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
Baghdad considers security overhaul After years of various security plans failed to halt terrorist attacks in the Iraqi capital, the Interior Ministry's latest proposal is now under evaluation. Iraq
Is Israel at fault for surging Arab crime? Israeli security forces invest time and effort to track weapon factories in the West Bank but neglect to deal in depth with illegal weapons of Israeli Arabs. Palestine
Did Washington ask Lebanon to negotiate with Israel over oil? An agreement for Lebanon to begin exploiting oil and gas reserves in the Mediterranean appears to have been put on hold following an American request that Lebanon negotiate with Israel to resolve their maritime border dispute. Israel
How social networks are revolutionizing Israeli politics Israeli political parties are losing substance and relevance while direct connections and communication between politicians and the public are growing stronger and more meaningful. Israel
Palestinian politicians anxious to hit campaign trail after 11 years In the Gaza Strip, where the last local council elections were held in 2005, political parties are launching their campaigns a little early. Palestine
Will 50 years of occupation unite Israel's peace camp? The Israeli peace camp must rise to the challenge and craft an effective message during the 50-year celebration of Israeli occupation. Palestine
Will Egypt offer asylum to Gulen? If the United States ever agrees to extradite Fethullah Gulen to Turkey, he has avid supporters who would welcome him in Egypt. Egypt
Kerry, Lavrov will meet to finalize Syria deal US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Aug. 26 to try to finalize a deal on Syria that has been complicated by an escalation of fighting in Aleppo. Syria
Sisi on corruption in local governments: 'What can I do about it?' With the enactment of a new law on local governments, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hopes to curb corruption in municipalities. Egypt
Was Iranian negotiator arrested for spying? Iranian media outlets have reported that a member of the nuclear negotiation team was arrested for spying for the British government, but Iranian officials have not confirmed the news. Iran
Did Turkish government see Gaziantep attack coming? Turkish officials apparently ignored intelligence information that warned of the Aug. 20 wedding massacre in Gaziantep. Syria
What's behind Turkey’s selective clampdown on Gulen community? The Turkish government’s conduct in the clampdown on the Gulen community suggests it has little intention to acknowledge its own contributions to the turmoil. Turkey
