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 dating app helps gay community speak out on discrimation Grindr, the primarily gay and bisexual dating application, has changed the gay, bisexual and queer community in the Middle East and North Africa and is now being used as a resource. Lebanon
Is historic Palestinian strike a milestone for the one-state solution? Palestinians living in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip held a joint strike to protest the Israeli Nationality Law Palestine
Can Syrian refugees in Turkey benefit from amendment to citizenship law? The Turkish decision to ease some requirements to apply for Turkish citizenship will not help a large number of Syrian refugees in Turkey as they cannot meet the conditions required. Syria
Donors consider new mechanism for assisting Gaza Donor countries to Gaza are looking for ways to transfer aid to Gaza Strip residents without the money falling into the pockets of Hamas. Palestine
Palestinians sticking with Jerusalem court case against US Palestine has filed a lawsuit against the United States at the International Court of Justice over its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the US Embassy there, steps it views as violating international law. Palestine
Why Netanyahu wants to lower Knesset entry threshold After increasing the Knesset entry threshold before the 2015 election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now wants to help potential coalition partners by lowering it. Israel
Northern Syria takes step toward new judicial system The Turkish-built Palace of Justice and an even larger prison were inaugurated in al-Rai last month with the expectation of a new judicial system to begin functioning in mid-October in place of unsanctioned courts controlled by the Free Syrian Army. Syria
Fierce battle amid leaders of the Israeli right Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman are battling each other, as neither of them dares to confront the unbeatable Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestine
Palestine cracks down on torture, seeks sentencing options After joining international conventions and treaties, Palestinian authorities are developing new means of preventing torture, while Gaza Strip lawmakers are about to pass a law providing for alternatives to prison for lesser offenses. Palestine
Turks wake up to animal cruelty Animal rights activists in Turkey seek harsher penalties, including additional fines and imprisonment, against those who commit violence against animals. Turkey
US scraps treaty with Iran while calling for another treaty The US withdrew from a treaty with Iran after the treaty was used in a UN court to complain about its sanctions. United States
Iraq launches social fund to fight poverty In cooperation with the World Bank, Iraq has launched a social welfare project to assist unemployed and impoverished Iraqis. Iraq
