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
IRGC commander: nuclear deal no retreat from 'values' The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says a nuclear agreement will not be a retreat from Iran's revolutionary and Islamic values. Iran
Congress weighs easing restrictions on military aid to Egypt Lawmakers are debating whether to give the Obama administration the power to sidestep legal obstacles to the $1.3 billion annual aid package Egypt
Watching Kobani The writer gives a personal account of his trip on Nov. 15-16 to Suruc, across from Kobani on the Turkish side of the border, and relates how locals believe that the Kobani battle may bring an end to the Islamic State in military terms. Syria
Jerusalem terror attack shatters brief remission This morning's terror attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem indicates that the latest measures of lifting age restrictions for Muslim prayers at the Temple Mount failed at preventing further escalation. Palestine
Iraq's Arbaeen pilgrims walk new, safer path A new road is being built to make it easier for Shiite pilgrims to walk to Iraq's holy city of Karbala, where they commemorate the death of Imam Hussein Bin Ali. Iraq
Economist: Iran doesn’t understand sanctions structure As Iranian officials demand that all sanctions be dropped in a nuclear deal, one Iranian economic analyst explains why this is unlikely and how poorly the complex issue is understood in Iran. Iran
Is a women’s college right for you? More women's colleges across the region mean that students should consider their options. Pan Arab
Contaminated water delays Sinai canal Despite demands to accelerate development and land reclamation projects in the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi postpones plans for a crucial canal due to health concerns. Egypt
How a German doctor became a PKK hero "Dr. Medya," a physician from Hamburg, talks about her more than 20 years in the Kurdistan Workers Party in a rare interview. Iraq
Daraa province slowly falls into Syrian rebel hands A string of victories by Syrian rebels in the country’s south has taken the Syrian army by surprise, with the Daraa governorate almost completely in the hands of rebel groups. Syria
Kerry finds a way to Temple Mount compromise In Amman, US Secretary of State John Kerry achieved a compromise on Muslim Temple Mount prayers, showing that a firm US stance must be taken to resolve the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict Palestine
Hamas instigates further West Bank unrest Hamas is seeking to take advantage of the latest acts of violence against Israelis in the occupied territories, but is hindered by tight security measures by Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Palestine
