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
Israel should put Fatah-Hamas government to the test The establishment of a Palestinian government culminates a decade of changes the Hamas movement is undergoing, offering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an opportunity to force it into changing its fanatical charter. Palestine
Liberman: Arabs 'must come out of the closet' Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman outlines his vision for a regional arrangement with Arab Gulf states. Palestine
Iraqi entrepreneurs strike it rich reselling goods on Facebook Iraqi entrepreneurs have launched Facebook pages selling US and European products to Iraqis, who usually do not have access to international goods. Iraq
Transitional justice fails in Iraq After the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, measures to implement transitional justice have been largely unsuccessful. Iraq
Lights out on Maliki's electricity promises Ali al-Fayyad, deputy head of the Iraqi parliament's Energy Committee, said he's hoping the private sector steps in to ease the electricity crisis that the people have suffered from for decades, especially in the scorching summer months. Iraq
'SisiMeter' keeps tabs on Egypt's new president As Egyptian President-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi prepares to be sworn into office June 8, most citizens expect modest promises in light of the country’s current crises. Egypt
How Turkey lost its influence in Iraq Ankara's tilt toward the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has undermined its once considerable influence in Iraq. Iraq
Turkish inflation at its 'worst' before expected slowdown Turkey’s inflation shot up to a two-year high in May, but a slowdown is expected to begin in June. Turkey
Sinking ties with US linked to Netanyahu's political fortunes A drop in US-Israel ties has provoked a domestic political crisis for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces challenges from Avigdor Liberman and Naftali Bennett. Palestine
Will Sisi move beyond 'cold peace' with Israel? The pending gas deal between Israel and Egypt might be an economic necessity for President-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt
Hamas seeks to reclaim political influence via PLO The inclusion of Hamas, as well as Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in the PLO could strengthen the influence of the "resistance" wing within the organization. Palestine
European women find appeal in Syrian jihad Radical European Muslim women are traveling to Syria to marry jihadist fighters and provide support. Syria
