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
Is Israel's 'startup nation' a mirage? In an interview with Al-Monitor, economist Dan Ben-David warns that despite Israel's world-leading high-tech, its productivity remains among the lowest in the developed world, threatening rate of growth and quality of life. Israel
Tensions remain between Iraqi government, religious authorities The attack on schools in Najaf, during which foreign students were arrested, shows the imbalance in the relation between politics and religion in Iraq. Iraq
Turning to Talmud, young Israelis find a 'Game of Thrones' The secular yeshiva offers young Israelis the opportunity to search and interpret Judaism and tradition, while defining a Jewish secular identity. Israel
Syrian Kurdish mother killed at Turkish border The killing of Saadet Dervis of Rojava by Turkish soldiers in front of her children while trying to cross the border into Syria has led to new scrutiny of Turkey’s Syria policy. Syria
S&P dashes Turkey’s hopes, again Standard & Poor's defies expectations for a positive revision of Turkey’s economic outlook, adding fresh chill to its troubled relations with Ankara. Turkey
Shopping for guns in Sadr City In Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, a weapons market opens its doors every night to tribesmen who buy all kinds of arms, while the government claims to be unaware of the situation. Iraq
Gaza Salafists expect pressure from unity government Gaza’s Salafists do not expect any change from a unity Palestinian government, noting that Hamas will remain in control of security in the Gaza Strip and will keep up the pressure on their movements. Palestine
Iran official cites 'intense disagreements' between Iran, P5+1 As nuclear negotiations resume, the spokesman for Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee has revealed that major differences remain between Iran and the P5+1. Iran
Lebanon approaches presidential deadline If Lebanon’s parliament fails to elect a president by the constitutionally stipulated deadline of midnight on May 24, the ensuing vacuum could further exacerbate the already tense situation in the country. Lebanon
Would PUK cut separate deal with Maliki? The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) did well in the Iraqi national elections, and may be flirting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to strengthen its hand in Iraqi Kurdish politics. Iraq
Hamas, Fatah near deadline on new government Negotiations to form a Palestinian unity government are continuing, but hurdles remain as the deadline approaches fast. Palestine
Likud leaders claim Netanyahu blocks settlements Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu freezes construction in settlement blocs, hoping to keep the diplomatic process underway — not for the sake of reaching an agreement — and reduce international pressure. Palestine
