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
If talks fail, Hamas says it will not return to war There is little hope a breakthrough will be achieved in the upcoming talks in Cairo between Hamas and Israel, but Hamas officials say they are unlikely to resume armed conflict at this stage. Palestine
Fears in Lebanon rise over Western plans to defeat IS Lebanese officials are concerned that a Western-led offensive against the Islamic State will not succeed in destroying the organization but simply move it closer to Lebanon’s border, and ultimately into the country itself. Lebanon
Iran judiciary gives final order to shut down WhatsApp, Viber Jokes about the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran circuiting on WhatsApp and Viber has resulted in the judiciary ordering the communications minister to close the mobile messaging platforms. Iran
Do Syrians support US airstrikes in Syria? Syrians worry about US airstrikes; Iran could be bridge to Syria in international coalition against the Islamic State (IS); Syrian Revolutionary Forces reject report of pact with IS; Syrian Kurds lose ground to IS; Iran claims leadership in battle against IS terrorists. Syria
US continues to curb its involvement in Middle East US President Barack Obama's speech on attacking the Islamic State reflects the US regional strategy on Iraq, Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: partial engagement only, since radical Islam and conflicts in the Middle East are first and foremost a regional problem. Palestine
Can Turkey set up buffer zone inside Syria? The idea of a buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border has been revived again, but faces serious feasibility questions. Syria
Support grows for Gaza's boycott of Israeli goods The recent Gaza war has seen a boost in support for a local boycott of Israeli goods, but short of alternatives, it is hard to envision how such a boycott campaign will work. Palestine
Turkey's Family Ministry shames singles in new ad Turkey’s Family and Social Policies Ministry evokes comparisons to Islamist radicals after using the image of headless figures in a controversial campaign “to battle aloneness.” Turkey
More than 3,000 Gazan children wounded in war Many of the Palestinian wounded have had their limbs amputated and face struggles as the Gaza Strip rebuilds. Palestine
Iraq’s minorities demand weapons, training Following the advances made by the Islamic State in Iraqi areas with large minority populations, there are widespread calls for arms and international protection. Iraq
Saar no match for Netanyahu Interior Minister Gideon Saar must bear in mind that a political vacuum always fills up, especially when taking into consideration that there are two figures still in the Likud Party who could vie the seat of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Iraq cultural scene deteriorates further In light of the deteriorating security situation, Iraq is facing a dire cultural reality, while the Ministry of Culture is engaged in building cultural houses and palaces. Iraq
![General view of the famous Al-Zahawi cafe, a meeting point for intellectuals and bohemians of the Iraqi society at the beginning of the century, in central Baghdad June 5, 2003. [The city is struggling back to life more than seven weeks after U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein, but chaos still ensues. ] - RTXM0PV](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTXM0PV.jpg/RTXM0PV.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=vfABMjGM)
