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
Islamic State attacks Syrian journalists, even in Turkey In a series of attacks, four Syrian journalists living in Turkey's border towns were killed. Why are they such easy prey? Syria
Is anyone happy with Egypt's new medicine prices? Egypt has agreed to raise price caps on some of the cheapest locally produced medications rather than lose access to the drugs altogether, but the move has come at a political cost. Egypt
Poker-faced Netanyahu gambles with US aid money Top Israeli politicians and security officials are urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the aid package offered by the United States and not take the needless risk of holding out for more. Israel
Will Lebanon’s municipal elections lead to election of a president? The May municipal elections in Lebanon prove that long-delayed parliamentary elections can indeed be conducted and a president of the republic selected. Lebanon
Iranian conservatives may be forced to embrace Rouhani Iranian conservatives may have no choice but to find a way to engage with incumbent President Hassan Rouhani with the country only a year away from its next presidential election. Iran
Israeli settlement leader says Paris initiative will 'die a slow death' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Oded Ravivi, head of the Efrat Regional Council, said that those supporting the French peace initiative are detached from the reality on the ground in the West Bank. Palestine
Candid camera TV show comes to Gaza A hidden camera show on Palestinian TV aims to highlight the difficult circumstances Gazans face through satire and comedy. Palestine
Emotional trauma leaves deep wounds for Syria's child refugees The refugee crisis has created a desperate need for mental health services, particularly among Syria’s children, whose chances of healing from their mental and emotional wounds are better the sooner they receive care. Lebanon
Why this Ramadan TV comedy inflames, yet entertains The second season of the Saudi show "Selfie" is winning popular praise but riling up critics during the particularly sensitive holy month. Saudi Arabia
What's so special about a Jewish prenup? More and more ultra-Orthodox couples are signing prenuptial agreements, financially protecting women in case their husbands refuse to divorce them. Israel
Turkish-EU ties in throes of a slow death The EU’s demand for a revision of Turkey’s anti-terrorism law as a precondition for allowing Turks visa-free travel in Europe has turned into the Achilles’ heel of ties between Ankara and Brussels. Turkey
Soleimani issues rare political statement on Bahrain The head of Iran’s Quds Force, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, condemned the decision by Bahrain to strip the citizenship of Shiite leader Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim. Bahrain
