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
Lapid's response tepid to report about rising Israeli poverty The recommendations of the Elalouf Committee to Reduce Poverty are too ambitious to be fulfilled, and at the same time ignore the core structural problems that brought Israel to this situation. Israel
Chechen extremists threaten Jordan King Abdullah’s unusual visit to the Chechen Republic is a sign of the threat Chechen militants pose to Jordan and the region. Jordan
Hifter accuses Turkey of supporting terror in Libya Retired Libyan rebel Gen. Khalifa Belqasim Hifter's accusation is another sign of Turkey's deepening isolation in Arab politics. Qatar
Bombings in Lebanon point to ISIS Recent security incidents, including the June 23 car bombing in Beirut's suburbs, are likely signs that ISIS plans even more attacks in Lebanon. Lebanon
Real estate sales boom as Turkey opens to foreign buyers Following measures making it easier for foreigners to acquire property in Turkey, sales have skyrocketed. Foreigners’ locations of choice include Istanbul as well as the Turkish coast, especially Antalya. Turkey
Gaza's unemployed graduates: between Google and falafel With the unemployment rate steadily on the rise in the Gaza Strip, many college graduates are taking and creating jobs outside their specialty. Palestine
Iraq's 'Sunni' rebellion shows splits between ISIS, others After mostly ejecting government forces from Sunni areas, the differences over the next stage between ISIS and other Sunni factions will soon emerge. Iraq
AKP pushes its own brand of Turkish neonationalism Turkish neonationalism, traditionally a product of authoritarian state power, is being pushed by proponents of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and nurtured by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Will ISIS find fertile ground in Egypt's Sinai? Tribal elders in the Sinai Peninsula say links are growing between local jihadists from Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Egypt
Kidnapping highlights Israelis' surrender to settlers It is natural that the kidnapping of three Israeli youths would generate solidarity among the public, but it also raises the question of why peace-loving secular Israelis have let themselves be dragged along for years, from clash to clash, by a nationalistic messianic minority. Palestine
Syrian Kurdish leader: Turkey turns blind eye to ISIS Salih Muslim, the leader of the Syrian Kurdish movement PYD, gives an exclusive interview to Al-Monitor on post-Mosul developments and Turkey's alleged support for ISIS. Iraq
Tensions rise between Yemen's Saleh and Hadi Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is using the poor performance of current President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s government to remain politically relevant. Yemen
![- PHOTO TAKEN 12MAY1999 - Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (R) is decorated with a medal presented to him by his deputy Izzat Ibrahim in Baghdad in this May 12, 1999 file photo. Ibrahim, the most senior member of the former regime, has died, [Al Arabiya satellite television quoted a Baath party statement as saying on Friday.] He is number six on the U.S. military's list of the 55 most-wanted Iraqis, with a $10 million reward offered for his capture. - RTXNYC5](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/06/RTXNYC5.jpg/RTXNYC5.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=vM6t5_5T)
