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
Democratic leaders blast Israel for banning Tlaib, Omar Pro-Israel Democrats are blasting Israel’s decision to ban two pro-Palestinian lawmakers from visiting the West Bank following pressure from President Donald Trump. Palestine
Improved employment leaves Iran’s women, youth behind Tehran announced the country’s unemployment rate declined somewhat recently, but not everyone benefited. Originals
Syrian Kurdish commander sets conditions for safe zone talks with Turkey The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces stated in an interview that a proposed safe zone between Turkey and Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria must cover the full length of the border between them. Syria
Can Egypt's 'Passage' lead to an Oscar? "The Passage," an Egyptian film on the War of Attrition following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, has received an enthusiastic reception at the box office in Egypt and has raised some eyebrows in its treatment of Egyptian-Israeli relations. Egypt
Iran judiciary chief defends internal corruption probe Iran’s judiciary has embarked on an anti-corruption probe that has involved members of the former judiciary team. Iran
Former Iraqi premier opens up about PMU, new PM, Iran In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi explained that his faction's opposition to the current government is a matter of personal responsibility and that any criticism is meant to be constructive. Iraq
Turkey's social security agency withholds data as financial crisis deepens Turkey’s social security agency has stopped releasing data on the labor force and its own financial situation, fueling suspicions that Ankara is trying to smokescreen the true impact of the country’s economic crisis. Turkey
No sex, slang or booze: Turkish state is watching New regulations requiring government oversight for online content are narrowing Turks' media world even further. Turkey
Can Egypt's new marriage e-registry curb child marriage? Women's rights activists, marriage registrars and information technology experts have mixed reactions about a new electronic marriage registry service in Egypt. Egypt
Israel's 2005 Gaza disengagement: A turning point for Israel’s right For the Israeli right, the 2005 Gaza disengagement became an ideological and a strategic turning point, which will make it difficult for any Israeli leader to champion a similar move in the West Bank. Palestine
For Israel’s underdogs, Netanyahu remains king As Israel's Sept. 17 parliamentary election approaches, a settler, a former ambassador, journalists and a kibbutz member help explain how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been able to retain his support despite his legal and other problems. Israel
