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
High stakes as Saudi crown prince tries to remove opponents Saudi Arabia's uncertain future has not become any more stable with the recent removal of 11 princes from their positions in power. Saudi Arabia
Washington silent on report US official went to Damascus The CIA declined to comment on a report that a US official went to Damascus this week to discuss US citizens believed detained in Syria. Syria
How Iran can address its informal economy Without massive reforms involving all three branches of government, Iran's ability to formalize vast swathes of its economy will remain a pipe dream. Iran
Iran’s Khamenei has three main messages for Putin at summit Tehran wants to strengthen existing ties with Russia and develop new areas of cooperation while isolating the United States at the same time. Syria
Turkey's leg of the Silk Road could be smoother Turkish officials are playing up the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway as a segment of the new Silk Road linking Beijing to London, but there are many bumps yet to come along the way. Turkey
Culture Alert: November the month for contemporary art, photography Several major art events are entering their final weeks and months in the region. Egypt
Gazan women to join PA army President Mahmoud Abbas approved Oct. 17 women enlisting in the Palestinian Authority security services in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Israeli Labor chief’s anti-Arab strategy Comments of Israeli Labor chair Avi Gabbay against Israeli Arab Labor Knesset member Zouheir Bahloul reflects Gabbay’s strategy of abandoning left-wing values to seek right-wing votes. Israel
Egypt’s pardoned prisoners still shackled The Detained Youth Committee for Presidential Pardon has launched an initiative to examine reintegrating and rehabilitating pardoned prisoners to address the difficulties they face after their release. Egypt
Can this marathon help Palestinian cause? Several years into its launch, the Palestine Marathon in Bethlehem received recognition from the International Association of Athletics Federations in yet another sporting achievement that conveys to the world that Palestine is capable of organizing such events despite the occupation obstacles. Palestine
Traditional meets modern in Israel's ultra-Orthodox art A new art gallery in the heart of an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Jerusalem reflects the sector's changing attitude toward art. Israel
Libya's rogue militias cut capital’s water supply A group of armed men cut off water supplies to the Libyan capital Tripoli, which indicates the fragility of resources in a country plagued by chaos. Libya
