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
Trump, Abbas vow to prove skeptics wrong on reaching peace deal In upbeat White House visit May 3, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and US President Donald Trump expressed themselves optimistic they can reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal that nobody thinks they will reach. Palestine
Syria sanctions bill sparks renewed debate over Assad and Christians The House Foreign Affairs panel voted for new sanctions on anyone helping Bashar al-Assad's regime. Syria
US, Russia approach each other cautiously on Syria Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have set an ambitious pace for diplomatic discussions with other world leaders regarding Syria, but they apparently agree that small steps are best when dealing with each other on the topic. Syria
Civilians task themselves with administering IS-free areas of Raqqa The new Raqqa Civilian Assembly is overseeing areas of the province that have been cleared of the Islamic State and helping thousands of refugees who are risking everything, traveling clandestinely on booby-trapped roads to get out of the city. Syria
With Turkish journalists gagged, ICG spotlights Nusaybin In a new report, the International Crisis Group examines the Turkish border town of Nusaybin, where residents feel alienated and under Turkish occupation, to outline the local dynamics in the Kurdish region. Turkey
More Kurds forced out of ancient Sur in southeast Turkey The Turkish authorities are evacuating more neighborhoods in Diyarbakir’s historic district of Sur, leaving hundreds of Kurdish families with uncertain futures. Turkey
Spiritual leader of Iranian Reformists backs Rouhani In his bid for a second term, moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has won the endorsement of an influential Reformist: former President Mohammad Khatami. Iran
Why Iran's conservatives are suddenly rooting for Rouhani's VP First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri’s strong performance in the first Iranian presidential debate has led conservatives to speculate about the prospect of him challenging President Hassan Rouhani. What is the real aim of this unlikely depiction? Iran
Specter of death penalty haunts Egypt’s Brotherhood An Egyptian court issued the first death sentence against a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Sheikh Fadl al-Mawla, in what some fear will be a precedent for the regime. Egypt
How one Palestinian couple hopes to bring back mosaic art Journalist Said al-Ghazali from Jerusalem turned his house into a museum to revive the art of mosaic that disappeared in the Palestinian territories. Palestine
West Bank walking trail highlights Palestinian heritage, culture A walking trail across several villages in the West Bank aims to boost local and foreign tourism, in a bid to show the world that Palestinians have a rich cultural and archaeological heritage. Palestine
Iraq's firebrand Shiite cleric presents his political successor Muqtada al-Sadr has appointed his nephew to oversee all the political activities of the Sadrist movement, while he turns his attention entirely to its religious aspects. Iraq
