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
Tehran stock market rally likely to continue Iran’s stock market is recovering dramatically as subsidized exchange rates are reduced, commodities are deregulated and certain prices are brought in line with inflation. Iran
Putin backs US-brokered security zone in Syria during Erdogan's Moscow visit Moscow has put its support behind a US-brokered security zone along the border between Turkey and Syria. Syria
Arab states slow to respond to Kashmir controversy Despite Kashmir’s predominately Muslim population, there are many possible reasons why some Arab countries have been reluctant to condemn India’s actions. Originals
Rouhani backpedals on suggestion of talks with Trump The Iranian president has conditioned any meeting with his US counterpart on sanctions removal, a clear shift from an earlier statement that he was prepared for any meeting that might help his country. United States
Will Iran-backed factions attack US troops in Iraq? Pro-Iranian militias in the Popular Mobilization Units are calling for taking strong action against the United States and for even targeting its presence in Iraq. Iraq
Netanyahu’s worst nightmare: a Trump-Rouhani meeting The G-7 statement by US President Donald Trump about Iran changing is the worst nightmare Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could have ever imagined. Israel
Moroccan king announces plan to promote social, economic equality As Morocco's king marks 20 years on the throne, he's preparing a plan designed to aid the poor, largely through education. Morocco
Art imitates life and death in war-ravaged Afrin Two Syrian artists, a sculptor and a photographer, agree that the tragedies of war have given them rich fodder for art and opportunities to speak out for life and human dignity. Syria
Skepticism looms over Egypt’s plan to develop Sinai The Egyptian minister of planning announced $316 million worth of investments in the Sinai Peninsula for fiscal year 2020, but observers are skeptical in light of the threats posed by the Islamic State in Sinai. Egypt
Trump leans into Macron's Iran diplomacy, open to meet Rouhani US President Donald Trump welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to try to arrange a meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss prospects for a new deal in the coming weeks. United States
Hard-liners lack evidence for dual nationality charges against Rouhani officials For years, hard-liners have claimed a large number of Rouhani administration officials held dual nationality, but a recently released parliamentary report on the matter provided no evidence to back this up. Iran
How can Russia, Turkey reach deal on Idlib? In the run-up to the Turkish president's visit to Moscow, few options may be on the table with regard to Syria's Idlib. Syria
