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
Aleppo fears new ISIS offensive Syrian regime forces and rebels holed up in Aleppo worry that ISIS' newfound power and advanced military hardware in Iraq will result in a renewed offensive on Aleppo. Iraq
Iran professor sentenced to prison for criticizing nuclear program Outspoken analyst and Tehran University professor Sadegh Zibakalam's sentence is being taken as a warning that there are limits to how much Iranian intellectuals are allowed to question the nuclear program. Iran
Iraq's warring powers approach sectarian faultlines The battle between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) could get even more brutal as the conflict occurs in Sunni-Shiite contact points. Iraq
Kidnapping of Israeli boys 'no joke' for Palestinians Israel is tightening its grip on the West Bank and intensifying mock air raids over the Gaza Strip, as Palestinians anticipate an Israeli response to the June 12 kidnappings. Palestine
Iraqi Turkmen take up arms in Kirkuk Iraqi Turkmen, wary of gains by both Iraqi Kurds and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), have moved to create their own armed militia. Iraq
Gaza’s poor rummage through garbage for food Widespread poverty in the Gaza Strip has forced some of the most desperate to dig through dumpsters to feed their families. Palestine
Iraq crisis hits Turkish economy Iraq is Turkey's second leading export market, but trade routes to Baghdad and farther south are currently blocked because of ISIS's capture of Iraqi territory. Iraq
Netanyahu, Abbas can avoid next abduction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should engage Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on both diplomacy and security to better manage future crises. Palestine
Erdogan gets surprise presidential rival Academic Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the opposition’s joint candidate for Turkey’s presidential elections, has the potential to change the game. Turkey
African Union set to restore Egypt’s membership President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is about to score his first foreign policy victory with the expected restoration of Egypt’s African Union membership at this month’s African summit in Malabo. Egypt
Kidnappings put Netanyahu back on offense The abduction of teenagers in the Hebron region puts an end to Netanyahu’s political hard times, and, without a dominant defense minister such as Ehud Barak at his side, he is seen, even by the left, as a balanced authority on matters of security and leadership. Palestine
Turkey's finance minister avoids politics, sticks to economy The visit of Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek to Lebanon aimed at building economic ties and avoiding more controversial foreign policy matters. Lebanon
