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
Iraqi marsh residents hold tight to their reed homes The Iraqi government is seeking to include the country's marshes on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as the residents in the south have used reeds from the marshes to build their houses for thousands of years. Iraq
US election 2016: Brexit buoys Trump Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of June 20. Congress
Egypt wants to know more about its people in Israel The Egyptian Parliament is keen on getting details regarding the status of Egyptians abroad and says its embassies must do a better job of representing them. Egypt
Why the Rivlin-Abbas meeting didn't take place European Union leaders consider President Reuven Rivlin one of the only liberal voices within the Israeli right-wing camp. Palestine
Is the Abbas-Hamas conflict hindering Gaza reconstruction? In his speech to the European Parliament, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called to reconstruct Gaza, warning that Gaza residents are being held hostage by Hamas. Palestine
Why Egypt's 'white gold' production is now in decline Egyptian cotton exports take another thumping in the latest agricultural season, and local cotton consumption drops as cotton cultivation becomes too heavy a financial burden for Egyptian farmers to bear. Egypt
Rouhani adviser says Brexit 'historic opportunity' for Iran While some Iranian officials have spoken in favor of Britain's referendum in leaving the European Union, it is unclear what advantage there is for Iran. Iran
Should next US president consider an Iran nuke deal 2.0? Sen. Chris Coons says it's critical to forge new relationships between top US and Iranian officials when the Barack Obama administration leaves office to ensure continued smooth implementation of the landmark nuclear deal. Congress
Anti-terror, security expenses boost Turkey’s economic growth Turkey’s growth will continue with massive funds for reconstruction of destroyed towns. Turkey
How Erdogan’s personal ambitions impact war in Turkey’s southeast Analysts say the time is ripe for the Turkish government and the PKK to talk peace, but such a move could get in the way of President Erdogan's political ambitions. Turkey
Could an alternative Kurdish party succeed in Turkey? Two Kurdish parties are merging and others are striving for a joint front, but there are doubts as to whether any effort to form an alternative Kurdish party is feasible. Iraq
Is Iran’s Syria policy really about to shift? Iranian officials have rejected suggestions that a staff reshuffle at the Foreign Ministry means the country’s regional policies are soon to change. Syria
