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
Trump-Clinton debate dominates headlines in Iran While some stayed awake in Iran to follow the first round of the US presidential debates live, others read about it in the press, which extensively covered both the event and the lively conversation sparked by the debate. United States
How activists are confronting contract killings of Israeli Arab women Activists within the Israeli Arab sector warn of growing violence and the murder of women, with five Israeli Arab women killed so far in 2016. Israel
Who are the winners and losers in Jordan’s latest elections? With limited political party participation in parliament and a legislature that is still dominated by monarchy loyalists, many Jordanians believe that little has changed after the recent elections. Jordan
Why criticism from former PM Barak rattles Netanyahu A recent tweet by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak could portend the next big challenge to Benjamin Netanyahu's grip on power. Israel
Sunni blocs oppose legal immunity for Popular Mobilization Units The Shiite Iraqi National Alliance is to propose legal immunity for the Popular Mobilization Units, but Sunni blocs in parliament are likely to object to the proposal. Iraq
Financial watchdog worries Iranian hard-liners Fierce criticism of engagement with the Financial Action Task Force rages on in Iran, but the government is holding firm with the support of several political heavyweights. Iran
Palestinians disavow video threatening Americans in Gaza Palestinian officials have widely denounced a Palestinian militant’s threat against US nationals in the Gaza Strip after the US government added Hamas leader Fathi Hammad to its terror list. Palestine
Why Gaza's intellectuals are fleeing abroad Lack of freedom of thought and expression is leading creative young Palestinians to flee the Gaza Strip in search of a place where they can work freely. Palestine
Egypt increases prison terms for female genital mutilation Human rights groups applaud Egypt’s recent crackdown on female genital mutilation as a positive step, but also note political change must be accompanied by significant shifts in cultural and religious attitudes. Egypt
What is Turkey’s military strategy in Syria? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent statement once again revealed that Ankara's priority in Syria is not fighting against the Islamic State, but rather stopping Kurds' advances. Syria
Turkey faces decision over boots on the ground in Syria Turkish media are speculating that the Free Syrian Army militias cannot expel Islamic State from Dabik and al-Bab, so that mission will fall to Turkish infantry. Syria
Khamenei puts stop to Ahmadinejad's return Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad finally puts an end to months of speculation about whether he will run for office in next year’s presidential vote. Iran
![- PHOTO TAKEN 13JUN06 -
A counsellor holds up cards used to educate women about female genital mutilation (FGM) in Minia June 13, 2006. The practice of FGM dates back over two thousand years in Egypt and is widely practiced in all levels of society for [Muslims and Christians] alike. [Many organizations like UNICEF] have funded programs to help educate people about the risks and dangers of FGM in order to change people's opinions on this procedure which is seen by many as a necessary social norm. Picture ta](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/09/RTXOQUZ.jpg/RTXOQUZ.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=twIKQu17)
