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
Sufi women blazing new trail in Nablus A unique group of some 40 women come together each week at a religious school in Nablus to practice Sufi rituals and study the faith. Palestine
Bolton lays ground for Trump, Putin summit US national security adviser John Bolton went to Moscow with a specific mission and a specific message involving a Putin-Trump meeting in July; however, the question remains whether "summit diplomacy" can resolve looming security issues in the Middle East. Syria
Kushner peace push undermined by Trump's policies Jared Kushner’s Middle East peace push is being undermined by a series of administration policy decisions that have alienated both the Palestinian leadership and people. Palestine
Iran's car market engulfed in growing economic crisis Crisis conditions bite into Iran’s car market, with customers forced to shell out higher prices for both foreign and domestically made vehicles. Iran
Iran’s youngest minister becoming symbol of transparency drive Iran’s youngest minister has received widespread praise for his “courageous” transparency campaign after revealing a list of allegedly fraudulent cellphone importers. Iran
Ankara vows to ignore Iran sanctions Turkey and the United States are entering a new stage of strained relations as newly re-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, flush with power, disregards renewed sanctions on Iran. Turkey
Iraq may soon be without a government, as clock runs out Baghdad is facing a political predicament, as too much has to be accomplished before parliament's term ends June 30. Iraq
Turkish opposition fails miserably in critical election test Turkey’s June 24 elections will likely have significant and lasting effects on the future of the opposition. Turkey
Vatican to appoint new Iraqi cardinal The Vatican will inaugurate the Chaldean Patriarch of Iraq, Louis Raphael I Sako, as cardinal, which will strengthen the status of Christians in Iraq and bring them more global support. Iraq
Sisi critics, supporters face off online Tensions are running high in Egypt after the government raised prices of fuel and cooking gas — and as the June 30 anniversary approaches, the authorities are taking no chances and have deployed added security. Egypt
Why is Israel propping up Hamas in Gaza? Israel is implementing a concerted policy of keeping Hamas in power on its southern border so it can focus its energies on threats from the north, especially the Iranian presence in Syria. Palestine
Is Israel's Zionist Camp on the brink of breaking up? The appointment of Zionist Camp senior Isaac Herzog as chair of the Jewish Agency offers Hatnua leader Tzipi Livni the chance of a lifetime to return to center stage. Israel
