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
The 'neo-Palestinians' According to Israeli experts, the profile of the ''neo-Palestinian'' attacker is that of an unemployed university graduate in his or her 20s who has no hope of building a decent life. Palestine
Is this man Israel's next prime minister? Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid is building up his campaign for prime minister, stealing the center-left electorate away from the Zionist Camp party. Israel
Will Iran's red tape thwart post-sanctions boom? Amid the imminent lifting of sanctions, Iran's complicated licensing and permit regulations continue to deter investment — despite the Rouhani administration's efforts. Iran
How to stop Islamic State recruitment Efforts to identify susceptible young people early can protect them from the approaches of the Islamic State. Syria
Iran concerned over Nigerian military attack on Shiite leader Iranian officials have condemned the attack by Nigerian military forces on Shiite leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, who has strong ties to Iran. Iran
Following the money: How to prevent terrorist financing Dismantling funding networks and cutting off the flow of money to terrorists requires immediate international agreements in spite of cultural and structural differences between countries willing to join efforts. Originals
Turkey goes from zero problems to nothing but problems in the region Ankara’s recent political and strategic mistakes have resulted in an anti-Turkish alliance in the Middle East that looks to Moscow for support. Iraq
What Iraq needs to do to protect minorities The alliance of Iraq’s minorities is a step to prevent Iraq from being totally stripped of its minorities. Iraq
Ocalan silent as Kurds' fight for self-rule rages on The Kurds fighting in Diyarbakir may end their revolt if ordered to do so by Abdullah Ocalan, but the Turkish government has not allowed the imprisoned Kurdish leader any visitors since April, perhaps calculating that the endless self-sacrifice being demanded of ordinary Kurds will turn them against the PKK. Turkey
After Paris summit, will Turkey warm up to climate change? Turkey will need to work harder to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the aftermath of the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. Turkey
Syrian Democratic Forces set sights on IS stronghold In an interview with Al-Monitor, Talal Silo, spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, discussed its victories against the Islamic State and the forces' future plans. Syria
How to help Libya … before it’s too late The Islamic State is gaining ground in Libya, already having seized control of Sirte, an hour's flight from southern Europe. Libya
