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
Magnetic card system restricts Palestinian visits to Jerusalem Israel is issuing magnetic travel permits to Palestinians that only permit a certain number of visits to Jerusalem and Israel each year. Palestine
How Supreme Court decision to freeze Iran assets undermines US foreign policy The US Supreme Court’s decision to seize Iranian assets to compensate terror victims is creating a backlash that undermines US business interests and could sabotage US foreign policy. Iran
Can Lebanon make progress on oil, gas exploration efforts? A litany of more pressing crises has led to a delay in efforts to advance work on Lebanon's nascent oil and gas sector. Egypt
Can agriculture save Tunisia's economy amid tourism crisis? While terrorist attacks in Tunisia have led to a massive decline in tourism, some believe that agriculture can save the tiny North African country. Libya
Iran parliament seeks damages for US support of Saddam Iranian parliament passes bill to seek American assets for US actions taken against Iran in the past 63 years. Iran
Egypt's next national security threat: All the single ladies? Egypt's parliamentary National Security Council has identified unmarried women as the country's next big threat. Egypt
Bibi's feud with defense minister reaches new heights Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, who openly opposes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies, is now encouraging senior IDF officers to express opinions that conflict with those of the Israeli political leadership. Israel
Have Turkey-PKK clashes crossed fatal threshold? The PKK’s alleged shooting down of a Turkish assault helicopter marks a major development in the ongoing fighting between the two sides. Iraq
Has Europe had enough of Erdogan? A crisis in relations with Germany could have significant strategic and geopolitical implications for Turkey and its future. Turkey
Are Iraq's politicians to blame for Baghdad terror attacks? The Islamic State attacks in three different parts of Baghdad on May 11 are an indication that the political crisis has affected security. Iraq
The real 'back pain' behind head of Iranian broadcaster's resignation There appear to have been bigger issues at play than "back pain" in the abrupt resignation of the head of the Iranian state broadcaster only 18 months on the job. Iran
Why opposition leader is pushing coalition negotiations with Netanyahu Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasn’t yet made a concrete proposal for Labor to join his coalition, but controversy over the possibility is already shaking up the party. Israel
