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
Displaced women care for their own as Mosul battle rages As the Mosul operation sends more patients, limited medical staff — themselves displaced — are struggling to provide treatment and health care to a growing number of displaced families. Iraq
Will the Palestinian Authority succeed in pursuing activists beyond its borders? Palestinian activists living abroad report being targeted for airing their criticisms on social media. Palestine
Iran's Rouhani breaks his silence on US presidential race For the first time, Iran’s moderate president has spoken about the US presidential election — but even his criticism is dismissed by his hard-line opponents. United States
Gaza's boxers dream of hitting it big Amateur boxers in Gaza dream of turning professional and taking part in international championships, yet the lack of equipment, sponsorship and rings, as well as the closure of the Rafah crossing, have prevented them from realizing their dreams. Palestine
Israel wary of Russian comeback to the region Russia has extended its presence in the region to such an extent that any IDF jet crossing the Israeli border in the north immediately appears on Russian military radar screens. Israel
Iran’s new challenge: The Islamic State in Persia? Though Iran has announced that it has killed the Islamic State’s "emir" in the country, it continues to face serious security threats from a variety of militants. Saudi Arabia
Are Egyptian-Saudi disputes just a passing crisis or a decisive storm? Egyptian-Saudi squabbles over Syria and Yemen have gone viral, and some worry that this will have a lasting negative effect on the relationship between Cairo and Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
Did Putin give green light to Turkish attack on US-backed Syrian Kurds? Kurds again in crosshairs as Turkey weighs options in Mosul. Iraq
The battle of the Euphrates islands: The last stages in the fight against IS In conjunction with the Mosul operation, the Iraqi army has launched an operation in Anbar province to liberate islands in the Euphrates River that are under Islamic State control and are used as IS safe havens. Iraq
Trump, Clinton turn their attention to early voting Early voting is a key weapon in battleground states, particularly for Democrats. United States
How Ataturk became a model for Erdogan Although Erdogan’s ideology is very different from that of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s, he wants a similar role — that of a savior-founder who will rule Turkey single-handedly. Turkey
US elections 2016: Is Trump really a threat to US democracy? Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of Oct. 17. United States
