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
Drivers close Gaza border crossing to protest new fees The only commercial crossing into the Gaza Strip has been closed by truck drivers in protest of increased fees levied on crucial imports. Palestine
Hamas, Palestinian factions back Iran against US sanctions Hamas and other Palestinian groups have reaffirmed their solidarity with Iran since the United States reimposed more sanctions on Tehran. Palestine
Israel’s 'Loyalty in Culture' law spreads to other ministries The spirit of the "Loyalty in Culture" law starts seeping into other government ministries, defunding cultural programs that criticize the government’s occupation policy. Palestine
Israeli celebration of ties with Gulf states premature The visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Oman is Sultan Qaboos’ way of signaling to Israelis what peace could look like, should they end the occupation of the Palestinians. United Arab Emirates
Midterms revamp Middle East policymaking in Congress Tuesday’s elections will re-order the committees in charge of foreign policy. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan plays big: A grand bargain in Syria with Trump and Putin? Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plays a big gambit with American and Russian counterparts, but can he win? Syria
Turkey praises 'overdue' US bounties for PKK leaders Ankara is pleased with Washington's offer of high bounties for three top Kurdistan Workers Party leaders, but the move won't buy forgiveness for the US alliance with Syrian Kurds. Turkey
Iran says not pinning hopes on Dems winning midterms Despite Democrats winning the US midterm vote, Iran says it makes no difference who takes over Congress, citing decadeslong hostility by Democrats and Republicans alike. United States
Iran’s plan to sell oil on local energy exchange could boost economy Iran’s plan to develop an alternative channel to monetize its oil through a local energy exchange faces many obstacles but holds real potential of boosting domestic capacities. Iran
Lebanon's only carnivorous plant kept safe in private nature preserve Two decades ago, a restauranteur bought a chunk of unique land that he considered paradise — and now he's discovered just how special it is. Lebanon
Turkey's skyrocketing food prices show no sign of slowing Ill-advised policies over the decades have reduced Turkey to a net food importer despite its significant agricultural potential, fueling a dramatic increase in food prices that deals the hardest blows to the poorest citizens. Turkey
Al-Bab’s historical covered marketplace back in business Store owners at a market in al-Bab have reopened their shops, which were heavily damaged in the fight against the Islamic State. Syria
