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
Iraq kicks off historic Fallujah operation against Islamic State Iraqi security forces launched a military operation in Fallujah, the Islamic State's last major stronghold in Anbar province; if the operation succeeds, it will deal a serious blow to the extremist organization. Iraq
Why Ya'alon's departure from Defense Ministry should worry Bibi The resignation of Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon from his post following the appointment of Avigdor Liberman to his job leaves the Likud party without any moderate senior figures. Israel
Why Tunisia’s top Islamist party rebranded itself During its most recent congress, Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda party announced its intention to separate its political and religious work. Tunisia
Is new defense minister dangerous for Israel? Some in the Israeli military are panicked over Avigdor Liberman heading the Defense Ministry, but despite his tempestuous reputation, Liberman is neither stupid nor crazy. Palestine
How Ankara and the PKK misread civilians’ reactions to ongoing violence As Kurdistan Workers Party violence intensifies in Turkey's cities, civilian Kurds are paying the price. Turkey
Turkey's female journalists now risk parental rights for critical reporting A Turkish female journalist has been stripped of her parental rights in an unprecedented court ruling that marks a new milestone in the suppression campaign against critical media. Turkey
Ouster of Kurdish MPs threatens to fuel separatism in Turkey Turkish parliament members have stripped themselves of immunity in a move designed to expel Kurdish lawmakers, but pushing the Kurdish struggle out of the political arena may end up fueling violent opposition instead. Turkey
Is it time to tame Iran's lawless publishing sector? Iranians are debating whether to join the international Berne Convention on copyright, with advocates arguing that signing on will bring legitimacy to Iranian publishing and detractors fearing copyright enforcement will only benefit the corrupt and powerful. Iran
US should accept Russian offer to coordinate strikes on Jabhat al-Nusra US-Russian joint action would be a step forward to defeat al-Qaeda affiliate; US rejects Russian bid to designate Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam as terrorist groups; Nasrallah vows deeper commitment to Syria following death of top commander. Lebanon
Egyptian Brotherhood leader reflects on group's mistakes, future In an extensive interview with Al-Monitor, Egyptian Brotherhood leader and former minister of planning and international cooperation Amr Darrag speaks about the challenges the group has faced in the past, the reassessments it has undergone and its vision for the future. Legacy: Gulf
US election 2016: Can Democrats and Republicans unite around their chosen candidates? Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of May 16. Congress
How Leonardo DiCaprio became unlikely champion in Iran Iranians are elated that actor Leonardo DiCaprio is helping to raise awareness of the drying of Lake Urmia. Iran
