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
US threatens to bypass Baghdad, arm Sunnis against IS Congress and the Obama administration are demanding that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi do more to combat sectarianism. Iraq
Sisi supporters secure second-round elections victory An overview of Egypt's upcoming parliamentary runoff elections and results. Egypt
Will thawing Iran's frozen assets help slow down climate change? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, who heads the country’s Environmental Protection Organization, outlines her views on Iran's environmental challenges — and how to confront them. Iran
Gossip grows as Rouhani skips meetings As rumors spread in the Iranian media about President Hassan Rouhani boycotting Expediency Council meetings, some observers are comparing his avoidance strategy to that of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran
Are Egypt’s poor paying the price for Cairo development project? Hundreds of riverboat owners and crew members have been rendered jobless during a project to regenerate downtown Cairo, but officials say the situation is temporary. Egypt
What killing of Kurdish human rights lawyer means for Turkey In turbulent Turkey, the voices of peace and coexistence speak out at the risk of violent retribution. Turkey
Downing of Russian jet forces Ankara to turn West Experts argue that although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is getting support from NATO and the European Union, he can never be part of the West because his Islamist outlook prevents him from adopting Western values. Turkey
Baghdad Jewish cemetery reminds of bygone days Jewish monuments in Iraq are numerous and make some Iraqis nostalgic for the time when Muslims and Jews were neighbors. Iraq
Foreign investors are trembling over Turkey Foreign direct investments in Turkey dropped dramatically in September despite some encouraging signals from European and American investors earlier in the year. Turkey
Will Israel's ban on the Islamic Movement lead to further restrictions? Some observers fear that the recent ban of the Islamic Movement's northern branch might serve as a precedent for Israel to tighten the noose on its Arab citizens. Palestine
Netanyahu plans to 'punish' the Europeans over settlement labeling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that Israel will distance the European Union from the diplomatic process makes no sense, in view of the ongoing diplomatic stalemate. Palestine
Are Israelis ready to move to the center? Public support for the establishment of a “new Kadima” suggests that a significant segment of the Israeli electorate would back a party with a clear diplomatic agenda for a two-state solution. Palestine
