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
Israel's 'death sentence' for Gaza's economy Israel has been revoking the travel and import permits of Gaza merchants and importers, threatening the collapse of Gaza's economy. Palestine
Why calls for independence are in decline in Iraqi Kurdistan The economic crisis in Iraqi Kurdistan has decreased independence ambitions significantly, while the social and political demands to turn toward Baghdad are increasing in the region. Iraq
Iranians see Trump as dangerous — but to Iran or the US? Given the harsh rhetoric of both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton toward Iran, which candidate do Iranians prefer to be the next US president? United States
Is Iran shifting its policy toward Saudi Arabia? The increasingly tough rhetoric by the administration of President Hassan Rouhani toward Saudi Arabia may herald the beginning of a paradigm shift. Legacy: Gulf
Istanbul says farewell to favorite feline with new statue The global carefree cat meme, Tombili, is honored by a bronze statue as a result of an internet petition by locals after his death in his quiet Istanbul neighborhood. Turkey
Why Egypt's new church law has some activists worried A new law on the construction and restoration of churches is seen as unconstitutional by some civil society movements. Egypt
AKP fingers obscure professor for coup mastermind Many Turks agree that reviled cleric Fethullah Gulen at least inspired the botched July coup, but as the net tightens on his followers, the authorities' focus on a little-known academic seems a bit of a reach. Turkey
Controversy erupts as soccer, religion clash in Iran A prominent cleric is calling for the cancellation of a World Cup qualifier between Iran and South Korea because the match falls on a Shiite day of mourning. Iran
Even SpongeBob can’t escape Turkey’s post-coup crackdown Turkey has shut down the country's first and only Kurdish-language channel for kids, dealing a blow to efforts to keep the children connected to their culture. Turkey
Turks love their language, but also fight over it Turks proudly celebrate their language, but they have always fought over it. Turkey
What Moroccan government’s shortcomings mean for post-election coalitions As Moroccans prepare to head to the polls Oct. 7 to elect members of the lower house of parliament, a current lack of cohesion among government parties may indicate a post-poll realignment. Morocco
What's behind Ankara’s 'deafening silence' on Aleppo? Reconciliation with Russia is preventing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from blasting away at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he once did. Syria
