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
Can EU's fear of terrorists give Turkey clout in ocean drilling? Following his threats to flood Europe with Syrian refugees, the Turkish president is now trying to use Islamic State suspects as leverage. Syria
Russia, Turkey plugging away at Syria's northeast, Idlib Amid complications with Turkey, Russia claims it stays the course in Syria. Syria
Life sentence for killing rapist: When will Egypt's judiciary side with women? Small steps are being taken to change the mindset within Egypt’s judicial system when it comes to female victims of sexual harassment and rape. Egypt
Will Hamas accept Israeli incentives? Israel is reportedly considering offering Hamas incentives in the Gaza Strip, following the movement not getting involved in the latest confrontation between Israel and Islamic Jihad. Palestine
Palestinians await presidential decree to hold general elections The PA’s call for general elections seems to have gained traction in Palestine, especially with Hamas' approval for them to be held. Qatar
Iranian film on US porn star causes stir at home "Xsunami: Memories of a Porn Star," produced by hard-line filmmakers, aims to expose "sexual decadence" in the United States but has yet to get screening permission from Iran's Ministry of Culture. Iran
The Takeaway: November 20, 2019 Forget Ukraine: What’s the hold on US aid to Lebanon?; Unicorns in the desert; all President Erdogan’s men; Lebanon’s soundtrack; and more! Originals
Russia faces dilemmas in northeastern Syria While it has added some fortifications, Moscow is challenged with new political and military uncertainty over Syria's northeast. Syria
Amid growing crackdown, pro-Kurdish party calls for new elections in Turkey Facing ongoing pressure, Turkey’s Kurdish-majority HDP has called for early elections after 24 elected mayors have been removed from office. Turkey
Saudi and Israeli tourism campaigns offer stark contrast in transparency Public relations firms working to promote travel to foreign countries are all over the map when it comes to lobbying and PR disclosures. Saudi Arabia
Khamenei declares victory as Tehran claims protests slowing Iran's supreme leader says that a security "conspiracy" has been defeated after a heavy-handed crackdown crushed nationwide protests against gasoline price hikes. Iran
Knesset’s 21-day grace period: Opportunity for change Instead of heading for a third election in less than a year, Knesset members could support a noncontroversial member among themselves for the position of prime minister. Israel
