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
Syrians shifting demographics in Turkey’s Kurdish regions More than a third of the Syrian refugees in Turkey are concentrated in the country’s southeast, an impoverished, conflict-torn region with a predominantly Kurdish population. Turkey
Will Egypt's warming ties with Israel leave Palestinians out in the cold? Egyptian-Palestinian relations are tense after the rapprochement between Egypt and Israel as questions arise about the future of Egypt’s role in the Palestinian cause. Palestine
Iraqi parliament in the dark about $2.7 billion loan deal Iraq's parliament was not involved in the negotiations for a $2.7 billion US loan package and still hasn't been fully briefed on the deal, leaving many Iraqi lawmakers uneasy. Iraq
Israeli centrist leader finds himself alone in battle against UN agency In an interview with Al-Monitor, Yesh Atid Leader Yair Lapid expressed surprise that his government is cooperating with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, while the rest of the Israeli political establishment is reluctant to disrupt the aid that keeps Gaza afloat. Palestine
Can open primaries heal Israeli politics? Israelis are debating the feasibility of open primaries, which would allow all eligible voters to select the leader of the political bloc they support. Israel
How corrupt is Egypt's wheat industry? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egypt's Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafy rebutted all accusations of importing substandard wheat and explained the government's plan to fight rising grain prices. Egypt
Can Iran go around Turkey to reach Europe? The regional turmoil, and particularly the unstable situation in Turkey, is prompting Iran to speed up plans to establish alternative trade routes to Europe. Turkey
Will Rouhani sue critics who insult him? Iranian Vice President for Legal Affairs Hojjat al-Islam Majid Ansari said that the judiciary will pursue cases against critics who insult the president. Iran
Why Egyptians are angry about this supermodel's wedding Egyptian citizens are wondering if they helped pay for a supermodel's wedding with money her new father-in-law is accused of looting. Egypt
Secret sex life of the ultra-Orthodox has Israelis reading The story of Esti Weinsten, who fled the very strict Gur Hasidic sect and later committed suicide, has shaken and enthralled both secular and Orthodox Israelis. Israel
Turkish deputy PM: Coup's economic wounds 'easy to manage' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Mehmet Simsek, Turkey’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, expresses optimism on the recent coup attempt's economic effects, saying the only real damage was to Turkey's image in the West. Turkey
![- PHOTO TAKEN 30NOV05 - Hundreds of trucks bringing in diesel from Iran line up on a road as they head to the eastern province of Van in Turkey November 30, 2005. [In the shadows of mountains bordering Iraq and Iran, Turkey's Hakkari province may one day be an outpost of the European Union. But for now, it feels cut off from the world. Picture taken November 30, 2005.] - RTXO1TK](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/08/RTXO1TK.jpg/RTXO1TK.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=ARf0wB28)
