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
Hezbollah Faces Backlash In Lebanon Opponents of Hezbollah in Lebanon are becoming increasingly vocal in their grievances against the party following its involvement in the Qusair battle. Lebanon
Inside Syria's Gulag An exclusive firsthand account from a Syrian who was detained in a state prison in Aleppo. Syria
G8 Fails to Mention 'Occupation' Or 'Settlements' The G8's 110 words on the Middle East peace process are dissected. Palestine
Washington's Misguided Syria Morality Play The United States can't seem to either escape or learn from its experiences in Iraq when dealing with Syria. Syria
Congress Not Won Over By Rouhani Victory in Iran Congress wants to press ahead with sanctions on Iran but the White House may go slow if Iran improves cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran
Turkey's Military and the Protests In Gezi Park The Turkish government is haunted by coup fears in its handling of the massive protests. Turkey
Israel's Liberman: 'No Chance' For Deal With Palestinians Former Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman rejects demands for settlement-construction freeze and prisoner releases as preconditions for negotiation. Palestine
Shimon Peres, Israeli Prototype At 90, Israeli President Shimon Peres can teach the young generation a thing or two about dreams, looking one step ahead. Israel
Rethinking Hezbollah's Role in Syria Lebanese leaders consider the consequences of Hezbollah's intervention in Syria, including the potential for chaos in Arsal and the Bekaa. Lebanon
Iraq Moves Troops To Syrian Border As attacks and casualties continue to increase, Iraqi authorities have sent troops to the border with Syria in an effort to slow the flow of jihadist fighters, Iraq
The Rouhani Surprise The election of Hassan Rouhani as president of Iran has defied analysts and created an opportunity for the West. Iran
Prominent Shiite Clerics Diverge From Iran on 'Islamic' Punishment While Iran continues to enforce Islamic punishment through its legal system, many Shiite clerics remain critical of such practices. Iran
