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's next for Turkey's journalists following post-coup crackdown? The matter of suppressing the freedom of press in Turkey is getting very serious. Turkey
What Turkey stands to lose in its hunt for Syrian Kurds Turkey may face an unexpected backlash within its borders from its goal of undermining the gains of the Kurds in Syria by launching an operation in Jarablus. Syria
Is Turkey falling into its own Syrian trap? Kurds may be avoiding combat with Turkey, Syria's reaction could be restrained and the Islamic State might have withdrawn without a fight, but Ankara could still get stuck in a quagmire. Syria
Is Fatah reconciliation underway ahead of local elections? Along with a number of Arab countries, Egypt has been making recent efforts to achieve reconciliation between President Mahmoud Abbas and dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan in conjunction with the Palestinian preparations for local elections. Palestine
Prince Salman gets jump on G-20 as Saudi 'Mr. Everything' tours Asia Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to be the youngest representative at the upcoming G-20 summit, his most significant step on the global stage to date, but can the spotlight on "Mr. Everything" distract from Yemen? Saudi Arabia
Iran confirms arrest of Iranian-American Reza Shahini Iranian authorities and media released more information on the arrest and alleged activities of Iranian-American Reza "Robin" Shahini. Iran
Will Jordan's Brotherhood make breakthrough in upcoming elections? Four Islamist parties will be competing in Jordanian legislative elections, including the Muslim Brotherhood and its splinter movements. Jordan
Can Israel reboot its relations with US? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence of objecting to the Iran deal risks tainting his relations with the next US president, as it has affected more than the political echelon. Israel
Syria's fate suspended in endless battle for Aleppo The outcome of the battle for Aleppo will be far-reaching, affecting negotiations in Geneva on a truce and the players in a wider deal on the future of Syria, which is why endless resources are keeping the fire raging. Syria
How both Israel and Turkey exploit Gaza's suffering With the reconciliation agreement now signed between Israel and Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has practically forgotten his demands to lift the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Iraqi cleric urges tolerance toward LGBT people Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has created ripples in Iraqi society by calling for tolerance for LGBT people. Iraq
Truce brings quiet, but not stability, to Turkey-Syria border Despite the current truce, the border between Turkey and northern Syria is still riddled with unrest. Syria
