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
Egypt hopes to use soccer to score influence in Africa Is Egyptian media group's $600 million plan to purchase the broadcasting rights to African soccer games good business or an attempt to boost Egypt's diplomatic prestige? Egypt
Egyptian student's death may remain mystery While his family and human rights activists claim student Ahmed Medhat was killed in government custody in late August, political stagnation and economic difficulties mean such incidents aren't likely to spark another revolt. Egypt
US election 2016: Clinton's plan to have Trump hand her the election isn't working Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of Sept. 5. Russia
How will Turkey's Alevis react to Syrian gambit? After years of facing pressure from the state and the country's Sunni majority, Turkish military involvement in Syria has caused Turkey's Alevi minority further problems in their relations with the AKP government. Turkey
Children disappear across Iraq, but critics say authorities lack plan As child abduction continues to plague Iraq, the government has still not taken serious measures to deal with the problem, such as funding research and coordinating investigation. Iraq
How long can the Houthis hold on to Yemen? It seems the Houthi rebels are the only ones benefiting from the ongoing war in Yemen, as Saudi Arabia’s and Yemen’s economies have been badly affected. Legacy: Gulf
One year into Palestinian uprising: What’s the status today? The popular uprising in the West Bank has significantly waned, but not disappeared, in recent months in the absence of organized political support. Palestine
Hebron's handicrafts honored with top award The West Bank city of Hebron won the World Craft City award, which officials hope will encourage cultural exchange and trade with other parts of the world. Palestine
Why Palestine's 'Merry Christmas people' are not so merry A Palestinian official caused an uproar when he described Palestinian Christians as the “Merry Christmas people.” Palestine
How Kurdish-Arab strife is hindering work of Syria's 'White Helmets' The negotiations for a new office of the Syrian Civil Defense in areas liberated by the Islamic State in Syria have been interrupted by major skirmishes between the Arab and Kurdish forces in these areas. Syria
Hamas hampering persistent press The Foreign Press Association accused Hamas of imposing restrictions on foreign journalists entering the Gaza Strip, which the government denied. Palestine
Has Netanyahu met his match? A recent poll showing Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid to be the strongest party in Israel is the talk of Israeli politics. Israel
