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
Recent Attacks Portend Danger For Lebanon The Lebanese are divided about the Syrian crisis, but recent rocket and other attacks suggest the country might already be entrenched in its neighbor’s civil war. Lebanon
Seized Documents Suggest Fatah Plotted to Frame Hamas in Egypt Hamas has leaked internal Fatah documents it says proves that its rival was trying to frame it in Egypt's political crisis. Palestine
The Road Map That Egypt Needs A number of conditions could break the deadly stalemate in Egypt and produce a smooth transition. Egypt
Referendums to Put Pressure On Palestinian, Israeli Negotiators The decision by Israel and the Palestinians to put any final deal to referendums will have a profound influence on the negotiation process. Palestine
Iran’s New President Promises To Seek 'Better Life' for All Iranians Hassan Rouhani took the oath of office on Aug. 4 as Iran’s 11th president and repeated pledges to try reduce Iran’s isolation and relieve its economic distress. Iran
Is Turkey's 'Magnificent Century' A Threat or Asset? How Turkey's "Magnificent Century" soap opera, depicting the life and times of an Ottoman sultan, has managed to draw both fans and critics from the country's neighbors. Turkey
Supreme Leader Khamenei AsksAll Iranian Factions to Help Rouhani Barbara Slavin reports from Tehran, where Hassan Rouhani officially became the Islamic Republic's 11th president on Aug. 3, 2013. Iran
Engel: Sanctions, Not Rouhani, Only Chance for Iran Deal Eliot Engel, ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, discusses sanctions on Iran, his support for missile strikes against Syrian airfields and the need to maintain US military assistance to Egypt. Egypt
House Intel Committee Chairman Not Hopeful on Iran's Rouhani Mike Rogers, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence chairman, says claims of Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani’s moderation are more marketing than reality. Iran
More Iran Sanctions A Mixed Bag for Netanyahu The Israeli prime minister may still have to defer his “mission accomplished” moment in Iran. Israel
Iran’s New Culture Minister Key Figure in Rouhani’s Cabinet While some are skeptical over the proposed culture minister who is the son of a hard-line ayatollah, many expect an improvement in the ministry under his leadership. Iran
