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
Khomeini's supporters defend extravagant shrine Critics have assailed the apparent lavishness of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's shrine, saying he would have opposed the "palace-like" building. Iran
Iran MP emerges as Instagram rabble-rouser Conservative Iranian parliament member Mehdi Koochakzadeh has taken to Instagram to attack his political rivals, attracting over 2,000 followers in just over a month. Iran
The future of Turkey's Syria policy Election results have made Turkey’s current Syria policy hard to implement. Turkey
Lebanese surfers catch waves A small surfer community south of Beirut, Lebanon, not only has dreams of seeing Lebanon represented in international competition, but is also interested in preserving the environment. Lebanon
Tension rises between Amman, Ramallah Amman and Ramallah are not seeing eye to eye at the level of politics and coordination, threatening national unity in both Jordan and Palestine. Palestine
Egypt’s Copts dig heels in over right to remarry Christian Copts are protesting, calling for their religious right to remarry and the necessity to expand the spectrum of the grounds for divorce that they believe the church should recognize. Egypt
Why Russia's Mideast agenda doesn't appeal to GCC Both Russia and the Gulf states have pursued divergent foreign policies for years, though some may be ready for an alliance. Legacy: Gulf
Palestinian dance group keeps folk art alive El-Funoun is a dance troupe whose performances underscore the importance of Palestinian folk art while combining cultural authenticity and modernity — with the idea that art is a part of the revolutionary and popular movement against the occupation. Palestine
Lebanese Christian leaders focus on need for president The visit of the Vatican's envoy to Lebanon coincided with a meeting between the country's top Christian leaders, Gen. Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea, who revealed a joint statement that could pave the way for a president to finally be elected. Lebanon
IS advances in northern Aleppo The towns and villages of northern Aleppo’s countryside have been witnessing heavy clashes between the Islamic State and rebel factions, while Syrian regime aircraft have bombed several sites, thus suggesting cooperation between the regime and IS. Syria
Netanyahu's 'autumn restart' plan Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to reduce international pressure during the last 18 months of US President Barack Obama's term and will begin a diplomatic initiative to that end this autumn. Palestine
New Turkish parliament to be more inclusive Following Turkey's general elections on June 7, Armenian, Syriac, Yazidi, Roma, Kurdish, and Alevi deputies are entering parliament, for the first time ever or after an extended absence. Turkey
