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
Trips offer respite to Sahrawi refugee children Sahrawi children live in difficult conditions year-round, with the exception of those children lucky enough to take "peace vacations" in Spain. Algeria
How do Egypt's official religious authorities view Shiites? While Egypt's Al-Azhar officially accepts Shiism and teaches about Shiite schools of jurisprudence in its curricula, some claim Shiites are being persecuted in Egypt as religious authorities and security forces look the other way. Egypt
Why Israeli NGOs are shifting tactics to stop village demolition The international community is doubling its pressure on Israel to not demolish the Palestinian village of Khirbet Susya and evacuate all of its residents. Palestine
Will film on 2015 hajj disaster further tarnish Iran-Saudi relations? The imminent unveiling of an Iranian film about the deadly hajj stampede in 2015 is causing waves even before it has been screened, with some warning that it could further inflame relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Iran
Restoring death penalty could have major repercussions for Turkey Turkish leaders keep stoking popular demands to reinstate the death penalty, but the repercussions of such a move go far beyond what the government can afford, observers say. Turkey
Will Iraq's minorities return to their homelands post-IS? As Iraqi forces are advancing against the Islamic State, Iraqi minorities express their worries about the future of their lands post-IS. Iraq
How Islamic State is trying to lure Kurds to its ranks The Islamic State released a video Aug. 3 in which militants refer to prominent Kurdish leaders in a bid to attract the Kurds to their ranks. Iraq
Amid war on IS, Iraq’s widows and orphans face neglect A recent survey shows that the number of widows and orphans is on the rise in Iraq, while the government fails to provide support for them. Iraq
Municipal elections offer political first step for Lebanese women Female candidates won big in May's municipal elections across Lebanon, with a substantial jump in female representation from the last local elections in 2010. Lebanon
Al-Aqsa University students pay the price of Gaza-Ramallah bickering Al-Aqsa University in the Gaza Strip is affected by the political tension between the Education Ministries of Gaza and the West Bank, with the latter threatening to invalidate the university’s degrees. Palestine
How Turkey's coup turmoil has fueled migration flurry Consultancy firms report a big increase in the number of Turks exploring options to migrate to the West, as the failed coup and its aftermath exacerbate fears over the country's future. Turkey
How this group is fighting corruption in Gaza The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity - Aman is distributing awards to those reporting on all forms of corruption cases in Gaza, in an effort to fight this rampant phenomenon. Palestine
