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
Iranian press decries 'soft coup' in Saudi Arabia Reactions in the Iranian media to Mohammed bin Salman’s appointment as crown prince of Saudi Arabia suggest concern about escalating tensions. Saudi Arabia
Kurds reaching critical juncture in US partnership The United States and Kurds currently share a partnership of convenience in Syria, but Kurds are looking ahead warily to the role they might be asked to play as US policy evolves. Saudi Arabia
Europeans press terror-finance watchdog to extend Iran sanctions reprieve European countries are pushing a key financial watchdog to suspend sanctions against Iran for a second year to shore up the Iranian economy and the nuclear deal. United States
The long-term cost of Saudi succession shake-up The king of Saudi Arabia has replaced his successor with his favorite son Mohammed bin Salman in a move that was not entirely unexpected, but perhaps poorly timed for Saudi stability. Saudi Arabia
Ahmadinejad faces pressure after failed presidential bid Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad turns to crowdfunding to pay for a new office for his bodyguards after a property seizure by the authorities. Iran
Islamic parties intimidate, fear atheists in Iraq Islamic parties in Iraq have intensified their rhetoric against atheists, with one prominent cleric calling for them to be confronted with an "iron fist." Iraq
Abbas spokesman joins top Fatah committee Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat insisted on a quota system for Christians, and the Palestinian leadership has gone out of its way to ensure that this community is represented at all levels of Palestinian society and on the political scene. Palestine
Syria’s women could be key to the future Idlib province is witnessing a rise in activities aimed at empowering women who have suffered in the ongoing war in the country. Syria
UNRWA, Hamas deny connection to Gaza tunnels The discovery of two tunnels under UNRWA-run schools in the Gaza Strip elicited denials from Hamas, the prime suspect in their construction. Palestine
Qatar's charity funding in Gaza dries up as Gulf crisis continues Palestinians in the Gaza Strip worry about how the Gulf decision to cut ties with Qatar will affect the critical Qatar-funded relief and development projects in Gaza. Legacy: Gulf
Despite taboo, Hebrew classes open doors for young Egyptians More Egyptian university students are learning Hebrew, though social and political prejudices can still make things difficult. Egypt
Iranian missiles worry Israel From Israel’s viewpoint, the missiles that Iran launched June 18 failed to hit their target, but demonstrated the missile construction and launching capacities developed by Iran. Israel
