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
Why did over 1,600 Iranians sign up to run for president? Over 1,600 Iranians showed up at the Interior Ministry to register to run in the May 19 presidential election, fully aware that the Guardian Council will block their running. Iran
Egypt hopes gold city will revive industry, lure investments Egypt is hoping to cash in on its rich resources and become Africa’s only gateway where manufacturers can trade in and export gold. Egypt
How North Korea nuke crisis affects Israel Israeli intelligence believes that North Korea, Syria and Iran are collaborating on the development of missile systems and nuclear programs. Israel
Egypt's multi-cultural festival dances to beat of one drum Egypt embraces international cultures and showcases its unique heritage in the 5th annual International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts. Egypt
Sunnis fear spread of Shiite influence in Samarra Residents and political representatives in the predominantly Sunni city of Samarra take issue with what they see as increased Shiite influence in the city. Iraq
Did Netanyahu's ultimatum to German foreign minister pay off? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel of provocation by meeting with anti-occupation organizations during a visit to Israel. Israel
Is Hamas-Fatah reconciliation finally on track? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has presented his vision to end the split between Fatah and Hamas and have the consensus government take control in Gaza, threatening to take "unprecedented" action if Hamas rejects his demands. Palestine
Egypt ripped at Senate foreign aid hearing Senators urged to rethink $1.5 billion annual US aid package to Egypt as the country fails to progress in human rights. Egypt
Turkey faces scrutiny after Erdogan's 'win' The Council of Europe’s decision to resume monitoring procedures against Turkey indicates the West's resolve not to validate Ankara's referendum results. Turkey
Kurds call on US to set up no-fly zone after Turkish attacks Expect US-Turkey tensions to rise after the Turkish air force attacked Kurdish militants in Iraq’s Sinjar region and northeastern Syria just as the US-led coalition presses its offensive against IS in Raqqa. Syria
Iran's conservative presidential candidates pledge more cash handouts, jobs Presidential candidates Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Ebrahim Raisi focus on the economy and make pledges to create jobs to attract votes. Iran
Iran polling: Will vote see Rouhani-Ghalibaf rematch? Polls suggest incumbent Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will get a strong challenge from Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, but can cleric Ebrahim Raisi close the gap? Iran
