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
Following deadly clashes, Nile island residents keep up fight against evictions The residents of al-Warraq island in Cairo woke up July 16 to see police and army forces implementing a government decision to remove all unlicensed buildings and illegal use of state-owned land. Egypt
Fatah leverages Temple Mount crisis to confront Israel Israel is concerned over Fatah officials' call for continued mass protests stemming from recent events at the Temple Mount. Israel
Palestinian Christians, Muslims come together over Al-Aqsa protests Palestinian Christians are participating alongside Muslims in demonstrations and sit-ins in Jerusalem in a show of solidarity for their cause. Palestine
Netanyahu's power drunk government Instead of listening to Israel’s security experts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu keeps provoking the Palestinians and escalating tensions. Palestine
Visiting Lebanon PM seeks to temper Washington’s anti-Hezbollah zeal Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is fighting back against aid cuts and new sanctions. Lebanon
Women gain foothold at Iran's seminaries In Iran, institutional change in favor of women’s participation at seminaries is moving ahead at an exceptional pace. Iran
Turks savor small doses of heartwarming news Though Turkey's various crises continue to bubble, the recent news wasn't all bad. Turkey
Turkey’s Kurdish movement seeks to mobilize street protests Turkey’s main Kurdish political movement has called for street protests against government oppression but faced a stiff police blockade on the first day of the initiative. Turkey
Rouhani: US House bill repetition of past sanctions Iranian leaders indicate they are readying a response to the US House of Representatives passing fresh sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the country’s ballistic missile program. United States
Netanyahu's scandals run deep The many scandals directly or indirectly involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, coupled with media criticism over his handling of the Temple Mount crisis, are seriously destabilizing his administration. Israel
Moscow's shifting strategy in Yemen With the recent appointment of Ahmed Salem al-Wahishi as Yemen's ambassador to Russia, Moscow finds itself in a strong position to lead a political solution to the Yemen conflict. Saudi Arabia
With Islamic State gone, barbers are busy in Mosul Mosul barbers, whose profession was outlawed during the Islamic State's rule, are becoming popular again in the newly freed city. Iraq
