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
Iran urges Turkey to pull forces out of Syria Iran’s Foreign Ministry has issued statements opposing the Turkish incursion into northeastern Syria. Syria
Abdul Mahdi pressured into staying in office Political parties behind Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi pressure him to not resign. Iraq
What to expect from Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Oct. 14 with a set of economic and security issues on the agenda. Saudi Arabia
Kurdish leaders support Iraq's embattled prime minister The Iraqi Kurdistan government is trying to calm protesters' demands for the central government's prime minister to be removed. Iraq
Merger solidifies opposition in Syria, boosts Turkey's forces In the days before Ankara began its offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria, it arranged a merger between the Syrian opposition's National Liberation Front and the Syrian National Army, strengthening Turkey's numbers for the battle. Syria
Turkey has multiphase game plan for Syria operation Turkey plans to divide its Syria operation into three phases and coordinate them with diplomatic work. Syria
Abbas backs down on decision to refuse clearing funds Crippled by a severe financial crisis, the Palestinian Authority has recently accepted the clearing funds from Israel that it had been refusing for eight months. Palestine
How currency float increased Egypt’s foreign reserves to all-time high The pound flotation has lifted Egypt’s foreign reserves to an all-time high topping $45.117 billion at the end of September, and to maintain the reserves at historic record highs, economists urge the government to boost local industrialization. Egypt
Divisions restrict Southern Transitional Council, UAE ambitions in Yemen Although the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council is fighting for the independence of southern Yemen, their ambitions as well as the UAE’s risk deepening divisions in the area. United Arab Emirates
Why these Egyptian artists are telling Cairens to take deep breath At the "Tea Time with My Lungs" exhibition, three young artists explain with art the importance of just taking a deep breath. Egypt
Intel: What’s in Congress’ new Turkey sanctions package Infuriated with President Donald Trump for greenlighting Turkey’s offensive against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., are turning to sanctions legislation. Syria
Young Gaza artist's surrealist paintings transcend borders The surrealist paintings of Reham Amawi portray what she calls the silence of the world toward the Palestinians' plight. Palestine
