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 a dish and a tale help Syria's internally displaced integrate? Displaced women from different parts of Syria build bridges with the locals in Atareb by cooking and talking. Syria
Iran set for 'extraordinary' breach of nuclear deal commitments Iran says it is gearing up to take a crucial step toward further reducing its compliance with the nuclear deal, as officials see no immediate tangible outcome from talks with the European signatories to the accord. United States
Blue and White dumps ultra-Orthodox; tries to make up with secularists Two weeks ahead of elections on Sept. 17, Blue and White has changed its strategy to regain and broaden support among secularists after realizing it has been 'hemorrhaging votes,' mainly to Avigdor Liberman. Israel
Court rules president of Al-Azhar in Gaza must step down A court has determined that Al-Azhar University-Gaza must elect a new president, a move that settles — at least temporarily — a row between Fatah leaders that led to a school-closing union strike. Palestine
Why is Hamas reshuffling its security apparatus in Gaza? Hamas sources have told Al-Monitor that operations against Israel by individuals operating independently are what led the movement to make major changes in the ranks of its security forces in Gaza. Palestine
Ninevah sheikh and ex-commander warn of ‘IS family camp dangers’ Nearly two years after its liberation from the Islamic State, Ninevah province is still struggling to deal with IS-linked displaced people. Iraq
Is hard-line Ayatollah Larijani facing the beginning of his end? Iran's powerful Larijani family has made many enemies over the years, a legacy that might be catching up with at least one member, Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani. Iran
US calls on Russia to cease Idlib fight amid terror strikes The Pentagon called for Russia to halt its offensive into Syria’s Idlib province as the United States launched strikes into the contested region aimed at al-Qaeda leaders. Syria
Rouhani dismisses bilateral talks with US, claims economic recovery Iran's president has dismissed any bilateral dialogue with the US government, saying Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign has failed to bring Iran to its knees. United States
Key economic data suggests Turkey turning corner Slowing inflation and a smaller-than-expected contraction in the economy could mean Turkey is emerging from a year-long downturn. Turkey
Netanyahu back to free market principles? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might favor returning to a free market economy, as advocated by his new political partner Moshe Feiglin, but his ultra-Orthodox allies are bound to object that. Israel
Israel should negotiate solution to Hezbollah, not depend on deterrence Just like on the Palestinian front, Israel can change the way it handles its conflict with Lebanon by making a serious attempt to advance a solution. Palestine
