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
Will Rouhani end jamming of satellite TV signals? In Iran, controversy continues over the hotly debated issue of the jamming of signals from foreign-based satellite channels. Iran
US announces nuke deal implementation team Outgoing ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull, a former senior adviser to William Burns, will lead the team coordinating the Iran nuclear deal implementation. US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Jarrett Blanc will serve as deputy coordinator. Iran
Why Iran, Saudi Arabia keep locking horns on Syria The window of opportunity for regional dialogue provided by the Iran nuclear deal appears wasted as Tehran and Riyadh stick to their positions. Saudi Arabia
Is AKP heading for a split? With his strong grip on the ruling Justice and Development Party, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made decisions that could cause a split in the ranks after the Nov. 1 election. Turkey
Kurds demand answers after battles in Cizre Controversy simmers over what exactly happened in Cizre as the town emerges devastated from a weeklong curfew, imposed with the stated aim of uprooting Kurdish militants entrenched in residential areas. Syria
Al-Aqsa incursions strain Jordan-Israel ties With Israel's daily incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Jordan's King Abdullah may have no choice but to press for diplomatic sanctions, threatening 20 years of peace between the two countries. Israel
Is this Israeli banking's next 'iron lady'? Bank Leumi CEO Rakefet Russak-Aminoach was named one of Fortune Magazine's powerful women of 2015, though in Israel she is perceived as insensitive to social justice issues. Israel
'Ghost apartments' haunt Jerusalem Foreigners from around the globe are buying luxury apartments in Jerusalem to spend the holidays there, and the effect on the local housing market is hard to deny. Israel
What's behind PA's call to welcome Syrian refugees? The Palestinian Authority says it is ready to welcome Palestinian and Syrian refugees displaced from Syria, despite the current unlikeliness of such a measure amid restrictions imposed by Israel. Palestine
Who are Temple Mount's Mourabitoun? In an Al-Monitor interview, a female Muslim activist discusses her organization's perspective on defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound against what it views as encroaching Jewish pilgrims and activists. Palestine
Villages abandoned as Syrians flee northern Aleppo The northern countryside of Aleppo has been emptied as thousands fled to surrounding areas following the intensification of the Islamic State attacks in August. Syria
Egyptian women urged to 'put on your dress' An Egyptian activist has called for women to fight sexual harassment on Egypt's streets by ditching the hijab and dressing as they please. Egypt
