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
Why are Iran’s environmental workers protesting? Employees of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization are protesting corruption, negligent budget management and low wages. Iran
Is Turkey setting a Kurdish trap? In the lead-up to Turkey's Nov. 1 parliamentary elections, skeptics of the government are wondering if Ankara will resort to something "extreme" in Syria. Syria
Israel goes back to business as usual in post-Iran deal era The visit of Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon this week to Washington and the upcoming visit there of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will both focus on Israeli demands for US military support. Israel
Russia puts brakes on Turkey's truck traffic Moscow responds to Ankara’s threats to cancel natural gas and nuclear power station contracts by closing its borders to Turkish trucks. Syria
Turkey's shameful state of media freedom Following new police raids against Ipek Media, home to two newspapers and two TV news channels, Turkey's media suffers another blow. Turkey
Syria's 'holy war' The Russian Orthodox Church's description of Moscow's intervention in Syria as a "holy war" has created a buzz among Lebanese Christians. Lebanon
Self-immolation spreads in Middle East Self-immolation is becoming tragically more common in the Middle East, including Lebanon, where Syrian refugees are not the only ones setting themselves on fire in acts of desperation and despair. Lebanon
Hamas draws parallels with apartheid during South Africa visit Hamas' official visit to South Africa found support there and could open doors to relationships with other countries. Palestine
Why some Palestinian journalists struggle with when to put down the camera Palestinian journalists covering the current events in Jerusalem and the West Bank are torn between the professionalism their jobs require and their sense of nationalism, often conveying a subjective image of the news. Palestine
Even fatwas don't bring Egyptians out to vote Religion has become an easily wielded political tool in Egypt, and the country's highest religious institution is now using it to fight low voter turnout in the parliamentary elections. Egypt
Remembering Rabin's road On this year's anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination, Israelis should rethink their national priorities going forward. Palestine
Rouhani shifts gears on economy With the Iranian economy losing steam, the Rouhani administration is changing tack and adopting a new stimulus package as the nation waits impatiently for sanctions removal. Iran
