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
Iraqi Kurdistan-Russia oil deal could have major implications for region The Kurdistan Regional Government quietly signed a major deal June 2 with Russian oil giant Rosneft, allowing Russia its first entry to the Kurdish oil market, which was dominated by the United States and Turkey. Iraq
Syrian war has reshaped Ramadan for many Since the Syrian regime lost control of Idlib in 2015, the city has become a melting pot of Ramadan traditions, as residents and refugees adapt to new lives. Syria
Culture war takes center stage at Israeli theater festival Israeli artists widely condemn the decision by the Acre Festival of Alternative Theater to exclude Einat Weitzman's play about Palestinian prisoners, saying the move is part of a dangerous trend of self-censorship in Israel. Israel
Egypt's parliament working with Sisi to finalize islands transfer Despite a court ruling against the transfer of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian government is working to secure parliamentary approval of the deal. Saudi Arabia
Mixed messages since US-Saudi-Islamic summit prove costly Is the United States missing an opportunity with Iran in the war against the Islamic State? Turkey, Hamas deal with fallout from Qatar dispute; Al-Monitor had the jump on “secret” US-Russia talks on Syria. Saudi Arabia
Lebanese designers keep waste from going to waste Eco-friendly Lebanese designers are creating chic clutches and other products from plastic bags, bottles and other discarded materials. Countries
How Moscow-Riyadh rapport fits into the Mideast scene With all that’s going on in the Gulf right now, some players are re-examining their alliances and shoring up support. Saudi Arabia
Iraqi poets reclaim streets The House of Poetry, established by several Iraqi poets in 2009, brings modern poetry to the people through posters and graffiti. Iraq
Iraq, Qatar grow closer in wake of Gulf crisis Following the tension between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the relationship between Iraq and Qatar has become strong and many Iraqi politicians support Qatar against Saudi Arabia. Legacy: Gulf
Turkish military will protect Qatari regime if necessary Ankara revealed a hard stance in the Qatar crisis by fast-tracking legislation that sends Turkish troops there to control protests and confront internal security threats. Saudi Arabia
Iran wakes up to Salafi recruitment in Kurdish regions Will the terrorist attacks in Tehran be a wake-up call about the rise of Salafism in Iranian Kurdistan? And will they be the beginning of a sectarian war at home? Iran
PMU wants to take over Baghdad’s security The Popular Mobilization Units and their political blocs demand that the security of the capital be handed to the PMU and that the Baghdad Operations Command be disbanded for its failure to maintain security. Iraq
