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
Syria cease-fire deal unravels as Trump, Putin prepare to meet A southwest Syria de-escalation deal heralded by the Donald Trump administration as an example of successful US-Russian cooperation is unraveling as the US and Russian leaders prepare to meet. Syria
Russia welcomes Erdogan’s re-election Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's re-election was seen in Russia as a sign that Ankara would maintain its current policies in Syria and perhaps diverge further from Washington. Turkey
How Iran dropped dual exchange rates but ended up with four While the Rouhani administration is taking steps toward stabilizing the rial, its rate unification policy has in effect resulted in a multi-tiered exchange rate regime. Iran
Turkish opposition's unity crumbles as electoral slogans fade With the elections over, Turkey’s opposition factions are back to fighting among themselves, this time for the leadership of the Republican People’s Party, as calls come in for Kemal Kilicdaroglu to resign. Turkey
Amid economic woes, soccer team performance rallies Iranians around flag Iran’s national soccer team made history in the World Cup by tying Portugal and defeating Morocco, injecting hope and reviving pride in the midst of economic turmoil. Iran
Women's center opens its doors to formerly displaced in Iraq's Qaraqosh In the predominantly Christian city of Qaraqosh, where almost one-third of the previous population returned after the liberation from the Islamic State, Women's House has been founded to assist and support displaced and vulnerable women. Iraq
Turkey, Iraq trade blame as concern rises over low water Iraq points to Turkey's Ilisu Dam as the cause of its water crisis, but Ankara says Baghdad needs to manage its resources more efficiently. Iraq
Voices in Hamas call for dialogue with Israel Some prominent Hamas affiliates are publicly calling for low-level talks with Israel to end the Gaza blockade and ease the humanitarian crisis there, a move that also appears to be necessary for the movement to continue to control the enclave. Palestine
How Abbas can tilt Trump's deal in Palestinians' favor Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas should play the US negotiation team's game and demand that the United States follow UNSC Resolution 1515 that was adopted unanimously, instead of refusing negotiations. Palestine
Armed opposition infighting triggers uptick in IS attacks in northern Syria The Islamic State escalated its attacks in northern Syria, taking advantage of the infighting between the Syrian armed factions controlling the areas there. Syria
Film explores how things have, and haven't, changed for Tunisia's women The female-directed drama "Beauty and the Dogs" shows how much Tunisia has changed since the revolution in which it was set. Tunisia
Istanbul exhibit casts light on Ottoman photography An Istanbul exhibit looks at the photographic albums that Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid sent to German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in an effort to entice Germany to invest in Anatolian railways. Turkey
