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
How an archaeologist saved Turkey's 'cotton castle' from careless tourism Francesco D'Andria, the Italian archaeologist who led the excavations of Turkey's ancient Hierapolis/Pamukkale for 15 years, has recently retired and leaves behind a legacy of defending antiquities from reckless tourism. Turkey
Palestine seeks to achieve energy independence Seeking to reduce its huge dependence on Israel, Palestine is set to establish waste-to-energy and solar power projects. Palestine
Democratic midterm win threatens to constrain Trump’s Middle East policies Democrats' victory in the House could impact US policy on Iran, Syria and Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Egypt lays plans, tallies costs as rising seas threaten Nile River Delta Cairo has accepted a funding grant for climate change preparation, but experts fear the threats posed by rising sea levels and increasingly turbulent weather will outpace Egypt's ability to adapt. Egypt
Kidnapping of Iranians puts Iran-Pakistan ties to the test The Oct. 16 kidnapping of 14 Iranian security personnel by a Pakistan-based terrorist group is putting the spotlight on the viability of the nascent security cooperation between Iran and Pakistan. Iran
Rouhani says Saudis wouldn't dare kill Khashoggi without US support Largely tight-lipped on the Khashoggi killing so far, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is now implicating the United States in Saudi Arabia's alleged assassination of a dissident journalist. Saudi Arabia
MBS chats with Erdogan as Khashoggi leaks flow Turkey's president reportedly shared a phone call with the Saudi crown prince as information about the murder of a journalist in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul continues to trickle into the press. Saudi Arabia
Commentary: Is Trump helping Netanyahu win elections? According to a European diplomat, US Ambassador David Friedman told colleagues that the Trump administration would not present its peace plan until after the elections are held in Israel, so as not to jeopardize the right-wing hold on power. Palestine
Iraqi court suspends Abadi's act to pull Fayadh from posts A court ruling puts Faleh al-Fayadh back at the helm of Iraq's National Security Council and the Popular Mobilization Units, at least for now. Iraq
Will Iran drive its musicians off the streets? The Iranian authorities are considering to permits for street performers, but musicians say it goes against the very spontaneous nature of their work. Iran
Commentary: Have Palestinians given up on resistance? According to a recent poll, Palestinian support for peace negotiations has increased at the expense of the resistance, which raises questions on the reason behind this. Palestine
