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
Lebanon Support Group Deserves Support The International Support Group for Lebanon, a critical initiative by President Michel Suleiman, will meet at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 25. Jordan
Why General Sisi Should Not Run For President of Egypt Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the military to play important role as guarantor of Egypt's democratic transition. Egypt
Russia Rescues Turkey From Syrian Chemical Threat The accord to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons has marginalized Ankara’s Syria policy while removing the threat against Turkey. Syria
Turkey’s Syria Nightmare Goes From Bad to Worse Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups fighting the Syrian government are setting up camp on Syria’s border. Syria
Lebanon's Dismal Economy Often overshadowed by neighboring Syria’s bloody civil conflict, the dire situation of the Lebanese economy appears more dismal than ever. Lebanon
US-Russia Syria Deal Affects Saudi Regional Strategy The US-Russia deal on Syria chemical weapons gives momentum to possible settlement and may mean changes for regional players. Saudi Arabia
Hamas Intimidates Tamarod Activists Ahead of Protest Palestinian activists say they are being harassed by Hamas' security services as unease engulfs Gaza before planned Nov. 11 anti-Hamas protests. Palestine
PKK's Kurdish Education Demands Spark Debate in Turkey Turkey continues to fear that education in languages other than Turkish will divide the nation, despite a growing demand for mother-tongue instruction and regional success stories. Turkey
Hamas Tries to Reconcile With Egypt Hostile Egyptian public opinion might stand in the way of a reconciliation between Gaza and Cairo. Palestine
Family Boycotts Retrial for Murder Of Turkish-Armenian Journalist The family of Hrant Dink issues an open letter of indignation after an appeals court decision that his case be reviewed, six years after the murder. Turkey
Iraqi Religious Tourism Declines Because of Weak Iranian Economy As the sanctions on Iran have reduced the number of Iranian tourists visiting Iraq, Baghdad should remedy the situation by diversifying its tourism sector. Iraq
Israeli Minister Lapid Hears 'New Music' in Iran In a recent CNN interview, Israeli Minister Yair Lapid seems to distance himself somewhat from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Iran. Israel
