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
Iraqi Official: Rouhani 'Means Serious Business' With US Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari says the Iranian leadership could have prevented Hassan Rouhani from becoming president if it wanted to continue hard-line policies toward the United States. Saudi Arabia
Iran Faces Environmental Crisis Global warming and a deteriorating environment are a large if not larger threat than sanctions to the well-being of Iran’s 75 million people. Iran
Will Lebanon’s Second Airport Begin Operation? Sectarian controversy prevented a planned Aug. 16 flight from arriving at what could be Lebanon's first regional airport. Lebanon
Lebanese Officials Speculate On Israeli Role in Beirut Bombing After the blast that killed more than 20 people in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Aug. 15, several Lebanese politicians have accused Israel of being involved. Israel
Erdogan’s Self-Righteous Blast on Egypt The Turkish prime minister’s remarks on Egypt are geared toward Turkish domestic politics. Egypt
Bloodshed in Egypt Requires US Response The Americans must realize that chaos in Egypt threatens the security of the entire region. Egypt
Israel, West Bank Quiet For Now Amid Region in Flames Israel is surrounding itself with more fences and tightening security measures in anticipation of more violence on its borders as regional unrest continues. Palestine
Turkish-PKK Peace Process Faces Deadlines Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s peace process with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is complicated by his domestic political agenda. Turkey
Iraqi Kurdish Forces Help Defend Baghdad The increase of terrorist bombings in Baghdad has been a catalyst for more consultation between Iraqi federal and Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces. Iraq
Olmert Considers New Israeli Center Party Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon are each considering the creation of a new political effort to reclaim Israel's center. Israel
The Price of Egypt’s Integrity The integrity of the Egyptian state may be the price to be paid for "fixing" the Muslim Brotherhood's election. Egypt
Families of Palestinian Spies for Israel Face Stigma in Gaza Families of Palestinians who have been caught spying for Israel suffer discrimination and isolation in their communities. Palestine
