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
Costs of Saudi economic failures show up in electric bills Saudis are complaining openly about their electricity bills that have doubled overnight, a dire sign for their economic future. Saudi Arabia
'Window closing' on US-Russia deal on Syria It seems increasingly unlikely that the United States and Russia will conclude a deal on Syria before US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in China on Sept. 4. Syria
Sahrawi protesters recount recent abuses The people of Western Sahara have been seeking independence for decades and still suffer for their efforts. Algeria
How Egypt plans to 'return to Africa' Egypt is hoping to re-establish ties with other African countries and remain active in the Horn of Africa, as it is a strategic border area. Egypt
What's next for Egypt's corruption battle following minister's resignation? Egyptian Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafy resigns amid a wheat scandal, but questions remain about official efforts to battle corruption. Egypt
Why Russian warplanes might return to Iran Shared tactical objectives in Syria are likely to continue to drive Russian-Iranian cooperation despite the quick end to Moscow's use of the Hamedan air base. Russia
Why is Turkey wasting its time arresting peace advocates? The arrest of renowned author Asli Erdogan on terrorism charges generates questions about Turkey's arbitrary use of emergency law. Turkey
Did US drag Turkey into 'Syrian quagmire'? The Turkish government remains defiant in the face of warnings from the US, but there are those who believe Ankara was forced into the Syrian quagmire by Washington. Syria
Iran officials behind 1980s executions defend decision Iranian officials involved in the executions of thousands of Mujahedeen-e-Khalq members in the 1980s are having to defend themselves publicly as the killings are back in the news. Iran
Will Palestine’s upcoming local elections be worth the cost? A lot of money is being poured into the local Palestinian elections, but some fear the funds will go to waste when the vote proves divisive and the results are contested. Palestine
Ethnic demons revived at eulogy for late Israeli defense minister Ugly comments about late Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer reflect some Labor Party members' long-held attitude toward leaders of Mizrahi origin. Palestine
Palestinians say no to cultural monopoly A Palestinian Foreign Ministry memo favoring the selection of one particular dance troupe for international performances has become a scandal. Palestine
