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
Ankara struggles to maintain bearings in Kobani The Turkish government has been compelled to change track under US pressure and the need to undo the international perception that Turkey supports the Islamic State. Iraq
Turkey challenges Egypt with new Islamic university The Turkish decision to build an Islamic university similar to Al-Azhar has escalated the already tense relations between Cairo and Ankara. Egypt
Hamas, Israel prepare for new prisoner exchange deal Signs are showing of a new prisoner/detainee swap between Israel and Hamas as part of the truce signed in Cairo. Palestine
Will Ehud Barak return to politics? Labor party activists, who met recently with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, believe that he is the only person able to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Travel challenges for Gazans fuel frustration A Palestinian journalist is one of many Palestinians who are subjected to discriminatory policies at the Rafah border crossing, to get to Cairo International Airport and board an international flight. Palestine
Mustafa Barghouti: US-Palestinian ties strong In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Palestinian Minister Mustafa Barghouti says that the US commitment to the Palestinian Authority's survival will withstand the Palestinian initiative of seeking UN recognition. Palestine
Erdogan angles to tag Gulenists as a national security threat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to include the Gulenist movement as a national security threat to Turkey. Turkey
Rain batters Syrian refugee camps as winter looms Displaced Syrians living in refugee camps are dreading winter as they dig their tents out from under the recent flooding. Syria
Lebanese army struggles for financing Without a proper budget and new weapons procurement, the Lebanese army faces an uphill struggle in combating terrorism and securing the country. Why then have recent international donations not materialized? Lebanon
Netanyahu hangs hopes on US midterm elections Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mistakenly believes that a Republican US Congress would pressure President Barack Obama to change his policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
Gulen community should return to civil society The Gulen community should acknowledge that its strategy of building cadres within the state has backfired, jeopardizing the very realm of civil society this strategy intended to safeguard. Turkey
Iran media, activists criticize Turkey's Kobani stance While Iranian authorities maintain strict red lines for national security issues, media reactions to Turkey's inaction in Kobani reveals Iran's tensions with Turkey over its Syria policy. Syria
