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 Israel's ultra-Orthodox are not happy with proposed Sabbath law This time, secular Israelis are pushing for a Sabbath-observance law while the ultra-Orthodox resist, claiming the legislation falls short of preserving the day's character. Israel
Is Gaza facing an opioid epidemic? The impossible circumstances of day-to-day life in the Gaza Strip has led to a Tramadol epidemic that Hamas is struggling to address. Palestine
Obama chides Russia, but will 'test' cooperation to curb Syria war US President Barack Obama on Aug. 4 criticized Russia for backing the Syrian regime’s advances on Aleppo, as US-Russian negotiations on possible deeper cooperation on Syria drag on without agreement. Syria
Cairo in hot water over alleged Nile flooding coverup Egypt’s government has been criticized for allegedly trying to silence reports of higher than usual Nile flooding rates, amid fears that it could hamper their efforts to reduce water usage. Egypt
Can Sisi's new investment council save Egypt's economy? While some have praised Cairo's decision to form a Supreme Council for Investment to be overseen by the president himself, others say that Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's personal involvement only demonstrates institutional incompetence. Egypt
Is Iran judiciary open to negotiating on human rights? Iran’s judiciary said that Iran has begun talks with the European Union in regard to human rights. Iran
Could this be the last battle for Aleppo? Opposition factions in southern Aleppo have made significant advances after launching attacks in response to the one-month-long siege imposed by the regime on Aleppo’s eastern neighborhood. Syria
Top Brazilian judo fighter comes home to Lebanon for Rio Olympics Lebanese-Brazilian judoka Nacif Elias switched to Lebanon for the 2016 Olympics after reconnecting with the homeland he left as a child. Lebanon
The West must reach out to Turkey Turkey needs sensible friends at this critical juncture who will both understand the severity of the threat the nation has faced and also urge it to respect the rule of law. Turkey
Despite war, Syrian athletes ready for Olympics All athletes struggle and sacrifice to reach the Olympics, but Syrian athletes have faced more than the usual trials. Syria
