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
Gazans say Israel on wrong track with reported railway plans Israel has announced it will establish a railway into the Gaza Strip in what Palestinians suspect is only a bid to bolster its image. Palestine
Hamas policy shift deepens internal rift Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar's objection to recognizing Israel's 1967 borders as the basis for the creation of a future Palestinian state puts him at odds with the movement's new leadership. Palestine
Statues and words tell story of Syrian women's plight In Beirut’s Zico House, an exhibition organized by the Syrian Female Journalists Network of clay female figurines accompanies the launch of a book about the lives of Syrian women. Lebanon
Iraq's Hatra retaken from IS militants, but still vulnerable The liberation of the ancient city of Hatra from the Islamic State is only a small first step toward protecting its ancient treasures. Iraq
Did Rouhani sell 'grand bargain' with US to Iranian voters? At a campaign rally, President Hassan Rouhani said Iranian officials are ready to negotiate with the United States on non-nuclear issues. United States
US may waive Iran sanctions in coming days The Trump administration could issue waivers of some Iran nuclear sanctions the week of May 15 as it adheres to the nuclear deal for now while conducting a review of its Iran policy. United States
Setting low bar for Trump-Erdogan meeting With US-Turkey relations in crisis, the meeting of the US and Turkish presidents will be about appearances over substance; Saudis will press Trump on Iran; storm clouds over Sinjar; Hamas clamps down on journalists. Saudi Arabia
Egyptian band breathes life into Pharaonic music An unprecedented project on the revival of ancient Egyptian music reconstructs ancient musical instruments to sing melodies inspired by inscriptions painted on temple walls. Egypt
Struggle over Iran’s largest private university heats up The clash over the future of Islamic Azad University, perhaps the biggest legacy of the late Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, heats up in Iran. Iran
Anxiety high among Israeli right as Trump visit nears The Israeli right is apprehensive about President Donald Trump's upcoming visit as he continues to proclaim his determination to make a deal ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
Turkish chef carves out international markets While Salt Bae, a restaurateur and butcher with 7 million followers on Instagram, prepares to open a steakhouse in New York after opening one in the United Arab Emirates, critics at home chop him to pieces. Turkey
Will US-Kurdish deal force Turkey back to PKK negotiation table? As Turkey's conflict with the PKK drags on and the United States has made obvious its support for Syria's Kurds, now would be an opportune time to restart negotiations with the PKK. Syria
