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
Iranian women's movement pushes for more rights, at its own pace Faced with calls for radical change from abroad, Iran's activists for women’s rights keep pushing their own agenda at home at their own pace. Iran
What's behind nationalist gains in Turkey’s Kurdish regions? As many struggle to explain the rise in the nationalist vote in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast, some observers see the impact of police and military reinforcements in the region and the influence of the security establishment. Turkey
Drought forces Iraq to abandon cultivation of crops Due to the acute shortage of irrigation water, Iraq is reducing the cultivation of large areas of land and preventing the cultivation of strategic crops that are a source of livelihood for farmers, such as rice and corn. Iraq
Why Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince still needs his father The influential, yet polarizing, Mohammed bin Salman still relies on his father King Salman's legitimacy and credentials as the country faces challenges at home and abroad. Saudi Arabia
International pressure sways Israel on village demolition The case of the Bedouin Palestinian village of Khan al-Ahmar shows that sometimes, international pressure is the only way to confront Israeli injustices in the West Bank. Palestine
Culture Alert: July marked by festivals in the Middle East In Istanbul, Baalbeck, Jerusalem and Ras El Bar, the Middle East becomes a vibrant scene of outdoor festivals in July. Palestine
Will Islamic bonds help revive Egypt's economy? Some economists say the government's plan to issue dollar-dominated and euro-dominated Islamic bonds will generate more financial resources, while others worry the move strays from Egypt's secular nature. Egypt
Desperate Syrians flee Daraa only to find closed borders As the Syrian regime's offensive escalates in Daraa, refugees are sleeping out in the open as both Jordan and Israel refuse to open their borders. Israel
Israeli centrist leader changes course on ultra-Orthodox draft law Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid took a political gamble and appears to have won by supporting the coalition's proposed law on conscripting ultra-Orthodox males. Israel
Palestinians opt for illegal SIM cards smuggled from Israel West Bank authorities are combating the use of black-market Israeli telecom services, which Palestinians prefer over the pricier internet packages offered by local operators. Palestine
Lebanon-UNHCR feuding over Syrian refugees Hundreds of Syrians displaced in the Lebanese border town of Arsal have returned to their country voluntarily, causing tensions between the Lebanese Foreign Ministry and the UNHCR. Lebanon
