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
Gaza deputy minister: PA behind recent bombings In this interview with Al-Monitor, Gaza's Deputy Minister of Interior, Kamel Abu Madi, speaks out on who should be held accountable for the recent bombings. Palestine
The 'environmental disaster' Lebanon can't afford to fix The Zouk Mikael power station is choking the region around it with pollution, but sky-high energy demands and political crises are blocking solutions. Lebanon
Blood money marriage makes comeback in Iraq Despite protests, and being banned since the 1950s, fasliya marriage has re-emerged among Iraqi tribes. Iraq
Displacement of Copts raises persecution fears in Egypt The forced displacement of five Christian families from the Beni Suef governorate in Egypt brought back the debate of the struggle between Muslims and Copts in Egypt. Egypt
How Morocco plans to contain its Salafists Several prominent Salafists in Morocco have surprised the nation by joining mainstream political parties. Syria
Oren's memoir drama hurts Israel At this highly sensitive diplomatic period, when Israel needs US support in the international arena, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren saw fit to promote his new book by lashing out at President Barack Obama. Israel
Will PKK let Kurdish politics move away from violence? With the success of the pro-Kurdish HDP in the recent elections, the time has come for Turkey's Kurds to rethink civilian-military relations in Kurdish politics. Turkey
Opposition battles collection of medical records in Turkey Turkey's Ministry of Health has embarked on a controversial effort to collect the names, addresses and diagnoses of psychiatric patients. Turkey
Is State Department skirting US law on sanctions? The US government watchdog says the State Department is three years late on its reporting to Congress. Iran
IDF to unify cyber warfare units The Israeli army has decided to unite its cyber units into one branch, responsible for cyber intelligence gathering, cyber defense and cyber attacks. Israel
El Al's high heel directive kicks up storm El Al Israel Airlines' new policy requiring female flight attendants to wear high heels until all passengers have boarded has generated a wave of protest, mobilizing leading public and political figures. Israel
Iranians unite in burial of 270 Iran-Iraq War veterans The burial of Iranian veterans, 175 of them buried alive, has stirred painful memories and united Iranians. Iran
![Iraqi newlywed Naheb Saidi, 25, sits holding a Koran Holy book and a bouquet of flowers during her wedding party in Baghdad July 1, 2004. [As the world watched Saddam Hussein's first court appearance, the couple took their vows to lead a new life together.] - RTXMPMI](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2015/06/RTXMPMI.jpg/RTXMPMI.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=xTpMIsO6)
