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
Pompeo reinforces Netanyahu’s occupation policies US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent statement on the West Bank settlements reinforces the occupation policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and distances any chance for peace. Palestine
Archaeology's Trojan War: The artist who took on Schliemann Osman Hamdi, a 19th-century Ottoman painter whose works sold at record prices earlier this year, also saved artifacts from being smuggled out of Turkey by foreign archaeologists. Turkey
Tuk-tuks to the rescue in Iraqi unrest Iraqis disdained tuk-tuk drivers and their vehicles until their volunteerism during the ongoing anti-government protests made them national heroes. Iraq
Turkish court defies higher ruling to uphold verdict in Cumhuriyet retrial A Turkish court has upheld its conviction of 12 Cumhuriyet journalists, defying a September decision by a higher court and exposing discord in the Turkish judiciary. Turkey
Liberman spawns 'alliance of the underprivileged' Attacks by Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman on Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties has pushed the two groups into a surprising alliance. Israel
Netanyahu at war with legal system Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might be standing now with his back against the wall, but he still succeeds in keeping his supporters on his side. Israel
How bus ban reflects Morocco's broader migration policy The well-known Moroccan bus company CTM denies accusations that it prevents "Africans" from boarding some of its buses. Morocco
Indicted for bribery, Netanyahu ramps up his victimization campaign The decision by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of receiving bribes, fraud and breach of trust could be one too many even for the comeback master. Israel
Iran's internet access gradually resumes after protest blackout After blocking access to the internet over the recent massive protests, Iran has begun restoring connectivity in certain provinces. Iran
Ankara seeks to discipline proxies in northeast Syria Allegations of war crimes committed by the rebel Syrian National Army backed by Turkey in northeast Syria have forced Ankara to take steps to try to rein in its proxies. Syria
Internet ignites as journalist loses eye to Israeli bullet Journalists and social media activists joined a campaign in support of Palestinian photojournalist Muath Amarneh, who lost his left eye covering confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank. Palestine
