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
Palestinian teen to serve full sentence for slap Elor Azaria, the IDF soldier who shot a disarmed Palestinian assailant in Hebron, was granted early release while Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi, whose crime was slapping a soldier, was refused. Palestine
Israel's battle of the ex-generals Israeli opposition parties need former prominent security officials who could offer the public an image of expertise in security matters. Israel
West Bank city becomes shopper's paradise for Palestinians living in Israel Impressive numbers of Palestinians in Israel are crossing the Green Line destined for shopping and eating in the West Bank city of Jenin. Palestine
Iraq's favorite lake dries up in sign of worse to come Iraq's once-impressive Lake Milh used to be a major touristic site near Karbala, but now its vanishing water is part of a growing regional crisis. Iraq
Israel squeezes Abu Mazen as West Bank simmers in solidarity with Gaza, Jordan protests Hamas seeks to seize opening to expand protests to the West Bank; Crest Media announces partnership with North Base Media to manage Al-Monitor. Palestine
Egypt’s female Ramadan drummer breaks taboos In one of Cairo's neighborhoods, a female Ramadan drummer has taken on one of the oldest Ramadan traditions by waking up those who fast before dawn, breaking social and religious taboos. Egypt
Congress rebukes Trump over lack of Syria policy Congress called out the Donald Trump administration for failing to provide lawmakers with a US strategy for the conflict in Syria. Syria
Iraq faces uncertainty as parliament orders manual election recount As the Iraqi parliament orders a manual recount of ballots, the Kurdish opposition that lost in the election May 12 pushes for a cancellation of the result, while the PUK is adamant that the outcome should stand. Iraq
Despite campaign stumbles, Erdogan still ahead of pack For the first time ever, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party seem lost on the campaign trail, but unpopularity doesn't necessarily spell failure in Turkey's elections. Turkey
Fate of Syrian refugees hot election topic in Turkey As electioneering heats up ahead of Turkey’s June 24 polls, opposition leaders lash out at government moves to naturalize Syrian refugees, arguing that the refugees should go when quiet returns to Syria. Turkey
Vying for minds in East Jerusalem schools In a bid to revamp the educational sector in East Jerusalem and ease Israel's grip on the schools there, the Palestinian Authority has announced a national education plan of $30 million. Palestine
Can Egypt's education reforms overhaul broken system? Analysts believe the problem of public education can’t be solved through monetary means alone, but rather with reforms to the entire educational system. Egypt
