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
Leave room for private sector to flourish, IMF advises Egypt The International Monetary Fund is cautioning Egypt not to allow its military-affiliated businesses to grow even larger at the expense of the private sector. Egypt
Ultra-Orthodox, leftists join forces against Israeli draft Ultra-Orthodox and leftist Knesset members have joined forces and advanced a proposal to abolish Israel's compulsive military service. Israel
Israel announces destruction of underwater Hamas tunnel Palestinian analysts believe that Israel announced the destruction of a recently discovered underwater tunnel in the Gaza Strip as part of a media strategy aimed at deflecting attention from its response to Gaza border protests. Palestine
Indonesian cleric’s call for compassion lost in controversy over Jerusalem visit During a visit to Israel, Yahya Staquf, leader of the world’s largest Islamic organization, expressed his vision for the peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and his strong support of the Palestinian cause. Palestine
Displaced Syrians build new lives in Idlib Syrians evacuated from eastern Ghouta have found new life and work in Idlib, where few still rely on aid and charity organizations. Syria
Egypt’s proposed media law spooks journalists Egyptian journalists are speaking out against a vast press and media bill, warning it grants wide powers to the government and places potentially heavy restrictions on journalists. Egypt
Iran may become third wheel in Saudi-Russian relationship Saudi Arabia and Russia have been overlooking their differences, focusing instead on their mutual energy interests, but it might prove hard to ignore the elephant in the room indefinitely. Saudi Arabia
As dollar rises, Turkey's tourism income suffers Turkey's weak currency means more tourists can afford to travel there, but it doesn’t mean more revenue for the country. Turkey
Battle for Kurdish vote turns violent, leaves four dead in Turkey's Suruc Four people were killed during campaigning in a mainly Kurdish town last week, and the government and the opposition are trading blame over escalating tensions ahead of the June 24 election. Turkey
Iran's ex-military chief accused of squatting in former shah mansion The former chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces has been accused of living rent-free for 25 years in a mansion belonging to the shah’s regime. Iran
Egypt proposes increase on fees paid by foreigners Refugees in Egypt who are already struggling just to make ends meet are worried about the government’s proposal to increase the residency charge. Egypt
