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
Erdogan weighs next moves in Libya after Sarraj's departure Ankara is keen to preserve its influence over the Tripoli government and several figures with close ties to Turkey are eyeing the prime minister’s post after the impending departure of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Turkey
As Israel enters lockdown, Netanyahu protesters vow to continue As Israel enters a strict nationwide lockdown, activist groups say they will swap mass rallies with car convoys to express their anger at the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Iran, Russia discuss producing COVID-19 vaccine Russia’s sovereign wealth fund has been in talks over manufacturing the vaccine with Iran and a number of other countries. Russia
Uncertain future for Egypt's Salafists following Senate election defeat The failure of Egypt’s largest Salafi party to win any seats in recent Senate elections is an additional indication of the collapse of the Salafists' popularity. Egypt
How Turkey’s ‘zombie’ companies keep afloat A number of big companies that would have normally gone bust amid Turkey’s economic turmoil are surviving thanks to government favors. Turkey
Rebuilding Beirut to preserve its heritage Architects and NGOs are deploying efforts to restore the traditional buildings of Beirut that were heavily damaged in the devastating explosion that rocked the capital Aug. 4. Lebanon
Pharaonic prophecy raises fears of drought in Egypt In light of the ongoing Nile dam crisis, Egypt fears long periods of drought as happened during the era of King Djoser, as depicted in a granite slab with inscriptions written in hieroglyphic script. Originals
Will Suez Canal feel impact of UAE-Israel normalization? The potential economic agreements between the United Arab Emirates and Israel may reduce traffic through Egypt’s Suez Canal. United Arab Emirates
Palestinian Authority cracks down on drug, arms traffickers in West Bank The Palestinian security services increased their operations against arms and drug traffickers in the West Bank in light of the high level of armed crimes and killings. Palestine
Congo backs Egypt in Nile dam dispute Amid the heated dispute between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the GERD negotiations, the Egyptian presidency said it received the support of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Egypt
Leadership failure traumatizes Israelis as virus surges On the eve of the second lockdown, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is blaming everyone but himself for Israel's failure to cope with the pandemic. Israel
US shakes up Iraqi factions with reported warning on militias The Trump administration has warned Iraqi President Barham Salih that it could close its US Embassy in Baghdad if the militias' attacks against its bases and convoys continue. Iraq
