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
Will Shiite power struggle turn into armed conflict in Iraq? Signs are indicating that political disagreements over power among Shiite parties may turn into armed conflict, given the multiple armed factions and their influence on the street and within government institutions. Iraq
Turks worked up over wanting more wives Angry about the attention LGBT pride month has received during Ramadan, some conservative Muslim men complain about discrimination against Muslims in Turkey and say that, according to their religion, they should have the right to marry more than one woman. Turkey
Are hard-liners moving in on Iran's Oil Ministry? Iranian hard-liners may be behind the replacement of the director of the National Iranian Oil Company, dealing a fresh blow to the pro-reform camp. Iran
Lebanese Christian village hit with eight suicide attacks in one day The eight suicide attacks that targeted al-Qaa, a Christian village bordering Syria, might revive sectarian tension, especially between the residents of the village and the Syrian refugees. Lebanon
Bloody power struggles continue in Iraq’s disputed territories A rash of kidnappings, ambushes and bombs in Tuz Khormato are aggravating tensions between the ethnic components of the city despite efforts to balance security forces along sectarian lines. Iraq
UAE faces off against Palestinian Authority, again The latent crisis between the UAE and the Palestinian Authority emerged again recently, after an article was published quoting an Emirati leader who described the PA as a failed and a corrupt entity. United Arab Emirates
Why Israeli president is no partner for peace with Palestinians President Reuven Rivlin, who devotes himself tirelessly to the preservation of Israeli democracy, is lending his image to the perpetuation of Israeli rule over millions of people under occupation. Palestine
Will reviving old parliament bring Egypt-Sudan relations back to life? Egyptian and Sudanese leaders could find solutions to their disputes by reinstating a formerly abandoned, shared parliamentary body. Egypt
Why Egyptian women aren’t enjoying this year’s Ramadan TV series Women's rights groups in Egypt want to change negative depictions of women on Egyptian TV. Egypt
What Bahrain’s opposition crackdown means for country’s Brotherhood Manama’s exclusion of popular political groups from Bahrain’s political scene, accompanied by a wide crackdown on opposition figures, could lead to militancy gaining broader power and appeal in the Shiite opposition. Legacy: Gulf
Erdogan displays survival instinct in Israel reconciliation Turkey has taken major steps to end its global isolation by reconciling with Israel and apologizing to Russia. Palestine
3 Iranian rangers killed by poachers in 48 hours After three Iranian rangers were killed by poachers in 48 hours, some Iranians are asking if the law is doing enough to protect them. Iran
