, despite a lack of safety infrastructure. Lebanon
Israel’s recent bike craze met with resistance The growing trend of biking in Israel has also considerably increased the number of accidents with pedestrians on sidewalks. Israel
Disputed territories pose major challenge to Kurdish referendum The upcoming Iraqi Kurdistan’s referendum will include the disputed territories, but given the practical and technical challenges, holding the referendum on Sept. 25 will be highly unlikely. Iraq
Istanbul residents chase the Aegean dream Many Istanbulians dream of leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind for a quiet life on the Aegean coast, and some are doing just that. Turkey
