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
What’s behind Damascus’ claim of 'invasion from Jordan'? The Russian media has been closely following Damascus’ claims on military movement on the Jordanian-Syrian border, looking at the goals behind certain claims and how they may impact a political settlement. Iraq
Bahrain’s ongoing political crisis threatens stability The Bahraini government is taking a strong stand against the militant Shiite opposition factions that have become more radical in the past few years. Saudi Arabia
Is Trump holding a Russian card in the Middle East? Trump visit launches new US-Saudi partnership, but the endgame in the Middle East still depends on Moscow and Tehran. Saudi Arabia
On election day, Iranians divided over future of country Polls close after Iranians turn out in large numbers to cast their votes in the 2017 presidential election. Iran
How two clerics topped agenda of Erdogan-Trump meeting Turkey's Protestant community fears that Ankara could use an imprisoned American pastor as a bargaining chip to press for the extradition of Pennsylvania-based Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen. Turkey
Why Erdogan's US visit will only create more problems for Turkey The expectation that Erdogan and Trump will get along because they share dominant personality traits backfired, as Erdogan concluded the shortest international meeting in his 15-year political history. Turkey
Will Egypt jail rogue clerics? The draft law criminalizing public fatwas without a license in Egypt has started a discussion, with some arguing that it could lead to a further rise in radicalism and terrorism. Egypt
Turkey’s struggling wine sector gets Levantine touch Along Turkey’s chic Aegean coast, the dream of owning a vineyard could easily turn into a nightmare as tourism declines and legal restrictions rise. Turkey
Iraq's Christians demand reconstruction of religious sites Iraqi Christians demand the reconstruction of the Mar Mattai and Mar Behnam monasteries in the Ninevah Plains. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan rife with unlicensed guns, gun violence Though the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq is slowly waning, gun violence still riddles Iraq's Kurdistan Region where firearms are readily available and licensing is easily bypassed. Iraq
Jerusalem dress fails to impress The "Jerusalem of Gold" dress that Culture Minister Miri Regev wore to the Cannes Festival represents yet another populist provocation by right-wing Israeli politicians seeking to inflame nationalistic sentiments. Israel
Gay rights group persists, with pride, in Beirut Beirut Pride week is held in Lebanon to raise awareness about the rights of the LGBTQ community. Culture & Society
