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
What fate awaits Kurds fighting for the Islamic State? The future seems desolate — and short — for Kurds who joined IS. Iraq
Iran counts on EU support in keeping nuclear deal After the EU’s move to throw its weight behind the nuclear deal, Iran hopes the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the lifting of international sanctions will not be affected by Donald Trump’s presidency. United States
Trump win further distances US from GCC on Syria The Gulf Cooperation Council anxiously awaits to see how US President-elect Donald Trump plans to deal with the uncertainties surrounding US Middle East policies. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu prefers an uninvolved Trump Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes that President-elect Donald Trump won’t invest his energies in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
Why Erdogan-Trump honeymoon may be short-lived Donald Trump’s victory is welcomed by President Erdogan and his supporters, who say this could be the start of a new beginning in ties. Is that really the case? Syria
Iranian film about Prophet Muhammad causes stir in Turkey “Muhammad: The Messenger of God” opened in Turkey to mixed and emotional reviews. Turkey
Iraqi students protest uniforms in universities Iraqi universities have imposed conservative uniforms on students as a result of a push from Islamic parties, but students are protesting the decision. Iraq
Can coalition of reformers snag Lebanese parliament seats? An array of civil and Reformist groups are calling for a coalition to challenge the country’s traditional and dominant political parties in the 2017 parliamentary elections. Lebanon
Liberman's airport comment not so ridiculous, says Gaza activist Though a UN envoy dismissed Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's recent claim that Israel would be the "first to invest" in a Gaza airport as a "distraction," coverage of the minister’s remarks has drawn attention to a proposed UN-administered facility approved by both Hamas and the Palestinian president. Palestine
Morocco takes lead in climate change fight, but at what cost? Morocco is pushing forward with an ambitious renewable energy sector, but its policies may be doing more harm than good. Morocco
Palestinian women cross divide to meet at 'peace tables' Women gathered at "peace tables" in Ramallah and the Gaza Strip to discuss Palestinian women’s roles in promoting peaceful solutions as part of a worldwide October movement that included Islamic women's groups. Palestine
Trump urged to stay the course on aid to the Middle East The president-elect is under pressure to rethink some of his nationalist campaign rhetoric. Egypt
