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 annexation save Israel from charges of apartheid on West Bank? Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett is promoting the idea that the annexation of Area C on the West Bank will negate claims of Israel pursuing apartheid-like policies in the occupied territories. Palestine
Turkish, Israeli chefs bring Ottoman-inspired cuisine to downtown Haifa Dozens of Arab and Jewish chefs took part in A-Sham Arab Food Festival in Haifa this year, to prepare Turkish and Ottoman-inspired dishes at tens of restaurants in the city. Israel
Roman-era mosaics home at last in Turkey's Zeugma Turkey has welcomed back 12 fragments of mosaics illegally excavated and exported decades ago to the United States and they are now on exhibit at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep. Turkey
Iran judiciary upholds another death sentence for economic corruption Iran’s judiciary has sentenced dozens of individuals to prison for cases related to the fluctuation in the currency market earlier in the year. Iran
US erects observation posts to avert war between Turks, Syrian Kurds The move highlights the complexity Washington faces in its efforts to maintain a military presence in Syria while appeasing fellow NATO ally Turkey. Syria
Turkish court recognizes Alevi houses of worship Turkey’s Alevi community awaits the government’s response to a landmark court ruling recognizing their houses of worship. Turkey
Forged Jerusalem home sale gets Jordan’s attention A Jordanian parliamentarian revealed forged documents notarized by a Jordanian lawyer to sell a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem to Israelis, raising the ire of Jordanians and Palestinians alike. Palestine
The unlikely war between Iran, Hezbollah and Israel Despite increasingly tough rhetoric and the launch of an operation along the border with Lebanon, Israel is unlikely to enter all-out war against Iran and its regional allies. Israel
Gazans thankful for Qatar funds, worry about the future Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the second transfer of Qatari funds to Gaza, while criticizing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for generating a humanitarian crisis in the Strip. Qatar
Does the US want a war with Iran over Syria? Despite Trump’s initial caution about an indefinite military commitment, the risks of the United States getting drawn into the Syria conflict are growing. Saudi Arabia
US sees renewed leverage over Assad in Syria The Donald Trump administration is confident that its pressure is eroding the Syrian regime and its allies. Syria
Mosul's new literary cafe brings together readers, budding writers With its walls lined with books in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian, Book Forum cafe provides a place for Mosul's youth to read, debate and smoke the hookah. Iraq
